BYYou’re probably gagging just a little as you read this. Hear me out. I had this syrup at a bed and breakfast once and promptly came home to recreate it. This is pure evil and so incredibly delicious that you’ll never go back to Aunt Jemima. I suppose that’s not an entirely fair comparison because this is caramel, not maple. But after this, you’ll say, “Maple WHAT, now?”
You can put this on pancakes, waffles, French toast, ice cream, or eat it with a spoon. Admit it. You know you’ll do it.
This is our go-to syrup, not only for fancy breakfast foods, but we drizzle it on cakes, cupcakes, and other baked goods and it it makes an adorable gift all packed up in a sweet mason jar. The only kind of special thing you’ll need is buttermilk (no substitutions here, it’s buttermilk syrup, guys) but everything else you probably have already in your kitchen!
You’ll want to put it in a larger pot than you think it needs to account for the sauce bubbling up during cooking.
Let it simmer until it turns a beautiful caramel brown color. This part you just have to eyeball because it really varies depending on your pan and everything, but it generally takes 8-9 minutes or so. It can also be tricky to see because of the bubbling, so if you need to, turn the heat down, or use a ladle to spoon some sauce up so you can see it better. It will smell like heaven.
After it cools to room temp you can cover and store it in the fridge if you need to. It will thicken (to the perfect consistency for spoon-eating, so just heat it up next time you want to serve it.
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Your newest go-to sauce and syrup for…well, everything.
Ingredients
- 3/4 c. buttermilk
- 1 1/2 c. sugar
- 1 stick real butter
- 2 Tbsp. corn syrup
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. 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 (and I’m not referring to the green leafy stuff), 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. It tastes just as good, but it’s not super pretty. If you’re into aesthetics, you can skim it off; otherwise, just give it a good stir.
I’ve made this before, but it was a little different. I boiled everything but the baking soda and vanilla together. Then removed from heat and added the baking soda and vanilla and stirred like crazy.
What difference does it make to boil the baking soda with everything else?
P.S. Hope you feel better soon. My daughter has the same thing, too. It’s pretty miserable! (I’m really hoping it doesn’t get passed around the fam.
Cami, I bet it would turn out great either way. The ONLY thing I can think of is the whole baking soda aftertaste thing; when I only cooked it for 7 minutes, I could still taste a hint of baking soda aftertaste, but when I cooked it a little longer, that went away. Maybe cooking it kills the taste? I dunno.
Pseudoephedrine may be a no-no, but Afrin is your friend, my friend.
This looks SO yummy! Hmm, I might foresee breakfast for dinner in my very immediate future.
And tell Sara that I’m STILL waiting for her caramel corn recipe 😀
sounds amazing to me! Can’t wait to try it. I love your blog! Feel Better!
ooh, someone needs caramel corn?? You ask and I deliver, my friend! Lol. I’m always looking for an excuse to make a treat, so I’ll whip some up and post in place of something coming up that I haven’t made yet!
And this buttermilk syrup is so good. But I think the fact that it’s called “syrup” is almost misleading. It’s really a delicious caramel sauce. I made it the same day that I had made some homemade caramel sauce (the traditional way with caramelized sugar, heavy cream, and butter)and this buttermilk syrup tasted almost identical to it and is a lot easier to make. I like it on ice cream! Or on a spoon… 😉
Okay, so I’m almost ashamed to admit that in my 10 1/2 years of marriage I have never purchased buttermilk. Is there some wonderful world of buttermilk I am not aware of? What would I do with the rest of the quart (besides throw it away)? Also, does the rest of it (assuming there is any left) store well in the cupboard, or do you need to keep it in the fridge?
You can purchase buttermilk powder. That way you only make what you need. It takes 4 TBL of powder and 1 cup of water to make a cup of buttermilk. I just add the powder in with dry ingredients and the water with wet ingredients when I am cooking. I find it much easier than having to keep fresh buttermilk on hand when I want to make a certain recipe.
You can freeze! Then use when needed
I do this too, I love it!
Make waffles or pancakes or biscuits with it…especially if you’re going to make this syrup!! 🙂
We make our own with milk and vinegar.
Ooooh, Erin, there’s LOTS of yummy buttermilk stuff! I think it’s kind of like liquid sour cream. I use it in cakes, pancakes, etc. You can also usually buy it in an 8-oz. container, so then you won’t waste much. I bought a quart because I was planning on making pancakes with the other 3 c. of buttermilk. I have a recipe for buttermilk pancakes that I plan on posting someday, but I’ll email it to you now if you want it. Just email me at thedailybite@gmail.com.
