Salted Caramel Ice Cream – Barefeet in the Kitchen

Rich and buttery homemade salted caramel is transformed to frosty perfection in this irresistible Salted Caramel Ice Cream.

Caramel Ice Cream

Inspired by our love of warm caramel sauce and homemade ice cream, this is a wonderfully decadent ice cream. It’s been in our dessert rotation now for years.

The first time I made caramel ice cream was on a weekend my husband was out of town. I tasted it and then forced myself to hand the whole batch to a friend, because I knew I couldn’t be trusted with it on my own. (Yes, I have ice cream issues.)

I made this ice cream again a week later for my family, and it was a huge hit. Salted caramel is a beautiful thing. Just a tiny bit of salt enhances the flavors in the caramel beautifully.

If you haven’t yet tried it, get to the stove and stir some together just as soon as possible. With a sprinkling of salt stirred into some warm caramel, one taste and you’ll understand its popularity.

And, if you haven’t made your own caramel sauce yet, get on it! Homemade caramel sauce is dangerously easy to make and like so many other things, it tastes ten times better than anything you can buy from a store.

If you enjoy homemade salted caramel ice cream, then you have got to try this Twix Ice Cream next. It’s unbelievably good.

And, this Caramel Swirl Brownie Chunk Ice Cream is an awesome way to celebrate any occasion.

With over 70 ice cream recipes here to choose from, there’s sure to be an ice cream for everyone! If you’re new to making ice cream, the best and easiest vanilla ice cream is a great place to start.

These are my favorite inexpensive containers for storing ice cream. They’re perfect for gifting (who doesn’t love homemade ice cream?) storage, re-using, etc. I write the flavors on the lids with a sharpie and it washes off with dish soap.

I have more ice cream scoops than I can keep track of at this point and I definitely play favorites. This ice cream scoop does the best job ever of cutting through firm ice cream and still delivers a pretty scoop. It gets bonus points for being one of the least expensive scoops I own as well.

Don’t miss our Ice Cream Maker Review for all the information you need to find the BEST Ice Cream Maker for your needs! Spoiler alert – our top-rated machine under $50 just might surprise you. It sure surprised me!

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

• light brown sugar
• butter
• heavy cream
• milk
• vanilla extract
• sea salt

The most popular question I get is whether it’s possible to make ice cream without a machine. The answer is YES. You can make ice cream without a machine. Find the full directions here!

Salted Caramel Ice Cream Recipe

To begin, combine the butter and sugar in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. When the butter has melted, stir to combine the melted butter with the sugar.

Continue stirring while the mixture simmers for about 4 minutes, until thick, bubbling, and caramel colored. Remove from the heat.

Very slowly, pour the heavy cream into the hot caramel, whisking constantly. Continue whisking until smooth, making sure there isn’t a great deal of caramel stuck on the bottom of the pan. (A little bit at the bottom edges is fine.)

Add the milk, vanilla, and salt and whisk again until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until cold. Then, process according to your ice cream machine’s manufacturer’s directions.

Serve immediately for a soft serve ice cream, or transfer to an airtight container and freeze for a few hours for firmer ice cream.

Scoop into ice cream cones or serve in bowls with a drizzle of warm caramel sauce over the top.

Recipes with Caramel

I’ve always loved caramel. And, it shows in the number of recipes that I have played with that feature it. White Chocolate Caramel Fudge is a fabulous example. It pairs beautifully with a cup of coffee.

If you like caramel like me, then you should give Caramel Turtle Bark a try. It tastes far better fresh than anything you can find in the store. And, Caramel Swirl Cheesecake Cupcakes are an excellent dessert for your next party.

Salted Caramel Frosting elevates so many of our favorite chocolate desserts. You can’t go wrong putting it on baked goods, ice cream, or even smoothies.

Turn snack time into something special with a batch of Caramel Cheesecake Dip. Apple slices have never tasted better. And, No Bake Caramel Cheesecake Mousse is hands down the best no bake cheesecake dessert I’ve ever tasted.

{originally published 08/12/2014 – recipe notes and photos updated 07/07/2023}