This Vegan Caramel Sauce recipe is incredibly decadent and also easy to make. All it requires is 4 ingredients and 15 minutes of your time. Made with coconut milk, coconut sugar, coconut nectar, and vegan shortening, your friends will be so busy gobbling it up that they won’t ever guess it’s made with healthy ingredients.
My Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream is incredible smothered in this Vegan Caramel Sauce. This pairing is the perfect dairy-free dessert. I developed this rich caramel sauce recipe, as well as my vegan Chocolate Ganache for my world famous Paleo Caramel Brownies recipe.
Both of these toppings are also delicious when drizzled on the dairy-free ice cream recipes in my third book, Paleo Cooking from Elana’s Pantry. Those ice cream recipes include Coffee, “Peanut” Butter, Cookie Dough, and more, and are amazing topped with dairy-free Caramel Sauce.
Vegan Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- ¾ cup full fat coconut milk fat
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey, or coconut nectar, or maple syrup
- ¼ cup palm shortening
Instructions
- Place coconut milk fat, coconut sugar, and honey in a saucepan
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer
- Continue simmering for 10 minutes
- Allow caramel sauce to cool for 5 minutes
- Stir in shortening until completely dissolved
- Serve
Equipment
In order to obtain coconut milk fat for this recipe, refrigerate two cans of coconut milk for 24 hours, then open the cans and scoop the rich creamy fat off of the top, measuring out 3/4 cup for this recipe. You can use the water that has separated for smoothies or discard it.
If you would like to substitute various ingredients in this Vegan Caramel Sauce recipe, feel free. Please note that unless I test a substitution I have no way of knowing how or if it will work –that’s why I tested this recipe more than 15 times. I wish I had a crystal ball that would write recipes and test substitutions for me, however, I do everything the old fashioned way by working hard and using loads of ingredients to perfect each and every recipe for you until I get it just right!
Drizzle Vegan Caramel Sauce over these dairy-free ice cream recipes:
Michelle says
WOW very good. I served the sauce with your cinnamon apple cake. I did not found coconut sugar i used brown instead. Thank you for sharing.
Jessica @ Dairy Free Betty says
OH MY GOSH!! Caramel is one of the things I miss most being dairy free!!
Rosemary says
can you please just send me one text, I always get two of the same text.
Patricia says
While this caramel sauce may be good it is not vegan – honey is an animal product and vegans do not eat it.
Debbie says
Elana has said in her recipe “Honey or Coconut Nectar”. Coconut nectar is viable for a vegan.
Barb Patchin says
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to make it. Thanks for sharing all of your wonderful creations! I will be using all of the original ingredients you’ve listed. I get disgruntled at everyone who always wants to change everything up after all your hard work.
Deb M says
I’d like to use coconut oil instead of the vegan shortening. If anyone tries this substitution, please post about your results and any modification on the amount.
Thanks!
Joelle says
I’d like to know this too. I have palm shortening, but I would also like to be considerate of what Hollis was talking about in the future. THAT and I love knowing alternatives because I live in a rural area, and I do not always have the luxury of running out to get an ingredient. =)
yvette jarvis says
Love this!! Thanks so much for all the time and effort you put into these posts and wow…amazing food. I appreciate so much that you share them.
You Rock !!
Hollis Zelinsky says
Elana,
The sauce looks yummy, but I really wish that, just as you’ve managed quite successfully to move away from your regular use of agave syrup in your recipes (good move. . .), you’d similarly consider doing so with palm oil. The severe environmental devastation, including the absolutely appalling effects on the now-seriously endangered and increasingly abused oranatangs of Indonesia is so horrible, I don’t see how anyone who’s aware of the consequences of the slash and burn monoculture involved with palm oil production can touch the stuff. And it’s not as if there aren’t alternatives: I notice that the caramel recipes you used for inspiration used coconut oil, which is my oil of choice. Even if it results in a slightly less gooey confection, I think that’s more than worth it, if it means not supporting such terrible practices.
For anyone who’s not aware of what palm oil production is all about,
here’s some information for you:
http://ran.org/sites/default/files/po_factsheet.pdf
http://www.saynotopalmoil.com/images.php
Respectfully,
Hollis
Hollis says
As Sara mentioned above (and I should have included in my comment),
Tropical Traditions is a company that you can feel confident produces
a palm oil that doesn’t contribute to the environmental, social, and
every other way devastation of the Indonesian rain forests, being
produced in South America under strict guidelines. And their products are great! Here’s the pertinent information about this
from their website:
Tropical Traditions Organic Palm Shortening – Sourced from Eco-friendly Sustainable Farms
Tropical Traditions Organic Palm Shortening comes from small scale family farms in South America. These farmers are certified by ProForest, which ensures that they meet strict social, environmental and technical criteria. With regard to environmental criteria, the assessments are carried out at the landscape and operational level at both the farms and processing facilities. These assessments cover environmental impact on the soil, water, air, biodiversity and local communities. The lands the farmers use are not lands that were deforested. The lands used to grow the palm fruit are lands previously used for agricultural purposes (cattle, rice, banana).
Lisa says
Has anyone tried this recipe using Nutiva, a blend of palm and coconut shortening?
Jenny says
Just as a heads up, many vegans do not eat honey (animals are used to produce the honey) so this would be inappropriate to label as a vegan caramel sauce. I am hoping that a substitution with maple syrup will give similar results. Thanks for the recipe :)
Debbie says
Elana has in her recipe “honey or coconut nectar”. I don’t believe that coconut nectar is not vegan.
Jennifer L. says
And good grief folks, how many times in the comments section do vegans need to point out that honey comes from a living insect and is not considered vegan? The vegans need to learn to read more carefully, evidently. I am simply floored at how many times that statement was made by different people. Wow.
Mary says
That looks so good, and so much better for you than the store-bought version. I would love to make this for my Niece, but I cannot get the vegetable shortening anywhere in Canada, nor do they ship it. Is there a substitute I could use in place of it, such as grass-fed butter or coconut oil? Thanks.
Pink Peppercorn and Paprika says
Hi Mary – I think this shortening is available to ship to Canada!
http://www.vitacost.com/spectrum-organic-shortening-24-oz
Hope so :)
Sara says
My favorite shortening comes from Tropical Tradition – http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/organic_palm_shortening.htm. I would assume they ship to Canada. And their products are excellent! They are a very conscience company for sustainable harvesting of coconut and palm products.
Hollis Zelinsky says
Sara,
Thanks for bringing up this great alternative for an ethical palm oil source. You’re absolutely right — they’re a wonderful company with great products, produced with the highest degree of care about people,
animals, and the environment. I’ve never used their palm oil, but love their coconut oil and other coconut products.
Mary says
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!
Nicole says
I do order my shortening from Vitacost, and I’m in Canada.