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    Home » Recipe Index » Desserts

    Peanut Butter Caramel

    December 4, 2019 Updated February 9, 2021 By Rebecca Desserts, Fall Recipes

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    dipping apple into peanut butter caramel sauce in a jar
    pouring peanut butter caramel sauce into jar with text overlay

    This peanut butter caramel is sweet, salty, and just a tad peanut buttery. It makes for a delicious topping to your dessert or some fruit. Homemade caramel sounds hard, but you can make this easy recipe in just 10 minutes.

    peanut butter caramel sauce on spoon with jar of caramel in background

    [This recipe was originally posted in March 2018. It has been updated with new photos, cooking instructions, expert tips, FAQ, related recipes, video and ways to repurpose/use up ingredients]

    How will this peanut butter caramel make your life better?

    This 10 minute homemade peanut butter caramel sauce would make a great dessert dip, or even better, a holiday gift! OR these chocolate covered oreos, homemade hot cocoa mix would both make great holiday gifts.

    If you haven't made homemade caramel or thought of it before, now's your opportunity. it's surprisingly easy! (plus, people would be super impressed with you)

    What makes this caramel sauce so good?

    • Dark brown sugar packed
    • Heavy whipping cream
    • Salted butter
    • Vanilla extract
    • Peanut butter powder

    How do I make this PB Caramel?

    Add ½ c heavy whipping cream, 4 T butter, and ¾ c brown sugar to a medium sized pot. Stir well. Cook over medium-low heat.

    hand stirring butter into caramel sauce in a pot

    As it cooks, the caramel will develop consistent bubbles and will thicken up a bit. Do not stir caramel while it's cooking or it will get clumpy.

    bubbling caramel sauce in pot

    Check caramel at 7 minutes, if it's thickened a bit, then take it off heat source, if not cook for 2 more minuets. It'll look like it's almost as thick as you think it should be. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 teaspoon peanut butter powder, after it's been removed from heat source. Then serve or pour into a glass bottle and refrigerate to save for later.

    peanut butter powder in caramel sauce in a pan

    Dip apples, graham crackers, and other treats into this caramel sauce. Or serve over ice cream.

    Expert tips

    • Peanut butter powder is a great flavor enhancer for this caramel
    • Use dark brown sugar to get a deeper caramel flavor.
    • Do not stir while cooking, or caramel may become clumpy.
    • Remove right before you think it's thick enough. Once it seems thick enough, it'll harden pretty easily.
    • Swap peanut butter powder for 1-2 teaspoon creamy peanut butter if you don't have peanut butter powder.
    • Dip apples, graham crackers, and other treats into this caramel

    FAQ

    How do you make caramel sauce thicker?

    Just keep boiling caramel sauce until it's almost to the desired thickness. Caramel sauce gets thicker by water evaporating through boiling it. It usually takes 5-10 minutes to boil enough water out of the sauce to thicken it.

    How do you fix broken caramel sauce?

    Caramel can get too thick and harden up, it can also be too thin. If it's too thick, set it over gentle heat and slowly add water or whipping cream back into it so it thins out. If it's too thin, cook for a few more minutes to thicken up.

    How do you cook caramel without crystallizing?

    Try to not stir it when it's cooking. If you stir caramel too much, it can get clumpy because the sugar crystals hook up to each other. Try to stir before heating, heat over gentle heat, and then stir again once it's thickened up and you've removed it from the stove.

    dipping apple into peanut butter caramel sauce in a jar

    How can I repurpose this caramel?

    • Add caramel peanut butter to yogurt
    • Serve over ice cream, maybe even with this homemade strawberry sauce.
    • Top this delicious yogurt tart with caramel sauce and apples

    What can I make with leftover ingredients?

    • Heavy whipping cream: add to this Creamy Asparagus Soup or Sweet Potato Soup.
    • Peanut butter powder: add it to a smoothie, like this Triple Berry Smoothie with Granola or Strawberry Banana PB Smoothie.
    • Keep the other ingredients in your pantry for other baking recipes.