You can make your own buttermilk if you use it a lot, and it will save you money, and it is very quick and simple. Just get a gallon of milk and pour it in a glass jar. Scoop out a cup of milk. Then pour in a cup of buttermilk (Winder is a great brand). Let it sit out on the counter for about 24 hours until cultured. Note: I like mine thick. That way I know it is completely cultured. The longer it cultures, the thicker it gets. It’s usually thicker than the store-bought buttermilk. It’s wonderful and I use it a lot in smoothies, pancakes, etc. and now I am going to try this syrup. Also, remember to always reserve a cup of your homemade buttermilk for culturing your next gallon of buttermilk.
This sounds wonderful. I’ll have to try it.
Oh, and you should keep the rest of the syrup in the fridge. 🙂
Kate, I might have to try this recipe out at my B&B if that’s ok. You’re the best! Thanks!
I will have to add that to my chocolate sauce recipe. Anything with a whole stick of real butter HAS to be good!
this syrup is so good. you can eat WITHOUT the waffle. i’m glad you’re my daughter-in-law kate! love, teeny
Okay, I just tried this tonight, and YES, it is PURE EVIL. I seriously wanted to eat it like soup. Sooooooo good.
So I made this for brunch, and Katie is still licking her plate trying to get the rest of the syrup off, lol. It was yummy!
Ooooh, how would it be over baked pears? Now that sounds evil!
I wanna try.
Y u m
Y u m
Oh, that looks so good. Especially with ice cream on a chocolate waffle. I wish I had the energy to make it right now! I guess I'll just have to dream about it tonight 🙂
I. LOVE. THIS. SAUCE.
My favorite way to eat it is probably on ice cream because you get the warm gooey bits with the cold chewy parts on the cold ice cream.
My other favorite is with whipped cream. Not on anything, just whipped cream and buttermilk syrup. Learned that one from my favorite 3 year old. What can I say? Ty is a genius.
How big is a cube of butter?? A Tbls?? I want to make this, I never thought of putting it on waffles!!
Bunny–It's just a stick of butter (yes, the whole dang thing). I changed it to make it more clear! 🙂
You know what's funny- the whole "cube of butter" must be a regional thing because we had that problem when I posted my peppermint brownies on Lolly's blog last winter. People were like, "What the heck is a 'cube' of butter??" and I thought it was the strangest thing ever, but I guess in some places no one refers to it as a cube! Interesting… this might have to be a future poll, lol.
And the syrup? Oh ya. So good. I'm liking Ty's idea of whipped cream and caramel. Sounds like my kid alright.
Perfect! We had breakfast for dinner on the menu tonight. I can't wait!
This looks so delicious! I don't think I've ever heard of something like it before!
This stuff is to die for! If any of you are skeptical about trying it, don't be. Every single person I have shared it with has LOVED it!
I just tweeted this b/c it has my saliva production at an alltime high. I have this recipe for Buttermilk Pancakes that would combined with this just be me dying happy and fat and happpy. 😀 😀 😀
Now, that just sounds wonderfully warm, rich and delicious!
I would love to try it!
It's me again. I have a question. Why is baking soda needed in this? I looked through and I don't think you explained but if you did sorry to have missed it.
You know, ungourmet, I don't know why it calls for baking soda. Where's Alton Brown when we need him?? My guess is that the chemical reaction it produces does something to improve the texture; you often see small amounts of baking soda in old-fashioned homemade candies like caramels and peanut brittle.
How do you think it would turn out if I substituted milk and lemon juice for the buttermilk?
Your timing is perfect as I have a loaf of Texas Toast waiting to become french toast!
I don't know the technical mumbo-jumbo, but I'm pretty sure the baking soda has something to do with the acids and the ph level. I think it prevents crystallization. It's used often in caramel corn and things like that as well.
Imajacobs- I'm not so sure that substitution would work in this case. Don't ask me why, I just think it might come out with a different texture because of the thickness of buttermilk. I don't know though…
I didn’t have buttermilk so I put lemon juice in some milk and let it thicken for about 5 minutes, and the recipe turned out just fine. I haven’t made it with real buttermilk before, but it was TO. DIE. FOR. So, I’d say yes, the substitution was no problem!
Yeah, I'm with Sara–my gut instinct says no subs in this recipe. Maybe that's just because I'm scared of changing anything when doing candy-ish stuff…
Wonderful stuff!
