Whiskey Butterscotch Sauce Recipe

By
Lucy Baker
Lucy Baker
Lucy Baker is a food writer, publisher, and author of two cookbooks: The Boozy Baker: 75 Recipes for Spirited Sweets and Edible DIY: Simple, Giftable Recipes to Savor and Share. In addition to her columns on Serious Eats, she has written for The Journal News, Westchester Magazine, and her blog, Turnip the Oven.
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Updated Apr. 15, 2020
whiskey butterscotch sauce and vanilla ice cream
Photograph: Lucy Baker

Real homemade butterscotch sauce is a marvelous combination of flavors including brown sugar, butter, salt, and booze. And it's incredibly simple to make. This version is spiked with a generous dose of Irish whiskey. It will keep for up to a month in the fridge.

Recipe Details

Whiskey Butterscotch Sauce Recipe

Active 20 mins
Total 45 mins
Serves 16 servings
Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

  • 1/3 cup light corn syrup

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1 teaspoon flakey sea salt, such as fleur de sel

  • 3/4 cup heavy cream

  • 3 tablespoons whiskey

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Combine light brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, salt, and 1/4 cup of water in medium pot. Bring to a simmer and cook until sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cream and continue to simmer until sauce is thick and syrupy, about 12 minutes. Stir in whiskey and vanilla extract. Simmer three minutes more. Allow sauce to cool to room temperature. Transfer to jars. Sauce will keep for up to one month in the refrigerator.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
137 Calories
5g Fat
23g Carbs
0g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories 137
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g 7%
Saturated Fat 3g 17%
Cholesterol 16mg 5%
Sodium 158mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 23g 8%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 22g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 23mg 2%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 34mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)