4-Ingredient Dairy Free Caramel Sauce

This quick and easy dairy free caramel sauce is rich, decadent, and perfectly thick! It’s great for drizzling on top of ice cream, apples, cookies, or warm beverages.

You are in for a sweet and slightly salty treat because this homemade caramel sauce is what dreams are made of! It’s silky, rich, and decadent, and drizzles oh-so-perfectly on top of ice cream and pies, including my apple pie bars!

Caramel is essentially melted sugar. It’s been made for centuries simply because the recipe is easy to make and a great addition to baked goods and other sweet treats. While the word caramel has roots back in the 1700s, caramel and caramel candies are actually an American invention. This recipe is what is known as a wet caramel recipe, meaning that you dissolve sugar into a liquid, and then boil it until it caramelizes. It’s the most popular way to make caramel sauce because it’s hard to screw up.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a brand new or experience baker, you’re going to nail this recipe. No thermometer is needed! Just bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stir a few times, and you’ve got the most amazing homemade dairy free caramel sauce for desserts and treats!

Does caramel sauce contain dairy?

Caramel sauce typically contains dairy in the form of milk, cream, or butter. If you are vegan or need to avoid dairy, the best option is to make your own using a dairy free caramel sauce recipe. It’s actually incredibly easy to make at home, and requires four simple ingredients!

How to Make Dairy Free Caramel Sauce

1. Simmer: Place the coconut milk and coconut sugar in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and stir frequently until the sauce has thickened, about 25-30 minutes. The sauce will become a dark brown caramel color. 
2. Stir: Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Taste and add a little more salt if desired.
3. Chill: Pour the caramel into a sealable glass container and let it cool completely in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours before using. As it cools, the caramel will thicken. Store the caramel in the refrigerator and use it within 2 weeks.

Ingredient Tips

Because this caramel sauce is dairy free, it’s an incredible paleo caramel sauce! You can use any type of canned full-fat coconut milk for this recipe. I recommend using 365 organic coconut milk or Native Forest Simple Organic Coconut Milk, which has no gums or preservatives.

Does this caramel sauce taste like coconut?

No, this caramel sauce tastes nothing like coconut, and no one will have any clue it’s made with coconut milk! While I love that this homemade caramel sauce is vegan, it’s just a nice bonus. This recipe uses coconut milk to get a nice thick texture, and organic coconut sugar because it gives the sauce a dark and rich caramel flavor.

Can I Make Substitutions?

Absolutely! In testing this recipe, I tried some different variations.

• For the coconut milk, I do not recommend using a different type of milk other than a canned full-fat coconut milk. It’s what makes the sauce thick, rich, and decadent. If you use a different type of dairy-free milk, your caramel will be thin and runny.
• For the coconut sugar, you can substitute it for brown sugar. Want to use less sugar? I’ve made this recipe with 1/2 cup coconut sugar and it turned out just fine. Note, it will be less sweet and slightly less thick when you use 1/2 cup, but still a very good paleo caramel sauce.

Storage Tips

Store in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. For best results, I recommend using it within a week.

If you get a little bit of separation in the refrigerator, don’t worry—it’s normal! Just reheat the sauce in the microwave in 10-second intervals until heated, stirring in between intervals.

Serving up the Sauce

I love using this caramel sauce as a dip for fruit, cookies, or drizzling on top of ice cream! You can also try drizzling it on top of my fudgy paleo brownies, healthy apple pie bars, or homemade paleo ice cream cake! Or, you know, just eat it by the spoonful.

Other Recipes You’ll Love

• Vegan Chocolate Frosting (Paleo, Dairy Free)
• Sweet Potato Casserole (Grain-Free, Paleo, Vegan)
• Baked Apple Crisp (Paleo, Vegan, Grain-Free)
• Paleo Chocolate Cake
• Fudgy Paleo Brownies (Crackly Top, Gluten-Free)
• Paleo Chocolate Donuts (Baked, Gluten-Free)

What did you think about this homemade vegan caramel sauce recipe? Let me know if the comments below!

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