Kate,
We LOVE this recipe. I could eat the syrup by itself, it is that good. Yum! Steve made it again for me on Mother's Day because who knew I liked it that much. Thanks for sharing.
I just read your request on twitter for a cheesecake with a brownie base. My mom has a Philadelphia Cream Cheese cookbook FULL of cheesecakes and I believe there is one in there with a brownie base. email me if you are interested…adriekin@gmail.com
This looks really yummy. I always keep powdered buttermilk in the fridge for recipes like this or else my buttermilk goes bad. It works just as well – I've never noticed a difference! I can't wait to try this!
Yes, you've won me over!
SO good on blueberry pancakes!
We (okay, my husband) made it this morning with the milk and lemon juice substitute for buttermilk and it was fabulous!! No worries with the substituting if you don't have buttermilk…
Oh Sherra, that's so good to know. I really had my doubts about that- thanks for coming back to comment! (This however could be a very very bad thing since the one thing that keeps me from making this every day is that I rarely have buttermilk!)
That syrup looks so caramely and good!
This stuff is delicious!!! Just made it this weekend for our pancakes, and I have been having spoonfulls of it daily….so tasty! It's basically candy, but i like calling it buttermilk syrup so I can justify eating candy for breakfast. 🙂 And thanks for clarifying the need to use a large pot, so glad I did. I also use the powdered buttermilk so I can have it around all the time. Thanks for sharing your recipes, I love your blog!
I have the powdered buttermilk…for those who did it that way, did it turn out? I am making breakfast for dinner tonight and may just give it a try if it works!
Okay…I used the powdered buttermilk (powder that you just add to water to get buttermilk) and the syrup was amazing! I served it over my homemade belgian waffles and it was delicious! Thanks!
Oh my gosh, I totally have been making chocolate waffles at house. Jinx! I make them with whole-wheat flour since they are dark and the kids don't notice. Great ideas, as always guys! And photos, as always too.
This syrup is very good I made it for dinner with pancakes my son loved it!!! I was wondering How long does it keep in the fridge?
I'm just getting familiar with your blog and love it! I have a similar recipe and thought I'd mention that this syrup actually makes the easiest caramel corn. Just pour it over plain popped corn, pop it in a warm oven and stir frequently till it's how you like it (chewy or, I prefer crunchy).
For those of you who don't frequently use buttermilk, you can freeze it. I freeze any leftover buttermilk in 1 cup portions.
i do also, but instead of 1 cup i use an ice cube tray.
Made this last night and it's delicious! No baking soda taste at all for me. And yeah…I was eating it off the spoon…
Your banana ice cream, on a chocolate waffle with this carmel sauce sounds devine!
I made this Buttermilk Syrup today and it's incredible! I mentioned to a neighbor that I was going to make "Buttermilk Syrup" and she said, "why? do you know how awful buttermilk tastes? and you are making a syrup?!
Little does she know it but she's getting a Christmas surprise, you got it, "OurBestBites" Buttermilk Syrup and when she raves about this great carmel topping I will then inform her it's "that Buttermilk Syrup" you said would be awful!
Keep these wonderful recipes coming because I tell everyone I know about your site!
I am planning to give this as a Christmas gift, but I am concerned since the buttermilk I purchased is dated for 12/23.
Does that date affect the shelf life of the syrup?
Kate–just in case you see this before cafemom…how much does this make? I want to have 2 jars (plus maybe some for myself)–like you have in your Christmas gift idea post–so will I need to double the recipe?
Hey, Jen–I doubled it last night and came out with 7 8-oz. jars. Hope that helps!!
Amanda–That's definitely tough to say! I'm no food scientist, and I can't say for sure, but I tend to think it would be okay because buttermilk is generally cultured, so instead of it going sour like milk, it's more likely to just get a little more tangy (at least at first), kind of like yogurt or sour cream gone past its date a little. I also think cooking it and all the sugar may help a little. Obviously, you don't want to keep it too long past the 23rd, but I don't think a couple of days will kill anyone. Please don't sue me if someone comes down with rotavirus… 🙂
Yum! Just finished making this tonight. I don't think I ended up with quite as much as you Kate w/ doubling it–I have 2 pint jars full to about 1 in. from top and maybe another 1/2 pint jar.
As far as gift giving–I need to tell them to refrigerate it, but what about when they want to use it…can they reheat it, or is is good cold? And how long can they keep it in the fridge?
Thanks! You guys are the best!
Jen, I'd definitely tell them to heat it up or at least serve it at room temperature. And I'd say it keeps about 7-10 days in the fridge…
i just made this and it's uber fantabulous!!! my husband's birthday is today, and i made a chocolate cake that i'm going to serve with vanilla ice cream. i'm trying to decide if i feel like sharing this with our guests or keeping it for ourselves! thanks for sharing–i'd rename it caramel sauce. by keeping the name buttermilk syrup, though, you hide it from those who might want something caramel!
Today is the first day I've seen this blog site, my cousin emailed the buttermilk pancake recipe to me which lead me here to the buttermilk syrup recipe. It sounds really good! I have a great bread pudding recipe that I think would go fantastic with this syrup for a change. The other sauce is a whiskey sauce and I feel funny taking it to church functions because inevitably someone asks me for the recipe. 🙂
Just had to comment about our great experience with this syrup. First, it is the only syrup I have ever liked on pancakes. That alone is a miracle, but let me tell you how to go over the edge with this stuff. I poured it warm over homemade vanilla ice cream and sprinkled it with fleur de sel. OH MY HECK!! It instantly became salted caramel ice cream. I love you now.
I have been using this recipe for years and my kids love it on German pancakes. The salty sweet taste is very addicting.
A.MAZ.ING. Made this for breakfast this morning along with your buttermilk pancakes- SO good!! I'm featuring the recipes tomorrow. Thanks!!
This is a great recipe. I even made it VEGAN and it was amazing. Just made my own buttermilk using soy milk with some lemon and then used Earth Balance non dairy/non hydrogenated butter. So yummy!
This didn't turn out the way I had hoped. I wanted a buttermilk caramel for a brownie topping, b/c buttermilk was what I had in the refrigerator. But I was hoping for a nice thick sauce, it was not. I tried may things to save it…I did the unthinkable and use cornstarch. Bad idea! Now it's kind of mealy. I added extra sugar and butter…and some salt. All caramel needs salt. I'm going to use it. The flavor is good, I hope nobody notices the mealy texture.
This is my first time reading your blog. Very nice, I'll continue to follow you. Thanks!
itsewyou8–If it came out thin and mealy, it definitely didn't turn out right. It should be thick and smooth, like caramel sauce only yummier. I'm sorry it didn't work out, though!!
I just found your website and love all the resipes!!
How long do you think this syrup would be good for in the fridge?
Ok, this is not a syrup…no where near syrup. This is pure caramel sauce….its the best thing ever! I tried some Hershey's caramel sauce I had in the fridge and its so gross compared to this. It was just so sugary and well just not good! I will never buy store caramel sauce ever again. Love this!
Ginny–It should be good for up to about 2 weeks in a covered container. If it lasts that long. 🙂
Katie, I know, right?? Like pure caramel evilness in a jar!!
Could you add Rum to make a "Rum Sauce"? And if so, how much would I add?
Because it's candy and adding liquor can be tricky, I'm not sure how to go about adding rum, but you COULD add rum flavoring with/instead of the vanilla. Just start with a teaspoon and go from there.
Hope that helps!
Hello, I made this caramel with milk and viniger (to substitute the buttermilk because i dont have it in my country) and it was great!! I have never tasted a caramel so so good!
I have a question, Can i use it for filling cupcakes or cake?
And another question, i made it today and left it in the refrigarator and next morning i felt the sugar beads, why do i think that happended?
Ginnette–You *could* use it as a filling, but it will soak into the bread and cake. So if that's what you're after, go for it! If you want something where you can detect a distinct difference, you might want to try something else.
As far as sugar crystals go, that just happens sometimes with stuff like this. You can try re-heating it a little more with a touch of water or maybe try cooking it for 1-2 minutes shorter next time.
Hope that helps!
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!
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!
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.
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.
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! 🙂
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????
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.
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!
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! 🙂
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
Loralee- we're not canning experts so we really don't know, sorry!
Thank you for this yummy recipe. It is delicious. I made this for neighbor gifts and paired it with your hot fudge sauce. Your blog is new to me and is fast becoming a favorite.
My daughter-in-law had us over for Christmas breakfast. She made this syrup to put over German pancakes. It was really good. She loves your site and uses it all the time.
Okay this sounds delish, I'm going to have to try…I will say the 12lb. bag of baking soda in the ingredients shot had me going for a little. =)
oh this is bad (in a good way)I tasted it straight from the pot and now I have to stop!!!
I had a banana chocolate chip loaf cooling and thought a caramel sauce would go nicely with it..then thought I have an almost full container of buttermilk sitting in the fridge then found your blog. Now I am waiting patiently for this sauce to cool (I have burnt my finger already)…it is scrumptious and fast to make! Love it and will be keeping the recipe close at hand…Thank you!
