I have seen this crock pot/slow cooker caramel trick all over the place for a while now, but I have wanted to try it with my homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk (check that out if you haven’t already, because it’s so easy). I was having a little ice cream party for some girls I plan activities for, & finally got the chance to make this caramel for that.
Although I was nervous the first 7 hours of the cooking time, it actually turned to caramel in the 8th hour & IT. IS. GOOD! So thick & smooth good! I actually had to thin mine a little bit to make it drizzle-able. Use this caramel for ice cream, or on brownies, with apples, or any dessert recipe that calls for caramel. Have fun with it!
Crockpot Caramel
Ingredients
- 1 (14oz) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 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 the canned milk into the jars. (Tip: The shorter the jar the easier it is to cover in your crock pot.)
- Heavy Cream; for thinning if desired
Instructions
- If you are cooking in the can, remove the label and put a towel underneath the can(s) to prevent rust stains in your slow cooker. (Do NOT open the can until after it's cooked.)
- If using mason jars, pour condensed milk into the jar(s) top with lid(s) & and tightly close with canning ring(s).
- Fill crock pot completely with water; enough to cover the top of the can(s) or jar(s).
- Cover crock pot with the lid and cook on low for 8 hours or until preferred caramelization is achieved. (Mine turned to caramel right at the end in the 8th hour, so don't freak out if it looks white for a really long time.)
- If you are using Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk, it may look foamy on top once you've opened the lid & that's ok. Stir it up while it's hot because it will smooth out. Also, you can add heavy cream, 1 TBSP at a time, to thin the caramel for drizzling purposes or if it is too thick for your liking.
- After cooling, refrigerate up to two weeks.
Recipe Notes
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Recipe instruction taken from Who Needs A Cape? and adjusted slightly by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)
A quick note about canning: Although this caramel is made in canning jars, it is not being “canned” during this process. I actually don’t recommend canning caramel or chocolate sauce at home. Home canning only works with high acid foods, and caramel or chocolate sauces are definitely not in that category. Trying to can these in a hot water bath without refrigerating the cans would put you at risk for botulism once consumed. These products can only safely be canned in a professional processing facility with specialized equipment and usually the use of preservatives. They are still really fun to give away as gifts, but make sure the recipient understands to keep it refrigerated & consume it within a couple weeks; writing an “expiration date” & refrigeration reminder on top the the lid might not be a bad idea as well. Enjoy!
Aimee @ Like Mother Like Daughter says
Amber, this looks so delicious! I have been wanting to try your homemade sweetened condensed milk and now I might have to try it and make this with it!
Amber Brady says
Do it! I love my homemade sweetened condensed milk! It’s so versatile. 🙂
Kami says
Ooooh… I love caramel! Can’t wait to try this out.
Amber Brady says
It really can’t get any easier. 🙂
Kathleen says
This looks so good and yummy! I love dipping my apples into carmel. Also, your pictures look really great too! Nice job.
Amber Brady says
Thanks Kathleen! Seriously. This caramel is so thick. I could spoon some from the jar in the fridge & it stayed on my spoon & it is absolutely perfect for dipping apples in for a snack. If you heat it up I bet it would even work for caramel dipped apples.
Debra Hawkins says
That looks amazing. I am a caramel addict. Like seriously addicted. Now all I can think about is the things that need caramel on them.
Amber Brady says
Well, I think you better start by making this caramel & then putting it on all those things you are thinking about 🙂
Amallia Eka Widyastuti says
I love caramel mixed with fruits for dessert, thanks for the recipe.
Amber Brady says
It’s definitely a great combo! Thanks for stopping by!
Yvonne says
Eight hours in the crock pot??? I would have been biting my nails the entire time and after a couple of hours I would have thought that surely I had messed up somewhere! Way to sick it out. It looks absolutely delicious. I’m pinning for sure.
Amber Brady says
Yeah, it was the longest 8 hours of my life, but worth the wait for sure!
Winnie says
It looks terrific!
