Caramel Syrup for Coffee

Before you start

Coffee-shop caramel syrup is thin and pourable, unlike thick caramel sauce, because it is made by cooking sugar to amber and then loosening it with water instead of cream. The result dissolves easily in hot or iced coffee, keeps well in the fridge, and tastes of real toasted sugar with a slight bitterness that suits espresso.

Two things matter most. First, crystallization: a little lemon juice or corn syrup in the pan interferes with sugar crystals forming, and not stirring once the syrup boils prevents graininess. Second, safety: molten sugar is far hotter than boiling water, and adding water to it causes violent spitting. Use a deep pan, hot water and a long-handled spoon, and keep children and pets away from the stove.

Ingredients

• 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
• 60 ml (¼ cup) water — for cooking the caramel
• 1 tbsp (20 g) light corn syrup — or 1 tsp lemon juice
• 180 ml (¾ cup) hot water — just off the boil, for thinning
• ¼ tsp fine salt — optional, for salted caramel
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Combine the sugar, 60 ml water and corn syrup in a deep, light-colored saucepan. Stir just until the sugar is evenly wet, then stop stirring.
2. Cook over medium-high heat. As it boils, brush down any crystals on the side of the pan with a wet pastry brush. Swirl the pan gently instead of stirring.
3. After 8 to 12 minutes, the bubbles slow and the syrup starts to color at the edges. Keep swirling until it is an even deep amber, like a copper penny, about 175°C (345°F) on a thermometer. It darkens fast, so watch closely.
4. Take the pan off the heat. Wearing oven mitts and standing back, pour in the hot water slowly in a thin stream. It will hiss, steam and bubble up sharply.
5. Return the pan to low heat and stir until any hardened caramel lumps fully dissolve, 2 to 3 minutes. The syrup should be smooth and thin.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the salt and vanilla. Cool for about 20 minutes, then pour into a jar and refrigerate.

Tips for success

• Use hot water to thin the caramel. Cold water makes the sugar seize into hard lumps and spits more violently.
• A light-colored pan lets you judge the color accurately; caramel in a dark pan is easy to burn.
• Use 15 to 30 ml (½ to 1 oz) per latte, depending on how sweet you like it.

Substitutions

Corn syrup

1 tsp lemon juice does the same job of preventing crystals and leaves no taste in the finished syrup. Honey also works but adds its own flavor.

Water for thinning

Strong hot coffee makes a coffee-caramel syrup. For a richer sauce, use warm cream instead, but then it is a dairy sauce that keeps only about 1 to 2 weeks in the fridge.

Granulated sugar

Light brown sugar is harder to judge for color and burns sooner. Stick with white sugar for a clean caramel flavor.

Variations

Salted caramel

Increase the salt to ½ tsp, or use flaky salt stirred in at the end.

Burnt sugar

Take the caramel a shade darker, to mahogany, for a bittersweet syrup that suits cold brew.

Troubleshooting

The sugar turned cloudy and grainy

It crystallized from stirring or stray crystals. Add a splash of water, dissolve it again over low heat and start the caramelizing step without stirring.

The syrup tastes bitter and acrid

The caramel went past deep amber into burnt. Start again and pull it as soon as it reaches copper color.

Hard lumps after adding the water

Normal when the caramel seizes. Keep stirring over low heat until they melt; it may take a few minutes.

The syrup hardened in the fridge

It was too concentrated. Warm it with 2 tablespoons of hot water and stir until pourable.

Storage

Refrigerate in a clean, sealed jar for up to about a month. This water-based caramel keeps better than cream sauces. Discard it if it smells off or shows mold. Warm the jar in hot water if it thickens.

Safety notes

Melted sugar can exceed 170°C (340°F) and causes severe burns that stick to skin. Use a deep pan, add the hot water slowly with mitts on, and keep children away from the stove.