How to Make Easy Homemade Salted Bourbon Butterscotch Sauce

The smell of simmering butterscotch. The taste: deep, rich, sweetness with just a tad of salty. Smothered over Butterscotch Blondie Cheesecake, or ice cream, or straight out of the jar. Okay, maybe I’m the only one guilty of sneaking a spoonful of butterscotch! haha. However you like it, I finally have the recipe for the perfect Homemade Salted Bourbon Butterscotch.

The saga of developing the perfect homemade butterscotch sauce was long. The first recipe was fairly tasteless. As was the second. So I went to the experts: Seasoned Advice and Reddit. The debate immediately started.

Despite its name, butterscotch does NOT include scotch. The scotch part is either: a reference to Scotland, where it might have originated. OR a derivative of the word ‘scorched’ butter. Now that we know that scotch is not an ingredient, we are left with: what does proper butterscotch consist of?

The first class of individuals claim butterscotch is only “pure” when it is simply butter and dark brown sugar (melted correctly into a sauce, of course). The problem with this approach is that it just tastes like butter and sugar. Sweet…but hardly newsworthy.

The second group believes you can add vanilla and sea salt. That’s good because they’re vital for having a taste that goes beyond “basic sweetness”.

It was the final group that gave the key. The third group believes as long as you start with butterscotch base, you’re dealing with butterscotch- and add bourbon or other flavoring notes (such as vanilla or salt). But bourbon and dark corn syrup were the magic key.

The ingredients are key to this recipe. I went through a lot of testing. Some were taste-tested and then dumped down the drain because they were so bland. Others were heartily enjoyed…but deemed not quite perfect.

• Butter & dark brown sugar- required for all butterscotch. If you mess with either one of these, you’re not dealing with butterscotch anymore.
• Heavy cream- don’t substitute milk. You need the fat from the heavy cream for a rich flavor. (See “Ingredients Matter: Diary Products” for more information).
• Dark corn syrup- this ingredient is vital despite its small amount. For some reason, every batch without it was either too thin or too grainy. It was either chemistry or magic. I’m voting for magic (haha). If you have light corn syrup, you can substitute it but note it’s going to affect the flavor. Light corn syrup has a vanilla flavor, dark has a molasses. That’s a big difference in flavor especially for something as subtle as butterscotch.
• Bourbon- this is one ingredient that is optional. It tastes pretty good without it. The bourbon just adds a depth of flavor that is nice. Don’t worry about the alcohol…when you add it to the hot butterscotch, the alcohol is going to burn off. You’ll see it sizzle and can smell the alcohol burn.
• Vanilla & salt- you can use sea salt or regular salt.