• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
An Edible Mosaic™
  • about
    • contact
    • accessibility
    • privacy policy
    • terms and conditions
  • cookbooks
  • recipes
  • world cuisine
    • arabic and middle eastern
    • asian
    • british
    • buffalo foods
    • czech
    • dutch
    • ethiopian
    • french
    • german
    • greek
    • indian
    • irish
    • italian
    • jamaican
    • jewish
    • latin
    • polish
    • russian and ukrainian
    • swedish
    • tex mex
    • thai
    • west african
  • Nav Social Menu

menu icon
go to homepage
  • cookies!
  • about
  • recipes
  • cookbooks
  • subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • cookies!
    • about
    • recipes
    • cookbooks
    • subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Type » Sauces and Condiments

    Salted Coconut Caramel Sauce {Paleo}

    Published: Apr 19, 2013 · Modified: Apr 14, 2022 by Faith · This post may contain affiliate links · 43 Comments

    DSC_5353(small)

    I know you’re going to see this caramel and think I’m a liar.

    You’ll think it was made with naughty things heavy cream, white sugar, and bricks of butter.

    DSC_5292(small)

    I don’t blame you; this caramel sauce is pretty amazing. Rich and golden, lusciously velvety. And I will tell you that it’s sweet, but not cloyingly so, with a touch of salt, a subtle smokiness, and a hint of coconut. How could it be made with anything but those wicked (lol!) ingredients?

    Looks are deceiving like that.

    As it happens, there isn’t a drop of heavy cream or a grain of white sugar, and there’s only one tablespoon of butter in the whole recipe. Oh, and there is a vegan option as well. Be still my fluttering heart.

    DSC_5323(small)

    Just think of the possibilities with this recipe:

    Coffee (Hello iced coffee season…and homemade frappuccinos!)

    French toast, pancake, and waffle topping

    Ice cream and frozen yogurt topping

    Oatmeal, yogurt, and pudding topping

    Fruit drizzle or dip (It’s a perfect “fondue”, especially after chilling in the fridge overnight - see the photo at the bottom of this post.)

    Filling for homemade chocolate-caramel candies

    Filling for sandwich cookies or layer cakes

    Spread for toast

    Pleasure that comes from eating it off a spoon

    I would feel guilty about introducing you to this not-so-guilty pleasure right before beach season, but I don’t. Reach for this caramel sauce instead of its cousin that’s laden with heavy cream and white sugar, and I think you’ll be just as satisfied.

    DSC_5275(small)

    Print
    Salted Coconut Caramel Sauce {Paleo}
    Prep time:  2 mins
    Cook time:  20 mins
    Total time:  22 mins
    Yield: About 1¼ cups
     
    Ingredients
    • 1 (14 oz/400 g) can full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk
    • ¼ cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup or honey
    • ¼ cup (50 g) coconut palm sugar
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
    • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
    Instructions
    1. Combine the coconut milk, maple syrup (or honey), and coconut palm sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
    2. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down so it doesn’t boil over, and boil until thickened, dark amber in color, and reduced to between 1 to 1¼ cups, about 15 minutes, whisking frequently. (The cooking process is all about evaporating off the extra liquid. Because of this, it could take longer depending on the weather; I made mine on a dry day, but I would expect the cooking process to take a bit longer on a humid day.)
    3. Turn off heat and whisk in the vanilla, salt, and butter until smooth.
    4. Cool completely, and then use or store in lidded glass jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
    Notes
    Recipe inspired by my recipe for Vegan Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk.

    Vegan Option: Use maple syrup (instead of honey) and use a vegan “butter” spread (instead of butter). If you go with a vegan "butter" spread, you may want to start with a bit less salt at first and add more to taste.
    3.5.3251

    DSC_5451(small)

    This sauce should keep for up to three weeks stored in a lidded glass jar in the fridge. After refrigerating overnight, it will thicken slightly and become opaque like the photo directly above (note that even after refrigerating this sauce does not need to be reheated to have a caramel sauce consistency; in fact, I don’t recommend reheating it since this may change the texture). The other photos that show the caramel’s darker color were taken on the same day it was made; either way it tastes amazing. 

