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

Each bite is sweet, sticky, and ever so slightly caramelized on the edges. —Marianne Williams, Southern Living, 26 May 2025

These included cultured cheese and za’atar; potato and brown butter; mushroom, caramelized onion and truffle; spinach and cheese, plus carrots and hot honey, which is an occasional special. —Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2025

When grilling the chicken, the sweetness of the tomato paste will caramelize quickly. —Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 May 2025

The spot focuses on top-quality burgers served on soft brioche buns with toppings including bacon, cheese and caramelized onions. —Angela Rodriguez, Sacbee.com, 21 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for caramelize

• actualize
• antagonize
• apologise
• apologize
• capitalize
• categorize
• characterize
• commercialize
• conceptualize
• contrariwise
• criminalize
• decentralize