Turning Condensed Milk Into Caramel

One of everyone’s favorite toppings or sauces is caramel. This sauce seemingly goes amazingly with everything and because of this everyone wants to know how to make it.

Making caramel is something which a lot of people think is more difficult than it actually is, so because of this you might not know how easy it is to make.

In fact, you can make a serving of caramel with just one man of sweetened condensed milk.

There are actually multiple ways to turn a can of condensed milk into a caramel sauce, and these methods are what we are going to go over in this article! So, if you want an easy way to make caramel, just keep reading!

Different Methods To Get Caramel Sauce From Sweetened Condensed Milk

All of these different methods just use one can of sweetened condensed milk. Some of them do use other ingredients while others do not, so keep this in mind.

Making Condensed Milk Caramel On The Stove, Standard And Unopened Can Method

This is probably the method which requires the most ingredients, but it also means that you will get the best results.

You will want a can of sweetened condensed milk, a cup of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of butter, and some vanilla extract.

All you need to do to get the best results with this recipe is to put your milk in a medium saucepan with your brown sugar and bring this to a boil while stirring constantly.

Once this is done lower the temperature and simmer for 5 minutes while still stirring. After this the sauce should have thickened so take it off your stove top.

While it is still warm, stir in the other ingredients.

It is worth pointing out that once the recipe has become cool completely it will stiffen so all you need to do is warm it in your microwave or put it in some hot water in a baking dish to loosen it again.

There is also the unopened can method where you will need to put a whole can in some boiling water to make caramel.

Some people prefer this, but others prefer a more traditional method.

All you need to do is take the label off the can, bring a pot of water to the boil with enough water to cover a whole can.

Then you need to boil the can for about 3 hours topping up water when you need to. Make sure to be careful when taking the can out since it will be hot.

Making Condensed Milk Caramel In The Oven

If you want a method which is a bit more simple and lets you have a bit more of a relaxed approach.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and then pour your condensed milk into an oven safe dish, pie plate, or baking pan.

Then place this in a larger pan and fill the bigger outer pan with about 3/4 inch of water.

Then all you need to do is bake for about 75 minutes and all you will need to do is top up the water if needed.

Once done the sweetened condensed milk should be a delicious shade of golden brown.

You might have a thin crust of caramel on top, some people like this and mix it in while others remove it, both are fine.

Making Condensed Milk Caramel In The Microwave

This method is a bit trickier, but it also gets you results the fastest.

You will need to be very careful when making this since it can burn your caramel very fast, so this is not the method I would always go for.

Start by pouring about a cup and half of your sweetened condensed milk into a microwave safe container and cook this on high for a minute.

Then you want to stir this quite a lot. Then cook for another minute but remove if it looks like it is going to spill over. Remove and stir again.

Now cook on half power for 1 more minute. After this stir and cook at half minute intervals until it is the consistency and color you want.

Making Condensed Milk Caramel In The Pressure Cooker

You may not know how you can make caramel in a pressure cooker, but this method is actually not too difficult and can get some great results.

To try this method you want to put a trivet and steamer basket in the cooker, and then put the can of sweetened condensed milk on its side on the top.

Then fill your pressure cooker with enough water to cover the can but not to go over the maximum limit.

Then you want to lock your cooker and cook for 15 minutes. After this make sure the keep warm option is off and let the cooker disengage instead.

You will want to let the cooker cool overnight before you open your caramel sauce!

There is a similar method to this using a slow cooker, however, it is not as efficient and needs 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dulce De Leche Sauce Different From Homemade Caramel?

If you have seen or tasted dulce de leche, you may not know how it is different from caramel.

The main difference between dulce de leche and caramel is how they are made traditionally.

A standard caramel is made by boiling water with sugar, while making dulce de leche sauce is when you heat milk with sugar.

Because of the different cooking process, dulce de leche and caramel can be distinguished, but this also means there is a lot of overlap.

What To Serve Homemade Caramel Sauce With?

There are plenty of different foods to try your caramel sauce with.

A classic is having it with banoffee pie. You could also use the sauce to add a caramel topping to another dessert.

You can use caramel sauce to make caramel apples, or as a sauce to enjoy with ice cream or just whipped cream.

There are so many ways to enjoy caramel, so do not feel limited!