Description
Watching sugar slowly bubble into molten caramel is one of the joys of baking. Luscious with coconut cream, this vegan caramel has all the deep caramel flavor you hope for with a hint of coconut. Put it on ice cream, tarts, drizzle it on cakes or just grab a spoon.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 Tablespoons golden syrup (see note)
- Pinch of coarse sea salt
- 1/4 cup coconut cream–from one can of full fat coconut milk (see note)
- 2 Tablespoons coconut yogurt
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
Instructions
- Combine the sugar, water, golden syrup, and salt in a small bowl just to moisten the sugar evenly.
- Pour the sugar into a heavy bottom saucepan. Turn the heat on medium.
- Whisk the coconut cream and the coconut yogurt together, then place this and the coconut oil near the stove.
- Cook the sugar until you start seeing color around the edges of the pan.
- If you notice that the color seems to be in one spot of the pan but not the rest, gently swirl the sugar in the pan. You may also turn the pan around 180 degrees on the burner to even out the heat.
- Do not stir with a spoon or whisk at this point as you can create sugar crystals and threads you will not be able to incorporate back into the caramel.
- Do not leave the stove. Once you start seeing color watch carefully. As the sugar begins to color, you’ll notice the bubbles start to slow down considerably.
- Caramel can go from pale amber to burnt in a few seconds. Start looking for more deep amber color form across the pan. Right at the end of cooking, you should smell just a hint of burnt sugar and you may see a puff of smoky steam. Once you see this, count to 5 and turn off the heat.
- Have a long whisk handy, then pour in the coconut milk all at once. The caramel will bubble up furiously, so stay back from the steam and whisk furiously until it’s all incorporated.
- Throw in the coconut oil, then whisk to incorporate it. You’ll notice that it will separate so that it looks like it has a little bit of an oil slick on it–this is fine. Coconut oil does NOT behave exactly like butter. Be assured that it will emulsify back into the caramel.
- Over about 10 minutes, stir the cooling caramel periodically until it’s shiny and smooth and you see no oil floating on top.
- Transfer the caramel to a glass jar. It will keep for about 2 weeks in the fridge.
Notes
- Golden syrup is a thick syrup made from cooking down sugar beets. I get Lyle’s Golden Syrup when I find it as it has a deep interesting flavor that makes magical gingerbread among other things. If you can’t find golden syrup, you can substitute light corn syrup. I’ve made this caramel many times with corn syrup to good results.
- Coconut cream: refrigerate a can of coconut milk for 2 hours. Scoop off the thicker coconut cream from the top; the thinner coconut milk will sink to the bottom of the can.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Additional Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Baking building blocks
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Calories: 85
- Sugar: 14
- Sodium: 4
- Fat: 3
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 15
- Cholesterol: .32