Food Recipe Collections & Favorites Desserts 14 Recipes for Delicious Caramel Desserts and Treats Sometimes "just because" is reason enough for a sweet treat. By Real Simple Editors Real Simple Editors Facebook Instagram Twitter An article attributed to "Real Simple Editors" indicates a collaborative effort from our in-house team. Sometimes, several writers and editors have contributed to an article over the years. These collaborations allow us to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information available.The REAL SIMPLE team strives to make life easier for you. They are experts in their fields who research, test and clearly explain the best recipes, strategies, trends and products. They have worked for some of the most prestigious brands in lifestyle journalism, including Apartment Therapy, Better Homes & Gardens, Food & Wine, the Food Network, Good Housekeeping, InStyle, Martha Stewart Living, O: The Oprah Magazine, Parents, POPSUGAR, Rachel Ray Every Day, and Vogue. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 29, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Domino/Getty Images It's just melted sugar with cream or butter (or both), a bit of vanilla, and pinch of salt; but there's something about caramel that takes us to our happy place. Since we all want to—correction, need to—go there now and then, we compiled recipes for delicious caramel desserts and treats to make your stay dreamy and blissful. 01 of 14 Pumpkin Caramel Pie Bars With Toasted Coconut Brie Passano Pumpkin and caramel is a match made in autumnal heaven. This recipe for pie disguised as bars features a simple homemade caramel sauce that's stirred right into the pumpkin filling, rendering sweet caramel notes in every bite. Pastry pie crust need not apply. Get the Recipe 02 of 14 Caramel Plum Galette Samantha Seneviratne This galette—a French term for a thin, round cake or pastry, often with a filling or topping—highlights fresh red plums sweetened with an easy-to-make, anise-scented caramel. This freeform-style pie is even easier with a store-bought crust. Get the Recipe 03 of 14 Gooey Chocolate Caramel Tart Samantha Seneviratne A chocolate-cookie crust forms this tart's base, which is covered in a layer of homemade caramel flavored with cinnamon and salt, and then topped with drizzled chocolate. Make sure to allow plenty of time (at least 8 hours) for the caramel filling to set in the fridge. Get the Recipe 04 of 14 Chocolate Caramel Ice Cream Pie Maria Robledo The hard-working duo of chocolate and caramel team up in this rich layered pie. Caramel works a double shift: in the caramel (dulce de leche-flavored) ice cream and the store-bought caramel sauce. Chocolate ingredients from the grocers—ice cream, Nutella, and cookie crust—makes assembling this a breeze. Get the Recipe 05 of 14 Salted Caramel Brownie Bites Meredith/Dotdash You might guess the sweet candy surprise that's in the center of these diminutive treats. For this treat, simply use a brownie mix (or make your own) and pour batter into a mini-muffin pan. Insert a chocolate caramel candy in each muffin's batter, bake, and then top with caramel topping and flaky salt. Get the Recipe 06 of 14 Caramel Latté Getty Images Now this is worth waking up for. It takes only 10 minutes to make this caramel latte at home, and at a fraction of the cost of the coffee shop's. Its silky caramel flavor comes from your favorite store-bought caramel syrup. Get the Recipe 07 of 14 White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Scones Victor Protasio A sweet caramel glaze plays a supporting yet vital role in this recipe. While the scones are baking, there's time to whip up a homemade caramel glaze to pour atop each scone, and then finish with a sprinkle of macadamia nuts and flaky salt. Get the Recipe 08 of 14 Vanilla Sweet Potato Cheesecake Victor Protasio Who doesn't appreciate a cheesecake that counts as a vegetable? Store-bought caramel sauce serves as a decorative finishing touch on this rich, decadent dessert. Get the Recipe 09 of 14 Gingerbread Pretzel Popcorn Popcorn and pretzels are the stars of this treat, but it's a simple vanilla caramel sauce flavored with gingerbread spices—cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg—that holds this snackable treat together. Make a double batch: one to gift and one to keep. Get the Recipe 10 of 14 Chocolate Caramel Ice Cream Pie Maria Robledo This is the ultimate ice cream pie: layers of caramel ice cream, chocolate ice cream, and Nutella hazelnut spread over a dark chocolate cookie crust, all topped with chopped hazelnuts for extra crunch. Get the Recipe 11 of 14 Salty Coffee Toffee Bars Technically, there's no caramel in these sweet-and-salty treats, but who's going to quibble? They have a buttery cracker base with toasted pecans and walnuts topped with a coffee-vanilla syrup to create a rich caramel-esque toffee bar. Credit melted chocolate and butterscotch chips for the marbled effect that give these bars their dramatic flair. Get the Recipe 12 of 14 Apple Cider Doughnut Tower Jennifer Causey Don't be fooled! This show-stopping dessert takes only 20 minutes to assemble, but no need to tell your guests. It starts with 28 store-bought apple cider doughnuts (or make your own to really impress) and finishes with jarred caramel sauce spooned over the tower that's topped with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of pecans. Get the Recipe 13 of 14 Ginger Apple Tarte Tatin Christopher Testani This French dessert (pronounced tart tah-tahn) is named after the Tatin sisters who invented this upside-down apple tart to serve in their namesake hotel. In this recipe, apples are caramelized in butter and sugar and then baked with puff pastry on top. Out of the oven, the creation is dramatically flipped, resulting in a flaky crust on the bottom topped with ginger-infused, caramel-flavored baked apples. Get the Recipe 14 of 14 Starbucks Caramel Sauce The Spruce Eats / S&C Design Studios It's no secret: Starbucks publishes this recipe for its signature caramel sauce on its website, but here it is for your copying-Starbucks-drinks-at-home convenience. Melt ½ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, ¼ cup half-and-half, plus a pinch of salt, for about 10 minutes on low heat. Use this luscious sauce in your homemade caramel brulée latte, caramel macchiato, or signature coffee concoction. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit