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Rich and buttery homemade salted caramel is transformed to frosty perfection in this irresistible Salted Caramel Ice Cream.
Caramel Ice Cream
Inspired by our love of warm caramel sauce and homemade ice cream, this is a wonderfully decadent ice cream. It’s been in our dessert rotation now for years.
The first time I made caramel ice cream was on a weekend my husband was out of town. I tasted it and then forced myself to hand the whole batch to a friend, because I knew I couldn’t be trusted with it on my own. (Yes, I have ice cream issues.)
I made this ice cream again a week later for my family, and it was a huge hit. Salted caramel is a beautiful thing. Just a tiny bit of salt enhances the flavors in the caramel beautifully.
If you haven’t yet tried it, get to the stove and stir some together just as soon as possible. With a sprinkling of salt stirred into some warm caramel, one taste and you’ll understand its popularity.
And, if you haven’t made your own caramel sauce yet, get on it! Homemade caramel sauce is dangerously easy to make and like so many other things, it tastes ten times better than anything you can buy from a store.
If you enjoy homemade salted caramel ice cream, then you have got to try this Twix Ice Cream next. It’s unbelievably good.
And, this Caramel Swirl Brownie Chunk Ice Cream is an awesome way to celebrate any occasion.
With over 160 ice cream recipes here to choose from, there’s sure to be an ice cream for everyone! If you’re new to making ice cream, the best and easiest vanilla ice cream is a great place to start.
These are my favorite inexpensive containers for storing ice cream. They’re perfect for gifting (who doesn’t love homemade ice cream?) storage, re-using, etc. I write the flavors on the lids with a sharpie and it washes off with dish soap.
I have more ice cream scoops than I can keep track of at this point and I definitely play favorites. This ice cream scoop does the best job ever of cutting through firm ice cream and still delivers a pretty scoop. It gets bonus points for being one of the least expensive scoops I own as well.
Don’t miss our Ice Cream Maker Review for all the information you need to find the BEST Ice Cream Maker for your needs. Spoiler alert – our top-rated machine under $50 just might surprise you. It sure surprised me!
Salted Caramel Ice Cream
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:
- light brown sugar
- butter
- heavy cream
- milk
- vanilla extract
- sea salt
The most popular question I get is whether it’s possible to make ice cream without a machine. The answer is YES. You can make ice cream without a machine. Find the full directions here!
Salted Caramel Ice Cream Recipe
To begin, combine the butter and sugar in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. When the butter has melted, stir to combine the melted butter with the sugar.
Continue stirring while the mixture simmers for about 4 minutes, until thick, bubbling, and caramel colored. Remove from the heat.
Very slowly, pour the heavy cream into the hot caramel, whisking constantly. Continue whisking until smooth, making sure there isn’t a great deal of caramel stuck on the bottom of the pan. (A little bit at the bottom edges is fine.)
Add the milk, vanilla, and salt and whisk again until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until cold. Then, process according to your ice cream machine’s manufacturer’s directions.
Serve immediately for a soft serve ice cream, or transfer to an airtight container and freeze for a few hours for firmer ice cream.
Scoop into ice cream cones or serve in bowls with a drizzle of warm caramel sauce over the top.
Recipes with Caramel
I’ve always loved caramel. And, it shows in the number of recipes that I have played with that feature it. White Chocolate Caramel Fudge is a fabulous example. It pairs beautifully with a cup of coffee.
If you like caramel like me, then you should give Caramel Turtle Bark a try. It tastes far better fresh than anything you can find in the store.
Salted Caramel Frosting elevates so many of our favorite chocolate desserts. You can’t go wrong putting it on baked goods, ice cream, or even smoothies. And, No Bake Caramel Cheesecake Mousse is hands down the best no bake cheesecake dessert I’ve ever tasted.
Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Ingredients
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Combine the butter and sugar in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. When the butter has melted, stir to combine the melted butter with the sugar. Continue stirring while the mixture simmers for about 4 minutes, until thick, bubbling, and caramel colored. Remove from the heat.
