Butterscotch sauce is a timeless classic – made rich with brown sugar, heavy cream and vanilla. Drizzle over ice cream, pies and other baked goods!
Butterscotch vs. Caramel
Caramel contains only granulated sugar, usually milk or cream, butter and some versions contain corn syrup. When making caramel, granulated sugar is cooked until it “caramelizes,” which produces the distinctive amber color. Heavy cream and butter are then added after this step. Caramel can be cooked to different stages of firmness ranging from soft sauces and candies to hard candies and brittles.
Butterscotch is made in a similar way, although it contains brown sugar instead of granulated sugar or both brown and granulated sugar. Some versions also contain lemon juice – there are some people who wouldn’t even consider butterscotch to be a true butterscotch if it does not contain this acidic ingredient. It can also be made into different consistencies from the classic sauce to hard candies. Butterscotch tends to be the less popular flavor between the two – but it shouldn’t be! Not only is it easier to make than caramel as it requires less cooking time, but it tends to have a richer flavor from the brown sugar.
About the Recipe
The recipe for this classic butterscotch sauce came straight from my Grandma’s recipe files. She hand wrote this recipe that contains minimal ingredients: brown sugar, white corn syrup, heavy cream, butter and vanilla extract. This mixture is slowly brought to a boil and then cooked for 5 minutes. The key to making this sauce is keeping a close eye on it while it cooks, as it can easily overcook and go from a soft sauce to a hard candy (which you don’t want for this particular recipe).
This butterscotch sauce can be made well in advance and will keep refrigerated for up to two weeks. It is not only great to serve over ice cream but also desserts like crisps or crumbles, cakes and pies.
This butterscotch sauce goes great with these recipes:
Butterscotch Sauce
Equipment
- medium sized saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup white corn syrup such as Karo
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients (1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup white corn syrup, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/4 cup unsalted butter, pinch of salt) except for vanilla in a medium sized saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir frequently until it comes to a boil.
- Once it comes to a boil, stir and cook 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Allow sauce to cool at least 5 minutes before using.
- Pour remaining sauce into an airtight container; store up to two weeks refrigerated.
Notes
- Sauce will harden when refrigerated. To reuse sauce, heat in microwave, stirring every 15 seconds until it reaches desired consistency.
- Makes 1 1/2 cups