These easy homemade caramel apple sundaes are the best Fall treat. Warm caramel apple sauce is served over cool vanilla ice cream for a rich and decadent dessert that everyone will love!

two wooden bowls filled with ice cream topped with caramel apple topping a cinnamon sticks

This post was originally published in October 2017 and has been updated for content.

If you love ice cream all year round, these sundaes are for you. Use fresh apples from the orchard or your local store to make a rich caramel apple sauce. Served warm over vanilla ice cream, this delicious Fall dessert is great for the weekend or even Thanksgiving!

Jump to:

🍎 Ingredient notes
📋 Substitutions and variations
🔪 Step by step instructions
⭐ Expert tips
⏲️ Make ahead and storage instructions
🍎 More apple recipes
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

🍎 Ingredient notes

salt, stick of butter, two apples, ground cinnamon, brown sugar, heavy cream and vanilla ice cream

Apples - There are over 2,500 known varieties of apples to choose from in the US. For desserts, I typically use gala, fuji or pink lady apples. They all have a fairly sweet flavor that is great for both cooking and baking.

📋 Substitutions and variations

Nuts - Add chopped pecans, sliced almonds or chopped walnuts.
Salted - Increase the salt to ½ teaspoon for a salted caramel apple sauce.
Topping - This caramel apple sauce is not only good on ice cream, but can be cooled and served over cheesecake or greek yogurt.

🔪 Step by step instructions

First, melt the butter in a pot on the stove top and then stir in the apples and the brown sugar. Allow the mixture to cook until the apples are softened.

melted butter in a pot with a wooden spoon and cooked down apples on a spoon

Remove the sauce off of the heat and stir in the cinnamon, salt and heavy cream. Return the mixture to the stovetop and cook a couple more minutes until it's slightly thickened.

spoon mixing cream with cooked apples and finished caramel sauce with apples in a pot with spoon

Scoop the ice cream into bowls and pour the warm sauce over the ice cream.

ice cream in two wooden bowls and small ladle dripping apple caramel sauce over ice cream

⭐ Expert tips

Dice the apples into small similar sized pieces so they cook down quickly and evenly.
Make sure to stir the apples and the sauce as the mixture is cooking so it does not burn.

wooden bowl filled with ice cream, caramel apple topping and two cinnamon sticks next to apples

⏲️ Make ahead and storage instructions

The sauce can be ahead of time if needed. Cool the sauce completely and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Reheat the sauce in the pot over low heat on the stovetop.

For a quick overview of this recipe, check out my web story for these caramel apple ice cream sundaes!

🍎 More apple recipes

If you loved this recipe for caramel apple ice cream sundaes, try these other apple recipes that I know you will love too!

Don't forget! If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and give it a rating. I love to hear from each and every one of you! Tag me on Facebook and Instagram as well! It makes my day to see all of your photos of the food you have made.

📖 Recipe

Homemade Caramel Apple Sundaes

wooden bowl filled with ice cream and apple caramel topping and two cinnamon sticks

Print Recipe

5 from 8 reviews

These easy homemade caramel apple sundaes are the best Fall treat. Warm caramel apple sauce is served over cool vanilla ice cream for a rich and decadent dessert that everyone will love!

Author: Amanda
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Stove top
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Units Scale

½ stick unsalted butter
¼ cup light brown sugar
2 gala apples (peeled, cored and diced)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch kosher salt
¼ cup heavy cream
2 cups vanilla ice cream

Instructions

Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat on the stove top.
Stir in the brown sugar and apples allow the mixture to cook, stirring frequently, for 6-8 minutes, until the apples are softened.
Remove the pot off of the heat and mix in the cinnamon, salt and heavy cream. Put the mixture back on the heat and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, until sauce has slightly thickened.
Spoon ice cream in individual cups or bowls. Top with warm caramel apple sauce.

Notes

Dice the apples into small similar sized pieces so they cook down quickly and evenly.
Make sure to stir the apples and the sauce as the mixture is cooking so it does not burn.

Substitutions and Variations

Apples - There are over 2,500 known varieties of apples to choose from in the US. For desserts, I typically use gala, fuji or pink lady apples. They all have a fairly sweet flavor that is great for both cooking and baking.
Nuts - Add chopped pecans, sliced almonds or chopped walnuts.
Salted - Increase the salt to ½ teaspoon for a salted caramel apple sauce.
Topping - This caramel apple sauce is not only good on ice cream, but can be cooled and served over cheesecake or greek yogurt.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions