Butterscotch Sauce

Butterscotch sauce is the perfect topping to jazz up a bowl of ice cream when the craving hits. As an added bonus, it requires less time to make than taking a trip to the store. This homemade butterscotch sauce recipe has only four ingredients—far fewer than what’s found in some store-bought butterscotch sauces—and it’s simple to make. To top it all off, it’s an excellent drizzle for other tasty treats, from pound cake to waffles and pancakes. It’s just as delicious reheated a few days later, bringing butterscotch smiles to everyone who indulges in this scrumptiously sweet sauce.

Butterscotch Sauce Ingredients

• Brown sugar: Brown sugar is a key flavor component that makes butterscotch sauce delicious. The molasses in brown sugar adds a bit of acidity, which helps combat crystallization in the sauce.
• Butter: This ingredient gives butterscotch a hint of buttery goodness, as well as being part of its name. The brown sugar and butter team up to create that irresistible butterscotch flavor.
• Heavy whipping cream: Heavy whipping cream helps give the butterscotch sauce its creamy texture. Heavy cream may be used in place of heavy whipping cream; in fact, they’re the same thing.
• Light corn syrup: This sweet liquid also keeps the sugars from crystallizing in the homemade butterscotch sauce. It also ensures the sauce stays smooth and silky.

Directions

Step 1: Combine the ingredients

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Add all the ingredients to a heavy saucepan. Bring the ingredients to a full boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to melt everything together.

Step 2: Boil and stir

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Boil the sauce for three minutes, stirring as needed to keep it from boiling over the edges of the pan.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t overboil the sauce or it may become too thick when it cools. If this happens, it becomes more chewy and candy-like rather than a pourable sauce.

Step 3: Let it cool

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Allow the homemade butterscotch sauce to cool slowly. Pour it, slightly warm, over your favorite ice cream, or allow it to cool completely to save it for later.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t put the hot butterscotch sauce into the refrigerator or freezer to cool it quickly, as the sauce may separate.

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Butterscotch Sauce Variations

• Make boozy butterscotch: Stir in 1 tablespoon of bourbon immediately after removing the butterscotch sauce from the heat to give the butterscotch a boozy note. Don’t worry; the alcohol burns off, leaving behind just a hint of bourbon flavor.
• Add vanilla extract: Stir in 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract after removing the sauce from the heat to give it a slight vanilla fragrance and flavor. Vanilla and butterscotch pair well together for a smooth, tasty treat.
• Go all dark: If you like the flavor of molasses, use both dark brown sugar and dark corn syrup when making the butterscotch sauce for added intensity.
• Go vegan: Swap out the butter and heavy whipping cream for their vegan counterparts to make your own vegan butterscotch sauce.
• Add a hint of salt: Stir a large pinch of sea salt into your homemade butterscotch sauce to balance out the sweetness. The salt also pairs well with added vanilla or bourbon for custom sea-salt vanilla butterscotch or sea-salt bourbon butterscotch sauce.

How to Store Butterscotch Sauce

Once you’ve learned how to make butterscotch sauce, you may want to make a batch in advance or save some for later. Butterscotch sauce is best kept in the refrigerator if you plan to save some for another day. Pour room-temperature butterscotch sauce into a microwave-safe glass jar or airtight glass storage container to keep it in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. Since the sauce thickens when cool, simply heat the container, without its lid, in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time to warm it up again.

Can you freeze butterscotch sauce?

Yes, you can freeze butterscotch sauce in a freezer-safe container. Frozen butterscotch sauce keeps for up to three months in an airtight plastic storage container. Thaw the sauce to room temperature when you’re ready to drizzle it over your favorite dessert.

Butterscotch Sauce Tips

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What is the difference between butterscotch sauce and caramel sauce?

The main difference between butterscotch sauce and caramel sauce is the sugar used. Butterscotch is made with brown sugar, while caramel is typically made with white sugar. The cooking process varies as well. In caramel sauce recipes, the sugar is often heated in the pan on its own or with a little water first. Other ingredients such as cream and butter are added once the sugar liquefies.

Does it matter if I use light or dark brown sugar?

Both light and dark brown sugars work well in this homemade butterscotch recipe. Dark brown sugar has more molasses in it, resulting in a deeper flavor.

Why did my butterscotch sauce separate?

Cooking with the heat set too high may cause the butter to melt faster than the sugars, resulting in sugars and fats separating into a blobby mess. Using a thin saucepan could also cause zones of uneven temperature because thin-bottomed pans don’t heat evenly, further exacerbating the issue. Stick with moderate heat and a thick-bottomed pan when making such sauces.

How do I fix separated butterscotch sauce?

If the sauce separates as you’re cooking it, remove it from the heat and stir quickly as it begins to cool. Lower the temperature on the stove as you return the pan to the heat. A tablespoon of hot milk or water stirred into the sauce also helps reunite the ingredients.

How else can I use butterscotch sauce?

Butterscotch sauce is great for far more than just ice cream. Place it between layers when making a cake, drizzle some over a slice of cheesecake or add a spoonful to coffee or tea. Take a homemade brownie recipe from drab to fab with butterscotch sauce by pouring half the brownie batter into the pan, adding a bit of butterscotch sauce, then the rest of the brownie batter. Stir to swirl them together, then drizzle on even more butterscotch sauce before baking.