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Learn how to make the perfect vegan caramel at home with just 5 simple ingredients! Quick, easy, and will last in the refrigerator so you can add it to all of your holiday desserts!
The holiday season is about to be upon us, so we thought now would be the perfect time to share this super easy-to-make vegan caramel! The taste and texture resemble traditional caramel, we just got rid of the butter, and boom! We’ve got your caramel cravings covered, so keep on scrollin’ for the recipe!
This caramel requires just 5 simple ingredients: vegan butter, light brown sugar, coconut milk, agave, and salt. We also added vanilla extract to ours but that is completely optional.
Date caramel sauces were all the rage of a while, and while we do understand and support the healthy dessert, we wanted to create a silky, decadent, real-deal caramel for the blog. We actually put this together for our vegan candy bars (take 5, snickers, and milky way) that we are releasing this week. We feel that it added the perfect authenticity to our copycat candy bars and really helped them shine!
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of our recipes, we love to see your photos!
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Homemade Vegan Caramel
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
Description
Learn how to make the perfect vegan caramel at home with just 5 simple ingredients! Quick, easy, and will last in the refrigerator so you can add it to all of your holiday desserts!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegan butter (we used Earth Balance)
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup agave nectar (or maple syrup)
- 1/3 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet (we used a 9-inch square pan) with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. You can also grab a sealable container if you are going to use the caramel as a sauce. Set aside.
- In a medium pot, add the vegan butter and melt it over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the light brown sugar and whisk until incorporated and melted through.
- Attach a candy thermometer to the pot or get one ready to hold, just be sure that the thermometer does not touch the bottom of the pan.
- Whisk in the agave syrup and full-fat coconut milk. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue to cook, constantly stirring, until the candy thermometer reaches 235°F, about 10-15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sea salt and optional vanilla extract until uniform.
- Pour the caramel into the prepared cookie sheet container. Allow the caramel to cool before slicing and store covered in the refrigerator. You can serve it as squares by cutting it into smaller pieces from the baking tray, or you can melt it and use it as a caramel sauce.
Notes
- If you don’t have a candy thermometer: Bringing the mixture to a rapid boil and then reduce the heat to medium. Stir constantly as the caramel bubbles and boils for about 10-15 minutes, until it becomes a deep golden brown and starts to “pull away” from the edges of the pot.
- Caramel can be temperamental in terms of temperature, so using a candy thermometer is recommended!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Candy
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-free
Nutrition facts label provided by Nutri Fox.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional’s advice. This page may contain affiliate links, which simply means that we earn a commission if you purchase through those links, but your price remains the same. Thank you for supporting Sweet Simple Vegan!
