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Get It NowSugar Free Caramel Syrup That Tastes Like the Real Deal
I could literally eat this sugar free caramel syrup off a spoon. I’ve made it for dozens of uses over the years, from components of other low carb recipes to using it as a topping. And every time, my favorite part is scraping the remnants from the pan. In fact, I love it so much that I even featured it in my Easy Keto Carboholics’ Cookbook. Here’s why this sugar free caramel sauce is so special:
- Ooey, gooey texture with rich, buttery caramel flavor – If you’ve made sugar free caramel with alternative sweeteners before, you might have experienced a gritty texture or dryness. Not this one. My recipe caramelizes just like sugar, giving you that gooey, golden taste and texture that sugary versions have.
- Just 4 (clean) ingredients – No fillers, sucralose, artificial sweeteners, thickeners, or mystery preservatives. Plus, it’s zero net carbs per serving.
- Adjustable consistency – It thickens naturally as it cools, so you can drizzle it thin and warm as syrup into on hot drinks (like bulletproof coffee) or let it set into a thicker sauce for keto desserts.
If you’re ready to level up your sweets without refined sugar, make this sugar free caramel sauce with me! And grab a spoon, because it’s that good.
Reader Review
“It’s been 25 years since I tasted caramel. I just made the second batch, and it’s everything I remember! Mrs. Krampf, thank you for helping me cope with diabetes and eating gluten-free. Thank you for Besti. I bought one of your cookbooks (of course, it’s the one with the sugar free caramel recipe). I’m enjoying not having to gear the recipes to my diet. Again, Mrs. Krampf, thank you for all you do.” –Donna
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my sugar free caramel sauce recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Heavy Cream – Caramel really needs the fat and consistency of heavy cream, so don’t try to sub in milk (dairy or non-dairy) because it just won’t thicken. If you’re dairy-free, full-fat coconut cream does work.
- Besti Brown Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – I went with the brown version because it mimics brown sugar so well and gives a warm, molasses-like taste. I’ve also made this many times with powdered Besti and even granulated once — they both dissolve and caramelize beautifully, just like sugar does.
IMPORTANT: If you want to use another sweetener, beware…
Most other sweeteners (including erythritol, and virtually every brand of “monk fruit” or “stevia” which all use erythritol as a filler) won’t caramelize properly. They also crystallize as they cool, leaving you with a gritty texture instead of that gooey, silky sauce. If you’re curious to experiment anyway, check my sweetener conversion chart so you can swap the amounts correctly.
- Butter – I use this grass-fed salted butter, but you can use unsalted and add a pinch of salt.
- Vanilla Extract – I like this brand.
How To Make Sugar Free Caramel Sauce
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Melt the butter and sweetener. Heat the butter and Besti Brown together in a large saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture turns golden brown.
- Stir in the cream. Continue cooking until the color deepens and the sauce coats the back of a spoon. (If you use regular powdered Besti instead of brown, you’ll notice it turns ivory first, which is essentially sugar free condensed milk — keep going and it’ll become caramel!)
- Add vanilla. Remove the sugar free caramel syrup from the heat. Whisk in the vanilla extract for that final layer of richness.
Pour the syrup into a jar. (I use these jars, pictured below.) It’ll thicken as it cools, so just wait a bit if you prefer a thicker sugar free caramel sauce.
My Tips For The Best Texture
- Use a large pan. The larger the surface area of your pan, the faster your sauce will caramelize and thicken. I used a large saucepan above, but I often grab my large skillet to make the process even faster.
- Use the right sweetener. I typically recommend Besti in all my recipes, but it’s more crucial for some than others. This sugar free caramel syrup recipe is one where it makes a huge difference. You won’t get the same smooth, gooey texture using another sweetener.
- Be careful not to overheat. If the heat is too high, your sauce will “split”, meaning you’ll have oil separated from the other ingredients. If this happens, sometimes I’m able to bring it back together in a blender.
- Add vanilla only after removing from heat. If you add it while cooking, some of it will evaporate, reducing its flavor.
- Let it cool a bit before judging thickness. Caramel always looks thinner when it’s hot, but it naturally thickens as it cools. If you judge too soon, you might overcook it, so only cook until it coats the back of a spoon.
