This Dairy-Free Vegan Caramel Sauce is quick, easy, and so wonderfully creamy!
I’m not vegan, but many of my friends are. And frankly, I love a culinary challenge. You’d be amazed, my fellow omnivores, by how many delicious vegan dishes there are. Dessert is no exception. After all, vegans enjoy a splurge every once in a while, too! Take this dairy-free vegan caramel sauce—I first whipped up this recipe when my lactose-intolerant buddy begged for a caramel-topped dessert at one of our Porter Christmas parties.
Since I already made some Coconut Milk Ice Cream With Rum And “Egg Nog”, you’d think I’d have hot (vegan) fudge, chocolate syrup, or something. But, nope! Well, lucky for me, I had some vegan butter on hand, so I quickly whipped up a vegan caramel sauce. It was so luscious, even my dairy-loving friends topped their frozen custard with it! Now, it’s become a household staple for drizzling over vegan ice cream and non-vegan ice cream alike!
Caramel sauce has long been the crowning glory of desserts in my home, but traditional recipes tend to rely on butter and cream. Even if you’re not vegan, tempering your saturated fat intake is never a bad idea. That’s what I love about this vegan caramel sauce—it captures all the rich sweetness without a trace of dairy. This caramel sauce is the ideal balance of sweet and creamy, with a hint of nuttiness from the coconut milk. It’s just the right consistency, perfect for pouring and dipping your desserts. Whatever you use it for, you’re in for a treat!
Is Dairy-Free Vegan Caramel Sauce Healthy?
Caramel sauce is inherently a treat, though this recipe is a healthier take. Trading the traditional cream and butter for full-fat coconut milk and vegan butter keeps the cholesterol at bay. Plus, it’s suitable for plant-based diets. And you won’t miss the dairy because the coconut milk helps create that signature creamy sweetness I love about caramel sauce.
Still, coconut is fatty, and I definitely don’t skimp on the sugar—it’s dessert, after all! However, if you’d like to use a less refined sweetener, coconut sugar gives the caramel a deeper, more complex flavor.
Finding the Goldilocks Zone For Your Caramel Sauce
If you want to nail this vegan caramel sauce, your success lies in timing and constant whisking. First off, melting sugar evenly requires patience—not my strong suit—except when I’m making a homemade caramel sauce! I have to remind myself to swirl the pan (gently) and resist the urge to stir until it’s fully melted. Then there’s the whisking. When adding the coconut milk, whisk without pause! This prevents the caramel from separating and promises a smooth, glossy finish for the perfect drizzle!
How To Make Ahead And Store
This caramel sauce stores quite well in the fridge! Make it up to 1 week in advance and keep it in an airtight container or jar. It will probably thicken, so a quick zap in the microwave should make it more pourable—low and slow on the stove also works!
Serving Suggestions
This caramel sauce is a dessert’s best friend. Drizzle it over Cookie Dough Banana Ice Cream or a dairy-free cheesecake. And it’s absolutely delicious on Apple Cobbler! For a decadently nutritious breakfast, pour it over these Healthy Vegan Pancakes or Dairy-Free Waffles and pair this with a mug of Vegan Hot Chocolate.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsalted dairy-free butter (regular butter works too)
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon full-fat coconut milk
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, cook the sugar over medium heat, swirling the pan every so often to make sure that the sugar is melting evenly, until the sugar is a deep golden brown color (about 5 minutes).
- Turn off the heat and whisk in the butter until melted.
- Whisking constantly (DO NOT STOP!) while gradually adding the coconut milk.
- Pour the caramel through a fine strainer into a heat-proof container.
- Store, covered, in the refrigerator.
- If the mixture gets to thick, just microwave it for a few seconds before using,
Why does this need to be put through a strainer? I’m also new to using coconut milk, but any other recipe I’ve seen has said to remove the liquid from the coconut milk and only use the solid portion – is that just common knowledge, or am I supposed to mix the can well and use that?
Hi Amanda, the strainer helps remove any sugar bits that may be left. You need to poor the whole milk, not just the solid portion. Hope helps!
Really great 👍 👍
I made this after dinner tonight. It didn’t take any time to mix it up.
It was very tasty! We used coconut sugar and salted butter. I just wanted to avoid heavy cream.
Thank you for sharing 🤗
My pleasure Celia!
i accidentally bought reduced fat coconut milk. will the recipe still work? i don’t need thick caramel, it’s okay if it’s more syrupy.
Hey there! You can definitely still use the reduced-fat coconut milk in your recipe. The caramel might turn out slightly thinner, but since you’re fine with a more syrupy consistency, it should work just fine. Enjoy
I made the caramel sauce in your recipe for Homemade Caramel Vanilla Iced Coffee and loved it! Why would I make one recipe over the other? Just trying to understand what the differences are 😃
They are both similar, glad you enjoyed the one you made!
Does oat milk work for this recipe?
Hi Penelope, I haven’t tried. Let me know if you try I am curious now!