20 Ways to Use Salted Caramel Sauce

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These salted caramel recipes are the best way to use a jar of homemade caramel sauce. Keep a jar in your fridge all season long for drizzling over a dozen different dessert ideas.

A photo collage shows some of the ways to use homemade caramel sauce.

Vanilla and caramel are my two favorite flavors. How convenient that they would BOTH make an appearance in my favorite homemade sea salt and vanilla caramel sauce.

Now I could just happily sit down with a jar and a spoon, but I've learned that keeping a jar on hand helps me make any fall dessert amazingly special.

Smoother and creamier than anything you'll ever find at the store, I pinky swear this recipe is worth making and stashing in your fridge.

My favorite part is that you can make it in advance so you just look like a rockstar when you whip it out during a party!

If you needed any more excuse, I pulled together all the recipes on my site that would taste better with a little drizzle of that sweet caramel goodness.

How to Use Salted Caramel Sauce

Homemade salted caramel sauce is one of the most delicious ways to elevate your next dessert.

You can easily make it up to two weeks in advance and drizzle it over any of these fantastic recipes.

Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
This addictive homemade caramel sauce makes an excellent ice cream topping or dessert sauce for fall treats.
4.84 from 6 votes
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A mason jar filled with homemade caramel sauce with a spoon.

Authentic Snicker Salad

The famous Minnesota salad recipe that graces many holiday tables.

Want yours to be the BEST EVER?? Drizzle homemade caramel sauce over the top just before serving.

Snicker Salad
Snicker salad is right at home on your holiday table. Is it a side dish or is it a dessert? No one knows for sure, but no matter what it is a tasty part of your holiday meal.
4.77 from 34 votes
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A bowl of Snicker Salad next to marshmallows and green apples.

Chocolate Pear Bread Pudding

Pears and caramel go together amazingly well in this surprising dessert. My chocolate pear bread pudding features layered slices of fresh pear and soft buttery bread with a hint of chocolate at the base. The salted caramel drizzle puts it over the top.

Chocolate Pear Bread Pudding
This easy bread pudding features slices of soft brioche or challah layered with sliced fresh pears and a dash of bittersweet chocolate in a rich custard filling. Serve it warm with our favorite homemade caramel sauce for a delicious fall dessert.
5 from 1 vote
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The baked pear bread pudding is in a white baking dish next to a blue napkin.

Apple Crisp

Talk about a double whammy of make-ahead dessert recipes!

This freezer-friendly apple crisp can be assembled months ahead of your party. Make the caramel in advance, too.

Then, just baked the apple crisp fresh, top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, drizzle the caramel sauce over the top. Guaranteed swooning at your holiday table.

Freezer Friendly Apple Crisp
This freezer apple crisp will change your holiday baking forever. Make one big batch but split it into two smaller desserts -- one to bake now and one to stash in your freezer for later. Perfect quick and easy Thanksgiving dessert. 
4.34 from 86 votes
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A freezer-friendly metal pan holds an 8x8-inch apple crisp with crumble topping.

Homemade Turtle Sundae

This turtle sundae is my favorite ice cream sundae of ALL TIME.

If you want the best, you need the highest quality ingredients because the focus is all on the toppings. Sea salt caramel is essential.

The Ultimate Turtle Sundae
Turtle sundaes are a classic summer treat. Keep the supplies in your fridge for a craving any time!
5 from 1 vote
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A bowl filled with a homemade turtle sundae: vanilla ice cream drizzled with hot fudge, caramel, sprinkled with salted pecans, and a red cherry on top.

Caramel Apple Pie

Whether you make a homemade apple pie or simply warm a store bought one in your oven, drizzling a homemade caramel sauce over the top before serving is a simply brilliant hostess trick.

King Arthur's Apple Pie Filling
Pair this amazing apple pie filling with your favorite crust recipe for the perfect apple pie.
5 from 1 vote
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A deep dish pie pan has pie crust draped over the side and a mound of sliced apples coated in cinnamon and butter.

DIY Christmas Coffee Station

Pour the homemade caramel sauce into a pretty drizzle jar and serve it to guests as part of a DIY Christmas Coffee Station along with homemade peppermint syrup and chocolate sauce. Don't forget the whipped cream!

DIY Christmas Coffee Bar
Let guests mix and match their own festive Christmas coffee with this easy holiday coffee station.
5 from 1 vote
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3 tall bottles hold different flavored coffee syrups for a DIY coffee bar.

Shortbread Pecan Pie Bars

These ooey gooey shortbread pecan pie bars are decadent on their own. Top them with a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of sea salt vanilla caramel sauce? TO DIE FOR.

