Butterscotch Sauce
A weeknight-friendly vegetarian built around black treacle and double cream — roughly 55 minutes start to finish, and rated easy to make. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 6 steps.
You'll mainly reach for saucepan and pan. At easy difficulty across 6 steps, it's a good one for a busy evening. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (2)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Place the butter, brown sugar and black treacle in a heavy-based saucepan over a low to medium heat, stirring gently until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.
- Increase the heat slightly and let the mixture bubble for 2 to 3 minutes without stirring, swirling the pan occasionally, until it darkens and smells deeply caramelised.
- Take the pan off the heat and carefully pour in the double cream, standing back as it may splutter and steam.
- Return the pan to a low heat and stir continuously for 1 to 2 minutes until the cream is fully incorporated and the sauce is smooth and glossy.
- Remove from the heat, then stir in the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.
- Let the sauce cool for a few minutes so it thickens slightly, then serve warm over ice cream, sponge pudding or pancakes; store any leftovers in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to two weeks and reheat gently before use.
You'll use: Saucepan · Pan · Steamer
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Brown Sugar
- white sugar + 1 tbsp molasses per cup
- Double Cream
- heavy cream · whipping cream
Tips & common questions
How long does Butterscotch Sauce take to make?
About 55 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 6 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Butterscotch Sauce vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Butterscotch Sauce is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Butterscotch Cupcakes.jpg by ArtOfHappiness, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.