- What do I do if my sugar free caramel sauce is too thin or too thick? If it’s too thin, just simmer a little longer. If it’s too thick, stir in a splash of cream.
- Feel free to double or triple the recipe, but it’ll take longer. I’ve done this many times, but in that case I definitely recommend a skillet over a saucepan, to speed things along.
Sugar Free Caramel Syrup & Sauce
My 10-minute sugar free caramel syrup and sauce is gooey, sweet, and tastes like the real deal. Perfect for coffee and desserts!
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Melt the butter and Besti Brown together in a large saucepan over low heat. Once melted, cook for about 3 to 4 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until color turns more golden brown. (Watch it carefully to avoid burning.)
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Stir in the cream. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes, continuing to stir occasionally, until the mixture is a dark caramel color and coats the back of a spoon.
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Remove sugar-free caramel syrup from heat. Whisk in the vanilla extract.
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The sauce will thicken more as it cools from hot to warm.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers (this also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site), or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 tablespoon
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you make your sugar free caramel as quickly as possible, with the best texture and flavor.
- Storage: I keep mine in a glass jar like this in the fridge. When I made a double batch, it stayed good for a couple of weeks without any issues.
- Reheat: Sugar free caramel syrup does firm up in the fridge. All you need to do is warm it slowly on the stove over low heat, stirring until it’s gooey again.
- Freeze: You can freeze it in an airtight container. When you’re ready, thaw in the fridge or on the counter, and reheat gently.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Easy Keto Carboholics’ Cookbook here.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Sugar Free Caramel Syrup
Ways To Use It
I’ve found so many ways to use this sugar free caramel syrup, from quick breakfasts to desserts and even drinks:
- Dipping & Topping – I love sugar free caramel sauce as a dip for keto churros or low carb fruit. I’ve also poured it over keto cheesecake and apple pie more times than I can count. You can even layer it with my sugar-free chocolate syrup!
- Breakfast – When I want to make mornings feel special, I drizzle it over low carb French toast or swirl it onto warm keto cinnamon rolls. It’s also amazing in the keto monkey bread from my Easy Keto Carboholics’ Cookbook.
- Ice Cream – Nothing beats a scoop of classic keto ice cream with a sugar free caramel drizzle. Or try my almond milk ice cream for a lighter option.
- Coffee – Swirl it into your glass before making iced coffee, or over sugar free whipped cream over hot or cold drinks. Feels like a coffee shop treat!
394 Comments
Petra Anthoniussen
0The best caramel sauce receipe ever. Thank you so much.
Tahira
0Can I use Stevia ?
Wholesome Yum L
0Hi Tahira, yes, another granular sweetener should work. Check this chart to figure the correct amount.
Krystal
0I found this recipe by accident. OMG! Amazing. I used monk fruit and it tastes great.
B
0Ok. So I was nervous to try it because my stove is a little wonky. I used monk fruit -gold and it worked pretty well. Like the taste was perfect. Amazing! I couldn’t stop licking the spoons. I didn’t get the rich brown color though it was a light brown/tan. I think I need to cook it a little linger in the beginning. I used it as a layer in some “ candy bars”, but when it set it wasn’t like chewy caramel. It didn’t actually freeze solid. It was kind of like cream cheese icing/ fudge consistency. And while it took a long time to thicken like 20+ minutes. Any suggestions on getting a chewier caramel candy consistency? It did start to separate a little. But I think that’s because within 30 minutes I didn’t let its let cool at room temp before putting in the fridge then taking it out and heating it in a warm water bath.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0If it didn’t freeze solid and was light in color, that means it needed to cook for longer. Separation can happen from sudden temperature changes.
Lisa
0It tasted wonderful but I used Swerve and Coconut milk from a can and it didn’t set?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lisa, By “didn’t set”, I assume you mean it didn’t thicken? If so, that means it needed to cook for longer. It will vary widely by the size of your pan. The larger your pan, the less time needed to thicken.
New2keto2
0Great flavor! I substituted Swerve granulated sweetener for the Sukrin Gold. The texture was smooth and creamy as long as it was hot. As it cooled it became slightly grainy, but reheating works great. Lovely caramel sauce!
