Sweetened Condensed Milk Caramel

5 from 31 votes

Sweetened Condensed Milk Caramel

This easy Condensed Milk Caramel only requires one ingredient, yet comes out just as delicious as any store-bought, restaurant, or homemade version. Use any of the methods below to create delicious caramel you'll want to put on everything. Perfect for the upcoming holidays!

Prep Time5

Cook Time2

Total Time2 5

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: cup

Author: Brianna May

Equipment

Ingredients

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk, like Eagle Brand*

Instructions

Slow Cooker

To make the condensed milk caramel slow cooker recipe, pour the sweetened condensed milk into a 6-inch metal cake pan (ensure it fits in your slow cooker). Cover tightly with foil, tucking the foil into the lip around the edge of the cake pan to ensure it is tight.
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk, like Eagle Brand*
Place the cake pan into the slow cooker.
Boil some water and fill the slow cooker with enough water to go up the side of the pan but not touch the foil. You want the water to go up as high as the condensed milk. If the cake pan floats, place a small ramekin gently on top of the foil to weigh it down.
Place a paper towel over the top of the slow cooker and cover with the lid. The paper towel prevents water from dripping on top of the foil. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or low for 7-8 hours. Every hour, check the water level and add more boiling water as needed since it will evaporate. You can also replace the paper towels if needed. Try to limit the amount of time the lid is off because heat will escape.
Carefully remove the cake pan from the slow cooker using tongs and oven mitts.
Remove the foil and whisk the caramel until it is smooth. It might look a little lumpy at first, but whisking should remove any lumps. Add warm water or heavy cream to thin the caramel to the desired consistency.

Oven

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a 6-inch metal cake pan or a pie pan. Cover tightly with foil, tucking the foil into the lip around the edge of the pan to ensure it is tight.
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk, like Eagle Brand*
Place the cake pan in a roasting pan.
Boil some water and fill the roasting pan with enough water to go up the side of the cake pan but not touch the foil. You want the water to go up as high as the milk. If the cake pan floats, place a small oven-safe ramekin gently on top of the foil to weigh it down.
Bake for 2 hours. Check the water level occasionally and add more as needed while it bakes. After 2 hours, if it is not dark enough, bake for another 30 minutes.
Carefully remove the cake pan from the roasting pan using tongs and oven mitts.
Remove the foil and whisk the caramel until it is smooth. It might look a little lumpy at first, but whisking should remove any lumps. Add warm water or heavy cream to thin the caramel to the desired consistency.

Notes

Condensed Milk: Ensure you use sweetened condensed milk for this condensed milk caramel recipe, not other types of milk. It is thick and very sweet, which helps create the caramel. Condensed milk is different from evaporated milk, which won’t work.
Wrap tightly with foil. Ensuring the foil is wrapped tightly around the caramel means you won’t have to worry about any water splashing in, which can make the sauce thin.
Whisk. A whisk is the key to smooth homemade caramel sauce, as it helps eliminate any lumps.
Store in the fridge. When making this condensed milk caramel, you’ll need to refrigerate it so it stays good for longer. You can keep it in the fridge for 5-7 days.

Nutrition