25 Salted Caramel Recipes That Feel Completely Indulgent

Have you ever turned down dessert? Possibly a handful of times, when you've been bursting at the seams. But sometimes, you come across a dessert that just can't wait. It's balanced, it's perfect — and you can't stop eating it. Why? Because of the salt.

Salt pairs wonderfully with a number of sweet treats, but there's nothing quite like the combo of salt and caramel. Why? A pinch of salt is the best way to draw out more flavor and, in the right quantity, it won't make your recipe taste salty in the least. You'll get enhanced sweetness with just a touch of salt: the perfect salty-sweet mix.

Anyone's taste buds tingling? If so, you'll love everything in this roundup of our favorite salted caramel treats — starting with these irresistible cheesecake bars. Salty and tangy is a unique dessert combo...unless you're talking about cheesecake (in this instance, salted caramel cheesecake). Not only does the tang of the cream cheese satisfy a solitary unique craving in terms of desserts, but the salted caramel adds another layer of complexity that, when coupled with a light dusting of flaky sea salt garnish, creates a bite of dessert you won't soon forget.

Nothing screams 'gooey' more than a saucepan full of salted caramel. Sticky and sumptuous in all the right ways, the more you drizzle on, the gooier and more indulgent your dessert gets — not that that's a bad thing! Take Eddie Jackson's Salted Caramel Pretzel Brownies, which top a panful of textured pretzel brownies with a spider's web of salted caramel goodness. Throw on some flaky salt to finish, and you've got a one-of-a-kind dessert to boot!

Thumbprint cookies are truly iconic. And while they might evoke memories of chocolate kisses nestled in the center of peanut butter cookie dough, or perhaps a dollop of jam sitting in a circle of sweet sugar cookie, there are plenty of other ways to make them. One of our ideas is caramel with an ingredient that truly makes it sing: salty pretzels. Don't forget to top these cookies off with a smattering of sea salt to really help them shine.

So many desserts scream nostalgia, but perhaps no drink sings of childhood like a milkshake! And, this one has a sweet surprise: it's (secretly) healthy! Sweetened using a mixture of pitted dates — everyone's favorite new superfood — and frozen pineapple chunks and amped up with the addition of a few spoons of almond butter, this milkshake is all sorts of healthy, packing in some protein while also delivering on the sugary front using natural sweeteners. But don't worry...it doesn't skip out on all the salted caramel fun! There's a little maple extract and flaky salt for that good ol' salty-sweet bite, and she rims each glass with crushed-up caramel hard candies that make you think of grandma.

Waste not, want not: at least, that's our motto — especially when it comes to jumbo salted pretzels. Pairing them against America's favorite supermarket carb, white bread, they get toasted thoroughly, after which they're submerged in a pool of vanilla-scented custard. Now, you could stop here for a basic bread pudding that sings of elegance, but if you're really wanting to 'dress to impress,' throw together an easy, three-ingredient caramel to drizzle over the bread pudding. Oh, and don't forget the salt!

A traditional French dessert, a Pot de Crème is already the picture of luxury and indulgence. In her twist, Kardea Brown layers a salty-sweet and silky-smooth caramel custard with an equally-luscious whipped cream and then, adding a fun and whimsical textural contrast with some crunchy, sugary caramel popcorn! And sure, the twist may be fun and playful, but don't think Kardea's taking any shortcuts, oh no. All the caramel in this recipe is scratch-made, and one taste will tell you why.

Salted caramel may not be the 'traditional' when it comes to apple pie, but it's a welcome twist — especially when you take a leaf out of the books of the well-known Four and Twenty Blackbirds pie shop in Brooklyn, NY. The secret lies in a rich caramel sauce made from — you guessed it — a high-quality, European butter. Oh, and don't forget the Angostura bitters that finds its way into the filling: there might only be a few dashes, but boy do they make all the difference.

A host of desserts are made as a labor of love, from multilayer cakes to delicate pies, fruit-flavored shortcakes, and crumbles and cobblers of all kinds. However, we don't always have the time to put together multistep desserts, no matter how much we wish we did — and that's where this dessert comes in. Homemade and comforting, all that this dessert requires is a preheated grill at the ready, along with a store-bought salted caramel sauce and, to amp it up, a scoop or two of butter pecan ice cream (or perhaps, another flavor of your choice, if you so choose).

Peanut butter cups are undeniably special. And, don't be tempted to think that a luxurious copycat can be made without a price! Oh no, this particular creation is a labor of love, that involves melting chocolate, whisking the salted caramel by hand and topping these familiar chocolate creations with crushed peanuts and sea salt flakes. But, we promise it's worth it — because what could be better than crushing two cravings (salty and sweet) in one delicious bite?!

Good things come to those who wait. And great things come to those who are truly patient. Just take Ina's Easy panna cotta. It takes quite a bit of time to set up in the refrigerator — but the resulting salted-caramel spoonful is so, so sweet and simply magical. Worth every one of the minutes you spent waiting to dig in!

If you ask us for our favorite desserts, we might shout out a particularly decadent-yet-delicate cake, or perhaps even a custard, a mousse, or an equally-elegant creation: pavlova, anyone? But ask us what we loved to dig into as a child? Pudding pie would be high on that list. The perfect balance of pudding against a buttery, toasted Graham cracker crust, it's hard to go wrong where pudding pie is concerned — especially when you're bringing salted caramel and banana to the party, too.

It's hard to improve on a classic chocolate chip cookie, don't you think? That luscious, melty chocolate studding the perfect, buttery cookie...but if you're going to try to jazz it up, well, doing so with a hit of salted caramel might just do the trick! Simply swap out your usual chocolate chunks with some caramel-filled chocolaty bites and top off each mound of dough with a healthy helping of flaky sea salt and bam: you've got your new favorite cookie.

Semimfreddo is an underrated dessert. Well...that is, unless you're in the kitchen of Tyler Florence, who draws on his Italian roots to whip up a frosty dessert that pairs one of our favorite flavor profiles, cookies 'n cream, with the one that's the star of this roundup: salted caramel. Just creamy enough, this no-bake dessert is even better than ice cream cake. We're even willing to bet that soon, even the ice cream truck will long be forgotten, and only semifreddos will remain.

Salted caramel makes the 'chef' in us think of a lot of things, like giving a naughty twist to an otherwise prim-and-proper dessert — or how there's always room to be more indulgent. But there's no thought we'd rather have when it comes to salted caramel than these brownies. Ina assures us that store-bought caramel is fine as long as its good quality and she recommends the best of the best when it comes to the salt on top: splurge-worthy, crunchy Maldon sea salt.

Make a creation that balances brûléed fruit — banana in this case — with a pudding that sings of salted caramel and, well, you've got a winner. The added bonus here? Each spoonful is laden with salty-sweet caramel goodness that's beyond luscious. Just know that some of the best salted caramel desserts can come together in 15 minutes (or less) — and this is one of them.

When it comes to iconic cookies, who could forget snickerdoodles? We'd like to think it's the hefty dose of cinnamon that fills your kitchen — and your nose — with that familiar smell, reminding you why snickerdoodles are a classic. And, that's probably true. But sometimes you need to spice things up, perhaps with one more layer of flavor! That's where salted caramel can help you out: these textbook snickerdoodles are filled with a gooey center of salted caramel made from scratch. Bite just right, and it oozes out: what could be a more perfect treat?

Certain desserts ooze luxury. A towering Baked Alaska, for instance, or a silky smooth tiramisu. Or, how many times have you cracked the delicate shell of a crème brûlée and delighted in what lies underneath? A tarte tatin is no different — designed like a rosette, it's inviting from multiple angles. And we found a way to up the ante a bit more with a layer of salted caramel. We coat the pan with caramel, submerge the apples in a pool of rich, buttery caramel, and invert to present a truly magnificent dessert, fit for a king — or queen! And don't worry, the smattering of flake salt that ripples through the caramel to coat the apple slices gives you all the salted caramel vibes.

Hit up the local state or county fair this summer, and what'll you see? Popcorn. And lots of it; bags and bags of salted, buttered delight make for the perfect, munchable snack while you spend the day at the fair. But the true magic is when you coat those little, poppable delights with caramel. In our version, we toss in some salted peanuts, a few handfuls of rich and creamy white chocolate chips and a final drizzle of salted caramel to make a batch of cookies that you're likely never to forget.

Who doesn't look forward to Girl Scout cookie season? Be it coconut-coated, peanut butter-laden or minty chocolate treats? Well, it turns out Jeff looks forward to it just as much as we do. So much so, in fact, that he's found a way to bring the familiar flavor of Somoas (aka Caramel deLites) to cannoli.Using store-bought shortcuts like pre-made cannoli shells, these salted caramel surprises are the treat that no one can resist.

Everyone loves banana bread, but the quick bread really sings once some salted caramel is thrown into the mix! That's the inspiration behind this bread pudding. It features silky-soft, golden-brown brioche which can hold its own against a sauce with such personality and depth. Better yet, the caramel only gets richer as you bake the dish. Sprinkle with some sea salt before baking — you'll find the salted-caramel flavor notes far more embedded into the dessert itself.

When salted caramel enters the conversation, it's usually a good reason to swear off any other sweet toppings: candy, frosting, the works. After all, isn't that what the salted caramel is for? But in Ree's world, more is more, and more is better, especially when it comes to salted caramel! Take her brownies, for instance. Not only does she retain the rich, fluffy frosting, she even douses it in a homemade salted caramel sauce that doesn't skimp on the butter, the sugar or the sticky goodness! Take a bite and you'll be hooked.

Muffins are an underrated sweet treat, in our opinion, perhaps because people only think of the classic breakfast options. But that doesn't mean those are the only flavors that can exist! Take these double-chocolate salted-caramel beauties, for instance. Rich and robust from some Dutch-process cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate, this recipe gets its salty-sweet punch from a jarred dulce de leche spread that sings of buttery caramel, and a sprinkling of salt. Magic? We think so.

Macarons can be tricky to make, but they're absolutely worth the effort. Even if it means blocking off a day to whip up a batch of the cute, colorful creations. After all, your guests, friends and family deserve the best! These macarons are sandwiches with a salted-caramel banana filling that's rich and creamy, yet somehow still a bit delicate and light. And just in case bananas aren't your thing...we've suggested some other flavor combinations that'll float your boat (hopefully).

Monkey-see, monkey-do! Monkey...bread? This fun, whimsical treat is one of our Southern favorites: often made using canned biscuit dough, along with a hefty helping of brown sugar and butter — a creation that turns into a caramel with the heat from the oven. Maneet's iteration is an ode to her life in Nashville. It's flaky, sweet, sticky — and makes for the perfect shareable treat among friends. Pull it apart in pieces or cut off your helping with a fork and knife. There is no right or wrong when it comes to monkey bread.