Homemade Toffee Sauce
This Homemade Toffee Sauce is rich, buttery, and perfectly sweet with a deep caramelized flavor from dark brown sugar. Smooth, glossy, and finished with vanilla and flaky sea salt, it’s the ultimate drizzle for ice cream, cakes, bread pudding, or honestly… straight from the spoon.
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Servings: 1.5 cups
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup dark brown sugar packed
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt plus more for finishing, optional
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the dark brown sugar, butter, and heavy cream. Stir occasionally as the butter melts to ensure everything combines evenly and doesn’t scorch.
- Once fully melted and smooth, bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Cook for 4-6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce slightly thickens and deepens in color to a rich caramel brown.
- Remove from heat and immediately stir in the vanilla and flaky sea salt. Mix until smooth and glossy.
- Let the sauce cool for 5–10 minutes. It will continue to thicken as it sits.
Notes
- Sauce thickens as it cools, so avoid overcooking.
- Stir frequently when simmering to prevent scorching or separation.
- Reheat gently before serving for the smoothest texture.
- Add a splash of warm cream if a thinner consistency is desired.
- Finish with flaky sea salt for the best flavor balance.