Carole Barnes
0Could you use light cream or fat free half and half instead of the heavy cream?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Carole, I haven’t tried it, but don’t think so – it wouldn’t thicken.
Marci
0A recipe I used for homemade caramel years ago I just browned regular white granulated sugar. So I would use granulated sugar, melt it on low til it browned the added in cream and vanilla and simmered and then added a couple teaspoons of butter at end.
So my question is do you know if can I use granulated Monk Fruit and brown it inplace of regular sugar?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Marci, In general you can replace it as I did in this recipe, but monk fruit likely won’t brown on its own the way sugar does. Hope you’ll try the recipe as written – I do know this one works.
Bryan
0Wasted an hour of my time trying to make this and it turned out grainy and separated.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Bryan, It sounds like you overheated it – this can cause separation. Try lower heat next time.
Kylie
0Is this really carb free? It tastes unbelievable
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kylie, Yep, the nutrition info above is accurate! 🙂
Marc Crouch
0I’m curious if you think coconut cream (not milk) could replace the heavy cream, for those who may have a lactose issue?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Marc, Yes, that should work!
Wholesome Yum A
0If I substituted coconut cream for the milk, would it be a 1:1 replacement?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Yes, it would be 1:1!
Annette Warren
0Thanks for sharing this recipe. I’m definitely going to try it! Just to clarify what is meant by “heavy cream” in the recipe, is that referring to the 35% whipping cream that comes in a carton, or the Danish cream that comes in a can and is more solid? Can it pour easily?
Looking forward to hearing from you and tasting this!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Annette, It would be whipping cream in a carton that pours easily.
Laila N
0You saved me with this recipe. It has a rich, buttery caramel taste and it thickens up nicely. I had to make some sugar free caramel filled chocolates and this worked perfectly. Thank you!
Brenda Roegner
0OMG! Made this and it is so yummy! Put over cheesecake fluff and my husband even loved it! Thanks so much.
Kris
0So I’m wondering if you can make fat bombs with this caramel. Will it freeze solid or stay soft after 4 hours in the freezer?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kris, Yes, you can! It freezes solid. It actually gets pretty solid even in the refrigerator.
Christy
0I didn’t have any granulated sweetener at all so I subbed a tbsp of molasses (like you do in some of your other recipes) and it was delicious with just that, but I did add a few drops of English Toffee stevia glycerite and that took it over the top. I realize that this probably adds to the carb count, but I don’t care. Caramel macchiatos are back on the menu! What’s great about this is you don’t have to get fussy about measurements. To keep it simple I did it with 2 sticks of butter and a cup of HWC. It just takes a little longer to thicken up, no big deal. There was plenty for my recipe and a good amount for leftovers! Thanks so much, I love your blog!
Lori
0The taste was good, but mine is not the texture of caramel–it’s more grainy. I used Pyure sweetener because that’s what I have access to. Is there a possible reason that this was grainy other than different sweetener?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lori, I’m glad you like the taste. Yes, it’s probably the sweetener. Some sugar-free granulated sweeteners dissolve better than others. To be on the safe side you could try a powdered sweetener next time.
Nancy Brown
0Can I use Swerve brown sugar or Swerve confectioners sugar?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Nancy, Yes, either one should work.
Terri Doughty
0Thank you, thank you, thank you, Maya! I just died and went to heaven! This caramel sauce is amazing! Caramel is one of the things I miss from my pre-keto days. Your recipes are my go to, I have yet to be disappointed by one. I so appreciate your hard work in your recipes that help me on my keto journey. Thank you again!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Terri! That means a lot!
Lisa S Myers
0Has anyone tried making this with Lakanto Golden Monkfruit?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lisa, Yes, that works great! You can use code WHOLESOMEYUM here to get 20% off if you want to use that sweetener.
Tina Gleason
0I just made this OMG it is so good, I soaked almonds and pecans in it and now have them setting in the fridge, perfect little sweet treat
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0What a great idea, Tina!
