When you hear Buttermilk Syrup, you still probably think about maple syrup. This syrup is amazing because it can be used similar to a maple syrup on breakfast recipes from pancakes to waffles to crepes, but it’s also my go-to caramel sauce for desserts like ice cream and cheesecake and makes an incredible gift, all wrapped up in a cute mason jar. The flavor is incredibly well rounded and it lends itself well to so many different uses. It’s also a great use for leftover buttermilk, if you bought a container for a single recipe (like my Buttermilk Ranch Dressing) and now don’t know what to do with the rest! Once you learn how easy this is to make, it will become a household staple!
Ingredient and Equipment List
- Buttermilk – I don’t recommend buttermilk substitutes in this recipe, and I haven’t tried it with powdered buttermilk. I like to use real buttermilk, though low or full fat is just fine.
- Butter – I use real, salted, butter. If you use unsalted butter, you’ll want to add a little extra salt to the sauce to balance out the flavor.
- Sugar – Use regular white granulated sugar.
- Corn Syrup – Corn syrup is an important ingredient because it prevents the sauce from crystallizing.
- Baking Soda – Baking soda is important because it reacts with the acidic ingredients and helps with the sauce’s texture.
- Vanilla – Vanilla adds flavor to the finished caramel sauce.
Instructions
- Combine buttermilk, butter, sugar, corn syrup, and baking soda in a large pot.
- Heat and stir to combine all ingredients and then bring to a low simmer.
- Continue to simmer until the mixture turns deep golden in color.
- Let cool to warm and stir to smooth.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge. You can heat in the microwave to warm up.
Your sauce will probably start to get a little grainy and crystallize before it goes bad. Eat up up in 3-4 days for best results.
No, this recipe is not designed for canning. If you gift it in a mason jar, make sure the recipient knows to just keep it in the fridge. TIP: Sometimes after this sauce sits unused for a day or two, it will get a little crystallized (but still tastes amazing!) Testers have found adding an extra tablespoon or so of corn syrup helps with this. If you plan to gift this buttermilk caramel, you may want to try that.
Buttermilk Syrup
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 8 Tablespoons 1 stick real butter
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Combine buttermilk, sugar, butter, corn syrup, and baking soda in a LARGE pot. Like one you'd make soup in. Yes, you'll have way more pot than ingredients but this will boil all over your newly-cleaned stove if you put it in a smaller saucepan.
- Bring ingredients to a boil and reduce heat to low (as long as it's still bubbling, you're okay). Cook, stirring very frequently, for 8-9 minutes. You're basically making candy here and candy-making requires constant vigilance.
- When it's done, it should take on a golden-brown color. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
- There will be foam on top. As it cools a little, just keep stirring and the foam will subside.
Questions & Reviews
I’ve made this recipe many times and it has always turned out perfect. However, one of my daughters is very lactose intolerant (even 1 t of butter gives her severe stomach pains) and I really wanted a caramel fondue for NYE so I tweaked this recipe as follows: subbed lactose free milk with a splash of vinegar (and let it sit for several minutes) and used Smart Balance instead of real butter. I followed the rest of the recipe as written. At room temp, it was still too runny to be fondue but would have been great for pancakes. I put it in the fridge and it thickened beautifully and was perfect for fondue. For anyone afraid of substitutions or if you have lactose issues, this recipe is very forgiving.
If allergic to corn (and thus corn syrp) how would this recipe react to just delete the corn syrup? Or substitute it with something else?
Mine was perfect during cooking but turned out grainy once it cooled. I can heat it and it turns syrup-y, but again, soon as it cools it gets grainy. Can you help me figure out what I did wrong? Thanks!
I accidentally left this out overnight… do you think it’s gone bad? I’m so bummed because it was soo good!
I made your Buttermilk Caramel Syrup today and it was so good and I just wanted to thank you. I made pancakes and had some ham that I even put a little of the syrup on.
This is amazing! I literally had to keep myself from drinking it…. Thank you:) !
I LOVE this stuff. Amazingly delicious and easy. I made some the other night with apple cinnamon oatmeal pancakes and it was such a mind-blowing combination I just had to share. Here is the pancake recipe I used: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/brown-sugar-oatmeal-pancakes but I tweaked it a bit by adding about a cup of shredded tart-sweet apple (I think it was braeburn) and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and reducing the brown sugar to a scant 1/4 c. So, so good. I highly recommend it. Delicious as is, but next time, I might try reducing the salt a bit and/or drying the apple a bit with a paper towel. But that’s just getting picky. 🙂 Thanks for the syrup recipe – it was my inspiration!
I did not read all the comments about this amazing syrup, so I don’t know if this has been said, but this morning I drizzled this syrup on my kids oatmeal and IT WAS LIFE CHANGING!!! My daughter HATES oatmeal and she ate 3 bowls of it! I did not use much and it made a huge difference. Thank you for the best syrup recipe ever!!!
Made this to go over the Chunky Monkey Pancakes…OH, YEAH!
Ok thanks, I just wondered if you had ever done it.