    More Sauces and Condiments

    • salad shirazi recipe featured image
      Salad Shirazi Recipe - The Easy Persian Salad That Goes With Everything!
    • chermoula sauce featured image
      5 Minute Moroccan Chermoula Sauce Recipe
    • dukkah spice mix featured image
      10 Minute Authentic Dukkah Recipe (Egyptian Herb and Spice Mix)
    • balsamic caramelized onion featured image
      How to Make Caramelized Onions (The Best Balsamic Caramelized Onions of Your Life!)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      Rate this recipe:  

    1. Julia says

      October 17, 2014 at 10:05 am

      I'm making this right now! I can't wait to try it! :D Hope you've had a marvelous week, my dear!

      Reply
      • Julia says

        October 17, 2014 at 10:37 am

        And it's most excellent! Thanks so much for a great recipe, Faith!!

        Reply
    2. Amy says

      October 16, 2014 at 12:14 pm

      This was really good.... until I added the salt. I didn't even add quite all of it and our whole family felt it was too salty. I think the salt in the "butter" (I used earth balance soy free buttery spread) would be sufficient salt. Will definitely make again, just not adding salt. Thank you for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Faith says

        October 16, 2014 at 12:28 pm

        Amy, Thanks so much for trying my recipe and for your comment! I just want to mention that the recipe actually calls for unsalted butter, so using a different product (like a "buttery spread") definitely impacted the final outcome. Also, if you used fine salt instead of coarse salt (which is what the recipe specifies), the end result will be too salty. I hope this helps!

        Reply
    3. Lisa | Mummy Made.It says

      October 14, 2014 at 12:46 am

      i love caramel!!! I eat it by the spoonful

      Reply
    4. Michelle says

      January 25, 2014 at 11:01 am

      I just made this to spoon over some ice cream- so delicious!! It turned out so thick and creamy and smooth. It was fun to make too. I found coconut palm sugar at Vitacost.com.

      Reply
    5. Melinda @ Recipefiction says

      October 13, 2013 at 6:32 pm

      I just wanted to let you know that I ended up using this sauce as a base to make caramel apple sauce which in turn I added to my apple muffins. I made them for a friend's birthday and they were a huge hit, she loved the sauce! Thank you for the recipe and the inspiration.

      Reply
    6. Emily says

      October 03, 2013 at 7:46 pm

      I'd love to try this with apples :-)

      Reply
    7. Michelle Grant says

      September 15, 2013 at 7:02 pm

      I just made this yesterday and it tastes fantastic. It does seem to have a slight grainy texture...has this happened when you made it? Not sure what I did wrong. If you have any ideas, I would love to hear.

      Thanks so much for the delicious recipe!

      Reply
      • Faith says

        September 16, 2013 at 12:56 am

        Michelle, I'm so glad you enjoyed this, thanks so much for letting me know! When I make it, it's always completely silky smooth without any graininess. The only thing I can think of to ask you is when you added the sea salt...did you do it as the recipe says and add it right after you turned off the heat and then whisk until smooth (basically to dissolve the salt in the hot caramel)? If you waited longer than that and added the salt later, maybe that caused graininess, but that's all I can think of. Hope this helps! :)

        Reply
    8. Debbie says

      September 11, 2013 at 11:22 pm

      Can't have any dairy, substitutions for the butter??

      Reply
      • Faith says

        September 12, 2013 at 7:54 am

        Hi Debbie, Like I mentioned in the Notes above, you can make this with a vegan "butter" - basically a dairy-free margarine. Hope you enjoy it if you give it a try!

        Reply
    9. Elizabeth says

      July 22, 2013 at 4:05 pm

      I'm going to try this out tonight but I'm going to use homemade coconut milk. I can't get mine to come out as creamy as the canned stuff. I'll let you know how it goes. Looks yummy!

