Easy Dairy-Free Caramel Sauce is a 5-ingredient vegan recipe for a rich, velvety homemade topping made without heavy cream or butter, using oat milk instead. Perfect for drizzling over dairy-free ice cream or as a filling for baked goods.
This rich, velvety sauce proves you do not need heavy cream or dairy to achieve a decadent caramel flavor.
With just 5 pantry staples and a quick simmer on the stove, you get a smooth, pourable finish that tastes just like the traditional version.
Whether you are upgrading your dessert with a quick topping or want to add a luxurious flavor to your baked goods, this simple recipe comes together in minutes.
And it’s amazing over dairy-free homemade ice cream!
Dairy-Free Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe
Dairy-Free Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe
Dairy-Free Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe
Dairy-Free Coffee Ice Cream Recipe
And, if you want to make DAIRY-FREE SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE, just add extra salt to the recipe (see the recipe card).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for dairy-free caramel sauce
Can I use a different plant-based milk instead of oat milk?
Yes, full-fat canned coconut milk works well for a richer texture, though it will add a distinct coconut flavor. Lighter plant milks like almond milk can be too thin and may not yield the same creamy consistency.
How do I store homemade dairy-free caramel sauce?
Store the cooled sauce in an airtight glass jar or container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Why is my caramel sauce too thin?
Plant-based milks behave differently than heavy cream. If your sauce is too thin after simmering, let it cool completely (it thickens as it cools) or simmer it for an extra 2 to 3 minutes to reduce further.
How do I reheat leftover caramel sauce?
Reheat gently in a small saucepan over low heat, or pop it in the microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring in between until smooth and pourable.
Can I freeze this dairy-free caramel sauce?
Yes, you can freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and gently reheat before using.
Can I use brown sugar instead of white sugar?
Using brown sugar adds a deeper, more molasses-forward flavor profile similar to butterscotch, but you can use it if you want a richer caramel taste.
Does this recipe work on all stoves?
Yes, it works on all standard cooktops. Just keep a close eye on the heat level to prevent the oat milk from scorching while simmering.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for general baking:
Why do recipes have salt in the ingredients of baked goods?
Even though salt tends to make foods, well, salty, it actually plays other roles in baking as well.
For example, the right amount of salt balances flavors in baked goods; it can bring out the sweetness of sugar and, at the same time, prevent them from tasting overly sweet. It also can help dull the bitterness of cocoa.
Salt prevents baked goods from tasting bland, while it balances the richness of the fats. It also helps develop flavor in yeast breads and works with proteins to strengthen gluten and make it more elastic.
Salt also slows down yeast fermentation because it prevents the yeast from eating up the sugars too quickly, which otherwise would cause the dough to rise too fast and then ultimately collapse, causing bread to come out flat instead of fluffy.
Salt helps baked goods stay a little fresher for a little longer and helps delay mold from growing on them.
What is the difference between white granulated sugar and brown sugar?
The short answer is that while white granulated sugar is just pure sweetness, brown sugar is white sugar with molasses mixed into it.
Here is how that change affects your baking:
- White sugar is neutrally sweet. Brown sugar tastes like rich caramel or toffee.
- White sugar makes things crisp and light. Brown sugar traps moisture, making baked goods (like brownies) dense, soft, and extra chewy.
- Brown sugar is dark and wet; white sugar is dry and clear.
Tip: If a recipe calls for brown sugar and you’re completely out, you can make your own by thoroughly mixing a tablespoon of molasses into a cup of regular white granulated sugar, and that will give you light-brown sugar. If you want dark brown sugar, you need to mix in more molasses.
What is the difference between baking soda and baking powder?
Baking soda and baking powder are both synthetic leavens that help baked goods rise, but there is a difference between them.
Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, which needs another ingredient that is acidic in order to be activated. When the baking soda touches the acid, it creates a carbon dioxide gas, which helps the baked good rise. Baking soda is between 3 and 4 times stronger than baking powder, and if too much baking soda is used, your baked good will end up with a metallic flavor.
Baking powder is baking soda that is already mixed with an acid and a stabilizer and will be activated by moisture and heat. Nowadays, baking powder is called double-acting because it activates twice—once when it gets wet (when you mix the ingredients together) and again when it heats in the oven.
