This Vegan Caramel Sauce has a rich, deep flavour and an unbelievably creamy, silky texture. It's really easy to make, requiring just 5 ingredients. There's no food processor needed, and it takes just 15 minutes to make. It's gluten-free and refined sugar free too, and not as sickly-sweet as the traditional version. A versatile addition to any dessert or breakfast!
I tried various different ways to make a dairy-free and vegan caramel sauce, and the best version out of all the ones I tested uses smooth cashew butter, which adds a rich, creamy flavour without any dairy products. You can replace the cashew butter with any other smooth nut butter or coconut butter.
To make refined sugar free caramel sauce, I decided to use coconut sugar, which adds a deep, caramel-like flavour without making the sauce too sickly-sweet.
Tips for making Vegan Caramel Sauce
- Heat gently on a low heat, mixing well to get rid of any clumps of nut butter - you can use a whisk to do this.
- Keep stirring while you heat the sauce, and cook until it starts to bubble gently.
- Be careful to not let it burn!
How to make this recipe
- Place all the ingredients in a saucepan.
- Heat gently on a low heat, stirring with a whisk and making sure it's mixed well.
Tip: Be careful to not let it burn!
How long does this keep for?
- It does keep covered in the fridge for up to a few days, but the sauce won't stay runny.
- The sauce won't stay as runny when cold, but it can be re-heated gently in a saucepan or the microwave until it reaches your desired consistency.
Substitutions you can make
- The cashew butter can be replaced with any other smooth nut butter, or coconut butter.
- The coconut sugar can be replaced with normal brown sugar, or any other type of sweetener: maple syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup etc.
- You can use any type of plant-based milk: almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, cashew milk, rice milk etc.
- For a nut-free version, replace the cashew butter with coconut butter, sunflower seed butter or tahini.
Things you can add to the sauce
- A splash of liqueur of choice - such as brandy (ensure vegan/gluten-free if necessary).
- A pinch of ground cinnamon.
How to eat this Vegan Caramel Sauce
- As a topping for oatmeal, baked oatmeal or overnight oats.
- As a dipping sauce for apples, bananas, strawberries or other fruit.
- In coffee or lattes.
- As a topping for cheesecake.
- Spreading on bread or toast.
- With banana bread.
- With cornbread.
- With muffins, such as pumpkin muffins or cornbread muffins.
- With British scones or American scones.
- As a topping for brownies or blondies.
- As a topping for apple pie or apple pie bars.
- With sliced baked apples.
- As a topping for layer cakes, such as pumpkin cake or chocolate cake.
- As a filling for sandwich cookies, such as homemade Oreos or Linzer cookies.
- As a filling for thumbprint cookies.
- With pancakes or crepes.
- With yogurt.
- With ice cream.
- With vegan cream cheese.
- For making sundaes!
More vegan desserts
If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I'd really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.
Vegan Caramel Sauce (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons smooth cashew butter * (or sub any other smooth nut butter or coconut butter)
- 10 tablespoons coconut sugar (or sub normal brown sugar or any other sweetener)
- 180 ml (¾ cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt to taste
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a saucepan.
- Heat gently on a low heat, mixing well to get rid of any clumps of nut butter - you can use a whisk to do this.
- Keep stirring while you heat the sauce, and cook until it starts to bubble gently. Be careful to not let it burn!
- Keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days.
- The sauce won't stay as runny when cold, but it can be re-heated gently in a saucepan or the microwave until it reaches your desired consistency.
Notes
Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog - thank you.
Anonymous
Looks so good!!
Rhian Williams
Thank you!