Slow-Cooked Caramel: Homemade Crockpot Caramel Sauce Recipe

I’d seen the slow-cooker caramel method everywhere and finally tried it with my homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk. If you haven’t made that at home yet, it’s incredibly easy and worth a try. I made this caramel for an ice cream get-together and it was a hit.

I was nervous through the first seven hours of cooking, but on the eighth hour the milk transformed into caramel — and it was delicious. The texture was thick and silky. I thinned mine slightly to make it easier to drizzle. Use this caramel on ice cream, brownies, apples, or any dessert that benefits from a rich caramel drizzle. Enjoy experimenting!

Note about canning: Although the caramel is cooked in jars, this is not a canning process. I don’t recommend home canning caramel or chocolate sauce. Safe home canning requires high-acid foods; caramel and chocolate sauces are low-acid and could pose a botulism risk if stored unrefrigerated. These sauces can only be safely processed in professional facilities with appropriate equipment and preservatives. They make great gifts, but be sure recipients refrigerate and consume within a couple of weeks. Labeling the lid with a refrigeration reminder and an estimated use-by date is a good idea.

5 from 1 rating

Crockpot Caramel

Created by Amber Brady

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Ingredients

14 oz (396 g) can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Supplies

A towel if using store-bought aluminum cans of sweetened condensed milk
Half-pint mason jars if using homemade sweetened condensed milk; you can also pour canned milk into jars. (Tip: Shorter jars are easier to cover in the crock pot.)
Heavy cream, for thinning if desired

Instructions

If cooking in cans, remove labels and place a towel under the cans to prevent rust stains in the slow cooker. Do not open cans before cooking.
If using mason jars, pour the sweetened condensed milk into the jars, secure the lids, and tighten the rings.
Fill the crock pot completely with water so the water level covers the tops of the cans or jars.
Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours, or until the condensed milk reaches your preferred caramel color. It may remain pale for most of the cook time and only darken near the end.
If using homemade condensed milk, you might see some foam after opening; stir while hot to smooth it out. If the caramel is very thick, add heavy cream a tablespoon at a time until it reaches a drizzleable consistency.
Allow to cool, then refrigerate. Use within two weeks.

Notes

Disclaimer: Nutritional values were calculated using a third-party tool and are provided as an estimation only.

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