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

Either version gives the chicken a deep, smoky heat that’s balanced out by the briny green olives and lightly caramelized broccoli. —Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 June 2025

The palate features black pepper, ruby red grapefruit, and caramelized honey. —Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025

That last step has given this spirit a deep, dark color and imbued the liquid with notes of pine, roasted pecans, dark chocolate, and caramelized brown sugar. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 13 June 2025

The ketchup almost caramelizes on the outside of the meatloaf, the perfect pair to the cheesy topping. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 18 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