Would it work with honey instead of corn syrup? I try to stay away from corn syrup, and most recipes can have honey substituted for the syrup, but I’ve never tried it in anything candy-like. Thoughts?
Delicious and easy! BUT you obviously have never had pure maple syrup from Highland Conty, Virginia- yes Virginia. My family is hard put to decide between SCRUMPTIOUS maple syrup and this equally SCRUMPTIOUS syrup! Thanks for the fabulous recipe!
Joelle–I’m not sure. If it were un-cooked, then you could–honey can be a good substitute. But when you get into candy making, things get tricky. The good news is that while you don’t want to go drinking it or anything, it’s *not* high fructose corn syrup in its evil, naked form–it’s just a pantry ingredient that’s been around for 100+ years.
I love love love this recipe! I’ve put it on cinnamon rolls as well as our pancakes.
The last time I made it I happened to get a whim and with the addition of two ingredients, turned it into Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Fudge Sauce. I shared it on my blog today and left y’all some link love/credit for the recipe: http://www.thefrontierkitchen.com/2011/04/that-girl-is-so-dangerous.html
This has become a main staple in our home. We can’t get enough of this AMAZING syrup! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’m curious though, how was the french toast in the picture prepared because it looks amazing as well.
Sara- that was a recipe that I photographed for our cook book and it got pulled at the last minute! But no fear- it is sure to show up either on the blog or in another book soon!
One comment, one question.
1. I stirred this the entire time and got no foam, just a wonderfully delicious syrup and I’m dying to let it cool so I can have it on ice cream :).
2. Is there a way I could convert this somehow to be the caramel topping on the faux twix recipe?
if you don’t have buttermilk, you can use 1 t. vinegar and regular milk. I’ve been making it for years and don’t ever buy the buttermilk anymore.
I just made this recipe after searching the Internet for a quick-and-easy caramel recipe. I used honey instead of corn syrup, since I’ve never had a need for the latter. After reading of the possibility of it being too thin, I also cheated a bit and mixed one or two tablespoons of cornstarch in. I don’t like such “tricks,” but it turned out wonderfully. I realize, however, my shortsightedness: I don’t have in the house anything on which to put the sauce!
that would be my issue, but i am a MAJOR caramel fan and eat it from the spoon every time the fridge is opened like they were talking about earlier lol.
think I’m gonna make this to go with the red, white & blue pancakes I plan to make my family for Monday – who cares if I’ll likely be the only one eating it – that just means MORE FOR ME!!!!! *happy dance*
Oh how I love this! It is so good!!! I’ve had it on your puffed French toast and ice cream and just plain eating it out of the bowl. So evil….
I get so many comments / requests for this recipe! It makes an ordinary waffle something amazing. I don’t think I’ve had a better syrup. We stock buttermilk powder in our pantry; love having everything I need for this on hand.
YUM! I love this syrup! It’s the best I’ve ever had.
I have fallen in love with your site. i am a mother of all daughters so there is always something being cooked and tried here at my house. the only thing i would like to see added to your site (unless i just haven’t found the spot to do it) is a way to mark certain recipies or like a “recipe box” some way to keep them marked.
Hands down the hit of our homemade ice cream extravaganza at work. An easy and straight forward recipe. Thanks.
Everytime I make this it’s SO DARN GOOD. I’m looking forward to being pregnant again sometime in life so I can gorge myself on this syrup with no shame.
You don’t have to buy buttermilk — you can make it. For every cup of milk, substitute one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice for a tablespoon of the milk. Let it sit for at least five minutes. It will curdle the milk, turning it to buttermilk.
My family LOVES this syrup! It really is lick-the-pot good. I wonder, do you think that you could can it (seal it in canning jars)? It would make for some wonderful Christmas gifts!
Renee- this recipe hasn’t been tested for food safety when canned so we wouldn’t recommend it. But it certainly looks darling packaged in mason jars and gifted fresh! I’ve done that many times; just let people know it needs to be stored in the fridge.
Thank you for this recipe! I’m 57 and had no idea it would be so easy to make caramel. I used the buttermilk powder, and have already had it on a bowl of vanilla ice cream and some from the spoon. It will make a great dip for apple slices, and much better than the kind sold in stores as a dip.
Absolutely delicious! I feel like I have to apologize, too… I had my doubts when I threw everything into the pot and all I smelled was buttermilk, and I thought, “How in the world is this going to be tasty?” but holy moly, I’ve been dipping bananas in it all day long just to have an excuse to eat it! Thanks guys!!!
