We Had You At Salted Caramel, Right?
Homemade caramel sauce kissed with flaky sea salt—we could stop right there and everyone would be happy, right? But dessert is not a time for restraint. So, we take our homemade salty caramel sauce and drizzle it over tender cinnamon-baked apples and generous scoops of vanilla ice cream for a sundae so perfect it redefines the genre.
The Art of The Perfect Ice Cream Scoop
Like any great ice cream sundae recipe, ours begins with the perfect scoop of ice cream. Here are a few tips on how to get a perfect scoop, every time.
- Let your pint of ice cream sit on the counter for a few minutes to soften.
- Use a totally dry, room temperature ice cream scoop.
- Resist the temptation to dip your ice cream scooper in hot water to speed up the process. This can create a thin layer of ice crystals to form and ruin the texture of the ice cream. Nobody wants that.
Our Dutch Apple Pie and Peach Pie are also divine topped with a perfect scoop of ice cream *hint hint.*
Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce 101
Save yourself a trip to the grocery store and learn how to make a salted caramel recipe that doesn’t require a candy thermometer, just a bit of patience and focus. Bonus! Pour this luxurious sauce into jars for holiday gifts or hostess gifts because it’s a sure-fire crowd-pleaser. Just remind the person you give it to that it needs to be refrigerated. Here’s how to make caramel sauce:
- Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan, and stir gently with a wooden spoon until you’ve got a uniform mixture that reminds you of the texture of wet sand.
- OK—this is really, really important. Once you move the pan to the stove top, DO NOT STIR the sugar-water mixture. Stirring can cause it to seize up. Just let the heat work its magic.
- Bring the sugar and water to a boil. Resist the urge to stir, or move the pan. Watch for color change—as soon as the sugar mixtures turns deep amber, get that pan off the stove.
- Remember! The cream and sugar need to both be hot when they are combined so this is not a time to dilly daddle. Focus.
- In a separate saucepan, warm the heavy cream. Slowly add cream to the caramelized sugar. Stir as your life depends on it until you get a smooth consistency. Add flakey sea salt.
- Congrats! You made salted caramel sauce!
How to Make a Caramel Apple Sundae
Baking apples couldn’t be easier—you basically just....bake apples. Here’s how easy it is:
Slice! Core apples, slice into half moon sized shapes and lay onto baking sheet as they await their butter bath.
Melt! Butter, cinnamon and brown sugar in a saucepan. Brush the mixture onto the apples.
Bake! For 30 minutes until tender.
Assemble! Scoop ice cream into the bottom of a dish. Top with apples and caramel.
Pro Tip: You can prep the apples and caramel sauce up to three days beforehand so all you have to do on the day-of is assemble. Serving to a crowd? Create a sundae bar by laying out all of the toppings buffet-style and letting your guests build their own sundae.
Tools You’ll Need:
Other Apple Recipes We Adore.
We’ve got a thing for apples. And we bet you do, too. Sweet, crisp, and always a little nostalgic, apple desserts always hit the spot. Here are four of our favorites:
Ice Cream Sundaes at Home—Easier Than You Thought?
In the world of sundaes, sprinkles reign supreme but there is a new kid on the block and their name is baked apples. Snap a photo of your caramel apple ice cream sundae and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you feed it to. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!
