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
Thank you so much for sharing these wonderful sounding recipes. Your directions make everything sound pretty easy, easy for a wanna-be cook like me! Anyway, I'd love to be able to 'can' this to give as shelf stable gifts (so I can make it earlier and have it still be good for my far-away family. Is that doable, and would you have specifics?
Loralee
Teresa–Yep, it'll get a little solid in the fridge. Just nuke it in the microwave for about a minute and it will be back to normal! 🙂
I made this and it is delicious, the only problem I have is after I stored it in the fridge it became solid(ish) Did I do something wrong? Can I fix it? Help!
Q: "does it get somewhat solid and do you store it in the fridge and take scoops of it as you walk by?"
A: YES! lol It doesn't get quite as solid as the chocolate, but it's perfect for spooning every time you open the fridge door.
Is this stuff similar to the hot fudge? Like does it get somewhat solid and do you store it in the frig and take scoops of it as you walk by LOL??? I'm thinking of making the hot fudge for my mom, but my husband likes caramel… should I make this or just switch out flavored chocolate chips in the hot fudge recipe????
Natalie–You can definitely double the recipe; I'm nervous about doing more than that just because I'm afraid that you might run the risk of boiling over even the biggest pans that most people have in their collections. But that would make quite a few gifts right there!
Hope that helps! 🙂
Holy cow. This is amazing. Saw your Pizzookies (sp???) recipe featuring this sauce and thought, why not! I did use powdered buttermilk and it worked great! Planning on whipping up a batch (or 5) for little gifts for neighbors. Thanks! Think I could make a few batches at once or should I play it save and do one at a time? Thanks Ladies! You ROCK!! Making your "fancy" magic cookie bars tomorrow night for a RS cookie swap. Very excited.
Thanks a ton! I'm going to make a (double or triple) batch of this and pair it with a pancake or waffle in a jar recipe for gifts for Christmas Eve with our family….then they all have breakfast ready-made for Christmas morning. The best will be my hubby though. I plan to bust out the waffle iron and the griddle Christmas morning so he can have waffles and buttermilk pancakes with this syrup (he ADORES caramel!). I'm such a non-cook, but breakfast is the one thing I do really well.
Just have to say that i'm eating this syrup right now on a bowl of caramel tracks icecream and I feel like I died and went to heaven. I'm a huge caramel fan but man, this stuff is something else! I've ben meaning to make it for a while and I'm glad I did! Thanks for sharing!
I've had a similar recipe that I've used for…wow, more years than I like to recall! It was from my ex's father; he called it Mr. Butterworth's Syrup! I love my pure maple syrup but I admit some deja vu feeling now; this and his recipe for buttermilk pancakes (still my favorite) are so good together!
Wish you allowed Name/Url; I don't really have a blogspot or wordpress.com website!