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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Butterscotch Vanilla Bean Sauce

dessert· Fall Flavors· Holiday Favorites· ice cream· National Ice Cream Month· Summertime Favorites
July 12, 2018

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Butterscotch Vanilla Bean Sauce – Made with butter, brown sugar, cream, and a vanilla bean, this sauce is just what you need to jazz up your ice cream!

Bowl of Butterscotch Vanilla Bean Sauce

One of the greatest things about cooking is the ability to make things you thought you could only enjoy at restaurants or bought from a store. If you told me that one day I’d be able to make croissants that rivaled those of any local bakery, I would have said you were crazy!

But after getting some confidence, I became a pro at making croissants from scratch! Now, there isn’t anything that I won’t try to make at home, as long as I have the motivation.

Most of my motivation to make fun things from scratch comes from things that I’ve tried at restaurants that I really, really want to have at home. Some of these inspirations include:

  • Elvis Ice Cream Sundae – inspired by an Elvis burger I had at a local burger joint
  • Avocado and Charred Corn Salad – inspired by the same salad served at a local Tex-Mex Joint
  • Watermelon Margaritas – inspired from a marg I tried at a BBQ place in town
  • Birthday Cake Remix Ice Cream – inspired from the famous creation at Coldstone Creamery

The list really goes on and on. And I have another special recipe to add to it today!

This Butterscotch Vanilla Bean Sauce was inspired by a sauce that I tried at an ice cream shop. I hadn’t had a butterscotch sauce in so long so I was intrigued when I saw it. I had to try it immediately.

I loved the little flecks of vanilla bean and the warm, comforting flavor of the butter and brown sugar. Mmm. And now I get to have it at home whenever I want!

Check out my homemade version!

Closeup of Butterscotch Vanilla Bean Sauce where you can see the vanilla flecks Spoonful of Butterscotch Vanilla Bean Sauce Spoonful of Butterscotch Vanilla Bean Sauce dripping back into the bowl

Butterscotch sauce is similar to caramel but there is one key difference: caramel is made from caramelized granulated sugar, whereas butterscotch is made with melted brown sugar that does not get caramelized. Therefore, I find butterscotch to be a little sweeter and milder in flavor.

Bowl of brown sugar

Because there is no caramelizing going on, the recipe is super simple to follow – no candy thermometer needed! But you will need to pay close attention to the mixture as it boils to make sure all the brown sugar is dissolved. Otherwise, you could get a gritty sauce. Yuck.

Here are a few other tips to remember as you make this sauce:

  1. I always use a rubber spatula when melting butter and sugar together. it helps me scrape off sugar from the sides and bottom of the sauce pan so it doesn’t burn.
  2. Make sure you add the heavy cream slowly and whisk as you pour. Otherwise, the cream will harden in the sugar and you’ll get a mess.
  3. If you finish your sauce and it ends up gritty, don’t panic. Just add it back to the heat and keep boiling for another minute or two until all the sugar dissolves.
  4. I’ve found that this sauce doesn’t reheat well after being refrigerated so I think it’s best to make the day you need it and keep it room temperature or over a warmer as you use it.

And that’s all there is to it! I hope this inspires you to make some more sauces at home instead of buying them. Chocolate sauce is also super easy to make at home. keep a look out for my own special chocolate sauce recipe later this month!

Bowl of Butterscotch Vanilla Bean Sauce with a spoon in it

Print Recipe

Butterscotch Vanilla Bean Sauce

Made with butter, brown sugar, cream, and a vanilla bean, this sauce is just what you need to jazz up your ice cream!
Cook Time10 minutes mins
Total Time25 minutes mins
Servings: 1 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 stick butter unsalted, sliced
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons water
  • 1 vanilla bean split length-wise
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Add brown sugar and butter to a sauce pan. Heat over medium heat until mixture is boiling, making sure to stir constantly so the butter doesn't burn. Boil for 5-7 minutes to dissolve the sugar and remove the gritty texture.
  • Remove from heat and slowly whisk in heavy cream and water. If mixture is still gritty, add back to heat for another couple minutes to cook and further smooth it out.
  • Remove from heat and add salt. Scrape out seeds from vanilla bean and stir those into the sauce. Let sauce sit aside to cool down for about 15 minutes.

Notes

I've found that this sauce doesn't reheat well after being refrigerated so I think it's best to make the day you need it and keep it room temperature or over a warmer as you use it.

