What is vegan caramel made of?

The base for this 5-ingredient caramel is coconut cream, dates, and arrowroot starch , which are blended until creamy and smooth. This makes up the liquid ingredients, which are added to a bit of coconut sugar and cooked until glossy and just bubbly.

Why is caramel syrup not vegan?

The ingredients list tells us that classic caramel is one of the most non-vegan foods around. The butter and heavy cream are both sourced from cows, and vegans omit dairy from their diet . White sugar is a hit or miss for vegans - some choose to consume it, while others prefer to avoid it.

What is the difference between caramel and vegan caramel?

Vegan caramel is created from a mixture of coconut milk and brown sugar simmered down until it forms a thick syrup . It may be a different take on caramel but, for those with food restrictions, it is a dream.

Why is my vegan caramel grainy?

Caramel becomes grainy when the sugars crystallize , a process that happens when the melted sugar splashes up onto the cold sides of the pan.

What can you use instead of cream in caramel sauce?

Caramel sauce is a wonderful topping for ice cream, cake, pie, and bread pudding. While a typical caramel recipe calls for heavy cream, what if you don't have any handy? This easy recipe uses milk and butter instead, ingredients you're more likely to have on hand.

What is homemade caramel made of?

As it turns out, homemade candy isn't all that difficult. And salted caramel is one of the easiest recipes. This truly the best salted caramel I've ever had and there's only 4 ingredients required: sugar, butter, heavy cream, and salt .

Why is Starbucks caramel not vegan?

It's no secret— Starbucks drinks aren't made with real caramel or fresh fruit . Every Frappuccino, sweetened latte, and refresher gets its signature flavoring from concentrated syrups, sauces, and powdered mix-ins.

What is not vegan about caramel?

Is caramel vegan? Because caramel is essentially just sugar, in its purest form, it is vegan. However, it is often mixed with dairy cream, butter, or milk , which is why it's important to always check the back of store-bought caramel candy.

Why does my homemade caramel taste bitter?

The liquefied sugar is then cooked, without stirring, until it darkens in color, taking on additional flavor notes the longer it remains on the heat. You want to hit the sweet spot here: If the caramel is too light, it won't have much flavor, but if it gets too dark , it will taste burnt and bitter.

What thickens homemade caramel?

Alternatively, you can mix in water with cornstarch or flour to thicken the sauce. If you're using cornstarch, add 1 tablespoon each of water and cornstarch for every cup of caramel sauce.

Why did my homemade caramel get hard?

The water evaporates, leaving sugar crystals behind . If even one sugar crystal falls back into the pan of cooking caramel, it starts a chain reaction of sugar crystals and the entire pan will harden. The result? Gross, grainy caramel that is unusable in most recipes.

Does caramel come from a plant?

Traditional caramel is made with ingredients like butter and cream, which are animal-derived products. However, various plant-based alternatives can be used to create a vegan version of caramel that is just as rich and delicious.

Is caramel Flavouring vegan?

Artificial Caramel Flavor may not be vegan . Per the FDA, artificial flavors cannot be derived from natural substances like meat, fish, poultry, eggs or dairy products. However, some vegans choose to avoid artificial caramel flavor since it may have been tested on animals when it was initially developed.

What is pure caramel made of?

Caramel is white granulated sugar that's been heated slowly to 340 degrees Fahrenheit. This gradual heating process breaks down the sugar's molecules and creates a deep golden brown color and rich flavor.

Vegan Caramel Sauce (2024)

An easy vegan caramel sauce that takes just 15 minutes to make and tastes JUST like regular caramel! Drizzle on apples, on top of ice cream, brownies or refrigerated to make caramel candy.

A warm brownie, topped with ice cream and this caramel sauce is honestly all I want right now. I have 2 out of 3 of those things so I think I should go for it!

Like regular caramel, this vegan caramel is made from a base of sugar, cream, and butter. We’ll be using coconut cream instead of regular cream, and dairy free butter to keep it all dairy free since most caramel is not vegan. Then you’ll need some salt and vanilla for extra flavor and that’s it!

The main difference between this vegan caramel and regular caramel is the method. With regular caramel, you usually melt down the sugar first, caramelizing it slightly, then add in the butter and cream.

I’ve made it easier for you so all you need to do is add all ingredients to a pot (all at once) and boil for about 5 minutes. Easy! Try this recipe on top of my favorite vegan brownies or carrot cake!

Key ingredients

Butter. You can use vegan butter, regular butter if you aren’t vegan, or even almond butter here! Just be sure to read the recipe notes if you use almond butter.

