Friends, what we have here is some seriously creamy, dreamy vegan caramel sauce, and I cannot WAIT to share this recipe with you. Let’s do it!
The base for this 5-ingredient caramel is coconut cream, dates, and arrowroot starch, which are blended until creamy and smooth. This makes up the liquid ingredients, which are added to a bit of coconut sugar and cooked until glossy and just bubbly.
The whole process for this naturally sweetened sauce takes just 10-15 minutes! And bam – it’s ready to go.
While it’s perfect right out of the saucepan, it also stores well in the refrigerator, where it takes on a slightly lighter color and is super tasty by the spoonful as a midday treat. (What? Who said that? Me. It was me. I did that. Several times.)
You can see in the photo below that the caramel on the right is fresh from the saucepan, and the caramel on the left has been refrigerated for 24 hours and has taken on a much lighter color. Mmmm, dreamy.
I hope you all LOVE this caramel! It’s:
Creamy
Smooth
Caramel-y
Perfectly (and naturally) sweet!
Slightly salty
So easy to make
& Super delicious
This is the perfect caramel sauce for things like Coconut Vanilla Ice Cream, Vegan Apple Pie, Ice Cream Snickers Bars, Caramel Frappuccinos, Cinnamon Baked Apples, Caramel Apple Cheesecake Tarts (!), Deep Dish Apple Crumble Pies, Vegan Samoas, and Apple Pie Sundaes! The list could go on forever and ever.
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with. Cheers, friends!
5-Ingredient Vegan Caramel Sauce
An easy, 5-ingredient vegan caramel sauce that requires just 15 minutes to make. A delicious, creamy, naturally sweetened sauce perfect for any dessert! Print SAVE SAVED
from votes Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 5 minutes Total Time 15 minutes Servings 16 (2-Tbsp servings)Course DessertCuisine Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, VeganFreezer Friendly NoDoes it keep? 1-2 Weeks
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Ingredients
US Customary – Metric1 Tbsp arrowroot starch or cornstarch2 whole dates (pitted // finely chopped)1 1/4 cup coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk, DIVIDED3/4 cup coconut sugar1/4 tsp sea salt1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
To a small blender or food processor (I used the smallest container of a Magic Bullet), add the arrowroot starch, dates, and 3/4 cup (180 ml // as recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size // it will be about 2/3 the total amount) coconut cream or milk. Blend on high until creamy and smooth. If it has trouble blending, add more coconut milk or cream. If you don’t have a blender small enough, simply whisk coconut cream and arrowroot starch together, and finely chop/smash your dates and add them in.To a small saucepan, add coconut sugar. Then pour the coconut milk mixture on top. Heat over medium heat and whisk or stir as it comes to a low simmer. As soon as the caramel is glossy and deep golden brown, it’s ready. It shouldn’t boil and only needs to cook for 2-4 minutes total.Remove saucepan from heat and add remaining 1/2 cup (120 ml // as recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) coconut milk or cream as well as salt and (optional) vanilla. Stir to combine.Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more salt for saltiness, vanilla for vanilla flavor, or coconut cream for a lighter color and more coconut flavor.Let cool slightly. Then transfer to clean glass jar and let cool completely before covering (see photo). Store in refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. Reheat in microwave or place jar in a saucepan with 2-3 inches simmering water until warmed through. However, sauce is also pourable and delicious directly from the refrigerator!Note: If for some reason your caramel sauce isn’t smooth and creamy and has little date pieces, once it’s cooled completely, you can add it to a high-speed blender and blend on high until creamy and smooth. I didn’t find this necessary, but it will depend on the equipment you use.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
*Recipe adapted from my Vegan Caramel Sauce from our Cookbook!
*Recipe makes ~1 3/4 cups caramel sauce.
Nutrition (1 of 16 servings)
Serving: 1 two-tablespoon serving Calories: 82 Carbohydrates: 11.2 g Protein: 0.5 g Fat: 4.5 g Saturated Fat: 4 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 34 mg Fiber: 0.5 g Sugar: 10.3 g