caramelize

verb

car·​a·​mel·​ize ˈkär-mə-ˌlīz 

ˈker-ə-mə-,

ˈka-rə-mə-

caramelized; caramelizing

1

transitive : to subject (sugar or the sugar content of a food) to caramelization : to change into caramel (see caramel sense 1) by heating at high temperature

… flan bathed in caramelized sugar and topped with whipped cream …

—Penelope Casas

At a restaurant, some unlucky prep cook gets to peel, slice, and caramelize bags of onions in the morning.

—Stephanie Alleyne

2

intransitive : to change to caramel

Fructose begins to rapidly caramelize at around 200 degrees …

—Matthew Card

: to undergo caramelization

These sweet potatoes caramelize slightly in the oven, which gives them a sweet crunch as their flesh remains creamy.

—Lesley Porcelli

Examples of caramelize in a Sentence

The onions will take five minutes to caramelize.

Caramelize two cups of sugar.

Continue stirring until the sugar caramelizes.

Recent Examples on the Web

Bake until the chicken is fully cooked and the lemons are caramelized. —Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Jan. 2025

Using a kitchen torch, melt and caramelize the sugar until a hard golden crust forms, about 1 minute per ramekin. —Joe Yonan, Saveur, 23 Jan. 2025

The dish: The seasonal vegetable pie features a thick, flaky crust wrapped around butternut squash, white sweet potato, carrots, celery and caramelized onions soaked in an herbed white wine sauce. —Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2025

Tips From The Southern Living Test Kitchen Blooming the tomato paste caramelizes the sugars and brings out its complexity and depth, so don't rush this step. —Craig Ruff, Southern Living, 19 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1