Description

This rich and creamy butterscotch sauce features a perfect balance of buttery sweetness and deep caramel notes from dark brown sugar. Made with simple ingredients like butter, brown sugar, cream, and vanilla, it is an easy-to-make sauce that adds a luxurious touch to desserts like ice cream, cakes, and pies. Its smooth texture and decadent flavor make it a versatile topping that’s sure to impress.

Ingredients

Scale

Butterscotch Sauce Ingredients

8 Tablespoons unsalted stick butter
1 ½ cups dark brown sugar (packed)
½ teaspoon flaked salt (such as Maldon’s)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

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Instructions

Melt Butter: In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until fully melted and bubbling gently.
Add Brown Sugar and Salt: Stir in the packed brown sugar and flaked salt using a silicone spatula until fully combined with the melted butter.
Boil Mixture: Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent burning and to incorporate the sugar well.
Maintain Low Boil: Reduce the heat to keep a steady low boil for 2-3 minutes while continuing to stir frequently to develop the butterscotch flavor and thicken the sauce.
Add Cream: Slowly add the heavy whipping cream and bring the mixture back up to a low boil, stirring continuously to combine smoothly.
Cook Further: Continue cooking the sauce for an additional 3-4 minutes, stirring often to ensure it thickens evenly and does not stick to the pan.
Add Vanilla and Salt: Remove the pan from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and an additional pinch of salt for enhanced depth of flavor.
Cool and Store: Allow the sauce to cool slightly before transferring it to a glass jar. The sauce will thicken more as it cools to a perfect pourable consistency.
Reheat as Needed: Store in the refrigerator for up to 2-4 weeks. When ready to use, rewarm slowly by microwaving the jar for 20-30 seconds at a time, stirring intermittently until heated through.

Notes

Use high-quality unsalted butter and dark brown sugar for the richest flavor.
Stirring frequently throughout cooking prevents burning and ensures a smooth texture.
The sauce thickens further as it cools, so do not overcook to an excessively thick consistency while on the heat.
If the sauce becomes too thick after refrigeration, reheat gently to restore pourability.
Flaked sea salt adds a nice finishing touch but can be omitted or substituted with regular salt.
This sauce complements ice cream, pancakes, waffles, cakes, and other desserts beautifully.