Hi Everyone,
I have a treat for you, key word a treat!! Today I made you a saucy sweet treat that is sure to please caramel lovers. You can say I am a caramel lover!! I tend to go on kicks when it comes to caramel. I over do having it in coffee, ice cream ect… then I get sick of it. But sure enough a couple of months later the caramel craving comes back. So what does a girl do when she craves caramel? She makes her own!!
Oh yah, homemade caramel sauce. This is not your traditional caramel sauce that you get from the store or even at a candy shop this one is a little different. See my caramel sauce is made with coconut sugar, not granulated sugar. I chose coconut sugar for a couple of reasons. It’s natural, its high in vitamins and minerals, and it’s rich in amino acids. But the biggest benefit of coconut sugar is has Low Glycemic Index, meaning it doesn’t spike your sugar level. Low glycemic index foods can help balance and control health conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity. So coconut sugar was the way to go in my book! Oh and the sauce doesn’t taste like coconut.
The sauce turned out simply perfect. It’s thick, has a sweet caramel flavor and has the most beautiful rich, dark color. Oh, plus the salt, oh man you can’t forget the salt! Sweet and salt all the way! Yum!! This is one sticky recipe to make, but I sure enjoyed licking the spoon!! However,I got it everywhere, my arm, my cheek, and my clothes. Oh well, so worth it!!
The recipe is super easy to make too. No candy thermometer needed. I added coconut sugar and coconut milk to a sauce pan. Be sure to use one with high sides, so it doesn’t bubble over. Whisk, whisk, whisk until it starts to bubble. When it bubbles, whisk for two minutes. Then take off the stove and stir in vanilla extract and salt. That’s it! Easy peasy!!! No corn syrup, no butter and a less processed sugar. You can’t beat that!! But do remember this is still sugar, so go light on it!!
- 1 cup organic coconut sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened coconut milk from carton
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. salt
- In a pan with high sides, add coconut sugar and coconut milk. Place over low heat and whisk constantly until it comes to a boil; about 8 minutes. When boiling, whisk for one more minutes. After two minutes, take off heat and stir in vanilla extract and salt.
- Let cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Once stored in the refrigerator the sauce will become very thick.
I did some research of caramel sauce and dessert toppings and the first two ingredients in just about all brands is Corn Syrup and high fructose syrup, with fructose coming in at #4. So believe me this may not be the healthiest recipe in the world, but it is so much better than the stuff at the store. Mine is all natural and your body can process natural a lot easier than processed. Plus it’s vegan and gluten-free. So if your craving caramel, whip together a batch of my sauce. You will just love it!
Well that’s it for me! I need to go make my Skinny Caramel Frappe and add just a drizzle of the sauce over the top.
Have a neato-rific day!
Toodles,
Jen
