Four Irresistible Caramel Desserts to Indulge Your Sweet Tooth

In the decadent world of desserts, caramel has been a long-favored ingredient. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering its rich flavor and how easily it adapts with various ingredients. Its velvety texture is nothing short of luxurious, instantly elevating the dessert experience. Here are four recipes for caramel desserts that you need to try today!

Before you dive in, here’s a simple way you can make caramel sauce at home, that too, using just your microwave!

Salted Caramel Swirl Ice Cream

An egg-free, no-churn caramel dessert recipe, filled with caramel swirls and specks of sea salt. This ice cream dessert is a must-try!

Ingredients

• 473 ml heavy cream
• 414 ml condensed milk (sweetened)
• 118 ml caramel sauce (more for garnish)
• 1 tsp sea salt (more for garnish)

Instructions

• In an electric mixer, whisk heavy cream until it forms stiff peaks.
• Pour condensed milk into this and, using a spatula, fold it into the cream until the two are well combined.
• Next, fold in the caramel sauce and sea salt.
• Transfer the mixture into a container. Before freezing it, drizzle caramel sauce over the top and gently create swirls using a spatula. Finish it off with a sprinkle of sea salt.
• Cover the container and freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Your ice cream is all set to be scooped up.

Caramel Apple Pie

A warm, comforting apple dessert encapsulating the richness of caramel.

Ingredients

• 1.36 kg Granny Smith apples (peeled and sliced)
• 440 gm brown sugar
• 187 gm flour (and an additional 2 tbsp)
• 58 gm butter
• 125 gm pecans
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• Pie crust
• Caramel sauce

Instructions

• Combine 110 gm brown sugar and 2 tbsp flour with the Granny Smith apples. Make sure that all the apple slices are evenly coated.
• After melting butter in a saucepan, mix well with 187 gm flour, 330 gm brown sugar, baking powder, pecans, eggs, and salt.
• Line a cast iron skillet with pie crust. Make sure to pinch the sides of the crust to stay put against the skillet's edges.
• Now, add three-quarters of the apple mixture to form the pie’s base. Pour the pecan mixture over this. Continue layering with the apple mixture and the remaining pecan mixture.
• Bake the pie at 176°C for 1 hour 10 minutes.
• Before serving, generously drizzle the pie with caramel sauce.

Salted Caramel Banana Pudding

A twist on a classic and much-beloved dessert, this salted caramel rendition is perfect for the holidays.

Ingredients

For the pudding:

• 6 egg yolks
• 6 tbsp sugar
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 414 ml whole milk
• 375 ml heavy cream

For the assembly:

• 3 dozen vanilla wafer cookies
• 4 large bananas (sliced, 1/2 -inch thick)
• 6 tbsp salted caramel sauce
• 237 ml heavy cream
• 3 tbsp confectioner’s sugar
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

• In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, cornstarch and salt until you arrive at a smooth consistency. Set it aside.
• Over medium heat, combine milk and heavy cream in a pot. Once you notice it bubbling around the edges, add the egg mixture and whisk vigorously until smooth. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, until the mixture has thickened.
• Immediately transfer it to an ice bath and stir gently to cool the mixture.
• In an 8-inch square baking dish, layer slices of banana at the base followed by a layer of cookies on top. Drizzle with 3 tbsp of salted caramel sauce and half the pudding mixture. Repeat the layers and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Ensure that the pudding is loosely covered.
• Serve with whipped cream — whisk heavy cream, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla until you achieve stiff peaks.

Oatmeal Caramel Cream Pies

Filled with a surprising salty-sweet caramel filling, this oatmeal caramel cream pie is guaranteed to satiate your sugar cravings!

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• 215 gm salted butter (softened)
• 150 gm granulated sugar
• 165 gm brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 187 gm all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon (ground)
• 291 gm rolled oats (uncooked)
• 109 gm toasted pecans (chopped)

For the salted caramel buttercream:

• 16 caramel candies
• 3 tbsp heavy cream
• 107 gm salted butter (softened)
• 85 gm cream cheese (softened)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp salt
• 453 gm powdered sugar

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 176°C.

To make the cookies:

• In an electric mixer, whisk butter and sugar on medium for 2 minutes until creamy. Then add eggs and vanilla extract, until it is just about combined.
• In a separate bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Gradually, add this to the butter mixture on a low speed until everything is combined. Finally, stir in the oats and pecans.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a 1½-inch cookie scoop, drop portions of the batter on the sheet; they should be 3 inches apart.
• Bake for 9-10 minutes, until the cookies are golden. Then cool them for about 20 minutes.

To make the buttercream:

• In a bowl, add caramel candies and 1 tbsp heavy cream and microwave on high — for a minute — stirring at 3-second intervals. You should end up with a smooth texture. To this add 1 tbsp heavy cream. Allow it to cool for 30 minutes.
• Using the electric mixer, beat salted butter and cream cheese on medium until creamy. Then add 2 tsp vanilla extract and salt and beat until they’re mixed well.
• Gradually, on a low speed, add the powdered sugar — alternating it with the caramel mixture — to the above mixture. Add 1 tbsp cream to the mix, 1 tsp at a time, until you arrive at the desired consistency.
• Spread 1½ tbsp of the buttercream on the flat side of a cookie and sandwich it with another cookie.
• Your oatmeal caramel cream pies are ready to be devoured.

If you’re looking for more desserts to create with caramel, here are seven others you can create.