This sugar free caramel sauce is ooey and gooey and it stays pourable! Best of all, it tastes just like real caramel sauce. This is the only keto caramel sauce recipe you will ever need. I am excited to bring you this updated recipe and a new instructional video.
Want to hear something crazy? I just improved my keto sugar free caramel sauce recipe! It was always truly amazing and by far one of the most popular low carb caramel recipes out there, but now it’s even better.
And I attribute this improvement to two “secret weapon” ingredients: The new Swerve brown sugar replacement and Bocha Sweet. The combination of these two keto sweeteners results in the most perfect caramel that stays soft and pourable for days. It can even be refrigerated and still stays soft, with absolutely no recrystallization.
Creating a really good, true-to-life caramel sauce with erythritol has been one of my low carb goals for a long time now. Almost from the first moment I started baking and cooking low carb, I found myself wondering if it was possible and absolutely determined to find out.
Creating Keto Sugar Free Caramel Sauce
I’d tried a few store-bought sugar-free caramel sauces and they were simply awful. They were laden with chemicals and they tasted like it too. So I had to find a way to make homemade sugar-free caramel sauce from scratch, and I set my sights high.
It had to be:
- Gooey
- Smooth and creamy
- Have true caramelized-sugar taste
- Not harden and recrystallize upon cooling
Anyone who has ever worked with erythritol-based sweeteners will know that the last issue was the biggest challenge to overcome. I’ve made some great-tasting and great-looking sauces along the way, but they all had a tendency to harden up pretty quickly.
Even my previous recipe, which I considered almost perfect, did begin to solidify and get a bit grainy as it cooled. The addition of some Yacon syrup, molasses, or even coconut sugar definitely helped offset that reaction, but it also added a little to the carb count. Some people objected to these additions but I felt that they were worth it to get really good low carb caramel sauce.
But honestly, both Swerve Brown and Bocha Sweet have totally changed the sugar free caramel sauce game. Completely and utterly. How so?
- Swerve Brown gives the sauce a perfect caramel color without the addition of Yacon or molasses
- Bocha Sweet keeps it soft and inhibits the crystallization of the erythritol
- The combination of the two gives it the ideal caramel sweetness
I first tried a bit of Bocha Sweet in my caramel sauce a few months ago and was astonished to pull it out of the fridge the next day and still have it be perfectly pourable. And when the long-awaited Swerve Brown finally came out, I tried the two together and I knew I had perfected this recipe.
But please don’t worry if you can’t get your hands on these sweeteners. I am putting notes in the new updated recipe so that you can still make it the old way, with Swerve and a little Yacon syrup. It’s still amazing and delicious!
So put away all those awful store-bought, chemical-laden sugar free caramel sauces because this keto caramel sauce recipe will blow your caramel-loving mind. Check out the video in the recipe card!
I’ve actually been using this caramel sauce recipe in many of my other dessert recipes for a while now, like my maple pecan pie. But I use it so often and found myself rewriting it so frequently, I decided that it needed to be a stand alone recipe.
Believe me, it deserves it! It’s already part of some of my favorite keto dessert recipes and it will be part of many more to come. But it truly is good enough to be have its very own recipe post. Sometimes I just make some for the heck of it, just to keep in the fridge. It’s fantastic slathered on a piece of very dark chocolate with a little sea salt sprinkled on top. Or drizzled over low carb vanilla ice cream. Or simply licked from the spoon.
I really don’t think there is a better low carb caramel sauce out there. Back when I first wrote this post, I said if there was any way to improve on this recipe, I would find it. And I truly believe I just did. I can die happy now!
How to enjoy your keto caramel sauce
- Keto Caramel Cake
- Keto Salted Caramel Brownie Bites
- Keto Salted Caramel Cheesecake Bars
- Keto Turtle Cupcakes
- Keto Salted Caramel Butter Bars
- Keto Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate
The Best Low Carb Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar replacement
- 3 tablespoon allulose or BochaSweet
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
- ¼ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- 2 tablespoon water
For Salted Caramel Sauce:
- ½ teaspoon additional kosher salt or sea salt
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, Swerve, and Bocha Sweet. Bring to a boil and cook 3 to 5 minutes (be careful not to burn it).
- Remove from heat and add cream. Mixture will bubble vigorously.
- Sprinkle with xanthan gum and whisk vigorously to combine. Add salt.
- Return mixture to heat and boil 1 more minute. Let cool to lukewarm and stir in water until well combined.
