Everything you love about homemade caramel, but spiked with all the fall flavors of apple cider. This apple cider caramel sauce can be used in pies, on cookies, or on ice cream making it the perfect fall make.

Homemade Apple Cider Caramel Sauce

It isn’t fall without caramel. And around here, it isn’t fall without homemade apple cider caramel sauce. You guys already know how much I love fall baking – check out all of my fall recipes here – and something that takes any recipe to the next level is homemade caramel sauce.

To be honest I use caramel all year long, but especially when fall rolls around, I have a fresh batch on hand almost always.

As with any sauce – this one is so wonderful because it captures so many different fall flavors, making it perfect to use on a variety of desserts. I’m talking pies, cookies (would be especially good in these salted caramel cookies), and even poured into the centers of cupcakes.

What is apple cider caramel?

Bakers have been using apple cider as an ingredient for many many years. More commonly you think of its use in apple cider donuts – everyones favorite thing to purchase from the country store at your local apple orchard.

It’s typically used by reducing the cider down over the stovetop in a saucepan until it gets really thick and syrupy. You’ll be amazed at how much moisture will evaporate off in only a few minutes. What you’re left with is a really punchy, almost sour syrup that’s delicious in so many different desserts.

I actually love apple cider caramels (the candy), and I may need to try making those one of these days with this recipe. Stay tuned for that one…

Why this recipe works

The apple cider adds sweetness

In addition to the sugar we’re cooking during the process of making caramel, the syrup that renders off of the cider itself is packed with sweetness and apple flavor – making it the perfect addition to this apple cider caramel sauce.

The base of this recipe is from my fail-proof, well-tested caramel sauce recipe

No going wrong here, folks! This caramel recipe is all over the blog, meaning it has been tested time after time after time, and is fail-proof in my opinion. It made perfect sense to use it as a jumping off point for this recipe.

Some equipment you may need…

Heavy-bottomed saucepan: anytime you’re making caramel, you want to make sure you’re using something really thick, like this cast-iron saucepan. It’s also vital that the inside is a light color – meaning stainless steel or another light-colored enamel. You want to be able to watch the color change from light to dark without burning it!
- You can reduce the apple cider and make the caramel in the same pan, if you’d like.
Stainless saucepan: everytime I reduce apple cider, it’s always done in this saucepan. It’s the perfect size and is a true work horse in my kitchen.
Measuring cups/spoons: I’ve been linking these in all of my posts because I love them SO much! They are beautiful and look just like some other expensive ones on the market (but wayyy cheaper).
Mixing bowls: I love these glass mixing bowls from Amazon. They’re especially perfect for food photography.
Wooden spoon: I only use wooden spoons and rubber spatulas when I’m baking, and I love these!

Ingredients for Homemade Apple Cider Caramel Sauce

Apple cider – you actually need quite a bit of apple cider for this, 2 1/2 cups to be exact, but it’s going to be reduced down to just 3 tablespoons. I know that sounds hard to believe, but it really just disappears before your eyes!
Granulated sugar – the foundational ingredient in any caramel, although you could try it with brown sugar or even dark brown sugar if you’d like!
Unsalted butter – this gives the apple cider caramel sauce some stability when it gets back to room temperature, not to mention some delicious flavor.
Heavy cream – this is typically added to most caramels for some additional flavor notes and mouth feel.
Kosher salt – I like to cut the sweetness in most of my caramel sauces with some salt. We’re not quite to the point of making salted caramel here, but a little bit goes a long way.
Pure vanilla extract – this is something I love to add just because it makes the whole thing come together!

How to make apple cider caramel sauce

Ok, let’s get into the how-to:

Step 1 – reduce the apple cider and start cooking the sugar and water

This step may take some time as the apple cider has to go from 2 1/2 cups down to 3 Tbsp. It usually takes mine around 45 minutes. You’ll bring the cider to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and let it simmer away on the stovetop. I stir mine every once and a while just to make sure the heat is distributed evenly.

Once your cider is almost all the way reduced you can go ahead and start heating your sugar and water over medium heat.

Step 2 – continue to cook the sugar, stirring occasionally

The color will begin to change as you work, and the caramel will take on lots of different textures as it heats. You can stir it occasionally, but not too much. I have a hot side of my burner where things start to darken more quickly than the rest of the pan, so I stir things around just to keep the heat even.

You’re looking for a dark amber color, so don’t walk away until you’re there! Once it starts to turn golden, it will brown quicker than you’d think.

Step 3 – remove the caramel from the heat and stir in your mix-ins

Now we’re going to add our reduced apple cider, heavy cream, and butter. Just make sure you turn off the heat first to completely stop the cooking.

Step 4 – whisk the sauce until smooth

Things will bubble up when you add the cream, butter, and cider, but don’t worry – it won’t bubble out of the saucepan! Just keep whisking until you get to a really smooth, shiny texture.

Step 5 – pour into a separate container

This step is VITAL! One of the worst things you can do with any caramel sauce is leave it in the saucepan it was cooking in – it will just continue to cook and you risk ending up with a burnt sauce. Not ideal.

I like to have a container ready by my side so I can immediately pour it out of the hot saucepan and begin the cooling process. I let it cool completely to room temperature before storing it in the refrigerator.

My Kitchen Tip:

Do NOT walk away from your caramel sauce once it starts to take on some color. The process of it going from just slightly golden brown to burned can happen in the matter of seconds. My best tip is to keep your feet glued to the floor by your saucepan and keep your eyes peeled on that caramel!

Apple Cider Caramel Sauce FAQs

How do you store caramel sauce?

Caramel should be stored in the refrigerator. It typically has cream and butter in it, so it needs to stay cold in order to remain food safe.

Can I make caramel sauce ahead?

Yes! You can make any homemade caramel weeks in advance and keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it. I almost always have a fresh batch in the refrigerator that I just warm up when I need it, and the rest goes back into the fridge. It will keep for up to 1 month in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.

How long does it take to reduce apple cider?

This can take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour for 2 cups, but longer for more cider.

How to use apple cider caramel sauce?

You can use this apple cider caramel sauce in a variety of recipes, but here’s just a few to get you started:

I hope this apple cider caramel recipe inspires you to get in the kitchen and bake! I know I’ll be doing a lot of that this fall.

If you make this recipe be sure to tag me on socials @sarahsdayoff so I can see the beauties!!! If you have any questions about this recipe or any others on my site, you can reach out to me at sarah@sarahsdayoff.com and I’d be happy to chat with you!

Love,

Sarah

“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.” -2 Peter 1:3-

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