I also make this myself, as well as condensed milk
Catherine says
Dear Amber, That would not last long! Caramel is favorite and it certainly makes everything taste better.
I am sure this was a hit at the party.
Blessings dear. Catherine xo
Cathy says
I also have seen this and wondered if it really worked – now that I see it does what’s stopping me from trying it? Thank you for sharing your experience… found you through I Should Be Mopping the Floors….
Maria says
Oh my goodness, this looks amazing! I’ve never made caramel before because I’ve always been so intimidated by the whole process and worried about burning the whole thing, what a great idea to make it in the crockpot!!! Thanks for sharing, I’ll definitely give this a try!!!
Billie says
Do you open the can? Or if it’s in the canning jar is that left open also?
Lisa (StuffMummyMakes) says
I was wondering this too? 🙂
Amber Brady says
Ok, I just added more details to the instructions. You leave the cans shut & if you are using mason jars, you will add the lid & ring to seal it shut. You will cover the whole cans/jars with water in the crock pot and you don’t want the water getting into the condensed milk, which is why they have to be sealed. Hope this helps! 🙂
Murlene Brown Watkins says
I have made this caramel before using sweetened condensed milk, but boiling it for hours on the stovetop. The crockpot method seems much better, because if you accidentally forget you have the can on the stove and it happens to boil dry, the can WILL explode, spewing hot caramel over everything within a 12 foot radius! It took DAYS to clean up!!!
Maryn says
I have a dumb question. 🙂 If I’m using store bought canned SCM, how do I know it’s caramelized without opening it? What should I do if I open it and it’s not done?
Amber Brady says
You can pour it into canning jars, or just wait the full 8 hours.
Rebecca says
Thank you for this. I didn’t want to cook it in the can –
bhermance says
Thanks for asking that question Maryn!! I was wondering the same thing. Maybe there is nothing wrong with overcooking it??
Also why 8 hours when I’ve read about the ones that only took about 3 and a half hours?? I am guessing the low temp cooking varies??
Amber Brady says
I have ever only done this on low. It might be fine to do it on high, but I have no idea how much that would shorten the cook time.
Lori says
Canning does work real well with high sugar foods such as jams and jellies. But I agree I would not recommend canning this at all with the dairy. THank you for the recipe. Looks so amazing.
Cupcakeremix says
I’m filling my crackpot with my mason jars right now I will update in 8 hours thanks for the tutorial!
Cupcakeremix says
Crockpot* darn spellcheck
Amber says
It’s a long 8 hours, but totally worth it! Enjoy!
RHRN says
My mom used to do this with the can in a pot of water. luckily it never exploded on her!
Amber says
Nice! I do love the crockpot method though, even if it takes all day. 🙂
deanna says
i dont know anything about canning really so excuse me if this is a no brainer. canning jars are not available in nicaragua could i use an old glass jelly or pickle jar with the original lid? thats about as close as i can get. also, for the powdered milk in the condensed milk recipe, would full fat powdered milk work fine? would i still need the butter?
Amber says
Hi Deanna,
We’re not really canning the caramel to shelf stable during this process, so any glass jar with a tight lid should be just fine. And full fat powdered milk will work great. I would still use butter just for the salt in it, to help bring out the flavors, but you can omit it if you don’t have any. Good luck!
deanna says
thanks for the quick reply. powdered milk is on my next shopping list!
deanna says
ive got my hands on the powdered milk and am going to be making the sweetened condensed milk this afternoon! just one more question– would using a large jelly jar increase the time it would take to make the caramel too much? the only other option i have are baby food jars.. would the 8 hours be too much then? have you ever tried with different sized jars?
Amber says
I haven’t played with it too much, but the jar does have to be fully submerged with water, so if the smaller ones will be covered better than a larger one, go ahead and do that. I think it will still take close to 8 hours. My crockpot has a clear lid, so it’s slightly easier to check. Good luck!
Denise says
Add 1/2-1 Tsp vanilla to make it taste more “caramel-y” and less “dulce de leche-y”