Salted Caramel Glaze

Sep 22, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Frostings fillings toppings Origin: Madagascar Vanilla: Extract Easy

Doughnuts finished with salted caramel glaze on a cooling rack

A dippable salted caramel glaze that sets to a smooth shell on doughnuts. Best with Madagascar vanilla (rich, creamy, classic); any pure vanilla works. Makes enough for 12 doughnuts.

Prep 10 min

Cook —

Set 15 min

Total 25 min

Yield 12 doughnuts

Diet —

Ingredients

Adjust yield

doughnuts

2.0 cups (240.0 g)confectioners' sugar, sifted
3.0 tbsp (56.0 g)caramel sauce
½ tspflaky sea salt
1.0 tsp (5.0 ml)VanillaGoods pure vanilla extract
3.0 tbsp (45.0 ml)whole milk, plus more as needed
⅛ tspfine sea salt

Make it at home

As an Amazon Associate, VanillaGoods earns from qualifying purchases. We only suggest tools that fit this recipe.

Instructions

Sift the confectioners' sugar into a bowl that's wide enough for dipping, and whisk in the salt.
Add the milk and caramel sauce and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the glaze falls from the whisk in a thick ribbon that settles back into itself in a few seconds.
Dip the top of each cooled doughnut into the glaze, lift, and let the excess drip off. Set on a wire rack and sprinkle with the flaky sea salt while the glaze is wet.
Let the glaze set until dry to the touch, about 15 minutes.

Tips

Glaze doughnuts while they're barely warm for a thin, crackly shell, or fully cooled for a thicker coat.
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: Best the day it's made. Keep leftover glaze covered at room temperature for up to 1 day; whisk before using.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make salted caramel glaze?

Plan on 10 minutes of prep, plus 15 minutes to set. It makes enough for 12 doughnuts.

How should I store salted caramel glaze?

Best the day it's made. Keep leftover glaze covered at room temperature for up to 1 day; whisk before using.

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 dippable salted caramel glaze that sets to a smooth shell on doughnuts. Best with Madagascar vanilla (rich, creamy, classic); any pure vanilla works. Makes enough for 12 doughnuts.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 12 servings this recipe makes.

96 Calories / serving

0.6g Fat

23.1g Carbs

0.2g Protein

22.2g Sugar

Whole recipe (12 servings): ~1152 cal · 7g fat · 277g carbs · 2g protein · 266g sugar

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

Per serving · 96 calories

What it takes to burn one serving

Brisk walking 18 min·1.1 mi·~2100 steps
Walking uphill or incline treadmill 13 min·0.7 mi·~1300 steps
Moderate cycling 10 min·2.0 mi
Swimming laps 13 min
Jogging 9 min·0.8 mi·~1450 steps
Stair climbing 9 min·~800 steps
Dancing 16 min
Bodyweight circuit training 10 min
Cleaning, errands, or playing with the dog 22 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.