Mary
0I made this 4 days ago using swerve and subbing out 2 T. Coconut sugar. Doubled the recipe and added about 5 drops of vegetable glycerin which helped it not to become grainy. Thank you so much for your fantastic recipes. I love ever recipe that I have tried. I love your site and think you are really great!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy to hear that, Mary! Thank you!
Mary V
0I love this recipe. I used Swerve and 2 T. Coconut sugar. It is delicious in my coffee and Tumeric Golden milk. I added a couple drops of vegetable glycerin to help it not crystallize. Hope it helps. Thank You so much!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Mary!
Roger
0I have to say, I made this for my wife as she is doing the keto diet and I thought she was going to faint upon her first taste!
She is in infatuated with it now. She shared it with her sisters family and they couldn’t stop licking their plates.
I ended up making a large batch to put into mini Mason jars.
On top of the 1 carb brownie recipe I found it’s just spectacular.
Thanks much!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy to hear that, Roger! Thank you!
Ericka
0Just made this and drizzled over keto peanut butter cookies. Tastetastic!
Sauce is just a bit grainy to taste..used all the right ingredients. Any reason why?
Still love it.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Ericka, That sounds delicious! Sometimes the sweetener might have trouble dissolving. If you prefer, you can use a powdered sweetener to help with this.
Terry Proveau
0Made it with brown swerve and it was delicious on ice cream. Unfortunately it separated after about an hour and the blender did not fix it. Not sure why, might be the swerve?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Sorry to hear that! Sudden temperature changes can make it separate and while the blender can fix it, sometimes it can’t. I’m glad it was delicious on ice cream, though.
Cozette Torres
0What do you use it on? Ideas please.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Cozette, There are lots of ways to use caramel sauce – on top of ice cream or cheesecake, or all kinds of other keto desserts. I also have a pecan pie recipe coming in a couple weeks that will be partly based on this sauce.
Alfredo Lopez
0Hi, I actually plan on using this sauce on a cheesecake. Is there a way that I can use this without it solidifying because of the refrigerated cheesecake? I am making the cheesecake for someone that is about 5 miles away. Any tips on how I can do this? Thank you
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Alfredo, If you let the cheesecake come to room temperature, it should be warm enough not to solidify it.
Rachel
0Sukrin gold is brown sugar, so swerve brown should work the same, correct?
Penny sloan
0I’d love the pecan pie recipe please
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Yes, that will work, Rachel!
Brandy
0My cream and butter separated? What did I do wrong?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Brandy, This can happen if you overheat it. Try a lower temperature next time. Sometimes you can still salvage it in a blender.
Ish
0Ummm.. mine had the oil separating right after I made it. What did I do wrong?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Most likely the heat was too high – try over lower heat next time. Sometimes you can still salvage the separation in a blender.
Mary H
0Love your recipes, I love salted caramel syrup in my coffee, is there anyway to make this into a syrup,
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Mary, I haven’t tried that, but would think you can thin it out with almond milk or cream and add to coffee.
Dena
0I just got done making this and it is divine!!
It took about 15 to 20 minutes for mt butter to turn a golden brown. I used butter and Swerve granulated sugar. I then added 2/3 cup of heavy whipping cream. Then it took about 40 minutes to brown and thicken. After I added the vanilla, it was perfection!! I want to make my own sugar-free, chocolate ,almond, candies with it!! Thank you soooo much for sharing your recipe!! I am caramel obsessed!! LOL
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked it, Dena! Thanks for stopping by!
Essby
0Maya, I followed your recipe precisely, including the ingredients, and this turned out DIVINE! Thank you so very much.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked it! Please come back soon!
Sandee
0So delicious. I did not have any of that sukrin gold but I did order it for the next time I make it. I used what I had, swerve and it turned out really yummy but it did not turn brown. Thank you so much. Good job
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy you liked the sauce, Sandee! Have a great day!
Khristen
0Great recipe! I didn’t have sukrin gold so I used granulated swerve and absolutely amazing! Thanks!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy that you liked the caramel sauce, Khristen! Have a great day!
