Our Favorite Caramel Desserts

We love experimenting with caramel. It’s easy to make, and the flavor lends itself well to all kinds of desserts; custards, ice cream, cakes, cookies, tarts, pies, candy, and so much more.

Caramel 101

Caramel is the result of the alchemy that happens when you boil sugar and water. It's a quick, simple process, but there are a couple pitfalls to avoid, such as getting uneven coloring or burning the sugar.

Check out our pro tips and watch Kitchen Conundrums expert Thomas Joseph explain What to Do When Your Caramel Crystallizes, another common mishap. Now you’re ready to perform some culinary magic!

All you need is 15 minutes and five ingredients (sugar, milk, eggs, salt, and vanilla extract) to prep this popular custard dessert. If your guests are chocoholics, try our equally scrumptious Chocolate Creme Caramel.

Turn humble chocolate-date cake into an haute showstopper by swathing it in a luxurious caramel sauce and finishing it with flaky sea salt and whipped cream.

Take apple pie a la mode to the next level -- with caramel! Sneak it into the apple filling and drizzle it on top of vanilla ice cream.

Gussy up caramel with chocolate, pour into flaky puff pastry, and sprinkle with toasted pecans and flaky sea salt. A spectacular make-ahead recipe, the tart can be stored in the fridge for up to a day.

These cinnamon-and-allspice whoopee pies are filled with a smooth caramel buttercream and rolled in a mixture of pink rock salt and sanding sugar for an irresistible blend of salty and sweet.

Super-ripe bananas and dellicious caramel go hand in hand in this delectable ice cream. It’s the perfect way to kick off summer!

Learn how to make these deliciously chewy confections step by step. We start with classic caramels before veering into uncharted flavor territory with five variations: sesame-ginger, orange-espresso, chocolate-coconut, maple-walnut, and mixed nut-and-thyme.

There’s more to this seemingly simple roll cake than meets the eye: the whipped cream filling is amped up with rich caramel, and the airy chocolate sponge cake is brushed with bourbon-chocolate syrup.

Elevate chewy oatmeal cookies with crunchy pecans and a creamy caramel filling. They make a lovely holiday gift but are delicious any time of year.

Hollowed-out apples are an ingenious way to serve vanilla ice cream topped with caramel sauce and toasted walnuts. They'll surprise and delight both kids and adults.

This extravagant dessert is sure to satisfy any chocolate lover. A whopping six layers of chocolate cake are spread with caramel and covered in a blanket of chocolate frosting. The recipe can be made up to three days in advance.

We won’t blame you for having seconds of these tasty bars. We’re addicted to the combo of dark chocolate, rich caramel, fleur de sel, and buttery shortbread crust, too.

Martha made this adorable cake for her granddaughter’s first birthday. The game-changing ingredient? Caramel buttercream frosting -- it goes between the brown-sugar cake layers and envelopes the whole dessert. Top with marzipan animals for cute overload.

Give hot fudge sundaes a lip-smacking makeover; stir chunks of caramel into vanilla ice cream and top the whole concoction with caramel popcorn.