Dangerously addictive, ooey-gooey, rich & thick vegan caramel sauce. Ready in under 5 minutes & so incredibly delicious that you will need all of your will power not to eat it straight from the jar. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
I created this Five Minute Vegan Caramel Sauce recipe way back in October when I published my Pumpkin Pie With Caramel Sauce & Coconut Whipped Cream. It was totally amazing as part of the pie and I have been making it regularly ever since and serving it in all sorts of ways. I gradually started to get more and more messages from you guys telling me how much you loved it when you made it to go with the pumpkin pie, and a few of you even said that it is the most amazing thing you have ever tasted. It was after hearing this that I knew I needed to share it and all of it’s ooey-gooey deliciousness again in it’s own post.
This Five Minute Vegan Caramel Sauce could not be easier to whip up. It is so simple and yet so amazingly delicious. With just a few minutes of your time and three ingredients (plus water & salt) you can have yourself a jar full of the richest, stickiest, gooiest caramel ever.
The flavour of the caramel is rich, deep, sweet and nutty. It has so much more character than standard caramel recipes thanks to the addition of tahini. The flavour and depth it gives is incredible.
Isn’t it impossible to look at this picture and not feel your mouth water?
This Five Minute Vegan Caramel Sauce is good served in so many ways. Firstly it is A-mazing with my Pumpkin Pie. If you haven’t tried it yet it is a pretty good place to start. Then try it smothered all over my Gingerbread Waffles. Could breakfast get any better?
You can also eat this Five Minute Vegan Caramel Sauce with ice-cream, chocolate cake, apple pie, pancakes, brownies or french toast. For a healthier option try it drizzled over sliced apple or use it as a dip for other fresh fruits. It would be great with a fruit platter at a party. You can also be wicked, grab a spoon and eat it straight from the jar……..(You didn’t hear that from me….I would never do anything like that…..)
If you can bear to part with it this Five Minute Vegan Caramel Sauce also makes an awesome gift. Pour it into a pretty jar, tie some twine or ribbon around the rim, add a tag if you like and gift it to friends, family or neighbours. It keeps really well in the fridge for about three weeks and also can be frozen for a couple of months so makes a perfect gift. Who doesn’t love caramel sauce?
How will you eat your Five Minute Vegan Caramel Sauce? Tag me with your pictures on Twitter or Instagram. I am @avirtualvegan. You can also post to my Facebook page. I’m dying to know what you think!
Five Minute Vegan Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 100g | 1/2 cup coconut sugar (sometimes called coconut palm sugar (I have not tried this with any other sugar so I can't guarantee it will work as well if you make a sub)
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons tahini (see recipe note)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil (solid measurement)
- 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon salt (add to taste)
Instructions
- Add the coconut sugar and the water to a pan.
- Place over a medium heat and cook until the sugar has completely dissolved and it is just starting to bubble. DO NOT STIR!! If you need to, just swirl the pan a bit. It will take 2- 3 minutes max. Do not leave it unattended as it will burn very easily if left too long.
- Remove from the heat and add the tahini, salt and coconut oil. Stir very well until it is all well combined. It is normal to see a few little light flecks through it.If you have trouble getting it to come together put it over a low heat again for 30 seconds or so.
Long time vegan, creator of A Virtual Vegan & author of the book 
Bailey says
March 15, 2019 at 5:04 pmI made this for my husband’s birthday cheesecake (AMAZING recipe thank you!). We had always eaten it plain but this time I thought I’d make it a little more special with the sauce. I didn’t think it tasted like caramel, I followed the recipe exactly. But my husband tasted it and his first response was “this tastes like bacon.” I didn’t taste the similarity and honestly it wasn’t my favorite sauce (and I’m a huge caramel fan), but anything vegan I can make that can get my husband to say it tastes like bacon is a winner in my book.
Irina says
June 10, 2018 at 3:47 amIt is so easy to make this and it is delicious, we loved it, thank you!!!!
A Virtual Vegan says
June 10, 2018 at 4:39 pmThat’s great. I’m really pleased you enjoyed it Irina!
kay says
April 20, 2018 at 10:38 pmCould you use honey, maple syrup or rice malt syrup in place of the sugar?
A Virtual Vegan says
April 21, 2018 at 9:27 amI haven’t tried it but I think it would technically work. I’m not sure on quantities though without trying it myself. They might need adjusting. However, coconut sugar will give it a much better more caramel-y flavour. It works so well in this recipe and will taste completely different if you use something else.
Susan says
October 31, 2017 at 1:56 amI thought the tahini was a little weird and couldn’t imagine how sesame seeds could have anything to do with the taste of caramel, but I took your word for it on how delicious this is and went ahead and made this. So glad I did because you’re right, this is amazing! And I even forgot to add the salt! Instead of water, I used raspberry juice. I was hoping it would come out red for a Halloween concoction I was attempting to make. That didn’t work out (the brown overpowered the red), but I’m so happy I found this recipe anyway because this is a keeper. Can’t wait to try it on my vegan ice-cream!
