Easy Caramel Drizzle with Sweetened Condensed Milk

Name: Easy Caramel Drizzle with Sweetened Condensed Milk
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk; 1 cup light or dark brown sugar; 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

October 16, 2020 by Kathryn 44 Comments

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Using sweetened condensed milk, this caramel drizzle is made in 10 minutes. It's an easy treat to drizzle on apples, a Frappuccino, ice cream, and so much more.

I looooove me some caramel. The soft, smooth, luxurious caramel that melts in your mouth and you eat with healthy things like apples to pretend you're not ingesting spoonfuls of sugar. That kind. Or the kind of caramel drizzled on top of a Starbucks Frappuccino?

While it's not crazy difficult to make caramel from sugar, butter, and heavy cream, there are still a lot of ways to screw it up -- especially if you're busy doing other things in the kitchen or telling your child which way a "b" goes for the umpteenth time. Most notably, caramel burns easily. That's why it's always recommended to use a candy thermometer.

This caramel, on the other hand, is foolproof. It requires no candy thermometer or other special equipment. It uses a can of sweetened condensed milk to make the magic happen and does not require heavy cream. It's also made in under 10 minutes! Last but not least, this caramel drizzle is so versatile. You can use this caramel drizzle for cupcakes, caramel drizzle for cakes, on apples, or recreate the caramel drizzle from Starbucks.

5 Ingredients Needed

Here's all you need:

sweetened condensed milk
light or dark brown sugar (dark brown sugar will make the caramel slightly darker than the caramel I used here)
unsalted butter
salt
pure vanilla extract

How to Make Caramel with Sweetened Condensed Milk and Brown Sugar

First, in a medium saucepan, bring condensed milk and brown sugar to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Whisk constantly to prevent burning and the sugar from sticking to the bottom of the pan. When it boils, reduce the heat to a low simmer for 5 minutes, continuing to whisk constantly. The caramel will start to thicken slightly.

Then, remove from the heat and whisk in butter, salt, and pure vanilla extract until the butter is melted.

Drizzle on your favorite food of choice immediately or let cool and save for later (see note at bottom for storage).

Caramel Drizzle for All Sorts of Things

How about some caramel drizzle on apples? Your latte or Frappuccino? Some vanilla ice cream? Apple crisp? The list really just goes on and on! Here are some other recipes if you need some inspo:

Salted Caramel Apple Tart -- an oldie but goodie
Replace the honey with caramel in these Bacon Wrapped Dates
Add a couple of Tablespoons in this Puff Pastry Apple Slab Pie to really take it up a notch!
Use it as a glaze on this delish Apple Cinnamon Bundt Cake
What about a Caramel Frappuccino -- yumm!

Caramel Drizzle That Hardens

The sweetened condensed milk makes this caramel drizzle a bit more luxurious than your average caramel -- and with the luxurious texture comes some hardening if you're not using it right away. It will get slightly harder within about an hour of sitting out and will get even harder in the refrigerator.

But have no fear! Simply put the caramel in a bowl or microwave safe glass and reheat at 50% power for about a minute until the caramel is back to being its melty goodness.

How long does homemade caramel last in the refrigerator?

Caramel can last in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.

xox,

kathryn

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