There is actually a difference between these two confectioneries. Caramel is made with white granulated sugar and often requires precise temperature control, as it needs to reach a high temperature to develop that signature deep amber color and slightly bitter flavor. Butterscotch, on the other hand, is made with brown sugar and butter, giving it a richer, sweeter taste. You don’t even need a candy thermometer for butterscotch, making it a simpler (and arguably more delicious) cousin of caramel!
The flavors differ as well—caramel has a more intense, slightly bitter taste due to the higher heat used in caramelizing the sugar, while butterscotch is richer and has a more buttery, molasses-like flavor from the brown sugar.
Your sauce will foam and bubble up quite a bit, so be sure to use a medium pan and not a small one.
Add butter and sugar and heat on medium heat, swirling the pan and infrequently stirring the sauce with a rubber spatula, around 3 minutes. The sauce should become quite smooth and fluid and no longer look grainy. In other words, you are looking to ensure the sugar has dissolved.
Add cream and reduce the heat to medium low. Stir constantly with a heat resistant spatula and cook for 7-8 minutes until the temperate of the caramel reaches 225. After a minute of cooking, turn your heat up back to medium heat.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and a heaping 1/4 tsp coarse salt. Taste and see if you prefer to add a bit more salt to balance the sweetness. This sauce will store in an airtight container in a fridge for about a month.
Ingredients
Directions
Your sauce will foam and bubble up quite a bit, so be sure to use a medium pan and not a small one.
Add butter and sugar and heat on medium heat, swirling the pan and infrequently stirring the sauce with a rubber spatula, around 3 minutes. The sauce should become quite smooth and fluid and no longer look grainy. In other words, you are looking to ensure the sugar has dissolved.
Add cream and reduce the heat to medium low. Stir constantly with a heat resistant spatula and cook for 7-8 minutes until the temperate of the caramel reaches 225. After a minute of cooking, turn your heat up back to medium heat.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and a heaping 1/4 tsp coarse salt. Taste and see if you prefer to add a bit more salt to balance the sweetness. This sauce will store in an airtight container in a fridge for about a month.
