We’ve always been huge caramel fans, but it’s been a bit intimidating trying to make it ourselves. Luckily, we were able to create a recipe that requires just five ingredients and no candy thermometer!
How to
First, you’ll melt a half cup of sugar in a saucepan. By slowly cooking sugar over low-medium heat, it’ll begin to clump and eventually start melting. You’re going to want to mix the sugar often and be careful that it doesn’t burn.
Once the sugar is completely melted, you’ll remove it from heat and add in a half a stick of vegan butter. While the butter is melting, continuously whisk so that the butter and sugar combine.
Next, you’ll whisk in two tablespoons of nondairy creamer. Whisk until combined. If the mixture seizes at any point, return to low heat and continuously whisk until it combines back together, then return to the step you were at.
Now you’re gonna return the mixture to low-medium heat, whisking until it begins to bubble. Once it’s bubbly, allow it to cook and thicken for about one minute.
Remove it from heat and add in a quarter teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of vanilla. Whisk to combine.
Finally, strain the sauce (this’ll remove any unwanted crunchy pieces) and use as desired! We use this caramel in our cookie dough caramel bars and caramel chocolate chip cookie bars, but it would also be delicious as an ice cream topping or drizzled over your favorite dessert!

Easy Vegan Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) vegan butter*
- 2 tbsp nondairy creamer
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Place the sugar into a saucepan over low-medium heat. Stir often, until the sugar begins to clump and melt. Continue to stir until the sugar melts completely.**
- Remove from heat and add in the butter, whisking until combined. Add the creamer and whisk until combined.***
- Place back onto low-medium heat, continuously stirring, until it gets bubbly. Stir over heat for another minute or so.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.
- Strain the caramel into a heat-safe bowl. Use as desired!
Can I use unrefined coconut sugar? What do I use to strain the sauce at end? Does it freeze well? Thank you, can’t wait to try.
Hi Wendy! We’ve never tried using unrefined coconut sure, but let us know if you give it a try! You can use a strainer to strain the sauce at the end. We have also never frozen this sauce, but think it would be okay!
Made it, it’s easy and yummy! Thanks!
So glad to hear it! Thanks for the kind comment, Mojo! 🙂
Wondering what type of non-dairy creamer you recommend?
Same as comment above, what type of non dairy creamer?
Everything was fine until I added the vegan butter. Then it seized up and even when I put it back on the heat for a long time, some of the clumps went away but not all of them. Also it only made like 1/4 c of caramel sauce.
I have a vegan daughter and I want to surprise her with a nice vegan dessert with caramel (I know she misses it) which non-dairy creamer do you recommend?
Thanks