This easy vegan butterscotch sauce is the perfect rich and creamy sauce to pour over ice cream or drizzle over brownies or cupcakes.  Butterscotch is similar to caramel but it’s made with brown sugar instead of white sugar, and the method for making butterscotch is much easier than caramel.

Vegan butterscotch sauce being poured over vanilla vegan ice cream.

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Traditional caramel involves caramelizing white sugar to get the caramel color and flavor.  Once it reaches the correct temperature, caramel can easily burn in a matter of seconds and takes some skill to perfect.  Although I love my vegan salted caramel sauce, this butterscotch sauce has a very similar taste and it’s much easier to make.

This went so well with some ice cream! Loved it, so happy I made extra

—Noelle

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • This sauce is sweet, creamy, and delicious.
  • It’s easier to make than caramel.
  • It’s dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free.
  • This uses basic ingredients that you probably already have at home.
Three scoops of vanilla ice cream in a white bowl with vegan butterscotch sauce being poured over it.

Ingredients

  • Butter – any vegan margarine or my homemade vegan butter works great for this sauce.
  • Brown Sugar – to sweeten the sauce and give it a rich brown color and caramel flavor.  You may use coconut sugar too, but it will make the sauce darker and give it a more molasses flavor.
  • Plant-Based Milk – for creaminess.  You can use any milk you choose.  Soy creamer or coconut milk also works nicely too.
  • Salt – for flavor.  You can adjust the amount that you like.
  • Vanilla Extract – for flavor.

How to make vegan butterscotch

Step 1 Melt vegan butter in a small saucepan and add the brown sugar and salt.

Step 2 Heat the sauce over medium-low heat until it bubbles, then continue to heat it for 3 minutes stirring frequently.

Step 3 Add the plant-based milk and stir it well.

Step 4 Bring to a low boil for 3 more minutes.

Step 5 – Turn off the heat, add the vanilla, and stir well.

A blue bowl filled with ice cream with vegan butterscotch sauce being poured over top.

Storage

Store your sauce in a glass jar or container with a sealed lid in the refrigerator.  It will keep up to 2 weeks.

A mason jar filled with vegan butterscotch sauce with a spoonful of sauce over it.

Pour this butterscotch sauce over my Vegan Aquafaba Ice Cream, vegan no-bake cheesecake, or my Veggie Brownies Recipe for a delicious combination!

Make homemade vegan Sundays with this butterscotch sauce, my Vegan Salted Caramel, or my berry compote sauce

Vegan butterscotch sauce recipe

Vegan butterscotch sauce being poured over vanilla vegan ice cream.
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5 from 8 rating

Vegan Butterscotch Sauce

A sweet caramel-like sauce to pour over ice cream or desserts.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup vegan butter, or any dairy free margarine
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup plant-based milk , like soy milk or you can use soy creamer or coconut milk.
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • Melt 1/3 cup vegan butter in a small saucepan and add 2/3 cup brown sugar and 1/4 tsp salt.
  • Heat over medium-low heat until it bubbles, then continue to heat for 3 minutes stirring frequently.
  • Add 1/2 cup plant-based milk and stir well. (Be careful, it may spatter a little).
  • Bring to a low boil for 3 more minutes.
  • Turn off heat, add 1/2 tsp vanilla and stir well.

Notes

Note: The mixture will appear watery when hot.  It will thicken a lot when it cools.
Serving: 2tbsp, Calories: 132kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 146mg, Potassium: 45mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 420IU, Vitamin C: 1.1mg, Calcium: 36mg, Iron: 0.2mg
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