    Did you make this peanut butter caramel? Leave me a comment & rating to share how it turned out!

    peanut butter caramel sauce on spoon with jar of caramel in background
    Print Pin
    5 from 3 votes

    Easy Peanut Butter Caramel Sauce

    This peanut butter caramel is sweet, salty, and just a tad peanut buttery. It makes for a delicious topping to your dessert or some fruit. Homemade caramel sounds hard, but you can make this easy recipe in just 10 minutes.
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 2 minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes
    Total Time 12 minutes
    Servings 1 cup
    Author Rebecca

    Equipment

    • Medium Pot
    • rubber spatula
    • Glass bottle

    Ingredients

    • ¾ cup dark brown sugar packed
    • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
    • 4 tablespoons salted butter
    • 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
    • 2 teaspoons peanut butter powder

    Instructions

    • Add ½ c heavy whipping cream, 4 T butter, and ¾ c brown sugar to pot. Cook over medium-low heat. Stir regularly. 
    • Caramel will develop consistent bubbles and will thicken up a bit. Stir occasionally.
    • Check caramel at 7 minutes, if it's thickened a bit, then take it off heat source, if not cook for 2 more minuets. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 teaspoon peanut butter powder, then serve or pour into a glass bottle and refrigerate to save for later.
    • Dip apples, graham crackers, and other treats into this caramel sauce.

    Video

    Homemade Peanut Butter Caramel Sauce

    Notes

    • Peanut butter powder is a great flavor enhancer for this caramel
    • Use dark brown sugar to get a deeper caramel flavor.
    • Do not stir while cooking, or caramel may become clumpy.
    • Remove right before you think it's thick enough. Once it seems thick enough, it'll harden pretty easily.
    • Swap peanut butter powder for 1-2 teaspoon creamy peanut butter if you don't have peanut butter powder.
    • Dip apples, graham crackers, and other treats into this caramel

    Want to get more single serving recipes delivered to your inbox? Click here to download my Single Serving Cookbook.

    Recipes are great, but you’ll need a simple 3 step process to create a meal plan that make cooking easy & helps you stop wasting food. Check out this expertly developed meal planning guide to get started. 

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    About Rebecca

    Welcome! I’m Rebecca, a food loving dietitian. On Nourish Nutrition, you’ll find real, quick, and nourishing recipes for one that'll get you to want to cook for yourself, because you deserve it.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Camilla Hawkins says

      April 13, 2018 at 8:59 am

      5 stars
      Oh my, you caramel sauce looks just heavenly - must try this!

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        April 13, 2018 at 1:36 pm

        thanks Camilla

        Reply
    2. Dawn - Girl Heart Food says

      April 13, 2018 at 9:13 am

      5 stars
      PB + Caramel? Genius! Two of my fave things and I've never thought of combining before. Bet this would taste delicious on yogurt too 🙂

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        April 13, 2018 at 1:36 pm

        ohhh yes! so good on yogurt, great idea!

        Reply
    3. Beth says

      April 13, 2018 at 9:43 am

      5 stars
      This sounds so amazing! Two of my all time favorite flavors! This sounds like a great treat with apples!

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        April 13, 2018 at 1:35 pm

        thanks, and yes! apples are such a great vehicle for this caramel

        Reply
    4. Alyssa says

      April 13, 2018 at 9:51 am

      Dang! This is so easy and I have all the ingredients sitting at home!

      Reply
      • Rebecca says

        April 13, 2018 at 1:34 pm

        yay! aren't easy recipes just the best?!

        Reply

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    Rebecca, MS, RDN
    of Nourish Nutrition

    At Nourish Nutrition, you'll find bold, flavorful recipes for one. Most are single serving, and all have suggestions to use up the leftover ingredients so you can stop throwing away unused ingredients & leftovers!

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