Replacing one with the other can be tricky, and it’s not recommended. However, if you have no choice, then do solid research for substituting one for the other for the baked good you are preparing so you don’t ruin it.
What do eggs do in baking?
Eggs are made up of two parts: the whites and the yolks (the yellow).
Egg whites are made up of protein that sets when heated and helps baked goods hold their structure. The yolks are made up of fats and vitamins and help ingredients bond.
Eggs also help baked goods rise as well as keep them moist.
It is important to have the right amount of eggs when baking, because if there are too many eggs in a recipe, this can cause a rubbery, dense texture, and if there are too few eggs, this can cause a crumbly, dry texture.
The different parts of the egg will provide different textures to baked goods; using the entire egg in baking will provide moisture and help the baked good rise evenly, using extra yolks will create richer, denser textures, and extra whites will add fluffiness but may create a drier texture.
What is the difference between butter and margarine?
Butter is a dairy product that is made by churning heavy cream until the fats separate from the milk (i.e., buttermilk). Margarine, however, is made from vegetable oil. Butter generally has a lower melting point than margarine as well as a lower water content (and the soft tub margarines have a higher water content than bar margarines).
Using butter in baking cookies can create a crisper, more flaky cookie, while cookies will come out softer and more cakey when made with margarine. It is also generally believed to be better to “cream” using butter rather than margarine.
Using butter adds a kind of toasted nut flavor to baked goods, while margarine doesn’t add flavor (however, sometimes with margarine, one might have a waxy feel on the roof of one’s mouth after eating something with a high margarine content).
If one wants to make a dairy-free baked good that calls for butter, a dairy-free margarine is a good substitute.
What is the difference in using oil vs. butter or margarine?
Both margarine and butter are solid fats at room temperature, and both contain more saturated fats than oil.
While margarine and butter will change from a solid to a liquid when heated, they will change back to solids when cooled again. Oil stays liquid at all temperatures. Oil also coats flour better in the preparation process before baking.
Butter “creams” better than margarine, but one cannot cream oil at all.
When converting a recipe from butter or margarine to oil, the general conversion rate is 1 to ¾ (although if you are doing more than one batch, you might need to reduce the oil because I have found that baked goods come out oily in this case).
And when converting from oil to margarine or butter, typically the ratio is 1 to 1¼.
What is the difference between real vanilla extract and imitation vanilla?
Real vanilla is made from soaking vanilla beans in alcohol, imitation vanilla is synthetic, and real vanilla costs quite a bit more than imitation. Whether or not there will be a taste difference in your baking depends on the baked good, so do some research before you decide.
I personally always use the imitation as long as I have a really good brand because it’s not worth it to me to spend the extra money.
Easy Dairy-Free Caramel Sauce Recipe
Delicious and rich dairy-free and vegan caramel sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted dairy-free margarine or vegan butter, cubed
- ½ cup coconut cream
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon of salt (a pinch)*
Instructions
- Pour the sugar and water into a heavy-bottomed saucepan or pot that's at least 3-quarts in size.
- Shake the pan a bit so that the sugar settles into a flat, even layer on the bottom.
- Warm the sugar over a medium heat, mixing occasionally and scraping down the sides as needed, until the sugar starts to bubble.
- Mix consistently while the mixture thickens (to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan) and turns a deep amber color (8-12 minutes). Keep scraping the sides as needed.
- Add the margarine or vegan butter and mix continuously (to prevent the mixture from boiling over) until it has completely melted.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and slowly pour in the coconut cream, continuing to mix until the cream has become completely incorporated into the mixture.
- Add in the vanilla and salt and mix well.
- Set aside to cool. The caramel sauce will continue to thicken as it cools, so it's best to pour into a jar (or other mode of storage) while it is still somewhat warm, but no longer hot.
Notes
* If you want to make SALTED dairy-free caramel sauce, then add 1/2 tablespoon of salt (or to taste) instead of a pinch.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 507Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gUnsaturated Fat: 14gSodium: 81mgCarbohydrates: 80gFiber: 0gSugar: 78gProtein: 0g