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Salted Caramel Apple Sundae

Homemade salted caramel sauce is drizzled over cinnamon-baked apples and silky vanilla ice cream in this cozy, autumnal, all-American sundae.

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A vanilla ice cream and roasted apple sundae in a cup with a spoon and salted caramel dripping over the side.

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.

3 honey crisp apples on the counter
apple slices baked with butter and brown sugar on a sheet pan

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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.*

Salted caramel in a jar

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Remember! The cream and sugar need to both be hot when they are combined so this is not a time to dilly daddle. Focus.
  5. 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.
  6. Congrats! You made salted caramel sauce!
A salted caramel apple sundae in a cup with a spoon and linen
homemade salted caramel sauce being poured over an cinnamon roasted apple sundae in a cup

How to Make a Caramel Apple Sundae

Baking apples couldn’t be easier—you basically just....bake apples. Here’s how easy it is:

  1. Slice! Core apples, slice into half moon sized shapes and lay onto baking sheet as they await their butter bath.

  2. Melt! Butter, cinnamon and brown sugar in a saucepan. Brush the mixture onto the apples.

  3. Bake! For 30 minutes until tender.

  4. 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.

A vanilla ice cream and roasted apple sundae in a cup with a spoon and salted caramel dripping over the side.

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:

2 salted caramel apple sundaes with vanilla ice cream and a spoons

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!

Salted Caramel Apple Sundae

  • Serves: 6
  • Prep Time:  10 min
  • Cook Time:  40 min
  • Calories: 691

Ingredients

Salted Caramel Sauce

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt

Sundae

  • 1 large honeycrisp apple, cored, ½-inch sliced
  • 3 tablespoons salted butter
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 large scoops French vanilla ice cream

Method

  1. Make the caramel. Place sugar in a small saucepan and mix with just enough water to achieve a wet sand consistency. Bring to a boil over high heat, do not stir. Using a wet pastry brush, brush down the sides of the saucepan, removing any sugar crystals.

  2. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium-high until steaming, but not boiling (see Note).

  3. Continue to boil the sugar until it turns amber in color. Turn the heat off and slowly whisk in the hot cream, until smooth, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the salt. Set aside to cool.

  4. Preheat the oven to 350° F with a rack in the center position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

  5. Lay the apple slices onto the prepared baking sheet.

  6. Add the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves 5-6 minutes.

  7. Using a pastry brush, coat both sides of the apples with the sugar mixture. Bake in the oven until tender, about 30 minutes.

  8. Divide the ice cream into 4 sundae cups of bowls, top with apples and caramel.


Note: Timing is important when making homemade caramel. Both the cream and the sugar need to be really hot when they are combined.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories691
  • Protein1 g
  • Carbohydrates83 g
  • Total Fat42 g
  • Dietary Fiber1 g
  • Cholesterol139 mg
  • sodium838 mg
  • Total Sugars80 g

Salted Caramel Apple Sundae

Questions & Reviews

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  • jenn

    Oh my gosh, this changed my life! SOOOOO good!

    Ours too! Glad you loved it!