Pin for later:

Butterscotch Vanilla Bean Sauce photo collage

More desserts you’ll love:

Kentucky Derby Cookie Bars

Kentucky Derby Cookie Bar topped with nuts, whipped cream and a bourbon caramel sauce

Salted Caramel Apple Pie Parfaits (with homemade salted caramel sauce)

Cup of Salted Caramel Apple Pie Parfaits with homemade salted caramel sauce

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Cookie scoop scooping out Salted Caramel Ice Cream from a pan

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29 Comments

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Comments

  1. Rose Boyer says

    August 22, 2021 at 3:55 pm

    Wonderful! Especially when you use pastry puff like the recipe says. I didn’t have any the first time and used pie crust. they were good too but not as Awesome as using pastry puffs. Also, The butterscotch sauce is Amazing. I doubled the batch so we would have plenty for topping and ice cream. this I made 8 tarts and my family Loved them.

    Reply
  2. kathy says

    July 19, 2018 at 11:44 am

    This looks so yummy and i want to try it. Can I use vanilla in place of the vanilla bean and if so how much? I can’t find the vanilla bean here where i live. I love butterscotch and it seems to be forgotten. lol

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      August 3, 2018 at 1:35 pm

      Yes you can – when I google it, 1 vanilla bean = 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

      Reply
  3. kathy says

    July 19, 2018 at 11:42 am

    This looks so yummy and i want to try it. Can I use vanilla in place of the vanilla bean and if so how much? I can’t find the vanilla bean here where i live.

    Reply
  4. Becca Wilson says

    July 17, 2018 at 7:12 am

    This sauce looks like it would taste absolutely amazing. I’ve never attempted to make anything like this!

    Reply
  5. Mar says

    July 13, 2018 at 9:31 pm

    This looks so tasty, and easy. Would be delicious on vanilla ice cream.

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      July 16, 2018 at 5:06 pm

      Yes for sure!

      Reply
  6. joygurtiza says

    July 13, 2018 at 6:51 pm

    Yum! Now I’m off to the grocery to buy the ingredients! đŸ™‚

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      July 16, 2018 at 5:10 pm

      Yes!

      Reply
  7. Amanda says

    July 13, 2018 at 10:02 am

    This sauce looks perfect for an ice cream sundae. YUM!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      July 16, 2018 at 5:10 pm

      It really is!

      Reply
  8. Cindy Ingalls says

    July 12, 2018 at 10:46 pm

    This sauce looks heavenly. What a perfect way to jazz up your ice cream.

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      July 16, 2018 at 5:11 pm

      Totally agree!

      Reply
  9. Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

    July 12, 2018 at 10:21 pm

    Sign me up! This looks so delicious!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      July 16, 2018 at 5:11 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  10. Tisha says

    July 12, 2018 at 9:20 pm

    I’m just gonna eat this straight out of the bowl!!!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      July 16, 2018 at 5:11 pm

      Yessss! I definitely did that haha

      Reply
  11. Leslie says

    July 12, 2018 at 8:18 pm

    Yay for butterscotch! I’ve always loved it and it seems people have forgotten about it. Everything has been salted caramel.

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      July 16, 2018 at 5:12 pm

      Yes, you’re so right

      Reply
  12. Vicky says

    July 12, 2018 at 8:18 pm

    This sauce looks scrumptious and while I will definitely use it on ice cream, I can think of many other uses for it as well. I think it would be great in a yogurt parfait or drizzled over oatmeal. Yum!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      July 16, 2018 at 5:12 pm

      Ooo love those ideas!

      Reply
  13. Amy (Savory Moments) says

    July 12, 2018 at 7:33 pm

    Yum! I love all those pretty vanilla bean specks in there – looks delicious!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      July 16, 2018 at 5:12 pm

      Yes! Those are my favorite too!

      Reply
  14. Catherine Brown says

    July 12, 2018 at 6:55 pm

    Oh…. YUM!! When I saw Elvis ice cream sundae it made me think that this would also be fabulous schmeeeered on a peanut butter and banana sandwich!

    Reply
  15. Danielle says

    July 12, 2018 at 6:26 pm

    This looks so tasty! Makes me want to go out and get some ice cream to pair with it!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      July 16, 2018 at 5:13 pm

      Yesssss!

      Reply
  16. Alyssa says

    July 12, 2018 at 5:41 pm

    Adding to my list of things to try this weekend! This looks so yummy and I’m not even a sweets person!

    Reply
  17. Nicole Pyles says

    July 12, 2018 at 5:33 pm

    Oh my oh my that looks fantastic! And so easy to do actually

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Peanut Butter Hot Fudge - CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado says:
    July 30, 2018 at 4:20 am

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Hi, my name is Sharon. I’m an accountant by day, risk-taking baker and food enthusiast by night. Come join me as I share my favorite recipes and test out new ones along the way!

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