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
Marcia Bauchle says
I can’t get Bocha Sweet where I live. Can you substitute Swerve, Alluose, Monkfruit or any other sweeteners? Thank you.
Carolyn says
Allulose is your best choice here.
Roni says
I was wondering if you could use the powdered version of BocaSweet in this recipe?
Carolyn says
Yes, should be fine.
Thecla says
Wow
I made this sauce and my goodness it tastes wonderful. Next time I wil make a double batch.
Thanks for this recipe.
Thecla
Beth says
Can I sub Sukrin Gold for Swerve brown since I already have this? Also will have to sub allulose for Bocha Sweet since you can’t get this right now.
Carolyn says
Yes, those two should work although it will be lighter in colour.
Kim says
We have a hard time finding allulose & Bocha in Canada Would swerve powdered work?
Carolyn says
It works at first but then re-crystallizes like crazy. You’re next best option is xylitol.
Steph says
I just made this recipe and it just cooled enough to have a taste. It is so rich and flavourful! I am so excited to try some with the Snickerdoodle Brownies I made the other day and a scoop of keto vanilla ice cream. Thank you so much for taking the time to perfect this recipe!
Carolyn says
Enjoy!
Kathy Cooke says
Incredible! I used allulose instead of Bocha Sweet and coconut cream instead of heavy cream, and it turned out perfectly – gooey and sticky, it thickened up nicely in the fridge, and best of all, it didn’t separate on me like other recipes I’ve tried. Try stirring a few tablespoons into some hot almond milk with a teaspoon of instant coffee, and froth for a terrific caramel latte. Yum!
Elaine Cole says
Can you use Allulose instead of the Bocha sweet?
Carolyn says
YES! I should add that in at some point and update the info on here. 🙂
eddrena says
The butter used in this recipe – is it salted butter or unsalted butter?
Carolyn says
Really doesn’t matter…
Erela Lublin says
Can I use Stevia instead of Boccha?
Carolyn says
No, that is not a good replacement at all.
Sharon says
What about Monk Fruit, could that be used as a substitute for the Boccha?
Carolyn says
Unlikely since most “monk fruit sweeteners” are primarily erythritol. Please read this: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/best-keto-sweeteners/
Sharon says
Thank you!
Lynne Landry says
I didn’t have Bocha Sweet, so I substituted with 4 tbsp allulose sweetener and it turned out great. Allulose is not as sweet, so you could probably add more to taste.
Carolyn says
Glad it worked!
Heather E. says
Allulose worked for me too! What a great recipe. Thank you.
Tonya says
How do you get that rich authentic caramel color? I’ve made your caramel sauce. It turns out great & delicious but as soon as I put into the refrigerator it takes on the color of pale lard.
Carolyn says
Just from the swerve brown. Mine doesn’t change color as it cools, although it does tend to solidify.
Sarah says
Hi! Would this recipe work well for making Caramel Apples?
Thanks!
-Sarah
Carolyn says
Not quite sticky enough, I’m afraid.
Martine says
OMG, this recipe is AMAZING. It tastes just like “sucre a la creme”, a fudge made of butter, cream and brown sugar and/or maple syrup. This isn’t that surprising since the ingredients and technique are similar. I wonder if it would turn into fudge if you boiled it longer. Anyway, maybe it’s better not to try, considering how addictive that stuff is. (And how expensive and hard to get Boca Sweet is)
I made this to use as a topping for your vanilla ice cream recipe. I figured that it would complement it well, since it already has a dulce de leche taste to it, I’m glad to report I was entirely correct. Damn this is good.
Jane Weskamp says
I want to thank you for listing your wonderful recipes. I am new to this type of diet, and you make it so much easier.
Sincerely,
Jane Weskamp
SandiShores says
Is there any sub for the swerve?
I get the mouth cooling effect form erythritol and can’t stand the stuff
Carolyn says
You probably won’t in this recipe because it’s mixed with BochaSweet.
SandiShores says
You’re wrong, it’s not a taste it is a chemical reaction that causes mouth-cooling effect and that cannot be disguised
The smallest amount with cause the horrible mouth-cooling, regardless of any other ingredients
Carolyn says
Be that as it may, many people find that a different mix of sweeteners reduces and often eliminates the sensation. You can do as you will, but this is my recipe and my site, and I’ve been doing this for over a decade so I am well versed in what works and what doesn’t. If it doesn’t work for you, fine. But you cannot tell other people what they will and will not experience.
Have a good day!
Joan Springer says
Anyone try making this in a vitamix blender that heats up? Works perfectly with the lemon curd recipe.
Tracy says
Ha! I was wondering the same for my PC blender that heats up. Might just have to wing it and see how it works. I just made some caramel sauce in the blender with regular brown sugar and it was great. Worse thing that could happen is it’ll end up in the trash. Lol.
Carolyn says
Just wondering if xylitol can replace Bocha Sweet in this recipe. Bocha Sweet is not available in Canada. Thanks.
Lynne Landry says
I’m in Canada too and substituted 4 tbsp allulose sweetener for the Bocha Sweet. You could probably add more to taste, as allulose isn’t as sweet.
Artemis says
Can you use any Keto syrup as I live in the UK and we don’t get these US brands?
Eva Hopf says
I keep making this over and over, it’s soo good! It’s really good with all-allulose too, but careful: allulose browns really fast – I learned thatthe hard way. Thank you Carolyn for bringing so much Yum into our lives!!