For vegan butter, I like Earth Balance or Miyoko’s.

Sugar. I used brown sugar, but white sugar will also work. You can sub for coconut sugar if you want this vegan caramel sauce to be refined sugar free. I do not recommend using any kind of liquid sweetener here.

Coconut Cream. The coconut cream is used in place of regular cream in caramel. It will not add a coconut flavor, that will get masked with the butter and sugar.

Vanilla and salt. These are optional, but do add a lot of extra flavor.

Cornstarch. Cornstarch will act as a thickener for this caramel sauce. Most of the thickening will happen as it cools, so try to be patient!

How to make vegan caramel

Add all ingredients to a medium pot on the stove.

Turn to the heat to medium and let everything melt together, whisking constantly while the coconut cream and butter melt.

The coconut cream will melt pretty quickly, but the butter may take a a few minutes.

Once everything is melted, give it a really good whisk to ensure the cornstarch is mixed throughout and no clumps form.

Bring the mixture to a boil and keep at a low boil for about 5-10 minutes, whisking occasionally. It will get really bubbly, this is good!

Can I freeze caramel?

While I prefer using this recipe as a caramel sauce you can also pour it into an 8×8 baking dish lined with parchment paper, put it in the fridge or freezer, then slice it into caramel candies!

In the freezer, it will keep for up to 3 months, or in the fridge for about 2 weeks.

Does it keep?

Once prepared, this vegan caramel will store in the fridge for about 2 weeks. I do not recommend storing it at room temperature.

It will thicken quite a bit as it sits, so to warm it up and make it a regular consistency again, you can put the jar in a bowl with hot water until it’s more saucy again.

Frequently asked questions

Will it taste like coconut?

No! This recipe does call for coconut cream, but I promise there is no coconut flavor at all. It is just key for a rich flavor.

I usually buy coconut cream for this recipe, but you can also use full fat coconut milk with no problem. Both are from a can, and whichever you use you want to make sure you’re only using the top white part from the can. You can leave the liquid part behind and reserve it for smoothies!

What sugar should I use?

As far as the sugar goes, you can really use any kind you like. I generally use light brown sugar because it doesn’t have all of the molasses stripped away (hence the brown color) and gives a really nice rich flavor.

You can also use regular granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, or even coconut sugar.

Can you make caramel without butter?

Yes! This recipe can be made with either regular butter, vegan butter, OR almond butter.

The final taste is somehow really similar no matter which you go with, but if using almond butter, just be sure to use one that only has two ingredients- almonds and salt (or even just almonds).

Try these recipes next!

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5 from 2 votes

Easy Vegan Caramel Sauce

by: claire cary

An easy vegan caramel sauce that takes just 15 minutes to make and tastes JUST like regular caramel! Drizzle on apples, on top of ice cream, brownies or refrigerate to make caramel candy.

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Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

▢ 1 cup brown sugar
▢ ¾ cup coconut cream see notes
▢ ¼ cup dairy free butter
▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a medium pot on the stove.Be sure to just use the white part of the coconut cream, not the liquid.
Turn to the heat to medium and let everything melt together, whisking constantly while the coconut cream and butter melt.
Once everything is melted, give it a really good whisk to ensure the cornstarch is mixed throughout and no clumps form.
Bring to a boil and keep at a low boil for about 5-10 minutes, whisking occasionally. It will get really bubbly, this is good! The longer you let it simmer, the more flavorful it will get. Just careful not to let it burn.
Remove from heat and let cool. It will thicken quite a bit as it cools, but you can pop it in the fridge or freezer right away if you need it to thicken faster.
Transfer to a glass jar and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.It will thicken quite a bit as it sits in the fridge, so just warm it up on the stove until it softens before serving, depending on what you're using it for!

Notes

I’ve made this recipe with both regular dairy free butter (I like Earth Balance or Miyokos) and almond butter and both work really well! If using almond butter, I suggest one that only has almonds in the ingredients. The raw almond butter from Trader Joe’s is my favorite! If using regular butter, the caramel will be slightly more translucent, whereas almond butter will give a more opaque feel. Both are incredibly delicious and taste just like regular caramel!

You want to use only the white creamy part from the coconut cream. You can also use a can of full fat coconut milk, but you’ll still just want the top white part.

Serving: 2tbsp / Calories: 117kcal / Carbohydrates: 16g / Protein: 0.3g / Fat: 1.9g / Sugar: 16g