Butterscotch Sauce

Jul 9, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Pies tarts Origin: Madagascar Vanilla: Extract Easy

A butterscotch sauce to serve with slices of pie. Best with Madagascar vanilla (rich, creamy, classic); any pure vanilla works. Makes about 1 cup.

Prep 5 min

Cook 10 min

Cool 15 min

Total 30 min

Servings 8

Diet —

Ingredients

Adjust yield

servings

4.0 tbsp (57.0 g)unsalted butter
¾ cup (160.0 g)dark brown sugar, packed
½ cup (120.0 ml)heavy cream
¼ tspfine sea salt
1.0 tsp (5.0 ml)VanillaGoods pure vanilla extract

Make it at home

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Instructions

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add the brown sugar, and cook, stirring, until melted and bubbling, about 3 minutes.
Whisk in the cream and salt and simmer for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened.
Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Tips

Vanilla swap: use vanilla bean paste 1:1 in place of the extract for visible specks, or the seeds of 1 vanilla bean for each tablespoon of extract.
Best vanilla for this: Madagascar (rich, creamy, classic), or Mexican (spiced, warm, woodsy). Any pure vanilla works.
Storage: Refrigerate for up to 1 week; rewarm gently if needed.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make butterscotch sauce?

Plan on 5 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cooking, plus 15 minutes to cool. It makes about 1 cup.

How should I store butterscotch sauce?

Refrigerate for up to 1 week; rewarm gently if needed.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

use vanilla bean paste 1:1 in place of the extract for visible specks, or the seeds of 1 vanilla bean for each tablespoon of extract.

A butterscotch sauce to serve with slices of pie. Best with Madagascar vanilla (rich, creamy, classic); any pure vanilla works. Makes about 1 cup.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 8 servings this recipe makes.

179 Calories / serving

11.1g Fat

20.1g Carbs

0.4g Protein

19.9g Sugar

Whole recipe (8 servings): ~1432 cal · 89g fat · 161g carbs · 3g protein · 159g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.

Per serving · 179 calories

What it takes to burn one serving

Brisk walking 34 min·2.0 mi·~4000 steps
Walking uphill or incline treadmill 24 min·1.2 mi·~2400 steps
Moderate cycling 18 min·3.6 mi
Swimming laps 25 min
Jogging 18 min·1.5 mi·~2900 steps
Stair climbing 17 min·~1550 steps
Dancing 29 min
Bodyweight circuit training 18 min
Cleaning, errands, or playing with the dog 42 min

Rough estimates for one serving, based on standard MET values at about 155 lb. Your own burn depends on body size, effort, and fitness. Shown for context only — food is not something you have to earn.