2 Ingredient Nut-free Vegan Caramel Sauce (Top 8 Free too!) + VIDEO

Yes, it’s true. You read that right: vegan caramel–and not just any vegan caramel, but nut-free, two ingredient caramel. This sinful sauce is perfect for dipping apples in, or drizzling over brownies or ice cream AND ONLY takes two ingredients and your instant pot. Read on so you too can have this crazy easy condiment. This 2 Ingredient Nut-free Vegan Caramel Sauce is free of: gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanut & tree nuts. It’s also top-8-free!

This post was sponsored by Nature’s Charm Vegan Products. All opinions are my own. 

This post contains affiliate links.

One of my ALL TIME FAVORITE toppings is caramel. It is the nectar of the God’s, so having a child that is allergic to all things dairy made caramel seem impossible. He’s never known the sweet taste of caramel dripping off a crisp apple slice. It’s like–why even have autumn then, right? But, I changed that this year with my 1 Ingredient Nut-free Vegan Caramel Sauce.

I had seen people turning cans of sweetened condensed milk into caramel sauce in the instant pot and we ALL know how I have an obsession with the instant pot (If you didn’t know–I have an entire cookbook dedicated to cooking allergy-friendly recipes with an instant pot coming out spring 2019!). However, would it still work without using cow’s milk products?

And, the tutorials I had seen all used canning jars. I was worried about using glass in the instant pot, and I didn’t have any canning jars and lids and worried about it sealing properly even if I did. So, I set out to see if I could make it vegan, and to see if I could just use simple kitchen items I had around my house.

And, I needed it to not just be vegan–but nut-free vegan as sooo many vegan products use cashews and other nuts. My son has milk, peanut and tree nut allergies, so nuts aren’t an option for us.

But Megan–you use coconut…isn’t that a tree nut? Here is what the AAAAI says about that: “Although the Food and Drug Administration labels coconut as a tree nut, the vast majority of tree nut-allergic individuals also tolerate coconut without difficulty, since coconut is not truly a nut, but rather a fruit.” Source.

The brand that I went with was Nature’s Charm Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk. You know it’s going to be good, when it’s already delicious to begin with. I was SERIOUSLY tempted to just eat it with a spoon and not cook it. This company is heaven sent, and I seriously don’t know what I would do without them, as they not only have this product, but coconut condensed milk and an array of vegan options. Plus, the woman mastermind behind this company happens to be the daughter of the first coconut milk manufacturer in Thailand, so it comes from a long history and legacy of using fine coconut milk. And, I’ve always heard that Thai coconuts are some of the best! (It’s on my bucket list to visit and try for myself some fresh coconuts!)

TIPS FOR SUCCESS: I was able to purchase the product at Sprouts as well as Good Earth. You can also find it online at Vegan Essentials, Yummy Bazaar and of course my favorite: AMAZON.

I went with a 6″ cake pan, because I knew it could withstand heat, and because it fit nicely inside my instant pot. I next just whipped out my trusty, old aluminum foil to “seal” or cover it.

Next was figuring out a time. I did it for 50 minutes, but depending on your elevation, you can always go for more time–up to 60 minutes.

Really, the only other ingredient you’ll need is patience. You’ll want to let it cool completely, with overnight giving you the best option for thick, creamy sauce. It will still be runny when it’s freshly cooked and hot. Keep it in an air tight container and VIOLA–magic caramel sauce the very next day. If it’s too thick to spread after being refrigerated, simply warm it in the microwave for a few seconds.

I couldn’t stop eating this spoonful, after spoonful. As you see in the photos, we have quite a bit of apples from our apple tree, and this was THE best way to enjoy those apples. I also plan on saving some (if it’s humanly possible!) to try and use for Thanksgiving pie recipe testing.

If you want a deeper color, I tested an interesting tip I got from PressureCookRecipes.com where you stir together 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda (NOT POWDER) and 3 Tablespoons of warm water. Then, stir that into the sweetened condensed milk before you cook it. It truly did help the color deepen, if that matters to you. I didn’t notice a difference in taste. But, that would make it more than the “1 ingredient” rule. I also like to add a pinch of sea salt in it (as you’ll notice in the video).

