Packed with the flavors of traditional holiday spices like cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, this rich and buttery holiday spiced caramel sauce is pure decadence!
During the holidays, caramel whether in sauce or candy form is a given. My family and I are huge caramel lovers and will jump at any opportunity to indulge in a caramel flavored treat. Every year, I like to make a big batch of my favorite caramel sauce to gift and use throughout the holiday season. As much as I love my caramel sauce recipe, this year, I really wanted to do something different. That something different came in the form of this holiday spiced caramel sauce. Enriched with the flavors of spices like cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, this buttery, smooth caramel sauce perfectly captures the flavors of the holiday season!
How to Make Holiday Spiced Caramel Sauce
Typically, there are two methods for making caramel sauce from scratch – dry or wet. I prefer the wet method mainly because I am terrified of burning the sugar via the dry method. For this holiday spiced caramel sauce, I follow the wet method which is detailed below.
Key Ingredients
- Sugar – I like to use raw cane sugar because it is the least processed out of the available sugars on the market; however, granulated sugar maybe used as well.
- Water – a small quantity of water is used to help dissolve the sugar into a syrup that is boiled down into a deep golden-brown caramel sauce.
- Lemon Juice/Vinegar – adding a small amount of acid in the form of lemon juice or vinegar helps in preventing the sugar from crystallizing during the cooking process.
- Heavy Cream – is an essential ingredient as it brings the sauce together and helps with the thickening of the sauce once it has cooled.
- Butter – provides that smooth rich flavor that is so classic in a properly made caramel sauce and also helps with the thickening of sauce as it cools.
- Spices – here a rich mix of ground cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger are used to infuse caramel sauce with the most delightful aromatic flavor.
Aside from the addition of an acid to sugar mixture, there are two other precautions I follow to prevent the sugar mixture from crystallizing and ending up with a gritty caramel sauce. These include:
- Not stirring the sugar mixture once sugar has dissolved (Step 3)
- Using a slightly damped pastry brush to remove any sugar granules from the sides pan (Step 4). To dampen pastry brush, lightly dip it in a bowl of water. Use a kitchen/paper towel to remove any excess water, if necessary.
To Make Holiday Spiced Caramel Sauce
- Step 1 – Fill a small mixing bowl with water. Place water-filled bowl and a clean pastry brush near side of stove where caramel sauce will be prepared or within a reachable distance.
- Step 2 – In a small saucepan, add the heavy cream and whisk in the spices. Warm cream-spice mixture under low heat just until small bubbles starts to form at the edge of mixture. Remove from heat.
- Step 3 – In a medium saucepan, add the sugar, water and lemon juice/vinegar. Place pan under medium low heat and whisk mixture until the sugar has dissolved, about 4-5 minutes. Refrain from stirring sugar syrup after this point.
- Step 4 – Increase heat to medium high and cook sugar syrup until it starts to change color and become a deep golden-brown color, about 6-8 minutes. As the sugar syrup cooks, use a dampened pastry brush to remove any sugar crystals along the sides of the pan.
- Step 5 – Once deep golden-brown color is reached, remove pan from heat, pour and whisk in warmed spiced cream. Caramel sauce will bubble profusely which is completely normal.
- Step 6 – For a thinner sauce, do not return sauce back to heat. Whisk in vanilla extract (optional) and butter into caramel sauce until melted. For a thicker sauce, return caramel sauce back to stove and continue to cook under medium heat for 2-4 minutes while whisking consistently. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla extract (optional) and butter until melted.
- Step 7 – Pour caramel sauce into a clean glass jar. Allow to cool to room temperature before closing with lid.
Storing Caramel Sauce
I find that the best container to store caramel sauce in is a glass container like a mason jar. Once caramel sauce has cooled to room temperature, it may be stored in the refrigerator for up to (1) month. Cooled caramel sauce will solidify. For a pourable consistency, simply warm up in microwave for 1 minute or place jar in a bowl/container of hot water and allow to sit until desired consistency is reached.
Ideas for Using Holiday Spiced Caramel Sauce
- Filling in cakes, cookies and confections
- Flavor Buttercream Frostings like this Caramel Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Drip on Layered Cakes
- Flavor Drinks
- Give as an Edible Gift
Helpful Tips
- Do not skip adding lemon juice/vinegar to sugar mixture before cooking as the presence of the acid aids with preventing the crystallization of caramel sauce during the cooking process.
- As sugar mixture cooks, take care to remove any undissolved sugar granules from the sides of pan with a dampened pastry brush.
- For a thinner caramel sauce after it sets, remove from heat after the addition of heavy cream to hot caramel. For a thicker caramel sauce after it sets, return to medium heat after the addition of heavy cream to caramel and cook for an additional 2-4 minutes while whisking consistently.
- I find the best container to store holiday spiced caramel sauce is in a glass jar.
- Using a light-colored pan will help in seeing when the appearance of the sugar syrup changes to a deep golden-brown color. The longer the syrup cooks the darker the caramel sauce will be.
- Once sugar syrup starts to darken in color, change happens quickly so keep an attentive eye on it to prevent it from burning.
Holiday Spiced Caramel Sauce
Packed with the flavors of traditional holiday spices like cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg, this rich and buttery holiday spiced caramel sauce is pure decadence!
- Cook Time: 15 Minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 1/2 Cups
Ingredients
• 1 1/2 Cup Raw Cane/Granulated Sugar
• 1 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
• 1/4 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Water
• 3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Cubed, Room Temperature
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract, Optional
• 3/4 Teaspoon Lemon Juice/Vinegar (White/Apple Cider)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1/8 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
Instructions
- Fill a small mixing bowl with water. Place water-filled bowl and a clean pastry brush near side of stove where caramel sauce will be prepared or within a reachable distance.
- In a small saucepan, add the heavy cream and whisk in the spices. Warm cream-spice mixture under low heat just until small bubbles starts to form at the edge of mixture. Remove from heat.
- In a medium saucepan, add the sugar, water and lemon juice/vinegar. Place pan under medium low heat and whisk mixture until the sugar has dissolved, about 4-5 minutes. Refrain from stirring sugar syrup after this point.
- Increase heat to medium high and cook sugar syrup until it starts to change color and become a deep golden-brown color, about 6-8 minutes. As the sugar syrup cooks, use a dampened pastry brush to remove any sugar crystals along the sides of the pan.
- Once deep golden-brown color is reached, remove pan from heat, pour and whisk in warmed spiced cream. Caramel sauce will bubble profusely which is completely normal.
- For a thinner sauce, do not return sauce back to heat. Whisk in vanilla extract (optional) and butter into caramel sauce until melted. For a thicker sauce, return caramel sauce back to stove and continue to cook under medium heat for an additional 2-4 minutes while whisking consistently. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla extract (optional) and butter until melted.
- Pour caramel sauce into a clean glass jar. Allow to cool to room temperature before closing with lid.
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