Apple Cider Caramel

I feel like I need to shout from the rooftops about how good this caramel is any opportunity I get. What makes this so unique is that it’s both sweet and tart at the same time, with really full apple flavour. De-lish!

This is great thing to make if you you have some leftover cider around that you’re not going to drink, or want a low-effort weekend baking project.

After you’ve made this liquid gold, I have a few suggestions for how to use it:

Stir it into apple pie filling
Drizzle on top of apple crisp
Make a sundae with vanilla ice cream, cider caramel and buttery oat crumbs (basically just take your apple crumble topping and bake it on a sheet pan until crisp)
Add to a sweet snack platter and dip fruit into

makes about 1 1/2 cups

1 quart apple cider (8 cups)

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp kosher salt

Combine apple cider and brown sugar in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat slightly to keep at a gentle boil. Continue to cook until liquid is reduced by 2/3, about 30 minutes. Cider will be dark brown in colour and will have thickened (it should lightly coat the back of a spoon)
Reduce heat to low and whisk in butter, 1 tbsp at a time, until fully combined. Stir in vanilla and salt.
Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature (caramel will thicken more as it cools). Store in an air-tight, heat-safe container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.