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

Advertisement The original kouign amann is made with bread dough, folded with butter to create layers and baked until the sugar caramelizes, with a crispy exterior and a soft interior. —Betty Hallock, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024

Tam Vi won a Michelin star last year for its home-style dishes, such as fried tofu in tomato sauce, braised fish and caramelized pork belly with eggs. —Chris Humphrey, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2024

The Le Creuset reigns supreme in our product testing year after year—searing, braising, and caramelizing its way to the top. —Noah Kaufman, Bon Appétit, 9 Oct. 2024

Cubed potatoes are wrapped in a decadently creamy, cheesy sauce that's topped with crisp, caramelized Ritz crackers for a yummy textural experience. —Darcy Lenz, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1