Buttermilk! Do you have some food combinations that you carry from childhood? For me buttermilk is combined with a liverwurst on rye sandwich with sliced raw onion and tomato. My saliva production just increased.
Wow lots of info! Besides sweets, Buttermilk is great for Chicken!! It is a tenderizer; marinate your legs and breasts ect.. in the buttermilk and roll them in your preffered breading and seasoning, throw them in the oven and wow! very tender, great tasting Buttermilk Baked Chicken.
Finally got around to making this. YUM. we had it on top of pumpkin spice waffles! and don’t worry. I did lick my plate 🙂 I used milk/vinegar for the buttermilk, and also dark caro. it turned out awesome. thanks!
Hi, do you have a print option on your recipes?
I just tried this recipe. Oh, yum! I’ve never had any kind of homemade caramel syrup come out well, but this is wonderful stuff. And easy. I think I will always have some of this on hand from now on.
This is soooooo goood. We had this for breakfast with the buttermilk pancakes and leftovers for lunch. Can I just say, I’m in Heaven!!
I rushed through reading the recipe for the caramel sauce and accidentally added the vanilla to the pot with the rest of the ingredients, what difference does that make? Thanks Girls~
I did the same thing, but it still tasted delicious. 🙂
Wow! This is crazy good! Will be making this again!
i made a batch of this and it was *life changing* the morning that i made it… perfectly smooth and caramel… ly. we put it in the fridge and took it out tonight, heated it up on the stove and it was gritty. grainy. like the sugar crystals have separated out. have you ever had this happen? i’m thinking it means i didn’t cook it long enough… or is that normal and i should’ve just heated it longer? we don’t have a microwave, so that’s not an option…
Hmmm…I’m not sure what happened, but I’ve always reheated it in a microwave. Maybe try adding a little bit of water and heating it up very slowly? I wish I were Alton Brown sometimes. 🙂
This is the best syrup ever! My family won’t allow anything else on their pancakes anymore. I do change it up sometimes and add coconut extract in place of vanilla for an *amazing* coconut syrup. So good!!
What role does the 2 Tablespoons of corn syrup play in this recipe? I try to avoid corn syrup and would not use the remainder of the bottle for any other recipe. Thanks!
Well, corn syrup is different chemically from high fructose corn syrup–Karo has been around way longer than HCFS. 🙂 That said, it’s used in candy making for stabilizing the final product. I’ve heard you can substitute honey, but I’ve never tried it, so I can’t say if it works or how it tastes.
I just made this yesterday and it turned out thin. Is it supposed to thicken on the stovetop or after removed from the heat? Not sure if I cooked it too long or not long enough…
If it’s thin, then chances are it was undercooked.
I almost laughed out loud when I saw that you have a 12 lb bag of baking soda! Awesome 🙂 Anyway, I’m making the caramel apple bread pudding with this tonight and cannot wait to try it!
Oh my word!!!!! I am making this in the morning for my kids for breakfast! How do you store leftovers? Not that I anticipate any leftovers!
Just pop it in the fridge 🙂
I made this with waffles tonight and my kids are now calling it “mom’s magic syrup.”. It’s a hit around here!
y’all: I added a tiny bit of maple flavoring this time and it was divine! with just a smidge it doesn’t taste like maple syrup, it just adds another dimension to the caramel taste.
Just made this for the first time this morning to put on top of our French toast – this syrup is SOOOO good, my husband had to take the bowl away from me because I was eating it with a spoon. I wasn’t in love with this on the French toast, but will try it on ice cream later tonight and I think it will be phenomenal.
I’m a total novice when it comes to making stuff like this, so I cooked mine for a little longer than what the recipe says because it wasn’t thickening, I thought I was doing something wrong. It wasn’t until it was completely cooled and at room temp that it really thickened up. I can’t get over how delicious it is – I think the buttermilk makes all the difference – will never buy store-bought caramel again!
In some of the earlier comments for this, you were mentioning a “cube” of butter vs. a “stick” of butter. I think it may be a regional thing, because out west, the butter comes in shorter, more squat “cubes”, whereas in the more eastern part of the U.S. (east of the Mississippi?), it is shaped into longer “sticks”. Both 1/2 cup measurements, but different shapes.
comments too long to read all. but if noone else has suggested it, add rum! i needed a rum sauce and used this……it is fabulous!
