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Sugar 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.
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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
By
My 10-minute sugar free caramel syrup and sauce is gooey, sweet, and tastes like the real deal. Perfect for coffee and desserts!
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]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 make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
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!
398 Comments
Hilary
0SO. Delicious. This is easily one of the best caramels I’ve enjoyed, and I’m including sugary ones in that. I added a pinch of salt. I want to play with other flavors, too, like malt and maybe even banana.
Natalia
0Can I substitute the heavy cream with coconut cream? I am dairy free and keto and I’ve already found dairy free butter that cooks and tastes exactly like butter but I am wondering. Can I use coconut cream for this caramel recipe and pecan pie recipe?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Natalia, Yes, coconut cream should work fine in the recipe in place of the heavy cream. Enjoy!
CONNIE AILEY
0Hey I’m excited to make this but my butter is UNsalted. Will that work?
Anna
0I had really been missing a drizzle of caramel on my keto coffee, and was craving apple peels (lower net carbs bc of the fiber) and didn’t want to buy a million products. This was perfection!! I used an allulose/erythritol blend (that happened to have a pinch of xanthan gum in the blend) and it turned out amazing. Exactly like the real thing. Thank you
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Connie, Yes, just add a pinch of salt (or two, adjust to taste) to your caramel.
Grace
0can you reheat this in the microwave? I want to make Carmel apples dip for a school project
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Grace, I haven’t personally tested this, but you may be able to reheat at 10 second intervals in a microwave on LOW power. The high powder will shock it. Depending on when you are bringing this into school, you may want to consider storing it in a warmed thermos.
judy walters
0Sounds easy, quick, and delicious. Thank you
Emily Cortez
0This sauce is dangerously good!!! I could’ve ate the whole thing. I made “apple” crisp and I thought it would be so good with some caramel sauce drizzled over it. I was right!!! Thank you for another wonderful, easy recipe.
Barbara Barker
0I did like it very well, good taste. Mine never did turn brown only a little once I added the vanilla. Could you tell me what I might have done wrong? Thanks.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Barbara, Did you make this recipe with Besti Monk Fruit Allulose? Allulose will caramelize as it cooks, so perhaps it needed to brown with the butter longer before adding cream.
Karen
0Hi. I want to make a caramel sauce for the keto cheesecake I made. I’m planning to do it today. But I have no heavy cream. I do, however, have sour cream, cream cheese, almond milk, and xanthum gum. Could I use either the sour cream, cream, or a combo of the almond milk and xanthan gum? If so, which would you recommend? Also, All I have for sweetener is Swerve confectioners. Will that work as well as a granulated sweetener?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Karen, A powdered sweetener is best for this recipe if you don’t have allulose. I do highly recommend you give Besti Monk Fruit Allulose or pure Wholesome Yum Allulose a try, as it is able to caramelize and give your sauce the buttery brown flavors you are looking for. I have not tested this, but almond milk may work in this recipe, but I cannot guarantee the results. If you decide to try it, I would consider increasing the amount of butter so it has a creamier consistency. Please let us know how it turns out!
Rachel Hirota
0I also used Brown Swerve and it turned out fantastic! This is as good as any caramel sauce I have ever bought or made in my pre-keto days! I was amazed at how delicious this is! Thank you for the great recipe!
Karen
0Thank you. So much! I hapoened to find some evaporated milk in my cabinet at the last minute. I used 1/2 cup for 1 batch. It came out soooooo good! It was a little too buttery flavored, so I added 2 more tbsp evaporated milk to counter it and it was perfect. It tasted like salted caramel. (The butter was salted). The color was lighter, but the taste and texture was amazing! It was silky and creamy. I did put it in the fridge amd took it out when I was ready for my dluce of cheesecake. The cheesecake was frozen do I let it sit on the counter for about an hour. By the time I was ready to eat it, I did not want to wait to reheat the caramel, so I spread it on top of the slice kind of lijkea glaze. Omg! It’s a good thing I made 2 natches of the caramel. It have it in a small mason jar. Now I have 2 topoings I can make gor my cheesecake…my go-to blyeberry dauce and this caramel sauce. I will invest in some Swerve brown confectioners or the brown allulose for future batches. I’m just nervous about trying new sweeteners. I’ve wasted alot of expensive ingredients when recipes turned out horrible until I started using Swerve.. How does allulose compare to Swerve as far as taste?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Karen, Thank you for sharing your experience!
