--- title: "Caramelization: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates" description: "Caramelization is the browning of sugar under heat, which turns it from plain sweet to rich, nutty and a little bitter. It is not the Maillard reaction." url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/caramelization" --- # Caramelization Caramelization is the browning of sugar under heat, which turns it from plain sweet to rich, nutty and a little bitter. It is not the Maillard reaction. Also called Caramelisation, Caramelize, Caramelise. Caramelization is what happens when sugar is heated until it breaks down and browns. The sugar melts, turns golden, then amber, then dark brown, and its flavor changes from plain sweet to buttery, nutty and slightly bitter. It is how you make caramel sauce, the top of a crème [brûlée](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/brulee) and the dark edges on roasted fruit. ## How to do it For a dry caramel: 1. Spread 200 g (1 cup) of white sugar in a heavy, light-colored pan. 2. Heat over medium heat without stirring. When the edges melt, gently swirl the pan. 3. Cook until it is the color of a copper coin, around 170 to 180°C (340 to 355°F). 4. Take it off the heat at once and use it, or add cream or butter to stop it. For a wet caramel, add 60 ml (1/4 cup) of water to the sugar first. It is slower but easier to control. ## How to tell it is done Light caramel is pale gold and mild. Medium amber is the usual target for sauces. Dark mahogany caramel tastes bitter and smoky. If it smokes heavily and smells acrid, it is burnt. ## Why it works Heat breaks sucrose into smaller sugars, which react with each other and form hundreds of new compounds that add color and flavor. Table sugar starts to caramelize around 160°C (320°F). Fructose, in honey and fruit, browns at lower temperatures. Caramelization involves only sugar. The [Maillard reaction](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/maillard-reaction) needs sugar and protein together and is behind the browning of meat, bread and coffee. "Caramelized onions" brown mostly through the Maillard reaction, since onions contain both. ## Common mistakes * Stirring a wet caramel early, which can make it crystallize into gritty lumps. Swirl the pan instead. * Walking away. Caramel goes from amber to burnt in seconds. * Touching it. Molten sugar sticks to skin and causes serious burns. * Adding cold cream all at once, which makes it spit and seize. Warm the cream and add it slowly, standing back. ## In recipes "Cook to a deep amber" means caramelize. Sugar stages such as the [soft-ball stage](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/soft-ball-stage) come before caramel, at lower temperatures, when sugar is still clear. The [hard-crack stage](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/hard-crack-stage) is the last stage before it starts to color. ## Recipes that use this technique 61 recipes from the sites we collect. * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Shrimp-Fajitas-13.jpg)Shrimp Fajitaswww.skinnytaste.com · 30 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/shrimp-fajitas/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/One-Pot-Chicken-and-Orzo-8.jpg)One-Pot Chicken Orzo Recipewww.skinnytaste.com · 65 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/one-pot-chicken-and-orzo/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/spring-shakshuka-8.jpg)Green Shakshukawww.skinnytaste.com · 45 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/green-shakshuka/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Buffalo-Chicken-Meal-Prep-Bowls-8.jpg)Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowlswww.skinnytaste.com · 30 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/buffalo-chicken-rice-bowls/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Butternut-Squash-Galette-10.jpg)Butternut Squash Galettewww.skinnytaste.com · 90 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/butternut-squash-galette/) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2024/07/Caramelized-Onion-Dip-Hero-6.jpg)French Onion Dipwww.onceuponachef.com · 40 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/french-onion-dip.html) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Stuffed-Sweet-Potato.jpg)Loaded Baked Sweet Potato “Healthified”www.skinnytaste.com · 65 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/loaded-baked-sweet-potato/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Roasted-Strawberry-Almond-Flour-Muffins-7.jpg)Roasted Strawberry Almond Flour Muffinswww.skinnytaste.com · 50 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/roasted-strawberry-almond-flour-muffins/) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2019/02/french-onion-soup-1.jpg)Classic French Onion Soupwww.onceuponachef.com · 120 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/french-onion-soup.html) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/BrusselsSproutsCarbonara-3.jpg)Brussels Sprouts Carbonarawww.skinnytaste.com · 25 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/brussels-sprouts-carbonara/) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2022/08/bbq-spiced-chicken-thighs.jpg)BBQ-Spiced Chicken Thighs with Tangy Honey Glazewww.onceuponachef.com · 30 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/bbq-spiced-chicken-thighs-with-tangy-honey-glaze.html) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Swiss-Chard-Frittata-8.jpg)Swiss Chard Frittatawww.skinnytaste.com · 40 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/light-swiss-chard-frittata/) ## Related terms * [Maillard reactionThe Maillard reaction is the browning of protein and sugar under heat. It gives seared steak, bread crust, roasted coffee and fried onions their flavor.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/maillard-reaction) * [BrûléeBrûlée means burnt in French. To brûlée is to melt sugar on top of a dessert with a torch or broiler until it sets into a thin, glassy caramel shell.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/brulee) * [Soft-ball stageThe soft-ball stage is sugar syrup cooked to 112 to 116°C (234 to 240°F). A drop in cold water forms a soft ball that flattens. It is used for fudge.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/soft-ball-stage) * [Hard-crack stageThe hard-crack stage is sugar syrup cooked to 149 to 154°C (300 to 310°F). A drop in cold water forms brittle threads that snap. It makes brittle.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/hard-crack-stage) * [RoastRoasting cooks meat or vegetables uncovered in a hot oven, so dry heat browns the outside and concentrates flavor while the inside cooks through.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/roast) [More in kitchen science](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/kitchen-science)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)