A Virtual Vegan says
October 31, 2017 at 9:00 amOn vegan ice cream it is amazing!!! I’m so glad you ignored your ‘weird’ feelings! This recipe happened accidentally. I thought I had used cashew butter and grabbed tahini by mistake and didn’t realize until it was too late. I thank my lucky stars I made that mistake because it’s so good, (as you have discovered)! Have fun experimenting with it….on everything!!!
Jana danza says
January 7, 2017 at 2:25 pmDelicious! Just made it…so simple. I’m going to make some apple cookie bars and will put the caramel sauce between the crust and the apples. I think it should be tasty! Thanks for the recipe.
A Virtual Vegan says
January 7, 2017 at 6:03 pmThank you! I am so glad you are enjoyed it and I am sure it will be awesome in your apple cookie bars :O)
Wendy says
November 9, 2016 at 12:59 pmWe just made it. It tasted like very sweet tahini. “Carmelini” We are going to try to lessen the amount of tahini next time.
A Virtual Vegan says
November 9, 2016 at 9:57 pmYou will find that if you lessen the tahini it will get quite thin. Tahini does have a strong flavour which is why I describe the caramel as deep and nutty. In the recipe notes I mention using roasted sesame tahini if you want a deep, strong flavour, or using raw tahini if you want a mellower flavour. Perhaps you would prefer it with with raw tahini or even something like cashew butter instead?
Cathy says
August 3, 2016 at 7:50 pmThis is so yummy and definitely easy to make! I think I put just a touch too much of salt, as there is a salty note at the end…or I might have left it on the heat a little too long.. I added a bit more coconut sugar and it helped a bit. Good thing i love salted caramel desserts! :)
A Virtual Vegan says
August 3, 2016 at 8:21 pmHi Cathy, This caramel sauce is my favourite thing ever. I could just eat it by the spoonful! It is supposed to have a slightly salty tang as I think caramel is best like that but feel free to reduce the amount of salt or leave it out completely if you make it again….Which I’m sure you will as it’s so addictive!
123matata says
February 6, 2016 at 2:42 pmI love it, so quick and easy and delicious! Love it on popcorn, ice cream, pancakes and muffins!!!! Another great vegan sauce!!! Tahini works so well in it, never thought to add it into caramel! Well done!
A Virtual Vegan says
February 6, 2016 at 8:02 pmThank you so much! It goes great with so many things and is totally addictive as you’ve discovered. And thank you for taking the time to comment. It means so much to know you’re out there enjoying my recipes :0)
xlindziex says
February 1, 2016 at 3:16 pmAfter getting rid of the excess oil and letting it sit in the freezer for awhile it seems to be a lot better. I guess what felt cooled down to me wasn’t so cool after all, aha. I think I was a little too approximate with my oil measurements, so I’ll try to be better next time and will probably get better results, haha.
Thanks so much for the recipe! =)
xlindziex says
January 31, 2016 at 12:20 pmI just tried this today and the taste is great! I think I had a small problem though that maybe you could help me with. My batch looked a bit different than yours does. It has excess coconut oil on top and is very runny (from the coconut oil I’m guessing). I’m thinking I either used too much coconut oil or I didn’t let it combine long enough? I’m of course not going to give up, but I’ll leave attempt number two for another day since I already have a semi-decent batch.
A Virtual Vegan says
January 31, 2016 at 1:53 pmHi. Sorry to hear it didn’t work well for you. I have made it countless times now and have never had a problem with the coconut oil not combining properly.It is always runny when it is hot but as it cools a bit it gets thicker and thicker. It should combine very easily when stirred into the tahini and coconut sugar just with a good stir. Did you only use 2 tablespoons of oil? And you used coconut sugar and didn’t sub it for another kind? The only other thing I can think is perhaps your tahini was really oily? Sometimes if tahini has been sat a while oil collects on the top. If you included that with your tahini in the caramel it might have made it all too oily. A few options that might help – Give it a really good whisk together, over a gentle heat and see if it comes together. Or a blitz in food processor or blender. If it still doesn’t combine drain the oil off and stir up wants left. I hope that helps. It’s really strange that this happened. Let me know how you get on :O)
Hedi Hearts says
January 27, 2016 at 4:05 amWow I would never thought of adding tahini, but sounds delicious!
Hauke Fox says
January 26, 2016 at 1:17 pmI’m sure that this caramels sauce is dangerously addicitve!! Btw, I didn’t know that general caramel sauce is not vegan!
A Virtual Vegan says
January 26, 2016 at 1:37 pmIt really is addictive! And yes, caramel is something that is very rarely vegan. It’s usually full of cream or condensed milk and butter. Not great for you!
Sina @ Vegan Heaven says
January 26, 2016 at 9:37 amThis looks so good! :-) I love that you added tahini! I’ve never thought of that!
A Virtual Vegan says
January 26, 2016 at 9:45 amThanks Sini. The tahini is so great in it. It was actually an accident. I meant to pick up a jar of cashew butter and accidentally used tahini. It tasted so great with it that I didn’t change it!
