Apple Cider Caramel Sauce

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5 from 5 votes

Lusciously creamy and sweet with a buttery flavor and bite from the apple cider.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apple, caramel, dessert, sauce

Servings:

Calories: 174kcal

Author: Tricia

Equipment

candy or instant read thermometer

Ingredients

2 cups apple cider (16oz) (or 1/4 cup boiled cider) not apple juice
1 cup heavy cream (8oz)
⅛ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups granulated sugar (445g)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold

Instructions

To make the boiled cider:

Pour the apple cider into a large, heavy-bottom deep saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat and bring cider to a boil. Keep an eye on the cider to make sure it doesn’t boil over. The apple cider bubbles up quickly but will settle down after about 5 minutes of simmering. Boil until the cider is reduced to ¼ cup, about 20 to 25 minutes. Don’t let it get too thick or syrupy. Remove from the heat and set aside. Use immediately or refrigerate until needed.

To make the caramel sauce:

Pour the cream, salt, apple cider reduction, cinnamon and nutmeg into a small heavy-bottom saucepan. Warm over medium-low heat while preparing the syrup mixture.
Pour 1 cup of water into a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan. Pour the sugar into the center of the pot taking care to keep the granules away from the sides of the saucepan.
Cover the pan and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Uncover (do not stir) and insert a candy thermometer and continue to boil until the mixture is thick, light golden brown in color, and registers 300°F. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until the sugar is deep amber in color, almost begins to smoke and registers 350°F on the thermometer; about 5 minutes more.
While the syrup reaches the desired temperature, turn on the heat under the cream until it starts to simmer. If the cream simmers before the syrup reaches 350°F, remove it from the heat and set aside.
Once the syrup reaches 350°F, remove from the heat. Add one-fourth of the hot cream to the sugar mixture. The mixture will bubble and spit. Allow the mixture to settle down then add the remaining cream. Once the bubbling subsides, gently whisk until smooth. Add the butter and whisk until combined.
Transfer the caramel sauce to a heat-safe container, allow it to cool until just warm and serve. Caramel sauce can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 month. Reheat gently in the microwave on 50% power until heated through.

Notes

Cooking method adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
This recipe makes 2 cups of caramel sauce
The sauce thickens as it cools

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition