Here's a recipe for sweet and salty low-carb sugar-free caramel sauce with only 1 gram total carbohydrate per tablespoon. And, there's no sugar alcohol or fiber sweetener! Perfect for dessert!
Article Index
- Ingredients Needed For Sugar-Free Caramel Sauce
- How To Make Sugar-Free Caramel Sauce
- Frequently Asked Questions About Keto Caramel Sauce
- Recipe
I've always been a lover of butterscotch and caramel. But, being packed full of sugar, they are not allowed on a low-carb diet. That is, if you don't have a keto-friendly version like this one!
Both butterscotch and caramel typically require a heavy dose of sugars and/or sweeteners for the taste to be right. When I made my sugar-free butterscotch pudding, the erythritol crystallized after refrigerating. So I hope to rework that recipe using liquid sweetener.
I'm recently have been moving away from using erythritol and fiber sweeteners. Instead, I've stocked up on both liquid and powder concentrated forms of monk fruit and stevia!
For monk fruit, I've been using this liquid and this powder. And for stevia, I mainly use this vanilla liquid stevia and this stevia powder.
As for this specific sugar-free caramel sauce, I opted to use liquid sweeteners.
I seem to be sensitive to both erythritol and fiber-based sweeteners, which is the main reason I avoid them. But, they also have carbs that are often subtracted for net carbs.
This sugar-free caramel recipe is going to taste amazing (without hurting your daily carb count)!
Ingredients Needed For Sugar-Free Caramel Sauce
There are only four simple ingredients in this sweet dessert sauce.
Butter
Whenever you make this caramel sauce, use unsalted butter. You should only use salted butter if you are wanting a salted caramel sauce.
Heavy Cream
The heavy cream is what will give it a rich taste and creamy texture. You only need about ¼ a cup.
Almond Butter
You should use unsalted almond butter as well. If you use salted almond butter, it will make the caramel sauce taste salty.
Monk Fruit Sweetener
For the best results, I suggest usingLakanto Liquid Monk Fruit Sweetener in vanilla. You honestly don't need much of it.
I used about ⅛th of a teaspoon, but you can add more if you want it a little sweeter.
Please note:Check out the recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients used to make this low-carb recipe.
Quick Tips:
- I prefer using salted butter and unsalted almond butter to give the sauce a buttery salted caramel taste.
- It’s best to use a light-colored pan so you can watch the color of the sauce and simmer it just until it turns golden brown.
- Use the sauce right away. As it cools down, it will begin to harden again.
How To Make Sugar-Free Caramel Sauce
All the exact steps are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. First, here are a few more tips and some step-by-step pictures.
Melt The Butter
You are going to make this entire recipe in a saucepan. Start out by melting the butter. Keep heating it until it turns golden brown and foamy.
Add Heavy Cream And Almond Butter
Then, add the heavy cream and almond butter and keep stirring it into the browned butter. Turn the heat down and continue to stir until it thickens up really nicely.
Remove From Heat & Stir In Sweetener
Finally, take it off the heat source and add the sweetener drops (you don't need very many). Taste it and add more if you want it to taste sweeter.
How To Use The Caramel Sauce
There are so many different low-carb desserts that will taste even better with this sauce. Add it on top of your favorite keto ice cream or drizzle it over a low-carb mug cake. Any chocolate dessert will taste even better with this sweet caramel sauce!
Sometimes, I'll just enjoy eating it right off the spoon.
When I put the leftover sauce in the refrigerator, it did harden up but was still easily scooped from the jar. I think this sugar-free caramel sauce would make a good filling for low-carb candies, too!
Frequently Asked Questions About Keto Caramel Sauce
Before I share the entire recipe, here are some questions people often ask about it.
Can you use erythritol instead of monk fruit sweetener?
I do not recommend using erythritol instead of monk fruit sweetener in a low-carb caramel sauce.
Erythritol can crystallize and make the product crunchy. Definitely not something I want in a dessert sauce!
What is the purpose of almond butter?
Not only does the almond butter add color, but it also thickens the sugar-free caramel sauce. At first, I tried two tablespoons, but that was too much. So, I reduced it to only 1 tablespoon, which was perfect.
How do you make this paleo?
For those on a paleo diet, I bet the butter could be replaced with ghee, and coconut cream could be used in place of heavy cream. I want to give that a try the next time I make this sauce, which will likely be very soon.
Should I use salted butter or unsalted butter?
That depends on whether you want it to taste salty or not. I used salted butter and it came out with a nice taste that was a cross between butterscotch and salted caramel.
Does the sauce harden when it gets cold?
The sauce does harden up when it gets cold. I served it over some low-carb vanilla ice cream and it got thick like fudge. And, the taste was amazing.
I got inspiration from a browned butter salted caramel sauce at The Chunky Chef to make my sauce. The idea to add almond butter came from the vegan caramel sauce found at Pinch of Yum!
Some may argue that keto dieters don't need sweets. But I enjoy them, so I don't want to give them up completely. However, I want to be smart about the ingredients I use to make them.
More Low-Carb Sauces & Toppings
If you enjoyed this low-carb caramel sauce, here are some more keto-friendly sauces and toppings you will enjoy next. They are some of our most popular recipes.
- Sugar-Free Raspberry Jam tastes amazing as a dip or on top of your favorite low-carb muffin.
- Keto Maple Syrup is the perfect thing for your protein pancakes or to top some chaffles.
- Low-Carb Peanut Butter Sauce is a delicious ice cream topping and has a wonderful nutty taste.
- Sugar-Free Cranberry Blueberry Sauce is a yummy combination of bright fruit flavors.
- Easy Hot Fudge Sauce is a cinch to make and only has 2g net carbs in each serving.
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Recipe
Low Carb Sugar Free Caramel Sauce
5 from 2 votes
A sweet and salty low carb caramel sauce with only 1 gram total carbohydrate per tablespoon. And, there's no sugar alcohol or fiber sweetener.
Prep Time:5 minutes mins
Cook Time:10 minutes mins
Total Time:15 minutes mins
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: American
Print Pin Review Recipe Save Recipe
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 194
Video
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter use salted if you like salty caramel
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon almond butter preferably unsalted
- ⅛ teaspoon Lakanto vanilla liquid monk fruit sweetener more or less to taste
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
Melt butter in pan over medium heat until it turns golden brown and foamy. It's best to use a light colored pan so you can watch the color.
Add in the heavy cream and almond butter to the browned butter. Stir to blend in. Then, lower heat and continue to stir frequently until sauce has thickened. If using unsalted butter and almond butter without salt, add in a dash of salt or more to taste.
Remove from heat and stir in the sweetener drops. It's best to use right away as it hardens up as it gets cold and needs to be gently warmed to reuse.
Notes
I prefer using salted butter and unsalted almond butter. It gives a buttery salted caramel taste.
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 194 | Carbohydrates: 2g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 11mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.2mg
Additional Info
Net Carbs: 1g | % Carbs: 100% | % Protein: 0% | % Fat: 0% | SmartPoints: 7
Notes on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Copyright
© LowCarbYum.com - Unauthorized use of this material without written permission is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes. Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.
First published on June 2, 2017. Updated on May 27, 2021, with new images and additional recipe information.