I made this a couple nights ago to go with a pancake dinner. It was fabulous! I’m a novice at syrups/sauces/candy, but this was really simple and quick to put together. It was a bit thick once it cooled off, which surprised me a little. I halved the recipe and may not have used quite the right amount of buttermilk. Confession: my breakfast the past two days has been this syrup slathered on a warmed up tortilla and rolled around a banana. Delicious!
We love this and make it frequently! I’ve even subbed heavy cream when I didn’t have buttermilk on hand and it comes out super rich and thick.
I just found this on Pinterest. I’m always disappointed when people comment before they try something, cuz I want to know how it tastes, not that they think it looks good. Well, I got right up and made this and I have to say…people run right to your kitchen and do it! It’s super easy and TASTES out of this world, it will be my new go to caramel sauce! Thanks.
We make this sauce. A lot. My hips are now at least three inches wider because of this sauce. But, it is sooooo worth it. To me, it reminds me of a melted Werther’s candy. 🙂
We eat the syurp on lots of stuff, but our favorite way to enjoy this treat in the fall is with sliced honeycrisp apples.
Thanks so much for this wonderful site. Love, love, love your recipes!!!!!!!
My home teacher have us a jar of this and we loved it. Their family tradition is to have it every Sunday. I was wondering.. Can you can this?? I’d like to make them for Christmas gifts for my family if it works. Any comments on this would bs greatly appreciated! Love your cookbooks!!! I use it weekly! Thanks!
I am wondering the same thing!
I LOVE this recipe! This year I wanted to jar them up and give them as gifts along with Trader Joe’s Pumpkin pancake mix. Can you tell me how long the syrup will last? I was thinking of following the buttermilk expiration date. Is that right? Or does not it not have an expiration date due to the boiling? Help!
I made this for girl’s camp (with our Crepes) in August and brought back the rest. It’s been refrigerated ever since and we’ve used it almost every weekend on pancakes or waffles. No one has gotten sick and it tastes as good as it did when I first made it. I made it with store bought buttermilk (not the powder). That’s a 3+ month endorsement! Disclaimer: if you get sick, don’t blame me 🙂
I hope you’re right about the life span… I’ve never made these yummy condiments (like this one!) before but for Christmas this year we are doing baskets and bags full of homemade goodies because, well, we just don’t have a lot of money and I LOVE the idea of doing jams, syrups, etc. that will last and won’t be a dessert and/or cookie overload that ends up getting thrown away! So that being said, I’ll take your word! I think this sauce would be awesome over a cheesecake, too!
This recipe is to die for. We have been using it for years and when we share the recipe with those we have shared the syrup, they too are shocked with the ingredients. This is a favorite on sour dough pancakes! One batch is always enough for pancakes at breakfast and then over ice cream at dinner with a family of 5 🙂
So I just doubled this and jarred it up for gifts, it tastes so good that I actually burst out laughing in my kitchen when i tasted it. All alone. Thank you for another winner!
I absolutely adore this sauce! I have had the Our Best Bites cookbook for a year now and am slowly working my way through it, and yesterday (Christmas!) I made this sauce to go over french toast made with potato bread. Divine! I, like many other readers, also plan to make jars of this for gifts next year. (Too bad I hadn’t made this one week earlier. I could have done it this year!) While I CANNOT claim (do not claim!) to be a canning “expert,” I do know quite a bit about it and can say that in general, it is not considered safe to home-can things that have dairy ingredients. Home canning equipment (even pressure canners) do not have the ability to heat most dairy products sufficiently to kill all bacteria, so every [reputable] source I’ve read has said to stay away from it. Of course, there are always people who say “My grandma has been doing it this way for 50 years and nobody’s ever gotten sick” and that may even be true, but the risk of illness is much higher than with, say, diced tomatoes. So I will just tell everyone to refrigerate these wonderful jars of sauce!
Has anyone had success with substituting honey for corn syrup?
I just made this and life will never be the same!!! this is so freaking good!!!
Holy cow- just made this tonight for our waffles and it was AMAZING!! Thank you thank you for posting this, it’s freaking life-changing for this waffle-lover! 🙂
OMG, I just saw this on Pinterest and re-pinned it. It sounds amazing and I can’t wait to try it out. Thank for posting.
I love this syrup, its so delicious! My family loves it as well. Do you think you could can this recipe? It would just be convenient to have some preserved on the shelf and ready when you need it.
We don’t recommend canning this recipe- you’ll want to use recipes specifically designed and tested for canning and this isn’t.
Ok thanks, I just wondered if you had ever done it.
Made this to go over the Chunky Monkey Pancakes…OH, YEAH!
