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You’ll be adding this sugar free caramel syrup to all your favorite desserts, beverages, and treats! Made with just 3 ingredients, this easy recipe is super thick and smooth!
Sugar Free Caramel Syrup
If there is one flavor for desserts, beverages, or treats that I am obsessed with, it is caramel. Give me anything caramel flavored and I’ll be the biggest fan.
As a kid, my favorite thing ever was caramel syrup. I would always add it to frozen desserts and as I grew older, it was my favorite syrup for hot and cold beverages (especially a frappucino or milkshake). When I first started my health journey, it was easy to do, as I switched my typical syrup for their sugar free varieties.
Torani, Starbucks, and Smuckers have all been pioneers in the sugar free caramel syrup game. I remember when I first started my health journey, I used all three brands in various ways. Whenever I ordered Starbucks, instead of their caramel syrup, I switched to their sugar free option. At home when I made my own coffee, I added Torani sugar free syrup. And whenever I had a scoop of ice cream for dessert, I’d drizzle Smuckers sugar free caramel flavored syrup.
While this was all great at the start, I soon started getting stomach pain and digestive issues whenever I enjoyed these things. This had to come down to what was used to make these artificial syrups!
What is in sugar free caramel syrup?
A quick glance at both the Smuckers and Torani syrup brands shows some worrying ingredients in them. Some of these include maltodextrin, maltitol syrup, sorbitol AND sucralose. For those unaware, these are all artificial sweeteners than can cause havoc with anyone’s digestive system. Luckily, I have a solution to make your own homemade syrup without any of the junk!
This sugar free caramel syrup recipe ticks all the boxes. It’s made with just 3 ingredients and NOTHING artficial. No artifical sweeteners, no sugar, and no thickeners whatsoever. The texture is smooth, thick, and perfectly silky. It smells and tastes like any good caramel, you’ll be adding it to everything!
What I love about this syrup is how versatile it is- As a diehard caramel one, I’ve been using it as the caramel in several of my recipes, including a caramel tart, chocolate caramel cake, and salted caramel brownies!
How do you make a sugar free caramel syrup?
The Ingredients
- Butter– Unsalted and cubed butter. Always try to use butter from a block and not from a spread (tub), as the latter usually has added fillers and water that can make the final syrup slightly gritty.
- Allulose– The ONLY sugar free sweetener that will work properly for the syrup. Allulose mimics white sugar and does not crystalize at room temperature. Do not try using erythritol, monk fruit syrup, or Splenda, as the caramel will become gritty.
- Heavy cream– Also known as thickened cream or double cream.
- Salt– Optional, but add this if you love a salted caramel kind of sauce. Alternatively, you can use salted butter!
The Instructions
Start by adding the butter and allulose into a small saucepan and place it over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, whisk together the mixture for around 5-6 minutes. Next, add the heavy cream and reduce the heat to low. Let the caramel syrup simmer for around 5 minutes, while continuing to stir, until it begins to thicken. Once it begins to thicken, remove it from the heat. While the saucepan is off the heat, continue to stir it until it cools down to room temperature.
Now, transfer the caramel syrup into a jar until you want to use it.
Tips to make the best sugar free salted caramel syrup
- This recipe is designed to be a caramel syrup, not a sauce. Because of this, you want to remove it before it becomes too thick, as it continues to thicken as it is cooling down. If you’d prefer a thicker caramel, try keto caramel or vegan caramel.
- You must constantly stir the caramel syrup throughout the entire cooking process. Because you are working with butter AND a sweetener, it’s very easy to accidentally burn the mixture.
- Do not overcook! The more time the caramel syrup remains over the heat, the thicker it becomes. Even though the syrup may look quite thin when you remove it from the heat, it will continue to thicken up as it reaches room temperature.
- If your caramel syrup is too thick, you can always microwave it for 20-30 seconds before using it.