- Very slowly, pour the heavy cream into the hot caramel, while whisking constantly. Continue whisking until smooth, taking care to scrape the bottom of the pan as you stir the caramel. Add the milk, vanilla, and salt and whisk again until smooth. Refrigerate until cold.
- When ready to churn the ice cream, pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and process it according to your machine's manufacturer's directions. Serve immediately for a soft serve ice cream, or transfer to an airtight container and freeze for a few hours for firmer ice cream.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 08/12/2014 – recipe notes and photos updated 07/07/2023}
This recipe does not work as written. After reading another review in which the user complained that this recipe does not work, the author claimed that the instructions clearly state this sauce is meant to go into a different ice cream base. I re-read the entire blog post and recipe twice and found no such thing. I thought it was weird to have an ice cream recipe that omitted egg yolk without adding another emulsifier, but long story short I just wasted a day of work and waiting and only have a weird chunky mess to show for it.
Hey Nicole, I’m not even sure what you’re referring to here. I read through all of the comments and with the exception of a very rude and confused individual from 2017, I’m not seeing any complaints.
There are plenty of egg-free recipes online and in cookbooks. This is hardly a new concept. I’ve been making creamy rich ice creams without any eggs for many years now. If you follow the recipe exactly as written, you should’ve made a caramel sauce first. That sauce is them whisked into the milk and cream (listed in the recipe card) to form the ice cream base. It should’ve been smooth and creamy liquid when you poured it into your ice cream maker to churn it.
I’m very confused as to how you wound up with a “weird chunky mess.” That sounds like you might have missed a step or an ingredient along the way. There are enough 5-star rave reviews here, along with the fact I make this ice cream myself at least every other month, to assure me that the recipe is solid. I can appreciate your frustration with a failed attempt, but without being in your kitchen with you, I can’t even guess what might have gone wrong.
I plan to make this tonight – but am curious, has anyone made this in the Ninja Creami where you make the ingredients first and then “creamify” it 24 hours later?
Hi Mary! Quick question do you know how many grams one serving makes?
Hi Ella, I do not track that information. I simply divide the full recipe into an approximate number of portions.
Hi! How many quarts does this make? I was wondering if I could double it (I have the cusinart 2 quart machine) as my family eats a lot of ice cream.
This makes about 1.5 quarts. I would not recommend doubling it for a 2 qt machine.
Sooo good! And so easy to make! I’ll be keeping this recipe as a staple in our house. My husband and I both love salted caramel anything!
I’m thrilled to hear that you’re enjoying the ice cream, Traci!
How much caramel is it approximately? I have some in the fridge I need to use up and wanted to put in the accurate amount. Thanks!
You could probably use a cup of caramel, a cup of milk, and a cup of cream, but I haven’t tested those proportions exactly.
Hello! I made the base yesterday and have let it chill overnight. It now has a “skin” on top ; should I remove it or blend it in? Thanks.
I just whisk it in, Morgen.
This ice cream was super easy to make and turned out delicious! Very flavorful! I will be holding on to this for future use!!
I’m so glad you like it!
Should I pack the brown sugar? Usually recipes say packed brown sugar so I didn’t know if it’s supposed to be packed or not? Please let me know. Thank you
Yes, brown sugar is always packed in recipes unless specifically stated otherwise. It is packed in this one as well.
Do I use unsalted or salted butter? I can’t find light brown sugar anywhere!! Please help
I use salted butter in all of my recipes, unless specifically noted otherwise, Sandi. It can often be difficult to find brown sugar outside the US. However, it’s VERY easy to make! Here’s the method I’ve used in the past when I ran out: https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/how-to-make-your-own-brown-sugar/
So good!!! Couldn’t be easier. Came out perfect. I upped the salt and it was still quite subtle.
YAY! I’m thrilled you like it so much.
I’ve made this ice cream half a dozen times over the past year and a half and I LOVE it. So so good!
I’m so glad you like it!