This gingerbread caramel sauce blends deep unsulfured molasses with ginger, cinnamon, and cloves for a glossy, pourable holiday caramel that clings to cakes, ice cream and coffee.
Why You’ll Love This Gingerbread Caramel
A silky, sweet sauce that tastes great on all of your baked goods and in your coffee- what’s not to love!
- Perfect for desserts and gifting – Not only is this caramel ready in about 10 minutes, but it’s also perfect for desserts or gifting.
- True gingerbread flavor – From the molasses and warm spices, you get real, true gingerbread flavor.
- Wet-caramel method – Using this water and sugar method makes for a reliable and lump-free base.
Gather This
I’d be willing to bet you have almost all of these gingerbread caramel sauce ingredients on hand. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Molasses – This is the main flavor of our caramel sauce. It’s bold, pungent and the main flavor component of any gingerbread recipe. I like using unsulfured.
- Water
- Sugar
- Ground ginger
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground cloves
- Heavy cream
- Unsalted butter
- Fine sea salt
Test Kitchen Tips
I’ve tested this recipe so that you don’t have to! Here are some tips to ensure your gingerbread caramel sauce turns out perfectly.
- Swirl, don’t stir – Once the sauce starts boiling, swirl the pan instead of stirring to avoid crystallization.
- Warm the cream to reduce sputtering – Hot sauces tend to sputter and splash. Using slightly warm cream will help to reduce that.
- Use wet pastry brush – If crystals form on the pan sides, gently wash down with a wet pastry brush.
Variations
There are plenty of ways for you to make this gingerbread caramel sauce your own. Here are a few suggestions.
- Orange-Ginger: Citrus and ginger pair really well together. Add ½ tsp orange zest at the end to celebrate that flavor combo.
- Salted Gingerbread Caramel: If you like salted caramel as much as I do, increase the amount of salt to ½ tsp.
- Bourbon Caramel: For a boozy twist, whisk in 1–2 tsp bourbon after you’ve removed the sauce from the heat.
Perfect Pairings
Serve your gingerbread caramel sauce with breakfast favorites like pancakes, waffles or yogurt parfaits. It’s especially yummy on my eggnog waffles. It would also taste great in coffee lattes, hot cocoa or simply as a dip for fruit.
You can also drizzle over ice cream, cheesecake, gingerbread loaf, bread pudding, apple crisp or any other number of dessert combinations you can think of.
More Delicious Dessert Sauces
If you know me, you know how much I love a good homemade sauce. Here are some of my favorites.
Gingerbread Caramel Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- In a heavy saucepan, combine the 1 cup water, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves. Increase the heat and bring to a very low boil, swirling the saucepan gently, but not stirring. Simmer until the mixture is syrupy and thickened, about 5.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and whisk in the 1/2 cup heavy cream and 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, being mindful that the mixture will spit and sizzle, so be careful. Whisky vigorously until it reaches a smooth, sticky consistency. Finally, whisk in the ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt. Set aside to cool.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Notes
Freezing: Freezing is not recommended.
Nutrition