      Reply
    10. Nutmeg Nanny says

      May 06, 2013 at 5:12 pm

      Gah! Caramel, coconut and Paleo! Could this get any better?

      Reply
    11. ashley - baker by nature says

      April 22, 2013 at 7:57 pm

      Heck to the yes!

      Reply
    12. Evelyne@cheapethniceatz says

      April 22, 2013 at 3:36 pm

      I won,t lick the spoon, but eat the whole jar. Love anything with coconut, maple syrup and lovely hint of sea salt

      Reply
    13. dixya@food, pleasure, and health says

      April 22, 2013 at 2:50 pm

      yum yum yum. I could eat this by spoonful all day

      Reply
    14. grace says

      April 22, 2013 at 8:00 am

      how magical. i'm now more convinced than ever that the coconut is one of the top 5 foods god ever created. :)

      Reply
    15. [email protected] says

      April 22, 2013 at 7:10 am

      Its a great recipes isn't it I love coconut sugar

      Reply
    16. Jenn and Seth says

      April 21, 2013 at 5:00 pm

      oh my gosh this looks amazing Faith!! I wanna dip ALL THE THINGS in it :)

      Reply
    17. Abby says

      April 20, 2013 at 4:21 pm

      I'm going to dream about this sauce until it ends up on my pancakes!

      Reply
    18. Erica says

      April 20, 2013 at 11:48 am

      Eating it off a spoon sounds perfect!!!! It looks creamy, smooth and delicious, Faith!

      Reply
    19. Joanne says

      April 20, 2013 at 5:37 am

      Sooooo I need that caramel in my life! I plan on spooning it over EVERYTHING.

      Reply
    20. Carrie says

      April 19, 2013 at 4:11 pm

      Any chance on leaving the coconut sugar out all together and this still working? Maybe increasing the amount of honey a little?

      Reply
      • Faith says

        April 21, 2013 at 12:42 pm

        Carrie, I haven't tried it, but it might work...let me know if you give it a try!

        Reply
    21. Krista says

      April 19, 2013 at 12:39 pm

      Yum, yum, yum!

      I do have a question, though. Could you sub the coconut palm sugar with something else? I don't have that ingredient on hand....;)

      Reply
      • Faith says

        April 19, 2013 at 2:58 pm

        Krista, The closest substitution would be light brown sugar (lightly packed). Hope you enjoy it!! :)

        Reply
    22. Laura (Tutti Dolci) says

      April 19, 2013 at 11:53 am

      I think I need a few jars of this sauce in my fridge, plus plenty of spoons for dipping ;).

      Reply
    23. Alyssa (Everyday Maven) says

      April 19, 2013 at 11:45 am

      Yum Faith - what a nice treat to have tucked away in the fridge!

      Reply
    24. Lucy says

      April 19, 2013 at 8:55 am

      Oh wow, I can't believe this doesn't have any cream in! It looks so decadent and just like traditional butter-laden sauces - so clever.

      Reply
    25. thelittleloaf says

      April 19, 2013 at 5:52 am

      This looks utterly divine! I saw Oh Ladycakes' recipe for this recently and have been meaning to make ever since - you've persuaded me that this weekend it's a MUST.

      Reply
      • Faith says

        April 19, 2013 at 8:31 am

        thelittleloaf, I love this sauce so much I was thinking about making another batch this weekend! Maybe I'll try someone else's version. I will have to check out her recipe to see what she uses as the sweetener!

        Reply
    26. Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says

      April 19, 2013 at 5:47 am

      I absolutely loooove this idea!! Yum!

      Reply
    27. Rosa says

      April 19, 2013 at 5:44 am

      Oh, yummy!

