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
Kristeena Maloney says
I love the flavor of this sauce but the past two times I have made it, it crystalized both times. I’m using the exact recipe (i.e. Swerve Brown and Bocha Sweet, xanthan gum, etc) Even when gently warming in the micro to get it a little looser, still large crystals in the sauce. Any thoughts or suggestions on what I’m doing wrong? Thanks!!!!
Carolyn says
It’s going to re-crystallize in the fridge a little, because that is the nature of erythritol. When re-warming, you should be whisking, the crystals will dissolve.
Kristeena Maloney says
Good to know!! Thank you for your reply!
Vicki V says
I have made this three times and it is stellar! If I want it thicker, I cut back on the water at the end. Used allulose vs Bocha Sweet, too.
Jane Ashley says
Out. Of. This. World. ????
Cathy Peters Coffman-Peters says
Hi Carolyn, can you use Monkfruit sweetener and if so what measurements? Carmel too my favorite????
Thanks
Carolyn says
So this begs the question… what do you mean by monk fruit? I am guessing you mean a sweetener that is actually mostly erythritol, like Lakanto. REAL monk fruit is a highly concentrated sweetener.
If the former, then it can be used to replace the Swerve but it cannot be used to replace the BochaSweet.
Becky says
I tried monkfruit it burnt everything I tried it, which was 3 times. I finally got bocasweet in an it turned out wonderful.
Mariam says
I just wanted to let you know that I’ve tried this recipe several times. Pecan sticky bread (many times), oatmeal carmelitas (the original was a high school fav), plain old caramel sauce. It’s always been great. I even made a big batch and gave it as a Christmas present one year. I don’t think I’ve made the latest version yet.
BUT- I was in a big hurry one day and decided to try microwaving it. I put all the ingredients in a pyrex 2 qt. quart measuring bowl. I nuked it a minute at a time, stirring at each break, and then when it started foaming up, I stirred it once more and gave it another 30 seconds. It turned out perfectly. So total, maybe 5 1/2 minutes in the microwave. You’d have to experiment with your own microwave to see how long it takes to foam up. It does foam up quite a bit, so make sure you have a big enough bowl to keep it from foaming over the top! Hope this helps others….
Carolyn says
Interesting!
Michelle says
First many many thanks to Carolyn for all of your delicious, low carb recipes… and this is no exception!!! Second to Miriam, your tip worked excellently for me also!! I’m a very busy nurse and trying to stay healthy. Thanks to you also.
Kate says
Hi! Since I started doing keto a bit over a year ago, I had been looking for the perfect caramel recipe and this is it!! I finally bought the two sweeteners that you list on your recipe, and they are SO worth it!! Anyway…I made the caramel sauce last night, and today I followed your ultimate keto brownie recipe. Once I pulled the brownies out of the over, I poked a few small holes, and poured the caramel sauce, and yeah…you can just imagine the party of flavors that I had in my mouth. Even my husband and mother-in-law tried them (they aren’t on keto) and they loved them! They say neither the caramel not the brownies taste like they’re keto at all. And the consistency for both is just wow….I have a sweet tooth, big time! So you can imagine what a game changer your recipes are for me, so thank you SO much!
Carolyn says
Sounds amazing!
Jimi C says
I’m sorry if you’ve already answered this: when you measure out the swerve brown in your recipes do you pack it like regular brown sugar? Thanks!
Carolyn says
I semi-pack it. It’s so much like brown sugar, it’s hard to avoid doing so!
Sara says
How many cups does this make? o.5 cup?
Carolyn says
Hi there, should be easy to figure it out: 8 servings x 2 tbsp each = 16 tbsp. Which is one cup.
Heather dumadag says
Can allulose be used instead of bochasweet?
Lisa Record says
I’m wanting to know this answer too. I bought some liquid Allulose & wondered how it would work..
Tricia says
Once I add the water the carmel gets lighter in color and more gooey, not really pourable at all. Am I cooking it too long or not long enough? The first time I made this it turned out perfect but the last 2 times have been this same. #AddictedToThisSauce Thanks!
Carolyn says
Hmmm. Well you’re welcome to skip the water if it seems the right consistency before you add it.
Karen Miller says
I just made this to go into the Salted Caramel Magic Cookie Bars. I could hardly stop dipping my finger into the warm caramel sauce. It was so very yummy! It made the cookie bars like “magic”. It was eating a candy bar. I will be using this recipe again for sure. Thanks for your recipe.
Erik says
Looking forward to trying this new improved version, but I still have some coconut sugar to use up. Can you please send me the old version? That one was soooo good, like your other recipes. Thanks!
Carolyn says
It was simply 6 tbsp Swerve and 2 tbsp coconut sugar… same method.
LeeAnne says
Wow. I’ve never made even normal caramel sauce before. SOOOO good!
Lynn says
I made this sauce a couple of times with the molasses and I didn’t like it. It also crystalized. I sometimes burn caramel sauce. So, I bought Bocha Sweet and made it twice more, about a month ago and again today. I have to say it’s very difficult NOT to drink this right out of the bowl, but I suppose I should put something under it to hold it up!!! It’s AWESOME!!
Carolyn says
Yay!
Renee M Jeanmenne says
OMG – I have made this three times already…….Definitely a keeper !! I use allulose and swerve brown and it comes out great . I adjust at the end for the salt ( usually I need just a little more for my taste ) Someday, I will add a little more thickener to see if I can make a chewy caramel ……But, I can’t make it past this sauce, it’s so goooood !! Thanks for the recipe
Gwyn says
New Year. New or reNewed, focus on health. So I’ve been hesitating for months to make this, as I usually burn, overcook, undercook, and get intimidated by caramel sauce. I had made a keto chocolate cake and it just was not sweet enough for me, so I tried this sauce last night. MY FEARS ARE OVER! This is the BEST caramel sauce I have ever had. I not only drizzled it over my chocolate cake, but then added some coconut to the top, and voila, German Chocolate Cake that is healthy!! Thank you!
Carolyn says
Well that’s lovely to hear!
LeanneKen says
Have you tried using the latest in sweeteners? Allulose? Apparently it melts the same as regular sugar because it is a derivative of sugar. Apparently it acts as real sugar in every single way except the calories or the impact on the glycemic index.
Kim says
I made your Keto Apple Donut Cake and subbed apple brandy for the apple cider. Then I made this caramel sauce and subbed the brandy for the water. Oh, my. It’s amazing!!
Thank you!
Mary says
I absolutely LOVE your recipes!! My husband and I did Keto for awhile and now we are low carb maintenance. We love a good caramel apple, occasionally!!! Do you think this caramel sauce would work for that???? Thanks for everything you do for your “Keto/low carb” followers!!!
Carolyn says
I am not sure it gets sticky enough to coat an apple but you could certainly do some apple slices with it on top.
Mary says
Thanks!!! We usually do apple slices with the caramel on top. I’m going to give it a try!!!!
Kathy says
Hi Carolyn! Thanks for all your wonderful recipes. I used quite a few of them. I’m dying to try the caramel recipe, but I need to get the Bocha Sweet first. Does it matter whether I use the powdered or regular? Also, I think I may have read somewhere that allulose will also keep sauces from re-crystallizing. Is that correct? Can you comment on the difference between allulose and Bocha Sweet? Would they be used in different ways? Thanks for your help and you awesome knowledge of all this stuff!
Carolyn says
Yes… the powdered BochaSweet is fine, as is allulose. I find that things stay even a bit too soft with allulose but it does work.
Kathy says
Thank you! Good to know about the allulose!