14 Ways to Cook with Caramel

Parents, coworkers, and family friends will swoon over this “adult” caramel sauce spiked with rum and warm spices. It makes an excellent final touch to pound cake, vanilla ice cream, or bread pudding. To reheat, microwave the desired amount of caramel in a microwave-safe dish at HIGH 45 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds until pourable.

A quick homemade caramel sauce that’s folded into fresh apple slices and baked in a whole-grain crust takes this classic holiday pie to the next level. A hint of salt in the sauce intensifies the apple flavor and balances the sweetness. Apples contain a natural thickener called pectin; grating some of the fruit will ensure a gooey, cohesive mixture once baked. Crisp, sweet Fuji apples bake beautifully and will contrast the salty caramel. You can also use Cripps Pink or Honeycrisp apples.

We took a look at the original recipe published in 2003 and decided to update it with less sugar and more whole grains. Instead of boiling the parsnips, we roast them to concentrate their sweetness; this allows us to use less added sugar. We also switched from refined all-purpose flour to whole-wheat pastry flour, and simplified the format to a sheet cake. A few tweaks later, we had a moist, tender, tastier spice cake capped with an indulgent caramel-flavored cream cheese icing.

A slightly thicker caramel and the addition of whole roasted almonds turn traditional caramel popcorn into gift-worthy popcorn mix. We use less sugar in the glaze and cut the sweetness with mild white miso (fermented soybean paste) and tamari (a richer, wheat-free soy sauce) for a salty-savory note that makes the snack incredibly addictive.

End the holiday meal with a dessert everyone can enjoy, like this spicy-sweet nut mix. This treat has no refined sugar and is drizzled in a simple, 4-ingredient vegan caramel. Clean eating is possible—even at dessert!

These nutty dessert balls are naturally sweetened by dried cherries, honey, and a vegan caramel drizzle. You have found the perfect alternative to processed-sugar laden cookies and desserts. Trade in the old for a flavorful, lightly sweet and satisfying treat.

You've no doubt heard of—and enjoyed—salted caramel. Miso caramel takes that concept one step further, offering the irresistible salty-sweet flavor combo along with a richness that's unparalleled. You may just love this caramel so much that you want to make a big batch for yourself or to give as holiday gifts; we won't blame you. And even though this pie is rather decadent, it still comes in with 12g less sugar than a popular online version of caramel apple pie. Ever been disappointed by an apple pie where the fruit was still just a little crunchy, not tender as you'd hoped for? This recipe makes sure you end up with buttery-soft fruit by first covering the raw apple slices with boiling water to soften them before they even go in the crust.

Try this recipe the next time you have a leftover French loaf; the texture of bread pudding is better with day-old bread. You can also use fat-free fudge topping in place of the caramel topping.

Experimenting with unusual ingredients can produce an irresistible batch of cookies. In this recipe, caramel and popcorn pieces create the ultimate combination of salty-and-sweet—in cookie form! 

Here’s a snack for those times when you want salt, sugar, protein, and crunch all in one bite. There’s just enough butter to create a layer of caramel goodness. Peanut butter and sliced almonds provide richness. Make it for yourself or package for gifts. 

This season, there's no need to stress or spend hours in the kitchen. Serve this simple sweet treat at your next party or wrap it up beautifully for your friends. The first ingredient in this dark chocolate bark (psst, it’s quinoa) gives this treat loads of crunch. It’s a whole grain, which definitely makes this sweet even sweeter.

We build the dough from whole-wheat pastry flour and keep it fluffy and light with whipped eggs and egg whites. Instead of whipped cream, we make a vanilla bean custard from half-and-half and fat-free milk, a combo that adds richness and body with far less fat than heavy cream. Brown sugar, bourbon, and a dab of butter caramelize into a delicious glaze that's topped of with a sprinkle of sea salt, which balances the sweetness of the caramel and pastry cream. Forget eating in a flash; with half the calories and all the fluffy, cream-filled, caramel goodness of the original, these treats are meant to be savored.

Classic
467 calories per éclair
30.3 grams total fat
17.7 grams sat fat

Makeover
228 calories per éclair
8.3 grams total fat
4.7 grams sat fat