      Cheers,

      Rosa

      Reply
    28. Erica says

      April 19, 2013 at 5:28 am

      How yum! Another creative sauce. Yayy for coconut milk

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Baked Chocolate Custard Tarts - Healthy Sweet Eats says:
      December 8, 2019 at 7:43 am

      […] cream” would also be yummy and will keep this recipe paleo-friendly), and as well as my homemade salted coconut caramel sauce. Additionally, I toasted up some pumpkin seeds and added those on top for both flavor and textural […]

      Reply
    2. Healthy Paleo-Friendly Snickers Smoothie Recipe | Healthy Sweet Eats says:
      April 18, 2018 at 11:01 pm

      […] this recipe, I also added a homemade caramel sauce (I used my recipe for Salted Coconut Caramel Sauce that’s on my other blog, An Edible Mosaic), but you can use your favorite brand of […]

      Reply
    3. Baked Chocolate Custard Tarts Recipe | Healthy Sweet Eats says:
      April 12, 2017 at 11:02 pm

      […] cream” would also be yummy and will keep this recipe paleo-friendly), and as well as my homemade salted coconut caramel sauce. Additionally, I toasted up some pumpkin seeds and added those on top for both flavor and textural […]

      Reply
    4. How to Make Paleo Salted Caramel - The Roasted Root says:
      February 3, 2017 at 12:32 pm

      […] coconut sugar itself has a natural caramel-y flavor. I based this recipe on Faith Gorsky’s Salted Coconut Caramel Sauce, so be sure to check out her version as […]

      Reply
    5. Gluten Free Crepes with Spiced Apples and Salted Caramel says:
      August 30, 2016 at 11:58 am

      […] of a task, but I located an easier AND healthier version of the tasty sauce. I borrowed Faith’s Salted Coconut Caramel Sauce from her blog, An Edible Mosaic, and simply omitted the butter because I didn’t have any on […]

      Reply
    6. Healthy Food Friday: Coconut {Coconut Shrimp with Orange Chia Marmalade} - Lexi's Clean Kitchen says:
      September 22, 2015 at 9:32 am

      […] Salted Coconut Caramel Sauce from An Edible Mosaic  […]

      Reply
    7. Gluten and Starch Free Paleo Coconut Caramel Apple Muffins - Recipe Fiction says:
      July 1, 2015 at 2:41 pm

      […] inspired by Natalie of Perry’s Plate’s “Paleo Apple Cinnamon Muffins” and An Edible Mosaic’s “Salted Coconut Caramel Sauce” […]

      Reply
    8. Delicious and Spicy Paleo Recipes I'm adding to my fitness goals. says:
      April 1, 2015 at 2:56 pm

      […] Salted Coconut Caramel Sauce  |  An Edible Mosaic […]

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    faith photo with welcome

    Hi, I'm Faith!

    I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind An Edible Mosaic. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had. Welcome to An Edible Mosaic!

    More About Faith →
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • RSS Feed

    Popular Recipes

    • boba milk tea featured image
      How to Make Bubble Tea (Easy Boba Tea Recipe)
    • mini victoria sponge cakes featured image
      Mini Victoria Sponge Cake Recipe - Fit for Royalty & Easy to Make as Cupcakes! {video}
    • canned chicken salad featured image
      Canned Chicken Salad Recipe
    • low carb chicken casserole featured image
      Keto Spinach Artichoke Chicken Casserole - Based on the Dip! {video}

    Seasonal Recipes

    • pear kale salad featured image
      Simple Pear Kale Salad with Candied Almonds and Crumbled Feta
    • slow cooker enchiladas featured image
      Really Easy Crockpot Enchiladas (Ground Beef Slow Cooker Enchilada Casserole)
    • baked brie featured image
      20-Minute Elegant Baked Brie Recipe with Honeyed Grapes
    • caramel apple popcorn featured image
      Easy Caramel Apple Popcorn Recipe and a Fall-Themed Movie Night Snack Board

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Contact
    • Accessibility Policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    an edible mosaic stamp logo 1200 square

    SEE RECIPE INDEX

    Social

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • RSS Feed

    My Other Blogs

    • Daily Desserting
    • The Keto Queens

    An Edible Mosaic is monetized in part though affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you click on an affiliate link and/or purchase an item after clicking on an affiliate link, I may receive a percentage of the sales price. I only recommend products that I use and love.

    Copyright © 2023 An Edible Mosaic