This 5-minute peanut butter caramel sauce is unbelievably delicious and requires only 3 simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. And it is so easy to whip up together! Perfect over pies, cakes, ice cream, vegan cinnamon muffins or simply to dip in fruit. 100% vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free!
I recently made this vegan apple galette for the blog and immediately thought that a healthy caramel sauce would be great over when serving the slices, so I made one!
This is a healthier vegan peanut butter caramel sauce made using only 3 simple ingredients (counting the salt) and that you can whip up in under 10 minutes. It is ultra creamy and silky and has a perfectly drizzle-able consistency. This easy no-cook caramel sauce is unbelievably delicious, no one will guess it is so healthy and made without cream and butter!
Makes for a perfect last-minute healthier caramel to drizzle over your favorite desserts, such as vegan olive oil cake, vegan sourdough apple bread, oatmeal pancakes or healthy bean brownies, or use it as a simple sauce for popcorn, coffee drinks or ice cream.
Let me know if you give it a try! ❤️
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❤️ Why you will love this recipe
- Super fast and easy fuss-free recipe
- Requires only 3 ingredients!
- Rich in plant-based protein
- Ultra-versatile and easy-to-adjust flavor and consistency
- Healthy, lower in sugar and made without dairy products
- 100% vegan and gluten-free
🗒 Ingredient notes (+ substitutions)
- Peanut butter: I recommend using a natural kind of peanut butter (or a drippy peanut butter) made with 100% peanuts (and maybe a little salt). This creates a super smooth result! You can use natural chunky PB if you enjoy small pieces of peanuts in your caramel.
- Maple syrup: granulated sugar does not work for this recipe since you need a syrupy consistency to make a drizzling caramel sauce without cooking. I haven't tried it yet, but I think agave nectar might work as well and would not give the caramel a maple flavor, in case this is what you are looking for.
- Salt: use fine salt or coarse salt. To keep a crunch from the salt, then you can add the salt at the end to prevent the crystal from melting during the preparation. I like to add a small amount of sea salt while whisking/warming and then garnish with coarse salt at the end when serving!
- Water: you will need some water to thin out the consistency to taste, although you can also use plant-based milk for an even creamier and richer result. Or, swap for full-fat coconut milk for a treat!
⭐️ Full list of ingredients with quantities down below in the recipe card!
📝 Variations
This super simple vegan caramel recipe is very easy to customize! Feel free to experiment and include:
- Spices: add a dash of cinnamon or pumpkin spice mix if serving the caramel in the fall. It would be amazing over these banana pumpkin muffins! Or add some vanilla extract for more flavor and to enhance the sweetness. If adding the extract, then wait until the end so the flavor is not affected by the microwave!
- Chocolate caramel sauce: add a small amount of chocolate chips before heating up the mix so it can melt, then whisk!
- Frosting: adjust the consistency and turn this recipe into a peanut butter frosting! Simply add less water and keep the mixture thicker and spreadable, then smother over cakes, cupcakes, muffins and toast.
🍽 How to make 3-ingredient peanut butter caramel sauce
Step 1: To a medium bowl, add the peanut butter, maple syrup and salt, then warm up using the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Step 2: Whisk to combine. The mixture should be pretty thick or lumpy at this point.
Step 3: Add a small amount of water or plant milk (about 2-3 tablespoons).
Step 4: Then whisk until smooth. Repeat (add a little water + whisk) until you reach the desired consistency.
⭐️ Detailed recipe (+video) down below in the recipe card!
💡 Helpful tips
- The mixture will look very thick and almost gritty at first. Keep adding water or plant milk a small amount at a time and whisk vigorously until it reaches the right consistency. This can take a few minutes.
- You can also reheat the mixture a second time to help thin out the consistency (about 15 seconds at a time). Avoid boiling the mixture!
- Adjust saltiness to taste! If your peanut butter is salted, then omit the salt altogether and add some at the end once you are able to taste the caramel. You can also use coarse salt for a nice salty crunch!
🍴 Serving suggestions
There are endless ways you can serve this healthier caramel peanut butter sauce! It goes perfectly with:
- Ice cream (try it over blueberry coconut ice cream!)
- Pies and tarts
- Muffins or cupcakes
- Overnight oats
- Popcorn
- To dip in fruit (especially apples and bananas)
- Pancakes or waffles
- Drinks (such as lattes and smoothies)
❗️ Storage tips
Keep the leftovers in a sealed jar at room temperature for 24 hours. For longer storage, you can transfer it to the fridge for up to one week, although the consistency will thicken if chilled. Simply take it out of the fridge an hour before serving.
You can also add a little extra water if you notice the caramel is thicker after a few days, then whisk well. And don't hesitate to reheat for a few seconds (about 10-15 seconds at a time) to help thin its consistency.
❓ FAQs
No, this recipe is not freezer-friendly as the texture would change significantly after thawing.
Yes! This will give you a different flavor profile and you might have to adjust consistency and sweetness, but it should work!
No. Typically, caramel is made using butter and dairy cream. In this case, we are using peanut butter and maple syrup instead of dairy products making it completely vegan. Also, this recipe does not use granulated sugar, so much healthier!
Yes! Swap the peanut butter for tahini for a nut-free sauce. In that case, you might have to add more maple syrup since tahini is naturally a little bitter and you will need less water or plant milk.
🌱 More vegan sweet sauce to try!
I hope you like this vegan caramel recipe made with peanut butter as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
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📖 Recipe
3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Salted Caramel
Equipment
- Small bowl
- Spoon to stir
- Microwave
Ingredients
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup peanut butter use the natural kind or a drippy PB
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt plus some coarse salt for serving
- warm water to thin as needed
Instructions
- Add the peanut butter, maple syrup and salt to a bowl and warm up in the microwave for 20-30 seconds (do not boil).
- Then whisk until combined (it should look pretty thick and even lumpy at this point). Add a small amount of warm water or plant milk (about 2-3 tablespoons) and whisk again. Add more water, small amounts at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. Taste and adjust salt, then serve over ice cream, pies, cakes or use a dip for fruits!
Video
Notes
- The mixture will look very thick and almost gritty at first. Keep adding water or plant milk a small amount at a time and whisk vigorously until it reaches the right consistency. This can take a few minutes.
- You can also reheat the mixture a second time to help thin out the consistency (about 15 seconds at a time). Avoid boiling the mixture!
- Adjust saltiness to taste! If your peanut butter is salted, then omit the salt altogether and add some at the end once you are able to taste the caramel. You can also use coarse salt for a nice salty crunch!
- Storage: Keep the leftovers in a sealed jar at room temperature for 24 hours. For longer storage, you can transfer it to the fridge for up to one week, although the consistency will thicken if chilled. Simply take it out of the fridge an hour before serving. You can also add a little extra water if you notice the caramel is thicker after a few days, then whisk well. And don't hesitate to reheat for a few seconds (about 10-15 seconds at a time) to help thin its consistency.
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
Anonymous says
Wow, this is amazing! Delicious and easy!