The Best Caramel Dip

The Best Caramel Dip

This caramel dip recipe is something you need in your life. It is actually the very first recipe that I published as a blogger way back in 2009. I didn't even have a picture of the end product but wanted to share the goodness. And goodness it is! This is the perfect homemade caramel for dipping. It's thick and smooth, while still being scoop-able. I've made this recipe every fall since I first discovered it. I hope you try it and love it like I do.

I think of this caramel as party food and take it to fall parties over and over again. It makes about 3 cups of caramel dip, so there's plenty for a crowd. It's really simple to make, too -- you are just cooking a few simple ingredients on the stove. I serve it with apples and pretzels for dipping. There's something magical about fresh caramel and homegrown apples this time of year.

How do you get the perfect caramel consistency?

The goal for this dip is to be well, dippable, so you'll want to bring the sugar mixture to a nice bubble but not a full boil. If you boil it too long or hard, you'll end up with a thicker caramel that is great for dipping whole apples, but less great for dipping little apple slices and pretzels.

Can you use something other than corn syrup?

I often get asked about switching out the corn syrup in this recipe, and I haven't played with that much, so I don't recommend doing it. I only use corn syrup in this recipe, my white cloud frosting recipe, and in caramel corn. That being said, it is a different product than high fructose corn syrup. Here's an article from The Kitchn about it.

What should I do if I notice my caramel is burning?

Don't wander away from this recipe while it is cooking. You need to do a lot of stirring, or the bottom of the dip will scorch and burn -- not the dream. If you do see that the bottom is starting to scorch (you'll see little flecks of really dark sugar when you stir), remove the pan from the heat right away.

If the caramel hasn't finished cooking, you can return it to the heat while being careful to only stir the top of the caramel and avoiding scraping up the burnt sugar on the bottom of the pan. If the scorch isn't too bad, you won't be able to taste it, but you still might have little flecks of dark sugar in your caramel. It's not ideal, but it's better than feeling like you ruined the whole batch.

The Best Caramel Dip

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★★★★★

4.7 from 32 reviews

• Author: Melissa Griffiths - Bless this Mess
• Total Time: 20 min
• Yield: 3 cups 1x

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Description

This is the best caramel dip recipe ever. Made on the stove with butter, sugar, and sweetened condensed milk, it's the perfect consistency for dipping pretzels and apples.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• ½ cup salted butter
• 1 ½ cups brown sugar (light or dark)
• ¾ cup light corn syrup
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

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Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
2. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk, stirring to combine.
3. Stir constantly until mixture comes to a light bubbly boil, with just a few bubbles popping through the surface of the caramel (see notes for more details).
4. Remove from heat right away and add the vanilla. Stir to combine.
5. Serve warm or at room temperature with apple slices and pretzels, or drizzle over ice cream.

Notes

• The goal for this dip is to be, well, dip-able, so you'll want to bring the sugar mixture to a nice bubble but not a full boil. If you boil it too long or hard, you'll end up with a thicker caramel that is great for dipping whole apples, but less great for dipping little apple slices and pretzels.
• I often get asked about switching out the corn syrup in this recipe, but I haven't played with that much, so I don't recommend doing it. I only use corn syrup in this recipe, my white cloud frosting recipe, and in caramel corn. That being said, it is a different product than high fructose corn syrup. Here's an article from Serious Eats about it.
• Don't wander away from this recipe while it is cooking. You need to do a lot of stirring, or the bottom of the dip will scorch and burn -- not the dream.
• If you do see that the bottom is starting to scorch (you'll see little flecks of really dark sugar when you stir), remove the pan from the heat right away. If the caramel hasn't finished cooking, you can return it to the heat while being careful to only stir the top of the caramel and avoiding scraping up the burnt sugar on the bottom of the pan. If the scorch isn't too bad, you won't be able to taste it, but you still might have little flecks of dark sugar in your caramel. It's not ideal, but it's better than feeling like you ruined the whole batch.

• Prep Time: 5 min
• Cook Time: 15 min
• Category: Dip
• Method: Stove
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: caramel dip, how to make caramel dip, easy caramel recipe, homemade caramel apples, homemade caramel, how to make caramel, best caramel recipe