Storing and freezing caramel coffee syrup
Regardless of whether you store the sugar free caramel syrup in the refrigerator or the freezer, you may find it becomes quite thick and hard. To combat this, simply bring it to room temperature and if it is still quite thick, you can gently reheat it.
- To store: Keep the syrup at room temperature, in a sealable jar or bowl. It will keep well for up to 4 weeks. If you’d like to keep it longer, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
- To freeze: Store it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- To thaw: Let the caramel syrup thaw completely to room temperature.
Recipes to add caramel syrup to
Sugar Free Caramel Syrup
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, add your butter and allulose and place it over medium heat. Once it begins to bubble, stir regularly for 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and add in the heavy cream. Gently stir the mixture and continue doing so until the caramel syrup begins to thicken, around 5 minutes.
- Once it has slightly thickened, remove the caramel syrup from the heat. Continue stirring regularly until it reaches room temperature.
- Transfer into a jar or bowl and cover, until ready to use.
This recipe sounds simple yet this caramel looks delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
I just wanted to know if I can use coconut cream(thick part on top of coconut milk can) to make this? Also, can I use ghee instead of butter?
Just trying to limit milk solids, I can tolerate ghee so hoping to make it almost vegan.
Thank you 🙂
Can I use half and half instead of heavy cream?
Hmm I haven’t tried but feel free to experiment and see!
I love this recipe! I seecthat it says 1 carb per serving but I’d love to know precisely how much 1 serving is as I count carbs very closely. I could measure it all out and calculate it myself but if you happen to know it I’d appreciate the information! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
I just finished making this and it is just great! I will add it to my creami vanilla ice cream. I also used this sweetener in the ice cream. This is first time I have used it, so far so good.
Just exactly followed the recipe using salted butter instead of adding salt. The results were fantastic! I love this recipe.
The short answer is no. Allulose, not cellulose, is the only keto friendly ask natural sugar substitute that will act the way regular sugar does when using it… This means that it will brown properly this making the caramel flavor needed in this recipe. If you buy allulose, available in granulated and liquid form, you can use it instead of the others in all recipes. It is a true sugar replacement that is measured one to one… So stop buying stevia, monk fruit, swerve, etc… And just stick with allulose. I have yet to find a recipe it doesn’t work well in .
Is there absolutely no way to use stevia in this? I live in South America and it is literally all I can find thanks!!!🫶
Can I use erythritol instead of cellulose. Every recipe seems to call for a different sugar and they are expensive so I would rather use one up before I buy another
It really meeds Allulose because all the other sugat substitutes crystalixe and what a mess you get. Ask me how I know. I tried a dozen attempts to get sugar free caramel or other simple syrups before discovering Allulose! It’s great in anything that needs sweetened that you cook or bake. No grittiness at all and it stays that way after it cools. Use it in cheesecakes, puddings, syrups. It has endless uses and you’ll find you use it a lot. It’s worth the money and I am money tight, so I’m not advocating you spend money that will go to waste. It’s available in many grocery stores now too. You can get a pound of Allulose at Walmart for under $9 and you’ll be able to bake all kinds of goodies with that. It’s called RXSugar. Just don’t get an Allulose baking blend as it has all kinds of other sugars that will mess up your baking. That’s just evil of them to sell to unsuspecting cooks. You do use a little more as it isn’t as sweet as some other subs. Just follow any of Bog Man’s recipes and you won’t go wrong. The guy is a master in the kitchen!
Why does you’re PIN button never work? Thanks for all the great recipes!
It should- Is it the hover over the image button that isn’t working?
It was great-tasting, but my caramel was more solid than liquid. It was very difficult to mix into my iced coffee, because it stayed solid. I’m wondering if I did something wrong.
Just pop a couple T it in the microwave for 10-15 sec before serving. Are you storing it at room temp like instructed? It should be able to drizzle it then. But if you are trying to mix it, heat and add before you add your ice.
I will make this next week. Your recipie looks great. I have made caramel before, but with regular sugar. Thanks Barb and I’ll let you know how it goes.