My go-to recipe for the BEST Vegan Salted Caramel! With only 4 ingredients needed, this vegan caramel sauce couldn't be easier to make.

container of salted caramel with spoon pulling out a drizzle

Ingredients & Substitutions:

As mentioned above this recipe only requires four easy ingredients. The full quantities are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but here is a quick recap:

Canned Coconut Milk (full fat)
Coconut Sugar
Vanilla bean paste (or extract)
Salt

Can I sub a different sugar for coconut sugar?

You bet! I've also made salted caramel with brown sugar and turbinado/raw sugar. You definitely want to use a sugar that has some molasses in it for the best results. Also, the sugar must be granulated to achieve the right caramel texture. This recipe would not work with a liquid sugar like maple syrup or agave.

Is there a substitute for coconut milk?

Coconut milk is really crucial to get that creamy luscious texture and I have not tested this recipe with any other substitutes that I could recommend.

Steps to make vegan salted caramel sauce

First, add all the ingredients to a saucepan, turn on the heat, and stir together until the mixture reaches a boil.

salted caramel ingredients swirled into saucepan

Then, reduce to a simmer and cook over low heat 30-40 minutes. The caramel sauce will go from pretty thin to a thick sauce. One trick I like to use to test if the caramel is done is to dip a wooden spoon into the caramel mixture. Then, I swipe my finger across the spoon. If the caramel stays in place and does not fill the empty space, it is likely ready!

Once the caramel sauce is done, remove from the heat, add in the salt, and stir. I prefer ½ teaspoon but you can add more or less depending on your preference!

Then pour into a container and let cool completely before storing in the fridge.

Finally, put the cooled caramel into the fridge and let cool for at least 1 hour. This step is really crucial for the best caramel texture! While you can eat the caramel while warm, it won't be as thick as intended. I promise it is worth the wait!

How do I store caramel sauce?

Now that you have lots of salted caramel sauce, you're going to want to store those leftovers in the fridge! I've found it will keep for about 2 weeks and should always be kept in a closed container. It may last longer for you, but since we are using coconut milk it usually does not keep much beyond this.

Can I reheat caramel sauce?

Caramel sauce can be reheated, just keep in mind it will make it thinner and runnier.

What to do with salted caramel sauce:

I use this Vegan Salted Caramel in SOO many recipes on SGTO! Since it's easy to swap the coconut sugar with turbinado sugar or brown sugar, it can really fit with any dessert recipe such as:

Vegan Pumpkin Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting
As a topping for any cupcake or cake recipe
On top of my sticky date cake (YUM!)
On top of cinnamon rolls, especially my Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls

two pictures of caramel being poured onto desserts — Salted caramel being added to date cake (made with coconut sugar) and pumpkin cake (made with turbinado sugar)

Besides these desserts, it also makes a great topping for:

Vegan Nice Cream
Baked Oatmeal/ Pancakes/Waffles as a fun breakfast treat
A dip for apples (perfect for Rosh Hashanah alongside my Vegan Challah!)
On popcorn
Right off the spoon!?

No matter how you eat it, I know you will love this Vegan Salted Caramel Sauce! It's so easy to make that I constantly have a batch sitting in my fridge to be added to anything I can think of. Enjoy!

-TSG

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