Keto & Paleo Caramel Sauce

Name: Keto & Paleo Caramel Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup butter, ghee or virgin coconut oil (56 g/ 2 oz); ½ cup Sukrin Gold, powdered Swerve, Erythritol or Allulose (80 g/ 2.8 oz); ½ cup + 2 tbsp coconut milk or heavy whipping cream (150 ml/ 5 fl oz); ¼ tsp glucomannan powder or xanthan gum; 2 tbsp water, room temperature (30 ml/ 1 fl oz); pinch salt or more for salted caramel; Optional: 1 tbsp vegetable glycerine (15 ml)

Martina SlajerovaUpdated 3 September 2020★★★★★4.7 (139 ratings)

Ready in 15m
1.3 g net carbs
89 kcal
Serves 8

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Making a really good caramel sauce that is sugar-free is not easy and I can't take credit for this recipe. Carolyn of All Day I Dream About Food has spent a long time developing and fine-tuning this amazing Caramel Sauce that tastes and looks just like the real deal.

I've been experimenting with a few more ingredients and used coconut milk to make my caramel sauce paleo-friendly. So here is what I used in my recipe:

Glucomannan powder is made from konjak root just like shirataki noodles. I used it for thickening. You can also use xanthan gum instead just like Carolyn did. Although xanthan gum is one of the ingredients that may not be considered paleo/ primal, small amounts won't cause any harm (provided that it doesn't upset your stomach).

Sukrin Gold is a natural low-carb sweetener made with erythritol, tagatose, glycerol (glycerine), malt extract (gluten-free) and steviol glycosides. It can be used just like brown sugar and is perfect for making low-carb caramel sauce. Erythritol-based sweeteners including Sukrin and Swerve do caramelise when chilled so keep that in mind. Adding vegetable glycerine helps the caramel retain a smoother texture.

Glycerine is a simple polyol (sugar alcohol) that is made either from plants or from animal fat. I used glycerine to make the caramel sauce smooth and prevent sweetener crystals from developing when it's chilled. It has a minimal effect on blood sugar but I would still use this ingredient with caution and count at least half of it as carbs. You can find more about glycerine here.

Consider Using Allulose

Chilled desserts that use erythritol-based sweeteners tend to crystallize slightly and although adding glycerine helps minimise this effect, your caramel won't be super smooth. For very smooth results, swap the erythritol-based sweeteners for allulose. Allulose is a healthy low-carb sweetener, although it's less common and can be pricey. The carb count is the same as for erythritol, and it’s as sweet as sugar. Unlike erythritol, it does not crystallize and is a great option in chilled desserts.

Step-by-step

For this recipe you'll need Sukrin Gold natural brown sugar substitute. If you can find allulose it will be even better as this is low-carb sweetener does not crystallise and will make the sauce super smooth. I also use glucomannan powder as a thickener that is made from konjak root.
Place the brown "sugar" and the butter into a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil over a medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes. Keep stirring to prevent the mixture from burning.
Mix the glucomannan powder with 2 tablespoons of water by sprinkling it on top and mixing until no clumps are visible. In a small bowl, combine ¹/₂ cup of coconut milk and the glucomannan powder mixed with water.
Do not make the same mistake I did. I mixed the powder directly with the coconut milk and then had to blend the caramel sauce as there were clumps of the gelled powder in it.
Remove the butter and sweetener mixture from heat and mix in the coconut milk & glucomannan blend. Mix vigorously until well combined. The mixture will start to thicken.
Return to the heat and cook for another minute or two while stirring. Take off the heat and mix in the salt (a pinch or more to taste). Let it cool down for at least 5 minutes and then mix in 2 more tablespoons of coconut milk and combine well.
For a smoother texture and to prevent the sweetener crystals from forming as it chills down, add a tablespoon of glycerine and mix until well combined.
At first, the caramel will be thin and runny but it will thicken as it cools down.
Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.
This is how it becomes when chilled in the fridge for an hour. If you use glycerine, the texture will be smooth - if you don't use it, you will see sweetener crystals. You can make it smooth again by heating up!

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