If you’re sad that you don’t have an instant pot, I’m telling you–WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? I’m not affiliated with Instant Pot, but truly love them and feel they’ve transformed my cooking. I have two now, and think it’s worth every penny. Plus, you can use it on this crazy popular soup of mine…and then you’ll also be ready for my cookbook launch! (It’ll have 60 top-8-free instant pot recipes.) Plus, it makes making soups a breeze for this upcoming winter…forgot to thaw your chicken? No problem! Need a soup stat but it calls for potatoes and carrots? No problem! So, go ahead and get one and know it will be one kitchen appliance that won’t go to waste.

Here is a video to show you how truly easy it is, all you need is Nature’s Charm Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk, and an instant pot (note that the metal trivet I set the pan on comes with the instant pot.)

I hope this recipe becomes a new fall tradition (but really–you can eat it all year round, especially in the summer over ice cream…I can’t wait!). Whether you have food allergies, are vegan or have other dietary restrictions, I hope this helps you have an allergy-friendly caramel dipping sauce that will take away the cravings for caramel.

Continue to Content

2 Ingredient Nut-free Vegan Caramel Sauce (Top 8 Free too!)

Yield: 1 and 1/2 cups

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Additional Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Yes, it's true. You read that right: vegan caramel--and not just any vegan caramel, but nut-free, 2 ingredient caramel. This sinful sauce is perfect for dipping apples in, or drizzling over brownies or ice cream AND ONLY takes 2 ingredients and your instant pot. This 1 Ingredient Nut-free Vegan Caramel Sauce is free of: gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanut & tree nuts. It's also top-8-free!

Print

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can (11.25 oz) Nature's Charm coconut condensed milk
• ½ teaspoon baking soda mixed with 3 Tablespoons warm water

ADDITIONAL:

• 1 cup of water for instant pot

OPTIONAL:

• Sprinkle of sea salt

Instructions

1. In a 6 inch cake pan (or other pan that will fit in your instant pot) pour the sweetened condensed milk, stir in your baking soda + water mixture.
2. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.
3. Place  one cup of water to the instant pot metal insert.
4. Place the trivet that came with the instant pot on top of the water.
5. Place the covered pan on top of the trivet.
6. Close the instant pot lid.
7. Move the valve to "sealing".
8. Turn the pressure to "high".
9. Hit "manual" and then use the plus and minus buttons to reach 50 minutes.
10. Once the timer is done, move the valve to "venting" to quickly release the pressure.
11. With oven mitts, carefully remove the pan and take off the aluminum foil. Allow it to come to room temperature.
12. Add a sprinkle of sea salt and stir it in.
13. Once it's cool enough to pour into an air-tight container, do so.
14. Place the container in the fridge for several hours, best if overnight to thicken.
15. Keep in the fridge until needed. If it's too thick before serving, you can warm it up for several seconds in the microwave to reach your desired consistency.

Notes

*Our allergies, while severe and that get re-tested frequently, are such that we can go strictly by what's on the label. I do not call companies to see what things are derived from, or call manufacturers to see about potential cross contact. If your allergies require you to do so, please do your own homework. I cannot assure you of any ingredient's safety, only you can do that. I simply share what works for our family

**If you are going to feed this to someone with food allergies, and you yourself do not have food allergies, I HIGHLY recommend having them check every single brand and ingredient you are using, to ensure they're OK with each part of the recipe. And, to make sure you've talked to them about how to avoid cross contamination in your kitchen.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 6 inch cake pan
• Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
• Aluminum Foil

DON’T FORGET TO PIN IT, SO YOU DON’T LOSE IT! BE SURE TO ALSO CHECK OUT MY OTHER ALLERGY-FRIENDLY PINTEREST BOARDS.

Looking for other fall favorites that are allergy-friendly? Check out these other recipes:

Cinnamon Applesauce Muffins (Gluten-free, Vegan, Top -8-free)

Allergy-friendly Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten-free, Vegan, Top-8-free)

Pumpkin Scones with Spiced Glaze (Gluten-free, Vegan, Top 8 free)

Megan Lavin

Hi! I’m Megan, a mom to four kids, two with multiple food allergies & one with EOE. I’m a published cookbook author that constantly tweaks recipes to make them allergy friendly–it’s an addiction. I share every recipe & tip with the hope that they help you as you manage your food allergies & dietary restrictions. You can still be awesome, even with food allergies!

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