- For salted caramel, simply stir in additional salt at the end.
- The sauce can be stored in the fridge for a week or so (I've actually stored mine for several weeks). Just gently reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan to make it pourable again.
Video
Notes
Carma says
I needed caramel for my apple cake, this came out perfect although I used 1/2 1/2 instead of heavy cream and I added a reduction of left over apple cider, I know not keto but the flavor is out of this world. Thanks again for saving the day!
Carolyn says
Sounds fabulous!
Kristen says
So excited you have healthier options for us
Kristen Drake says
I’m making this tonight!! I love that I can be standing in a grocery store reading a label then come to you for a better healthier option. And I’ve already got everything I need in the pantry.
Thank you again!!
Linda Schaefer says
I followed directions exactly but it didn’t firm up like caramel. the flavor was good so we still ate it, at least not a total lose. maybe I’ll whip the cream next time …. just kidding.😉 I’ll keep trying.thanks
Carolyn says
Sounds like you probably didn’t cook it quite long enough.
Anna LeBlanc says
Is it possible to sub one of teaspoons of water with bourbon?
Carolyn says
You are welcome to experiment!
Kendall says
Have u ever used the allulose brown for this recipe
Andrea says
This literally brought tears to my eyes when I first tasted it. After my T1 diagnosis, I went keto immediately. I haven’t tasted warm, buttery caramel in almost two years. This recipe is amazing! Thank you. 🙏
Carolyn says
I am so glad you liked it!
Holly says
Carolyn, do you know if gluccomannon works in place of xanthan here? I’m doubling this and making your AMAZING caramel cake and can’t tolerate gums. Thank you!
Carolyn says
You can certainly try it!
Betty says
What can i sub for Swerve? I do have allulose reg. and confectioners, and stevia liquid plus a jar of bocha sweet.
Carolyn says
You can’t. The combination of sweeteners is critical to this recipe. It requires both allulose and erythritol.
Samantha Lindamood says
Hello,
The recipe list calls for 3 tablespoons allulose or Bocha Sweet. Then down further in notes it says –
“If you can’t get your hands on Bocha Sweet, use 6 tablespoon Swerve Granular and two teaspoons Yacon syrup or blackstrap molasses.”
So does this mean I cannot just use 3 tablespoons of Allulose instead of the Bocha Sweet?
Carolyn says
You can use allulose to replace BochaSweet.
Wanda Rucker says
This is the best and I have tried many recipes.
Carolyn says
Great to hear!
Katy says
I made this to go with your Burnt Basque Cheesecake and let me tell you, they are made for each other!!! I did use coconut cream for both recipes in place of the heavy whipping cream and they came out just fine. I’m a fan!!! Thank you Carolyn, for all that you do! Katy
Tina J says
Mindblowingly delicious! I only had Swerve plain granulated, and used Blackstrap Molasses as suggested.
Katy Waugh says
I am going to try to create this recipe using coconut cream instead of heavy whipping cream… Will let you know if it works! Wish me luck because this is going on your recipe for the Burnt Basque Cheesecake!
Karen O says
Have you made this with only allulose brown and regular varieties and will it stay soft as a swirl if incorporated into ice cream toward the end of churning (to make a caramel swirl). Thanks! Karen
Carolyn says
Full allulose has a funny flavor, almost sour. It also upsets a lot of stomaches. So the blend is best.
Becca S says
I live for your recipes , A M A Z I N G. Thank you for sharing .
From NS Ca
Kathy S. says
I have not made this yet as I am trying to locate the Bocha Sweet. I have the Swerve Sugars, in multiple types.
My question is: Did you notice a big difference when you used Bocha Sweet over Swerve sugar?
The link you provide for the Bocha shows product unavailable at this time, but there are single packages on Amazon. I’ve checked all my stores, and requested it at a few of them. I’d like to make this for my caramel coffee. My husband is not noticing my sugar replacements in his desserts, so I want to provide this for his ice cream, which is already loaded with sugar At least, I would feel better about this part for him.
Carolyn says
I actually prefer allulose in this so if you can get that, it will be even better. 🙂
Gauri Vasudevan says
How can I make it Vegan?
Carolyn says
I am sorry, I have no idea. I do not eat vegan
CJ says
I’ve made this sauce just substituting with dairy free butter and heavy cream with good success, very delicious. The macros will be different depending on what you use.
Christine Christoffersen says
I now have to avoid dairy, what did you use to make the carmel sauce?
I am new to this.
Thank you
Chris