Shortbread Pecan Pie Bars
These rich and chewy shortbread pecan pie bars have a crispy cookie crust, a gooey caramel center, and salty pecans all over the top. Slice up a square to share with friends for fall entertaining.
4.72 from 7 votes
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A stack of shortbread pecan pie bars on a cake plate for serving.

Taffy Apple Pizza

C'mon, admit it. This photo sells it better than words. Look at that thick drizzle of caramel ladled over the fresh tart apples and chewy chocolate candies. You know you want to make this easy taffy apple pizza with fresh apples.

Taffy Apple Pizza
This ooey-goey caramel apple pizza with sugar cookie crust is such a fun way to use up leftover Halloween candy for a dessert your kids will love. 
5 from 1 vote
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A sugar cookie baked in a pie skillet is topped with fresh chopped apples, chopped snickers candies, and is drizzled with caramel sauce over the top.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Grab a plain cheesecake at the store. Then simply add these toppings for guests to mix and match their own amazing cheesecake dessert.

Which would you choose? Caramel Apple Cheesecake or Caramel Pecan Cheesecake??

Easy Caramel Apple Cheesecake
This easy no-bake cheesecake recipe starts with a store bought cheesecake and can be assembled in under 5 minutes for a last-minute dessert to bring to a holiday potluck party.
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A slice of cheesecake topped with chopped apples and caramel sauce.

Caramel Apple Cookies

These fun caramel apple cookies start with fresh apples and taste even better with a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce.

Caramel Apple Cookies
Fresh apples on a frosted cookie base, these easy caramel apple cookies are a fun potluck party treat to bring this fall.
Please Rate this Recipe
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A white platter has cookies topped with frosting, chopped apples, and a drizzle of caramel.

Caramel Apple Spread

This easy caramel apple spread works as a party appetizer or no-bake dessert and is always a huge hit at potluck parties.

Caramel Apple Spread
This easy caramel apple spread with cream cheese has all the flavors from your favorite taffy apple in an easy-to-bring dessert for a potluck party this season. Pile up the fresh apples on the side and let your guests top their own.
Please Rate this Recipe
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A brick of cream cheese has caramel and chopped pecans on top. Sliced apples are all around it on the platter.

Apple Crumble Bars

Apple crumble bars are a classic fall dessert that is easier to make than apple pie.

Want to make your treats look extra fancy? Just add the homemade caramel sauce over the top.

Apple Crumble Bars
These deliciously easy apple crumble bars have a light and flaky apple crumble topping that comes together with just three ingredients. Bake these with your kids for a simple Thanksgiving dessert.
5 from 2 votes
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A square of apple crumble bars is served on a white plate with a drizzle of caramel sauce over the top.

Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

The beauty of this easy ice cream sandwich cake is that you layer the simple ingredients together. The salted caramel would definitely make this a knockout dessert for a summer party.

Easy Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
This easy peasy ice cream sandwich dessert is the perfect ice cream cake for a backyard party. 
5 from 3 votes
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A metal pan has an ice cream cake with red and white sprinkles over the top. A slice is missing so you can see the layers of ice cream sandwiches inside.

Ice Cream Sundae Bar

If you need an easy dessert that LOOKS like it took a lot of effort (but totally didn't), add a jar of homemade caramel sauce to this fun ice cream sundae bar.

20 Ice Cream Sundae Recipes
Get 20 easy ideas for mixing and matching homemade ice cream sundae bars from a simple list of prepped toppings.
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A muffin tin is filled with all different sundae bar toppings including chopped nuts, brownies, cherries, cookies, and fresh mint.

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The photo collage shows 5 different desserts that use salted caramel sauce.

24 Comments

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  6. Oh no!! The link quit working! 🙁 This is one of my favorite sauces of all time! I always just pulled up the site to get the recipe... And now it's gone. 🙁 Any help getting the recipe?

  7. I'm looking and can't find the link to the actual recipe for the sea salt and vanilla caramel sauce recipe. Could you please clarify? Thanks so much!

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  11. Hi. For some reason, I can't find the caramel sauce recipe on your blog. Will you let me know where I can find it. I want to try making it. Thx!!

  12. Oh yes! I forgot she had that in the recipe. I went with the 1 1/4 cups since she said the 2 was an accident. I think mine ended up being a tad thicker than you see in her photos (which I'd prefer anyways.) If you want it thinner, you could always experiment with her 2 cups.
    And, for the record, totally worth running to the store separately for the cream today! You won't regret it!

  13. OMG. I just got groceries yesterday, but I'm going to have to hit the store again today for some heavy cream. And make this as soon as I get home!
    Question-- Bree's recipe says she accidentally used 2 C cream instead of the 1 1/4 cups called for. Which did you do?

  14. These delicious posts are going to screw me soon. I envision myself locked in a room surrounded with sweets. Somebody better keep an eye on me!

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