The Best Vegan Caramel Sauce

Did you know that you can easily make your own delicious vegan caramel sauce from a can of coconut milk?

The best vegan caramel sauce

You’ll fall in love with the thick, creamy texture.
Naturally gluten free, egg free, and dairy free.
Sweet, salty, and buttery flavor, made with just 3 ingredients.
Absolutely no corn syrup and no vegan butter. You probably already have everything you need in the kitchen pantry to make it right now!

If you’ve been looking for an easy vegan caramel recipe that tastes just as decadent as traditional caramel, this is the one to try.

The coconut milk creates a smooth and silky sauce without heavy cream, while coconut sugar imparts a rich caramel flavor.

Unlike many other caramel sauce recipes, there’s no need for a candy thermometer or complicated techniques. And no dates or condensed milk here either.

It’s perfect for dipping fresh apple slices, pouring over ice cream, iced coffee lattes, and other vegan desserts, or eating straight from the jar with a spoon.

Try it on top of Healthy Apple Pie

Step by step recipe video

Vegan caramel ingredients

From caramel apples, to grilled pineapple, to ice cream, dessert will never be the same. All you need to make the simple vegan recipe are coconut milk, sugar, salt, and optional vanilla extract.

Coconut Milk: For the creamiest and thickest caramel dip, choose full fat canned coconut milk or coconut cream. Light coconut milk, almond milk, and oat milk are tasty but yield a much thinner consistency.

Coconut Sugar: This unrefined sugar gives the homemade caramel its beautiful golden brown color and a deep, almost toffee-like flavor. You can use white or brown sugar, or pure maple syrup or agave if you prefer. Xylitol works well for a sugar free caramel.

Salt: Include a fourth teaspoon of salt to balance the sweetness of the sugar, or increase to half a teaspoon for more of a vegan salted caramel taste.

Vanilla Extract (optional): A small splash of pure vanilla extract adds yet another layer of warm flavor. It’s important to stir in the vanilla after turning off the heat.

How to make dairy free caramel sauce

Step 1: Whisk ingredients. Add the entire can of coconut milk or coconut cream, coconut sugar, and salt to a medium saucepan. Turn the heat to medium, and whisk until sugar dissolves.

Step 2: Bring to a boil. Stir occasionally until the liquid begins to boil. Once bubbling, allow the mixture to boil for about five minutes, stirring constantly and watching to ensure it does not boil over. Trust me, sticky caramel sauce on your stove top is not fun to clean!

Step 3: Turn to low. Lower the heat to a simmer, and let the liquid cook down to about half its original volume, stirring as needed to prevent sticking. This step should take around forty to sixty minutes, and the caramel will look thick and lightly golden in color when finished.

Step 4: Add the vanilla. If using, whisk in the vanilla extract after removing the saucepan from the heat, to avoid burning the vanilla.

Step 5: Cool and store. Let the plant based caramel sauce cool fully before transferring it to a covered jar or container. Refrigerate until cold, during which time it will thicken even more.

Vegan caramel is delicious drizzled over a Frappuccino Recipe

Coconut caramel FAQ

Does it taste like coconut?

Not really. The finished sauce may possess a subtle coconut flavor, depending on the brand of coconut milk you use. However, the coconut sugar, salt, and vanilla do a great job of masking the coconut, and I rarely taste coconut when I make this.

Can I use maple syrup?

You can absolutely use pure maple syrup or agave, and the vegan dessert sauce still thickens the same amount as with a granulated sweetener. I personally just think it tastes more like classic caramel when using coconut sugar. Completely your choice!

Can I use light coconut milk?

Light coconut milk contains more water, so you’ll get a much thinner sauce. If you do not mind, then yes it is fine to use light coconut milk or another nondairy milk.

Is there a chocolate version?

If you are a fan of chocolate caramel, try the following variation of the recipe:
Simply whisk three tablespoons of sifted unsweetened cocoa powder into the coconut milk before heating on the stove top. It really is that easy.

How do you store vegan caramel?

Let the sauce cool, then transfer it to a mason jar or covered container. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to a week. Or freeze for up to three months and reheat in a saucepan. Note that the texture of thawed frozen caramel will never be as creamy.

Does the recipe work to make hard caramel candy? What about caramel apples?

The recipe below gives you a thick sauce that’s good for drizzling or spreading. It will not work to create hard vegan caramels.

It does work on caramel apples if you cook the caramel until it is super thick, not thin and runny. Wash the apples with vinegar and water to remove the wax coating that would cause the caramel sauce to slip off. Then add two coats of vegan caramel and refrigerate until ready to eat.

How do you get thick vegan caramel?

Be sure to use full fat coconut milk. Or choose coconut cream for even faster, thicker results.

If the sauce still looks thin after heating forty minutes, continue to simmer another twenty minutes or so. It will further reduce as the water evaporates.

Finally, chill the caramel in the refrigerator after cooling. Coconut milk caramel thickens as it sits. If time permits, refrigerate in a jar or container overnight for a perfectly thick, smooth sauce the next day.

Ways to use vegan caramel sauce

Drizzle it over nondairy frozen desserts, pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, brownies, or pretty much anything you can imagine. Below are four of my favorite uses for dairy free caramel.

Easy Dairy Free Caramel Sauce (No Corn Syrup)

1. Stir canned coconut milk or coconut cream, sweetener, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil.
2. Once boiling, whisk continuously for 5 minutes. Watch the pot to make sure it does not boil over.
3. Turn the heat to a simmer, and cook 45-60 minutes or until the liquid thickens and reduces to about half its original volume. Stir occasionally during this time.
4. Remove the saucepan from the heat, then stir in the optional vanilla extract.
5. Let the vegan caramel sauce cool fully before transferring it to a covered container or jar. It is perfectly fine to use right away, or you can refrigerate overnight for a thicker texture.