This rosemary caramel is the perfect combination of sweet and herbaceous. It’s a flavorful, smooth caramel with just enough of a rosemary flavor to balance out the sweetness in a delicate way. While it’s delicious all on its own, this caramel makes a fun, unexpected addition to various treats and confections.
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Do Herbs Go In Sweets
Herbs and sweets are not the first combination people reach for, but they are pretty common. Most herbs have mildly sweet and floral undertones, which are only complemented by sweet notes. The savory notes of herbs also do a good job of making sure the confection is not overly sweet. That means that herbs work very well in sweets.
Rosemary Meet Caramel
Anyone who knows me knows that all of my favorite flavor combinations are sweet and herbaceous. My favorite snacks? Lavender kettlecorn or vanilla ice cream topped with this caramel, olive oil, and sea salt. I love cooking with lavender, basil, thyme, but most of all rosemary. I have tons of rosemary-centered recipes like this, or my Lemon Rosemary Cake.
All of that to say, we all saw this coming. If I can add rosemary to it, I will. Simple as that. I was already making homemade caramel regularly anyway, so this was a natural progression.
How Will You Like It
If you’re like me, you like a comparison when gauging new things. While you never really know until you try it, you will probably like this rosemary caramel if you like this combination.
- Honey and lavender
- Strawberry and basil
- Chocolate and mint
- Lemon combinations such as lemon and thyme, lemon poppyseed, or my very own Lemon Rosemary Cake
What’s In Rosemary Caramel?
The rosemary caramel is actually pretty simple, with only five ingredients required. Outside of steeping your rosmary in the cream, this recipe flows like any other quick and easy caramel sauce recipe. For this recipe, you will need the following.
- Sugar
- Butter
- Heavy Cream
- Rosemary
- Salt
Tools You Will Need
This recipe is not very difficult to make, and most issues encountered will be because lack of the proper tools. That is not specific to this recipe, but to all caramel recipes. So the non-negotiables for making caramel are these:
Note: A sturdy whisk will make your mixing process a bit smoother. A heavy-bottomed steel saucepan will heat your caramel more evenly, reducing your workload, and you can see the color of the sugar in a steel pan versus a dark, coated pan.
Tips and Troubleshooting Your Rosemary Caramel
- Prepare all of your ingredients beforehand and put them within reach. Once you begin this, you do not want to walk away.
- Use a stainless steel saucepan for even heat distribution and to watch the color. There is very little time between dissolving the sugar and burning it, so you will want to be able to watch it closely.
- Your butter and cream should be at least room temperature. If they are cold, they will make the caramel seize.
- Remove the pan from the heat before adding the butter, but keep the heat source on so you can place the pan on the burner for a few seconds at a time if you feel the caramel becoming stiff. Place it down for only 2-3 seconds at a time while mixing in the butter, if necessary.
- The butter will make the sugar boil up, don’t be alarmed, but be careful.
- It will seem like the butter and sugar are not mixing at first, continue to mix, it will come together.
- Be sure to turn the heat off before adding the rest of your ingredients.
- If your ingredients don’t mix and the caramel becomes hard, your butter or cream may be too cold.
- If the rosemary flavor is not strong enough, boil the rosemary for 2-3 extra minutes before the steep and then cool.
Consistency and Storage
The warmer your caramel is, the thinner it will be. It will set to a thick, but still scoopable consistency after a few hours at room temperature. After being in the fridge, it will harden up.
If you would like to use this form something like a drizzle, you can easily warm it up for 15-20 seconds to thin it back out. If you want it thicker than a drizzle but thinner than scoopable, warm it up and then give it a few minutes to thicken up partially.
This caramel should be stored in an airtight, sturdy glass container. If you plan to heat it up in the container you’re storing it in, be sure it is heat-safe. I like to move however much I need warm to an oven-safe ramekin and microwave it for 5-10 seconds instead.
You can leave this caramel at room temperature for a few days if it is stored in an airtight container, but after that, you risk the dairy spoiling. The rosemary caramel can be stored in the fridge, safely, for up to two weeks. I cannot recommend any longer than that, but pay attention to your caramel and judge for yourself.
Ways To Use Rosemary Caramel
- Drizzled over ice cream
- Added to coffee drinks
- Added to cookies as a filling or drizzle
- Topping a cake
- Eaten off a spoon
Rosemary Caramel
A sweet and herbaceous rosemary-flavored soft caramel that makes the perfect savory addition to a variety of sweet treats.
Ingredients
- 1/2 C Heavy Cream
- Two (2) 2-3 inch Fresh Rosemary Sprigs
- 1 C Sugar
- 6 Tablespoons Room Temperature Unsalted Butter
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the heavy cream and rosemary sprigs.
- Bring heavy cream to a slight boil or rolling simmer for 3-4 minutes and then set aside to cool to room temperature. Leave the rosemary sprigs in the cream while you prepare your other ingredients.
- Cube 6 Tablespoons of room temperature butter.
- Portion out 1/2 Teaspoon of salt.
- Remove sprigs from the heavy cream.
- In a clean saucepan, add 1 cup of sugar evenly to the pan and place it over medium heat.
- Watch the sugar and move it around gently, every 1-2 minutes or so. Don't move it too much, but watch it carefully for browning. NOTE: As the sugar begins to clump, it will brown and then melt. Once it begins to melt, it will happen fairly quickly.
- Once the sugar is melted and all of the clumps are gone, remove the pan from the heat.
- Carefully add the butter to the sugar; it will bubble!
- Immediately begin to whisk the butter and sugar together; This can take 2-4 minutes. NOTE: If you feel like your butter and sugar truly are not combining, you can set it back on the heat for a few seconds at a time while whisking.
- Once the butter and sugar are thoroughly combined, add your heavy cream and salt. Whisk until everything is completely combined.
- Let cool for 5-7 minutes and then store in a heat-safe and air-tight glass container.
Notes
Be sure to read through the tips and troubleshooting section!
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