This decadently rich and creamy homemade caramel sauce is the glory-hallelujah of all caramel lovers everywhere. A generous glugg of Jack Daniels whiskey warms it up and keeps it from being cloyingly basic. The recipe is so easy - and just 5 ingredients.
It's fabulous over a simple pound cake, as a dip for apples, or drizzled over ice cream.
Shopping list
Keep this in your refrigerator and use it over ice cream. Or stick a spoon in it and eat it from the jar when the day is particularly stressful - no judgement here.
- Sugar
- White corn syrup
- Butter
- Jack Daniels Kentucky Whiskey (or bourbon, or rum...heck, throw in some tequila and see what happens...)
- Heavy (whipping) cream
Instructions
This dessert is not a dessert to impress your mother-in-law or the boss with - save it for the people you really like. It makes great gifts, too.
- Combine the sugar and water in a pan.
- Whisk over medium heat until all the sugar crystals dissolve. The sugar will form wet lumps before it dissolves, just be patient.
- Add the corn syrup
- Let the mixture come to boil.
- Don't stir it at all -- but watch carefully and allow the sugar to turn a dark golden brown.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the butter one tablespoon at a time.
- Allow the mixture cool slightly, about 5 minutes at most.
- Whisk in the cream and Jack Daniels until smooth.
- Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.
Tips
- Use a bigger saucepan than you think you'll need. The mixture can bubble up a bit when adding the cream and you don't want it to run over.
- Add about ½ teaspoon of salt for salted caramel sauce.
- Use bourbon, scotch, or rum in place of the whiskey
Storage
Homemade caramel sauce should be kept, tightly covered, in the refrigerator. It will be fine for at least a month. You can freeze it for longer storage - just thaw and heat a little before serving.
Sugar crystals
Sometimes you'll get sugar crystals in your gorgeously, almost perfect caramel sauce. Here's how to keep that from happening --
- Use a wet pastry brush to wash the sugar from the sides of the pan.
- Corn syrup helps keep crystals from forming.
- Don't stir the caramel until you're adding the cream.
Kaffeeklatch
This recipe was part of a combination I created over 10 years ago - banana bread pudding with Jack Daniels caramel sauce. Over the years the banana bread pudding proved to be a flop... but the sauce?
Everyone loved it.
So, I made it easy and removed the poor quality recipe and left the part that everyone loved best. Please enjoy and let me know what you think!
Next time try this Dunkaroo Dip!
📖 Recipe
Jack Daniels Caramel Sauce
Print Pin Recipe SaveIngredients
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ⅔ cup water
- ½ tablespoon corn syrup
- ½ cup butter, cut into tablespoon size pieces.
- ¼ cup Jack Daniels Whiskey
- ¼ cup heavy cream
I earn a commission from Instacart from qualifying purchases.
Instructions
- Combine sugar and water in a pan.
- Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. The sugar will turn into wet lumps before it dissolves.
- Stir in the corn syrup.
- Let come to boil and allow the sugar to turn a dark golden brown. Do not stir during this time.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the butter one tablespoon at a time.
- Allow the mixture to cool slightly, about 5 minutes at most.
- Whisk in the cream and Jack Daniels until smooth.
- Serve warm over puddings, ice cream, etc.
- Will keep in the refrigerator in a tightly covered jar for two weeks.
Notes
- Use a bigger saucepan than you think you'll need. The mixture can bubble up a bit when adding the cream and you don't want it to run over.
- Add about ½ teaspoon of salt for salted caramel sauce.
- Use bourbon, scotch, or rum in place of the whiskey
- Use a wet pastry brush to wash the sugar from the sides of the pan.
- Corn syrup helps keep crystals from forming.
- Don't stir the caramel until you're adding the cream.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Sign up for the emails and never miss another recipe!!
We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.Originally published March 13, 2012. Last updated April 1, 2020 to improve reader experience, better images, and delete the older portion of the recipe.
Matt k
I didn’t T really want to buy a bottle of Kari syrup, could I use real maple syrup?
Marye
I've never tried so I can't really say.
Nicole Richardson
How long before it would turn golden brown. I had it on the heat for at least 15 minutes on medium. I finished making it and tastes great just not golden brown. Thanks!
Marye
It's always turned golden for me relatively quickly.
Kelly
Such a bummer. Followed directions & after the 6th T of butter, mixture seized up & turned into crumbly rocks. Any suggestions?
Marye
I've never had that happen. Sugar based sauces seize up when you let them crystalize on the sides of the pan. It's super important follow the instructions not to stir it until you put the butter in. If it does seize you can often fix it by putting it back over medium-low heat and letting it melt back down - but no stirring!
Kimberly
Did not see the actual recipe for the bread pudding part just two copies of the caramel sauce. Not sure if that is right or not. Or if the recipe is located elsewhere for the bread pudding part?
Marye Audet
Oh Kimberly! I think somehow that recipe has been lost from the page - I'll need to re-do it. So sorry!
Josh
I tried to make this sauce but dont understand if its 2/3 cup water or if its 2 or 3?
Marye Audet
🙂 typo on my part. 2/3 is correct.
Joycene
Yesterday at TGI Friday's I had a piece of one of the best cakes I've ever had. I believe it was called "Tennessee Jack Daniels Whiskey Cake " and it came with a sauce which the Jack Daniels Caramel Sauce sounds like. The cake at TGIF's had pecans in the sauce, however. Does anyone know the recipe that would be best for the cake part? It was a fairly substantial cake to support the sauce, rather than a fine-crumb cake. It was delicious! Help appreciated. Thanks.
Marye Audet
I imagine it was a pound cake. That's what I would try first. 🙂