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
Tammy says
I did not have Bocca Sweet so I just used equal amount of Monkfruit Sweetener and did not have Swerve brown so I used equal amount of Monkfruit Golden Sweetener. Even with the substitutions, this is the best keto caramel sauce I’ve tasted. I’d eat it even if not doing keto.
Carolyn says
So glad to hear it!
Samantha Franklin-Buffey says
In the uk I can’t find Bocha sweet any suggestions ?
Carolyn says
Xylitol should work!
Marijane Kendall says
Hi, Carolyn, I have read through about a thousand comments and didn’t find anyone who asked my question! First of all, I have made this twice now; burned the first batch using Sukrin Gold brown and allulose. Didn’t know if the burning was the allulose because it was my first time using it. Threw that batch out and tried again using Sukrin Gold brown and Sukrin Gold syrup with a dash of maple extract. I didn’t burn this batch, it looked great, and tasted great. Poured it into my jar and started to clean up when I found my two tablespoons of water sitting there. So, my question is,what is the water for? Is it important enough to add it now the caramel sauce is cool, or can I leave it out? I know I won’t get an immediate answer to this question before I have to make a decision, but thought it might some other poor inept cook like me!
Carolyn says
If it seems like it’s the right consistency as is, leave out the water. When you use Swerve and Bocha Sweet, it tends to thicken up more.
Mitzi says
Would this recipe work without the xanthan gum?
Carolyn says
It won’t be as thick.
Joelle says
HI Carolyn,
First of all, thank you for your fabulous recipes and excitement and positivity with respect to Keto lifestyle! I feel the same way….thank you!
I have a question…..I am in Calgary and can’t find the Bocha Sweet, I ordered the Swerve Brown and it arrived yesterday, so am now excited to make this caramel sauce. Can I just do a straight substitute 3 T coconut sugar instead of the Bocha Sweet with the 3T Swerve Brown?
Thank you…..you are may new fave site!! xo
Carolyn says
That should work fine but will be higher carb, as I am sure you are aware!
Joelle says
Yep! I don’t love that plan. haha. I think I will have to just go the old method with the syrup or molasses. Thats ok! I wish I could find the Bocha Sweet!
Jane says
You are my salted-caramel hero!!!! Thank you so much for this fantastic recipe. I am no longer feeling caramel deprived. I’m going to try to modify this recipe to make keto maple syrup. Not keen on the ones I’ve tried online.
Carolyn says
So glad to hear it!
Joanna says
I just made a caramel macchiato with this delightful stuff! Two of my favorite things, coffee and caramel. I never thought I would be able to make a sf- low carb version of a macchiato but this was perfect for it. Thanks for this amazing recipe.
Carolyn says
That’s so great to hear!
Danielle Wright says
Hi! I am so excited I found this recipe! I dont have BochaSweet or Xylitol. But, I do have powdered Monk Fruit/Erythtritol blend, granular Mok Fruit Blend and Lakanto golden… how would those work?
Carolyn says
No, sadly, they won’t because they are all erythritol based. I mean… they WILL work but your caramel sauce will re-crystallize in the end.
Caitlin Nierenberg says
Love this recipe! Just a little confused about the molasses and Swerve granular substitute. If I can’t find Bocha Sweet, am I supposed to sub the 6 tbsp of Swerve Granular and 2 tsp molasses for BOTH the Swerve Brown and Bocha Sweet, or just in place of the Bocha Sweet alone?
Carolyn says
If you can’t find Bocha Sweet or xylitol or allulose (all of them work), then yes, use the Swerve Granular and 2 tsp molasses and it will still be great, although more likely to recrystallize. The molasses does help inhibit that a bit.
Kathryn Woodall says
Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is amazing caramel sauce! It’s easy to make and even easier to eat! 🙂
Steve says
Wow a keeper for sure! I’m keto and this caramel sauce is now a staple in the refrigerator along with chocolate drizzle. I used allulose and it works the best. Swerve went grainy.
Thanks
Jill cunningham says
Hi, I live in the UK and the ingredients are soo expensive to get on amazon uk. I don’t have swerve brown, but have some unused Sukrin gold. Would this work? I know it isn’t as good as swerve because I have the other swerve sweeteners. Also in the caramel cake it states whey protein powder, again very expensive. I have some collagen powder, could I use that.
Thank you
Carolyn says
The sukrin gold is fine but the collagen powder is not. It will make it very gummy. You can skip it altogether but the cake won’t rise quite as well.
Whitney says
Thank you sooooo much! I only had swerve and surkin brown sugar substitute. I used 4 T surkin, 2 T swerve and it’s heaven! One of my fav things in life is See’s Candies Butterscotch squares and if i was any good in the kitchen this is the recipe I’d use to try to recreate them. Wow. Wow. Beautiful recipe for this Carmel lovers dream!!
Carolyn says
So glad to hear it!
Belinda says
Oh man this is the best!!! My daughter requested Salted Caramel Cheesecake with cookie dough for a Thanksgiving dessert. Searched but only came up with the salted caramel cheesecake and found this topping, so many great reviews so I went out on a limb and bought both Swerve brown and Bocha Sweet, this could not be better!!!!! Thank you!!
Carolyn says
Delighted to hear it!
amanda says
Thank you Carolyn for being sooo Awesome!!! sharing your gift and keeping us all healthy :)Big Hug
wishing you and yours an amazing holiday filled with Love!
Carolyn says
You too! Thanks so much!
Sherry Corson says
I finally got some BochaSweet! I have Sukrin Gold instead off the Swerve Brown so can that be an equal substitute?
Carolyn says
Yes, it should be fine. It’s a little lighter than swerve brown but it should work.
Audrey says
HI,
I have read through this recipe several times and lots of the comments trying to come to the conclusion of what to use if you can’t use botcha sweet. I have xylitol, erythritol, and swerve and could run to the store for black strap molasses. Can you please lend me your suggestion based on your experiences prior to finding botcha sweet. Thanks. I appreciate your recipe so and insight 🙂
Carolyn says
Replace the Bocha Sweet with xylitol. Use Swerve brown or regular swerve plus 2 teaspoons of Yacon or molasses.
Lisa S Myers says
I was about to ask a similar question. I have golden monkfruit, granulated and powdered Swerve and Xylosweet. Would any combo of these give results close to yours?
Carolyn says
The “golden monk fruit”…is it Lankanto? In which case, that would be your brown sugar sub. Xylosweet would be the best to replace the Bocha Sweet.
Doni says
Oh. My. Goodness. Finally got my BochaSweet and the first thing I did is to come right here, to this recipe. And it’s all that everyone said it is, and more. Best sugar free thing that I’ve tasted in two years. I now have a major problem because I will want to mix Bocha and Swerve for all of the things! Carolyn, the next thing we need is a new hot fudge sauce. Please say you’re up to the challenge!
Carolyn says
So glad you liked it!
natasha says
Has anyone tried stevia instead of bocha sweet. im from panama (a very small country) and i cant get bocha sweet, the syrup neither blackstrap molasses. Please help ! i need to try this.
Carolyn says
Stevia won’t caramelize, I am afraid. Can you get xylitol?
Debbie Sewell says
Amazon is out of the Bocha- is there THM substitute that you have found suitable?
Carolyn says
I list substitutes in the recipe notes. That should help!
Mimi A says
You can order on the Bocha Sweet website….same price when you include their shipping and they said it gets there in 3-4 days.