Cris says
January 26, 2016 at 9:13 amLove this!!! Sounds and looks so delish! Pinned it!!!
A Virtual Vegan says
January 26, 2016 at 9:15 amThanks Cris!
The Free From Fairy says
January 26, 2016 at 5:16 amThis looks and sounds delicious!!
A Virtual Vegan says
January 26, 2016 at 6:24 amThank you! It is too delicious ;0)
Gin says
January 25, 2016 at 9:04 pmOMG I could totally eat this straight from the jar. I might skip the spoon. Coconut sugar ftw, best flavor _ever_. Glad you shared this apart from the pie!
A Virtual Vegan says
January 25, 2016 at 9:06 pmThanks Gin! It totally deserved its own post and I’ll join you in eating it straight from the jar ;0)
Kathy Hester says
January 25, 2016 at 7:51 pmI need an iced coffee made with this! It looks amazing!
A Virtual Vegan says
January 25, 2016 at 7:55 pmOh now there’s an idea! That would be A-mazing :0)
foodhuntersguide says
January 25, 2016 at 6:34 amthis is drool worthy
A Virtual Vegan says
January 25, 2016 at 6:43 amThank you!
Sarah Pylas (Grenglish/Yiayia's Kouzina) says
January 25, 2016 at 3:59 amI can’t believe how easy this looks to make! Dangerous though, I’d definitely eat it straight from the jar…
A Virtual Vegan says
January 25, 2016 at 6:13 amI’m glad I’m not the only one!
Marzena Dreammerin says
January 24, 2016 at 11:48 pmLooks so delicious!
The Vegan 8 says
January 24, 2016 at 10:50 pmI am drooling! I make sweet potato caramel using coconut sugar and it is the BEST sugar for cooking caramel…can’t beat that flavor! This looks so dangerous..I swear I’d eat it with a spoon, haha!
A Virtual Vegan says
January 24, 2016 at 11:12 pmThank you so much. It is totally addictive. I’ve had to stop myself making it as I just can’t stop eating it when it’s here. Your sweet potato caramel sounds amazing. I will have to try it out one day too :0)
Gwen @simplyhealthyfamily says
January 24, 2016 at 2:05 pmOh the things I could put this on!
A Virtual Vegan says
January 24, 2016 at 2:24 pmExactly! It’s so versatile and totally addictive ;0)
Ginny McMeans says
January 24, 2016 at 2:03 pmI need this in my repertoire!
Pragati says
January 24, 2016 at 6:26 amHaven’t tried coconut palm sugar yet..maybe i will try this with regular sugar.
A Virtual Vegan says
January 24, 2016 at 9:23 amYou can do but just be aware that regular sugar is a bit more temperamental than coconut sugar. Don’t whatever you do stir the sugar while it is melting or it will crystallize. It also might take a little longer to melt. Coconut sugar has the most amazing carameley flavour so it probably won’t be quite as nice with regular sugar. If you try it though let me know how it goes!
theveganistafoodie says
January 23, 2016 at 1:20 pmCan’t wait to try this with some vegan ice-cream :)
A Virtual Vegan says
January 23, 2016 at 1:35 pmIt is awesome with ice-cream!
veggiesdontbite says
January 22, 2016 at 8:30 pmI’ll never say no to a good caramel! Looks and sounds amazing. FYI, you have a small edit mistake in the recipe where it says “oil.”
A Virtual Vegan says
January 22, 2016 at 8:33 pmThank you! I will edit my typo – thanks for spotting it!
Linda @ Veganosity says
January 22, 2016 at 1:27 pmThis looks dangerously delicious. I would definitely get caught eating it by the spoonful.
A Virtual Vegan says
January 22, 2016 at 2:36 pmI certainly can’t judge…..;0)
yummy mummy kitchen says
January 22, 2016 at 12:07 pmLooks incredible! And those tiny leaves are too darn cute!
A Virtual Vegan says
January 22, 2016 at 12:09 pmThank you so much! Luckily the leaves survived long enough to take these photos. I collected them in a bag while out walking because they were so adorable. Later that day my husband picked up the bag wondering what it was and scrunched them all up. He wasn’t popular!
nicoleanndawson says
January 22, 2016 at 11:35 amUmmm, you had me at “ooey-gooey”!
A Virtual Vegan says
January 22, 2016 at 11:42 amHa ha! No one can resist ooey-gooey foods!
Jenn says
January 22, 2016 at 8:32 amOh my goodness, this looks so delicious! I would never have thought to add tahini to caramel, but I LOVE the idea!
A Virtual Vegan says
January 22, 2016 at 8:43 amThanks Jenn! It adds such a wonderful flavour. I could eat it by the bucket!
Strength and Sunshine says
January 22, 2016 at 7:51 amYou’ve solved my caramel conundrum! This is fabulous!!! Multi-purpose for…everything!
A Virtual Vegan says
January 22, 2016 at 8:43 amCaramel conundrums are the worst….lol. So glad to help ;o)