6 of our sweetest caramel recipes

How do you make sugar even better? Throw it in a hot pan, give it a good swirl and wait until it turns a beautiful golden brown. Add some water to keep it liquid, a knob of butter or cream to create a rich sauce or let it cool and bash it up into shards for an easy way to decorate desserts. Whatever you do with it, the process of turning sugar into caramel is always going to have delicious results – provided you don’t let it burn.

Caramel’s rich, sweet flavour makes it an obvious choice for cooks looking to create a dessert with a difference, and its versatility means it is suited to everything from cakes and tarts to mousses and sauces. Cook one of these six caramel-filled recipes for your next dinner party for a stunning end to the meal, and take a look at our full recipe collection here.

What Paul A Young doesn’t know about chocolate isn’t worth knowing, and his tart makes the most of the rich, creamy Javanese variety. By whisking the chocolate into a homemade caramel sauce (made with plenty of cream and butter) until it melts, the filling remains wobbly and soft even after setting in the fridge. If you’re pressed for time then you can buy the sweet pastry-ready made, but don’t skip the cocoa nibs on top – they add a pleasing crunch to the soft caramel-infused chocolate below.

Crème caramel might sound a little retro and you might have been put off them permanently after eating your way through the pallid, uninspiring versions sold ready-made in the supermarkets. This recipe from the Galvin brothers, however, is a world away from anything you can get in the shops. The caramel sauce is left to set directly in the ramekins, before the delicious vanilla-flavoured pudding is poured on top. The candied orange zest and raisins add a welcome zing to cut through the richness, resulting in a perfect example of a French classic.

A real treat for anyone that loves caramel, these éclairs do away with the chocolate altogether and replace it with that most popular of flavours, salted caramel. As well as the glaze on top, the cream within the choux pastry is infused with caramel too. While the lemon thyme leaves on top might sound a little strange, it actually proves to be the perfect companion; the bright, fresh, herby flavour contrasts beautifully with the sweet richness of these little pastries.