Butterscotch Sauce

Aimee — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 18:54:02 +0000

This homemade Butterscotch Sauce is only a few ingredients, quick to make up, and so good you’ll want to eat it by the spoonful! It’s warm and comforting with a nice butter and brown sugar flavor that you’ll want to eat it on your vanilla ice cream, apple pie, and double chocolate brownies!

This butterscotch sauce is smooth, buttery, and rich with just the right balance of sweet and salty. It’s only a few ingredients, that you probably have in your pantry, whipped together in a pot on the stove and you’ll have the classic flavor of butterscotch for drizzling on your ice cream, dipping your apples into, adding to your coffee, or just eating by the spoonful.

What’s the difference of caramel and buttercotch?

Butterscotch is made with brown sugar, while caramel sauce is made with white sugar. Both are cooked until they are caramelized so the flavors are similar, but not the same.

Why You’ll love this Recipe

Only 5 Ingredients: You might even have these all on hand right now!
Only takes a few minutes:
Perfect balance of sweet and salty: With a little salt to balance the sweet brown sugar flavor, this is perfectly balanced and delicious.
Great for gifting too: Make up jars of the sauce, add a cute little tag and gift this to your friends or neighbors for their new favorite edible gift.

Ingredients Needed

Brown Sugar – Adds the rich flavor, that butterscotch is known for
Unsalted Butter – Adds richness, and the smooth texture to the sauce
Heavy Cream – Makes the sauce silky smooth.
Vanilla Extract – Adds warmth and extra flavor
Salt – Just a little to balance the sweetness

How to make homemade Butterscotch Sauce

Step 1: Melt the butter. Add the butter to a heavy duty sauce pan and melt it over medium heat.

Step 2: Cook the sauce. Add the brown sugar, and heavy cream and stir it all together. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat scraping down the sides, and stirring often. Bring to a gentle boil, and cook for about 3-4 minutes.

Step 3: Add the Flavors. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and the salt.

Step 4: Allow to Cool. Let the sauce cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then pour into a jar to cool to room temperature.

Tips and Tricks:

Don’t overcook: The sauce will thicken as it cools, so its important not to over cook it, or boil it too long or you’ll end with butterscotch candies instead of a pourable sauce. (You don’t need a thermometer but if you’re checking you’ll want around 220 F — whereas candies need about 245F)

Storage Instructions

The sauce is fine at room temperature for several hours, but can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It will get quite thick when it is cold, so you can rewarm it in a sauce pan, or heat it in the microwave in 30 second increments.

This homemade butterscotch is such a sweet, smooth homemade sauce that is so delicious for drizzling on your desserts, or sneaking a spoonful from the jar. It’s comfort in sauce form, so make sure to keep a batch in your fridge at a all times. 😉

More Sauce Recipes

If you make this Butterscotch Sauce Recipe please leave a comment and 🌟 rating letting me know what you think! If you post the photo on Instagram, please tag me – I’d love to see what you’re making!

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