I’ve been wanting to test this new butter cake recipe with caramel frosting I stumbled upon for quite awhile, but the idea of making fresh caramel seemed like too much work. When it’s 90 something degrees outside, I hate standing over the stove stirring forever. Because of this, I kept putting it off and putting it off. Then, I remembered reading about making your own caramel sauce using a can of sweetened condensed milk.
Did you know you can make caramel sauce out of just sweetened condensed milk? I had heard you could put the cans right into a pan, completely covered in water, and boil them for 2 1/2 hours or put them in a crock pot filled with water for 8 hours on low.
The idea of spending 2 1/2 hours making sure the cans stay covered with water also did not sound like something I wanted to do. I was looking for a type of “fix it and forget it” caramel sauce that I didn’t need to worry about. So, I chose to try the crock pot method.
I’ve read this was successful, but I was picturing cans exploding. Since my mom had just brought over some pint-sized Ball jars for me to use, I decided to empty out the cans of milk into jars. Then seal them up and place them to the crock pot.
In the picture above, the two outside jars are an off brand of sweetened condensed milk. The middle jar is Borden brand, and it came out of the can already looking like it was on it’s way to caramel. Maybe the truck carrying it got really hot and started the process? I don’t know.
The directions I’ve read in several different places said to set the crock pot on Low for 8 hours and then, Voila! you have caramel. It did not work that way for me. At 6 hours my sweetened condensed milk still looked white. So, I set the crock pot to High and added an additional hour.
When I checked them at the end of those 3 hours, I had caramel. It was much thicker, though not quite a solid, and it was this pretty brown color.
It’s really tasty — both right out of the jar and on vanilla bean ice cream. Try it! It’s super easy, and you’ve got “almost” instant caramel. Now I can get to work on my butter cake with caramel frosting. I’m thinking a little caramel surprise inside a butter cupcake might not be such a bad idea either.
16 comments
The caramel looks so yummy. I’ve been wanting to try this so your tips will come in handy when I try this one!
We made this at my sister’s house when I was visiting in PA. We boiled the can in a pan of water and we had to keep adding water and watching it for 2 and a half hours. It was a TRIAL!! Don’t want to do that again but the crock pot method sounds good. We did enjoy eating it though. I think it could have been made in about 20 minutes on the stove by emptying the can in a small saucepan and simmering and stirring for maybe 15 to 20 minutes. We make caramels in that amount of time. My sister says she doesn’t want to cook anything in a can so your idea about putting the sweetened condensed milk in canning jars was brilliant. It’s all fun, huh? Learning new stuff!! Best wishes to you. Come over and link this to our party! Linda
http://www.craftsalamode.com/2013/05/what-to-do-weekends-21.html
New fan coming over Mop it Up Monday. I would love for you to come share this post at our From the Farm Blog Hop. Hope to see you there!
Lisa
Fresh Eggs Daily
http://www.fresh-eggs-daily.com/2013/05/from-farm-blog-hop-34.html
Wow, I have to try the crock pot method! What a great idea, and such an easy way to make caramel sauce. I would love for you to share this sauce on my blog link party, Sweet Tooth Tuesdays.
http://www.sarahlynnssweets.blogspot.com/2013/05/sweet-tooth-tuesdays-3.html
Yummy! I might have to try this.
I’m visiting you today from Teriffic Tuesdays. I co-host a Linky Party Tuesday (open thru Sat) and I’d love for you to link up! I hope you get a chance to stop by, link up and leave a comment, too!
~ Megin of VMG206
Join me each Tuesday for Brag About It Link Up Party
I love caramel sauce! Thanks for sharing at Pinworthy Projects.
Ooo. I adore caramel, but I’ve never tried to make it. I might just have to do that. hehe (new follower here!)
Morgaine @ Madcap Frenzy
P.S. I would love if you would join me in celebrating my Blogiversary by linking up any of your awesome posts at my Blogiversary Link Party: http://www.madcapfrenzy.blogspot.com/2013/05/its-my-blogiversary-and-ill-link-party.html
Hugs!
This is a terrific post! Our sister was just telling us about making caramel sauce from condensed milk. We weren’t convinced it would work but obviously it does! We are both going to have to try it out for ourselves.
So glad you joined us this week and posted this particular subject at the BeBetsy BRAG ABOUT IT Tuesday Link and Hop – perfect, perfect, perfect!
Hope to see you next week at the BeBetsy Link and Hop.
Thanks again and happy caramel eating. hee hee
The best to you,
Sharon and Denise
As a teenager I used to boil cans and cans of condensed milk until one exploded one day, resulting in a two day clean-up! I can honestly say when they started selling the already boiled canned Caramel, I must have been the happiest person on earth. I eat this stuff straight from the can {not sure why Nestle do not sell it in all countries :/ } Thank you for sharing the crock pot method at the WEDNESDAYS ADORNED FROM ABOVE Blog Hop !
Hi! Found you on Seven Alive blog hop. I had no idea you could make caramel from Sweetened Condensed milk. I am definitely going to try this. So you did 6 hours on low and 1 hour on high? Follwing via Bloglovin’ and pinning this recipe.
~Jackie @ The Non-Martha Momma
I was thrilled to find this recipe as I hate making caramel on the stove. I always burn myself, lol.
I had read to cook it for 8 hours on low. But, at the 6 hour mark, my sweetened condensed milk still looked like milk. So, I turned the temperature up to high and pulled it out after 3 more hours, and it was perfect. So that was a grand total of 9 hours.
Caramel, Mmmmmmmmmm
Making it in the crockpot, Niiiiice
Fiestaware, the best of all!
Caramel is just one of those comfort things…it goes on anything, from ice cream to cake to what ever you want! And it’s just such a delicious treat! To make it yourself never occured to me…I’m such a horrible cook I would never try it myself…but with a method and a good recipe, well I see now that I might even give that a try!! Thanks so much for sharing your methods with us and giving us a chance to try them!
Blessings,
Doni
Thanks for linking up to my party! I wanted to let you know I picked your link to feature this week! See my post and grab my feature button here http://handmadecuddles.com/2013/06/create-inspire-69-picks.html
I have to try this. It looks great!
Thanks for sharing!
Stacey
This is a fun idea, I have not made caramel sauce this way. I just pinned this 🙂 Krista @ A Handful of Everything