My Besti Brown Monk Fruit Allulose Blend is coming this fall 2020. You can sign up for the newsletter at wholesomeyumfoods.com to be notified when it’s available. In my opinion it’s far superior to brown swerve, as it doesn’t have erythritol and dissolves a lot better, does not crystallize, and does not have a cooling effect or aftertaste no matter how much you use. 🙂 You can read about the differences between the sweeteners in my keto sweetener guide.
EMan1981
0So good! I subbed the monkfruit for 2 TBS of brown sugar Swerve. I make a protein coffee drink with a Nescafe instant coffee pack (melted w/a little water), a chocolate premier protein shake, about 2 TBS of heavy cream and now I will add a little of this caramel to it. Add some ice and voila!
Karen
0Maya – I made this tonight, and my hubby and I had it on your homemade keto vanilla ice cream. OMG, this takes the ice cream to a new level. This is by far our favorite keto treat ever! Thank you for this awesome recipe!!
Jackie
0I made two batches first batch used 3T. of brown sugar swerve second batch 2T. of brown sugar swerve, I like it less sweet. This is so good and cant wait to try it on my ice cream & cheesecake.
Allyssa Toyebo
0I’m making a keto cheesecake for a friend and was wondering if I could use this caramel sauce to make a caramel swirl in the cheesecake, before baking. Do you think that would work?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Allyssa, Yes that should work. Just be sure to marble to caramel in well.
Melissa
0Planning to make this to put on my keto cheesecake. If I make it ahead of time and refrigerate, should I heat it up before serving? And if so, can I do this multiple times as I use it?
Thanks! Loving these recipes!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Melissa, It depends on the sweetener you use. If you use allulose (as written in the recipe) you will get a nice soft caramel that can be served either warmed or cold. If you are using erythritol or an erythritol blend then I recommend only serving this warm, as it will granulate a bit as it chills in the fridge. You can reheat this multiple times if you need to, but be careful not to overheat or it can separate. Enjoy!
andrea
0Hello! Thanks for this recipe. You mentioned that this recipe was originally made with golden erythritol, but I thought that erythritol crystallizes when cool. Isn’t this right? Do you know if this might work with xylitol? or maybe 1/2 xylitol & 1/2 allulose? Thank you!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Andrea, You are correct. Erythritol will harden and crystalize as it cools. The way to fix this is to serve your caramel warmed. I don’t recommend using xylitol in this recipe, as is has a very strong cooling effect that won’t compliment the caramel flavors well. The best sweetener to use for caramel (soft, creamy caramel) is with allulose. I recommend either Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend or pure Wholesome Yum Allulose.
gina
0Making a batch of three for the Carmel pie. I’m past the 30 min mark, still not close to looking like Carmel. What did I do?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Gina, Be patient. When tripling the recipe, it will take longer to cook. You may want to try using a larger pan to help speed up the process.
Mona
0Will a liquid allulose work with this recipe?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Mona, Although I have not tested this recipe with liquid allulose, I don’t think it would work. The caramel would be too loose and not thicken. For best results, I suggest using granular or powdered Best Monk Fruit Allulose Blend.
Dawn
0Followed directions using Allulose and this recipe turned out perfect. This is a wonderful caramel sauce that is hard to stop eating. I would love to know how to make caramel candy using recipe similar to this.
Judy B
0I just made this the other day as I needed caramel sauce for some ice cream I was making. It turned out fantastic! It is so easy and turned out terrific! Thank you!
Heather
0Can I use just Monk fruit and not a blend?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Heather, Pure monk fruit powder will not work. The recipe needs the bulk from the sweetener to work.
Melissa Sanchez
0Hi! I just made some using powdered swerve since thats what I already have.. it looks and smells great, I haven’t tried it yet. A couple questions.. 1. Could the sweetener I used cause it to not get the caramel color? I cooked it longer at each step and it still never got very darkened. 2. How long can I store this caramel sauce, and do I refrigerate it? I’d like to try it in my coffee.
Thanks!
-Melissa
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Melissa, Yes, the sweetener you used does not caramelize, so it will not have the same depth of flavor or coloring of traditional caramel. This caramel will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge. It will solidify, but it can be warmed back to a liquid either on the stovetop or in a warm water bath. Enjoy!