Dessert
Small-Batch Caramel Syrup
Melt the sugar until amber, then loosen it carefully with hot water. A roomy pan gives the bubbling caramel space when the water is added.
- Yield
- 1 batch
- Cuisine
- Contemporary
Bring it to the table
Prepare the water first
Heat the measured water separately and have it ready before the sugar changes color. Hot caramel splashes and steam can burn; keep your hands and face clear.
At the table
Cool completely before tasting or spooning a little over a dessert.
Before you start
Gather your ingredients.
Full quantities and serving adjustments are in the recipe card below.
See the ingredient checklist
- 250 g granulated sugar
- 150 g water — heated separately
A few useful notes.
This is a water-based caramel syrup, not a cream-based caramel sauce.
The finished thickness depends on evaporation; it thickens as it cools.
Never touch or taste hot caramel.
The cooking plan
How to make Small-Batch Caramel Syrup.
Heat the measured water in a separate small saucepan and keep it hot. Put the sugar in an even layer in a wide, heavy saucepan with high sides and plenty of extra room.
Cook the sugar over low to medium-low heat, gently moving it with a heatproof spatula as it melts. Continue until smooth and evenly amber; reduce the heat if patches darken too fast. Stay beside the pan throughout.
Remove from the heat. Wearing oven mitts and keeping your face away, add the hot water very slowly in small portions. It will bubble and release steam vigorously. Pause between additions so it does not rise over the pan.
If caramel hardens into pieces, return to low heat and stir gently until dissolved. Let cool fully before tasting; the syrup is extremely hot even after the bubbling stops.
Transfer to a clean heatproof container, cool promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours. Keep covered at 40°F or below and use within 4 days, or freeze portions promptly.
Let’s cook
The full recipe.
Check off ingredients as you get them ready.
Changing servings? The ingredient list scales automatically. Adjust quantities named in the steps to match, and choose pans and cooking times for your batch.
Small-Batch Caramel Syrup
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Equipment images are illustrative. Exact products may vary.
Instructions
- Heat the measured water in a separate small saucepan and keep it hot. Put the sugar in an even layer in a wide, heavy saucepan with high sides and plenty of extra room.
- Cook the sugar over low to medium-low heat, gently moving it with a heatproof spatula as it melts. Continue until smooth and evenly amber; reduce the heat if patches darken too fast. Stay beside the pan throughout.
- Remove from the heat. Wearing oven mitts and keeping your face away, add the hot water very slowly in small portions. It will bubble and release steam vigorously. Pause between additions so it does not rise over the pan.
- If caramel hardens into pieces, return to low heat and stir gently until dissolved. Let cool fully before tasting; the syrup is extremely hot even after the bubbling stops.
- Transfer to a clean heatproof container, cool promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours. Keep covered at 40°F or below and use within 4 days, or freeze portions promptly.
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!A couple of useful answers.
Why did the caramel turn hard when I added water?
Some caramel can seize as the water is added. Gentle reheating dissolves those pieces into the syrup.
Does it contain cream or butter?
No. This version uses only sugar and water.
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