Vegan Caramel Sauce (No added sugar!)

This Vegan Caramel Sauce is made with 4 simple pantry ingredients (no added sugar) and it’s ready to go in 5 minutes. 

Attention readers with a sweet tooth! Are you looking for some healthier, lower sugar dessert options?

This Vegan Caramel Sauce was made for you. I use this sauce in my Vegan Caramel Apple Pie Bars, but there are so many different ways you can use this versatile, delicious sauce. Drizzle it on these simple Baked Apples, or swirl some into these Banana Chocolate Chip Blondies. It would be incredible as a topping on this Chocolate Peanut Butter Nice Cream. So many delicious, healthy dessert options!

Traditional caramel sauce is made of sugar, butter and cream. To make caramel sauce, sugar is melted in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it turns a caramel color. Then, butter and cream are added to the pan and stirred over low heat until everything has dissolved and combined together.

I took out the added sugar. And the butter. Oh, and the the cream, too. You don’t even need a stove to make this Vegan Caramel Sauce recipe! Just grab your blender and you’re good to go.

Clearly, this isn’t a traditional caramel sauce. But you’re going to be pleasantly surprised at just how tasty this healthier replacement is!

This dairy-free caramel sauce is a quick, easy version of classic caramel sauce. So, the next time you have those caramel cravings, don’t despair, as this super easy homemade caramel sauce is there to save the day!

Recipe Ingredients for 4-Ingredient Vegan Caramel Sauce

As the name suggests, this easy vegan caramel sauce requires only 4 simple ingredients. Two of them are water and salt! You won’t even have to rush to the store to get them, as they’re readily available in your pantry!

Dates

The main ingredient for this vegan caramel recipe is 15 pitted dates. Soft dates work best for this sauce; therefore, if your dates aren’t soft, soak them in hot water for 5-10 minutes and then proceed with the recipe.

Dates are the fruit of the date palm tree and have several health benefits. Although they are high-caloric, dates offer immense nutrition. They are a good source of fiber, magnesium, potassium, iron, and Vitamin B6.

The high fiber content in dates helps with constipation and keeps sugar levels from spiking. Furthermore, dates have antioxidants, including flavonoids, carotenoids, and phenolic acid, which reduce inflammation and prevent Alzheimer’s disease and certain types of cancers. These antioxidants also promote heart health and brain health and lower the risk of heart disease.

With so many benefits, this tiny little fruit has a lot to offer!

Vanilla Extract

The second ingredient for this 4-ingredient vegan caramel sauce is ½ a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Vanilla extract enhances the taste of all the other ingredients in the recipe and gives the vegan caramel sauce a pleasant caramel-y aroma.

Salt

Next, we need around ¼ teaspoon of coarse sea salt. This is an optional ingredient and you can leave it out if you want,  but if you’re looking to elevate the sweetness of the dates and vanilla extract, a pinch of salt can do the trick. Who doesn’t love a salted caramel flavor, anyway?

Water

And lastly, we need something liquid to mix all the ingredients of the vegan caramel sauce. Therefore, we will add ½ a cup of water or as desired to give the caramel sauce a pourable consistency.

If you want to make your caramel sauce creamier, you can switch water with coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk. It will likely taste more like coconut caramel sauce, but it will be rich.

How to Make the Best Vegan Caramel Sauce

When we hear the word caramel sauce, our mind goes to the store-bought caramel sauce that contains tons of ingredients or the homemade kind that requires a lot of mixing and stirring. However, this homemade caramel sauce is so easy to make; it requires just 5 minutes!

1. Put the dates, water, and vanilla in your blender.

2. If your blender has different speeds, start on low for about 10 seconds, then turn it up to high and blend until you have a smooth mixture.

3. Add additional water as needed to achieve your desired consistency.

4. Taste and add more salt if you prefer.

And that’s all you need to make yourself an easy vegan caramel sauce that you can have with your favorite vegan desserts. Seems too good to be true, right? Trust me, this vegan caramel sauce tastes incredible and you’re going to be blown away!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

As there are many variations to the vegan caramel sauce recipe, here are some common queries to help you with it:

Q. What can I use instead of dates in this vegan caramel sauce recipe?

Since dates are the main ingredient in this recipe, you can’t really replace them. However, if you’re allergic or want a different option, I do have another way you can make a vegan caramel sauce. Try this 2-ingredient vegan caramel dip that’s made with maple syrup and tahini. The flavor is different, but it’s also super yummy!

Q. How to store the vegan caramel sauce?

To store, place it in an airtight container, and keep it in the refrigerator for at least a week. (Although it’s usually gone in a few days when I make it!)

Q. What are some serving suggestions for this vegan caramel sauce recipe?

Just like regular caramel sauce, this vegan caramel sauce can go with practically anything! It works as the perfect topping for non-dairy ice cream and pancakes. You can even use this sauce to make caramel chocolate chip cookie bars, or drizzle on these no-bake almond butter cookies. It is amazing as a topping on this Chocolate Baked Oats!

In short, whenever you’re having a caramel craving, just add a teaspoon of this delicious sauce to anything you’re having!

If you try this recipe or any of my other healthy recipes, please let me know what you think in the comments below and don’t forget to leave a star rating. Share your photo on Instagram and tag me and I’ll feature you. I can’t wait to see you try this!

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