Use better-for-you ingredients and whip together this Healthy Caramel Sauce in a matter of minutes. Plus lots of ideas for how to put this sauce to good use!
Caramel Sauce Healthy
This caramel sauce is amazing! And it couldn’t be easier to whip together. There are only five ingredients that get whisked briskly together to create a creamy, flavorful, caramel-reminiscent sauce.
And while nothing can truly replace a sugar-and-butter-laden Caramel Sauce, this healthy version is the perfect way to curb those cravings in a way that’s aligned with wholesome nutrition goals. It’s a treat I don’t feel bad about drizzling over my breakfast yogurt bowls or fresh fruit as an afternoon pick-me-up.
Ingredients
- Coconut oil: Melts and firms up, giving the sauce a perfect texture for drizzling.
- Maple syrup: This is a natural sweetener, grab pure maple syrup with no additives.
- Almond butter: The main flavor, so pick your fave. I like creamy, slow-roasted almond butter with sea salt.
- Sea salt & vanilla extract: Adjust the salt depending on the almond butter’s saltiness.
How To Make Healthy Caramel Sauce
- Preparation: Gather coconut oil (solid), maple syrup, roasted lightly salted almond butter, salt, and vanilla. Choose your favorite almond butter to ensure you love the flavor.
- Melting: Heat coconut oil and maple syrup in a microwave-safe bowl until melted and smooth. Stir until the mixture is very smooth to prevent lumps.
- Combine and Flavor: Whisk in almond butter until smooth, then add salt and vanilla. Continue whisking if the mixture initially seems uneven.
- Thicken and Serve: Let the sauce stand at room temperature to thicken, then stir again before using. Taste and adjust the saltiness to suit your preference, especially based on the almond butter used.
How To Use Healthy Caramel Sauce
- We’re obsessed with adding this sauce on top of this Healthy Ice Cream — in our book, there are few nutritious desserts better than that!
- Healthy caramel sauce for apples: Thinly slice apples to dip in the sauce, or make apple nachos: Lay out thinly sliced Fuji apples, drizzle with the sauce, top with dark chocolate chips, pumpkin seeds, coconut, etc.
- Drizzle on top of the cream cheese frosting on this Applesauce Cake for a healthy caramel apple cake.
- Drizzle over a fresh fruit and yogurt bowl (or see more ideas on this yogurt bowl post).
- Make this Chocolate Protein Shake and drizzle this sauce on top.
- Use in place of syrup on these Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes.
Storage
Healthy Caramel Sauce storage
- Store any unused caramel sauce in an airtight container in the fridge. When ready to use, microwave for 3-5 seconds, whisk briskly, and enjoy!
- Refrigerate for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
More Nutritious Dessert Recipes
- Healthy Banana Muffins with Greek yogurt
- Chewy Granola Bars with miniature chocolate chips
- Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding naturally sweetened and thickened pudding
- Healthy No-Bake Cookies with coconut and dark chocolate
- Healthy Pumpkin Bread with chocolate chips
Healthy Caramel Sauce
This Healthy Caramel Sauce comes together in just 20 minutes with better-for-you ingredients. Perfect for drizzling, dipping, or adding a sweet twist to your favorites!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil measured when solid
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1-1/2 tablespoons roasted and salted almond butter see note 1
- 1/8 teaspoon salt see note 2
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add the (solid) coconut oil and maple syrup to a microwave-safe bowl. Melt in the microwave for 20 seconds, stir, and return for another 20 seconds or until melted and smooth.
- Add in almond butter and briskly whisk until completely smooth. It may seem like it’s not coming together at first, but keep whisking. Add in salt and vanilla extract and whisk again to combine.
- Set bowl aside, leaving at room temperature to firm up for about 20–30 minutes. Stir again and enjoy! (See the blog post above for serving suggestions.)
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Almond butter is the main flavor of the caramel sauce, so be sure to get a really tasty almond butter you enjoy straight out of the jar. I enjoy slow-roasted creamy almond butter with sea salt. Another favorite is this cinnamon bun butter—so tasty!
Note 2: Reduce or omit salt, depending on how salty the almond butter is. Alternatively, add a bit more for a healthy salted caramel sauce.
Storage: Store caramel sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. When ready to use, microwave for 3–5 seconds, whisk briskly, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 109kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 49mg | Potassium: 47mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Have you broken down the nutritional values?
This looks delicious and what a great idea using sweet potatoes in ice cream!
Love making homemade healthier ice cream…so excited this uses sweet potatoes! Can’t wait to try 🙂
You are seriously going to die! It’s the best ice cream! Can’t wait for you to try it! 🙂