Buttermilk Caramel Sauce

MAKES ABOUT 1⅓ CUPS

When I first started developing this recipe, I was thinking about how buttermilk might help to trim the fat a bit on what is typically a really rich sauce. But awesomely, you get so much more than that when buttermilk is introduced into the mix—the tang helps to offset the sweetness, and when added into a salted caramel like this one, along with the toasty notes of turbinado or piloncillo? Whoa, mama.

This sauce is not like your traditional caramel sauce at all—it’s something else altogether. Ice cream should be so lucky. (It’s also smack-the-table good on pancakes and waffles, if you really like your breakfast partner.)

1 cup (7 ounces/200 grams) turbinado sugar or grated piloncillo

2 tablespoons (1 ounce/28 grams) water

1 tablespoon honey, brown rice syrup, or agave nectar*

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

4 tablespoons (2 ounces/57 grams) unsalted butter, cut into cubes

½ cup (4¼ ounces/120 grams) well-shaken buttermilk

½ cup (4¼ ounces/120 grams) heavy cream

¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

*Any of these liquid sweeteners will work to keep the caramel from crystallizing. Honey tends to come forward in this sauce and adds a nice flavor note. Brown rice syrup and agave are more utilitarian here, with agave being sweeter than brown rice syrup.

1. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, gently stir together the sugar, water, honey, and salt. Set the pan over medium-high heat. Stirring gently, bring the mixture to a boil, and then stop stirring. Cook the sugar syrup until it caramelizes, about 5 to 7 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally. The color of the sugar will make it a bit tough to gauge by sight if the sugar is caramelizing, so watch for a thickening of the syrup and a few wisps of smoke coming from the pot, and keep your nose tuned in for a slightly smoky smell; if you’d like to use a candy thermometer for extra insurance, caramelization will happen at about 300˚F.

2. Remove the caramel from the heat and whisk in the butter. Carefully whisk in the buttermilk and cream. Place the pan back on the heat and bring the caramel back up to a simmer, whisking all the while. Cook for 1 additional minute; if any lumps formed when you poured in the liquids, they should smooth out completely during this time. Remove the pan from the heat again and whisk in the vanilla extract. Chill in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.

TIP: You can serve this sauce slightly warm or straight from the fridge—it thickens a touch when chilled, but it is still very pourable.