Butterscotch Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why won't my butterscotch sauce thicken? ›

Why won't my butterscotch sauce thicken? Once your sauce comes to a bubbling simmer let it cook for 3 full minutes without touching it. If you don't cook the sauce enough it won't thicken. If you cook it for too long, or at a full boil, then it will thicken too much and be more like butterscotch candy.

Butterscotch is butter and brown sugar that has been slowly heated together to create a soft-crack candy. Just like caramel, the brown sugar molecules break down and, thanks to the addition of molasses in the sugar, caramelize into a richer, deeper flavor than classic caramel.

In the kitchen, FOBs (friends of butterscotch) include apples, pecans, cream, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, chocolate, dessert sherry, rum and Scotch whisky. Here are some simple ways to showcase its flavor: Make butterscotch sundaes. Add a little Scotch or rum to warm butterscotch sauce.

Separation usually occurs due to a shock in the temperature, meaning the sugars are heated or cooled too quickly. To prevent this, you have to watch your heat closely, which is why low to medium heat is the best way to go for both melting the sugar and combining the mixture.

So as the butterscotch chips heat up they tend to hold their shape unless they are stirred regularly. This make mean that it looks as if they aren't melting and as as you continue to heat them they (or the chocolate) will start to overheat and "sieze".

The most readily available sauce-thickener is flour. For a too-thin sauce, try adding a slurry (equal parts flour and water, whisked together) or beurre manie (equal parts softened butter and flour, kneaded together to form a paste)—both are ideal thickeners for rich and creamy sauces, such as steak sauce recipes.

Butterscotch is a type of confectionery whose primary ingredients are brown sugar and butter. Some recipes include corn syrup, cream, vanilla, and salt. The earliest known recipes, in mid-19th century Yorkshire, used treacle (molasses) in place of, or in addition to, sugar.

This is a common question since both are cooked sugar concoctions. But the main difference is caramel is made with granulated sugar while butterscotch is made with brown sugar. At its simplest, caramel is sugar that's heated and melted until it's brown but not burned.

The main difference between caramel and butterscotch is that caramel is made by heating white, granulated sugar to various stages, while butterscotch is made with brown sugar and butter, which gives it a deeper, more rounded flavor, thanks to the butter and molasses.

Butterscotch and caramel are both cooked sugar. But the main difference between the two is the sugar used to make them. Caramel is often made with regular white granulated sugar, while butterscotch is made with brown sugar. Caramel sauce doesn't always have butter, while butterscotch always calls for butter.

What flavor goes best with butterscotch? ›

Since butterscotch is a warm flavor that pairs well with other fall flavors (cinnamon, clove, vanilla, dark rum, apples and waffles) you can use any flavor combo (including a maple bacon flavor) to taper off the sweetness of butterscotch tones.

It can be stored in a jar, in the refrigerator, for up to two weeks. Reheat the butterscotch sauce in a saucepan over low heat. Note: I sometimes use unrefined brown sugar, which can leave undissolved bits of sugar. They don't bother me, but if you wish, you can strain the warm sauce to remove them.

Troubleshooting Butterscotch Sauce

Grainy Texture: If your sauce has a grainy texture, it may be due to the crystallization of the sugar. To prevent this, make sure there are no sugar crystals on the sides of the pan before starting. In addition, avoid stirring the mixture once it begins to boil.

If the sauce cools down and you still find it to be too thin, then it's undercooked. You can place it back on the heat for a bit to let it thicken up even more. If it's too thick, gradually add a bit more cream until it reaches the desired consistency.

This butterscotch has a great shelf life of 3-6 months in refrigerator, but will tend to lose its emulsion. Don't fear, you can reconstitute it!

To keep your sauce from separating, be sure not to stir too much while the brown sugar is melting. Use moderate heat to ensure it doesn't burn. The butterscotch will thicken a lot when it cools, so it's important not to cook it too long.

Most caramel sauces are made by caramelizing sugar and adding milk and a little salt. If you increase the amount of sugar in the recipe you'll end up with a thicker caramel. Try increasing the sugar by about 1/3.

If the caramel is too thin, simmer the caramel on medium heat for 5-10 minutes to thicken it (the caramel will not continue to darken). Keep in mind that the caramel will thicken significantly once cool. Likewise, if the caramel is too thick, thin by stirring a tablespoon or two of heavy cream.