I did not read all the comments about this amazing syrup, so I don’t know if this has been said, but this morning I drizzled this syrup on my kids oatmeal and IT WAS LIFE CHANGING!!! My daughter HATES oatmeal and she ate 3 bowls of it! I did not use much and it made a huge difference. Thank you for the best syrup recipe ever!!!
I LOVE this stuff. Amazingly delicious and easy. I made some the other night with apple cinnamon oatmeal pancakes and it was such a mind-blowing combination I just had to share. Here is the pancake recipe I used: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/brown-sugar-oatmeal-pancakes but I tweaked it a bit by adding about a cup of shredded tart-sweet apple (I think it was braeburn) and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and reducing the brown sugar to a scant 1/4 c. So, so good. I highly recommend it. Delicious as is, but next time, I might try reducing the salt a bit and/or drying the apple a bit with a paper towel. But that’s just getting picky. 🙂 Thanks for the syrup recipe – it was my inspiration!
This is amazing! I literally had to keep myself from drinking it…. Thank you:) !
I made your Buttermilk Caramel Syrup today and it was so good and I just wanted to thank you. I made pancakes and had some ham that I even put a little of the syrup on.
I accidentally left this out overnight… do you think it’s gone bad? I’m so bummed because it was soo good!
Mine was perfect during cooking but turned out grainy once it cooled. I can heat it and it turns syrup-y, but again, soon as it cools it gets grainy. Can you help me figure out what I did wrong? Thanks!
If allergic to corn (and thus corn syrp) how would this recipe react to just delete the corn syrup? Or substitute it with something else?
I’ve made this recipe many times and it has always turned out perfect. However, one of my daughters is very lactose intolerant (even 1 t of butter gives her severe stomach pains) and I really wanted a caramel fondue for NYE so I tweaked this recipe as follows: subbed lactose free milk with a splash of vinegar (and let it sit for several minutes) and used Smart Balance instead of real butter. I followed the rest of the recipe as written. At room temp, it was still too runny to be fondue but would have been great for pancakes. I put it in the fridge and it thickened beautifully and was perfect for fondue. For anyone afraid of substitutions or if you have lactose issues, this recipe is very forgiving.
I love this stuff! Instead of cream cheese icing on carrpt cake I pour this stuff over the warm cake. Decadent!
Made this today with buttermilk made from soured (a little) milk mixed with lemon juice and honey subbed for the corn syrup (not wanting GMO), and it turned out WONDERFULLY! YUM! Definitely a keeper. Thnx!
I’ve made this recipe 2 or 3 times now and we love it! I substitute milk and lemon juice in place of the buttermilk, and it lasts for months in the fridge (at least! I haven’t had any left after 3 months or so). I just heat up the mason jar when I want to eat some and sometimes after heating it up the edges develop some sugar crystals, but that doesn’t affect the flavor. If I have yet to find it has gone bad in the fridge after months I wonder if it really would be okay at room temperature…
I’ve seen suggestions that whey (leftover from making Greek yogurt) can be used in place of buttermilk in lots of recipes. I took a chance and used whey in place of the buttermilk in this recipe and it worked wonderfully. Cooked up a perfect color and consistency (and whey is not thick like buttermilk at all).
I live in Hawaii and I made this today using brown sugar and coconut extract (instead of vanilla). We poured it over banana pancakes and it was PURE HEAVEN!! Next time I might try it over ice cream….
I grew up thinking my moms Buttermilk Carmel Syrup was actually an old, ancient recipe…passed down through our family from one generation to the next! Imagine my surprise when I came across your blog 10+ years and saw almost the exact recipe! This is a staple in our family!
Just wanted to say that I NEVER remember to buy buttermilk…..so I always just use what we have….which is 2% milk and it turns out great! Last week I made a variation of this….for my husband, who’s is on the Keto diet! I used Swerve brand confectioners sugar replacement, heavy whipping cream (no corn syrup & no buttermilk) and it turned out really good! (Not as good the real deal…..with all of its carb goodness!)
Also have to say…..if all the cooking type websites out there….OBB is my very favorite! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
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My favorite! I love this syrup and it’s so easy to make.
Anyone made this without the corn syrup? I thought I had some, but I’m out and we have pumpkin pancakes cooking as we speak!
You could use honey if you have some! 🙂
How would I store any remaining syrup?
Just pop it in the fridge! It will thicken when it cools, but heat it up and it will be great ??
How many servings does this recipe make?
You can probably serve about 8-10 people with this. 🙂