Mary
0Wonderful recipe! So much easier than others I’ve seen. It’s delicious, and I could cheerfully eat it like soup! I did make a slight change, though. I added 2 tablespoons of confectioners Swerve, and the vanilla, as it was cooking. Just stirred it in toward the end. I’ll be making this again and again.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I love to hear that you liked the caramel sauce, Mary! Please come back again soon!
Boni
0OMG this Carmel is sooooooo good!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I am so happy to hear that you liked the caramel sauce, Boni! Thanks for stopping by!
Meda Pittser
0I love the taste of this and since I am diabetic, I am thankful for a low carb treat. But, I’m wondering how to make it smoother…less “grainy”. Any suggestions?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Meda, I’m glad you like the taste. Did you use the same sweetener on the recipe card? It doesn’t turn out grainy with that one, but it does if you use regular erythritol, for example. Either powdered sweetener (like powdered erythritol) or Sukrin Gold (which is still finer than granulated erythritol) should work fine.
Meda
0I am using the Sukrin Gold. Maybe I didn’t cook the mixture long enough, or maybe too much? It is definitely grainy and “sugary”, not creamy.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Probably not long enough then. Hope you’ll try again for longer!
Melissa
0Next time you make it would you consider taking pictures of the steps? Just so we can see how caramel color the butter mix is supposed to be. In the end my caramel sauce was not caramel colored, so I’m assuming I didn’t let the butter mixture cook long enough. Thanks
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Melissa, Thank you for the feedback! I have started to add some process pictures to my newer recipes. It does sound like the sauce needed to cook for longer if it wasn’t caramel colored, especially in the initial step with the butter.
Stacy
0We’ve loved the flavor. But I could not seem to get the brown caramel color. Any suggestions?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Stacy, I’m glad you loved the flavor. If it wasn’t brown, then it needed to cook for longer at the first step (just the butter and sweetener together). The time will vary depending on your stove and size of the pan you use.
Ally
0Just a quick question relating to the vanilla extract. I see it has about 2 g of carbs (1 tsp), but you indicate this is carb-free. I’m new to this diet, so forgive me, but could you please let me know how that works?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Ally, This is due to rounding. The nutrition info listed is per serving. The 1 tsp of vanilla extract is divided among 12 servings, so this is a tiny, negligible amount of carbs per serving.
Flore
0Thank you soooooo much for this recipe ! I just ordered Sukrin Gold from Amazon, can’t wait to try it !
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0That’s awesome, Flore! Can’t wait to hear how it turns out.
Natalie Chronister
0I used your caramel sauce to make a keto friendly “candy bar.” It was amazing! I used a 100 cal. almond and walnut pkg., topped with caramel and sugar free chocolate chips melted over the top. Thank you for making this amazing sauce and sharing it with us!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you for sharing, Natalie! That sounds amazing!
Alicia
0I never leave comments and reviews but I had to for this. This is AMAZING! I used erythritol. I am currently making keto lava cakes to put this on although admittedly I could eat it by the spoon full. I wonder what it would be like frozen?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Alicia! It sounds amazing on lava cakes. I haven’t tried freezing it. You probably can, but reheating might be a problem (if you plan to) as it would be more likely to separate. If you eat it as-is from frozen I’m sure that would be delicious.
Susan Taylor
0I had pretty much resigned myself to living without my favorite taste of all — caramel. I am delighted to discover I can make a sugar-free version. Can hardly believe that this gorgeous flavor is going to be part of my keto way of life. I love your recipes!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I love that, Susan! Thanks for stopping by!
Natasha
0OH. MY. GAWD… just made this. And I am a die hard caramel snob. LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS WITH ALL OF MY HEART AND SOUL!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Natasha!!
Arrhiannon Kirkpatrick
0Do you think this could be made with coconut cream instead of heavy cream for vegan diets?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Yes, I think you can!
Mindy
0How do you store this after it is made? Does it need to be refrigerated?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Mindy, It’s ok on the counter for a couple hours but after that it’s best to refrigerate. It will solidify in the fridge. If you reheat it, do so at very low heat to prevent separating.
Caroline
0So good!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Caroline!
Tami
0Do you think this would work to use in my iced coffee? Really missing caramel iced coffee. :/
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Tami, Yes, I think it would, but haven’t tried it. Let me know how it goes!