This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
One Ingredient Caramel is a simple and decadent treat you can make in minutes!
This is one of our favorite caramel sauces for topping desserts, dipping apples and eating with almost everything!
Once you give this easy recipe a try, you may never purchase store bought caramel again!
© SpendWithPennies.com
Ok, ok I know… its not technically “CARAMEL”.. maybe more along the lines of a dulce de leche.. but it is dang delicious with that sweet caramely goodness!
In this recipe, sweetened condensed milk is cooked until it creates a deliciously rich caramel sauce! The best part is this recipe has ONE ingredient! Just one! Easy huh?
I personally LOVE sweetened condensed milk in any dessert and this has to be one of my favorites!
You’re going to simply pour condensed milk into a pie pan or casserole dish. Cover it with foil and place it in a larger pan of water and bake. SO easy! I put my water level about 1/2″ to 3/4″ (depending on your pan) so just check the oven every now and then to make sure the water hasn’t evaporated.
One more thing, you may get a little crust on the top once your caramel bakes (which is delicious). You can either just serve it as it, just eat the caramel underneath or blend it with an immersion blender.
In the image below my caramel has been blended with an immersion blender while warm. Any little crusty bits on the top just melt right into the caramel.
Please note that this recipe has been adapted from the original recipe which included cooking a can of unopened sweetened condensed milk fully submerged in a large pot (1″ above the can) and boiled for 3 hours. There has been some question as to the safety of the original method (although, like many of you, I’ve been doing it for years and years). I’ve decided to err on the side of caution and try another method.
I’m more than happy to report that not only was it easy, it was quicker than the original method and it tastes just as amazing. You won’t be disappointed.
One Ingredient Caramel
Ingredients
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk regular or low fat, 1 can
- sliced apples for dipping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Pour one can of sweetened condensed milk into a casserole dish or pie plate. Cover with foil.
- Place in a larger pan and fill to ¾" with water. (Fill water as needed while baking)
- Bake 60-90 minutes or until condensed milk has reached a golden brown color.
- Cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
More Recipes You’ll Love
I followed your directions but used sweetened condensed coconut milk. It is delicious. If anyone needs a dairy free option, I would suggest giving this a try.
Followed directions exactly and cooked for 90 minutes. Came out curdled for some reason but with a beautiful caramel color. So I stirred it a bit and it smoothed out. Tastes so good! After it cooled, I added 1.5 cups shredded coconut and a tablespoon of light rum. I plan to use it on a piña colada cake if I don’t eat it all before then!
Does this need to be refrigerated?
I usually store it in the fridge Loretta.
Do you bake it on top shelf?
Can you cut n wrap in waxed paper?
Hi Shirley, this makes more of a caramel sauce. For caramels that can be wrapped I recommend this microwave recipe. I hope this helps!
I am wondering if I can use this sweeten condensed milk caramel for a cookie recipe that calls for melted caramel candies. Wondering about the consistency as this cools down.
It would likely be too soft and not hold up well.
Just tried this and it’s more of the consistency of jello. I left it in for an hour (covered) at 425 pulled it out and checked and it was just jiggly condensed milk. Left it in for another 45minites and it was just a darker jello like thing. Never formed a crust or turned smooth
how much is the serving size in the nutritional info?
For a 14oz can, this would be about 3 ½ tablespoons.
Can i use this caramel condensed milk for drizzle on cupcakes and will it harden. How long is the shelf like for this caramel.
It will not harden.
Thank you so much for sharing. It was so easy and delicious.
Tasty but curdled at this temperature
Oh no, I am sorry that happened, Beth! We didn’t have that issue with this recipe.
Making this now! My 4 yr old and I are tired of peanut butter with our apples for lunch , he asked if we caramel. We didnt but had sweeten condensed milk ! I was wary of boiling a can ( know its tried and true lol) so glad to find this recipe. Fingers crossed I’ll update in an hour or so !
An easier way to accomplish the same is to boil the entire unopened can for one hour on your stovetop, let it cool and open up the can. It will be caramel.
This recipe has been adapted from the original recipe which included cooking a can of unopened sweetened condensed milk fully submerged in a large pot (1″ above the can) and boiled for 3 hours. There has been some question as to the safety of the original method (although, like many of you, I’ve been doing it for years and years). I’ve decided to err on the side of caution and try another method.
I’m more than happy to report that not only was it easy, it was quicker than the original method and it tastes just as amazing. You won’t be disappointed.
Well a temp setting would have been handy for those of us that need to look up some sort of directions, just sayin
Hi Wayne, for this recipe, we preheat the oven to 425°F. Hope that helps!
Is it good to use on caramel apples.
This caramel doesn’t harden as you would want on a caramel apple but it is delicious for dipping apples in for a caramel apple style appetizer. For a true caramel apple try this recipe!
can you put more than one can at a time in dish?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure Megan. But I would imagine it would take longer to make. If you try it, I would love to hear how it turns out!
Says 425° in the directions ♀️
Thank you very much for sharing! I tried this and it worked out perfectly. Needed almost 2 hours, kept checking it to make sure there was enough water and blended it once cooled.
You’re welcome Marianna! So happy to hear that it worked perfectly for you!
Hi. Is nestle caramel topping the same as nestle condensed milk caramel , can I make ice cream with it ,
I haven’t tried caramel topping in this recipe so I can’t say if it would set or not.
Can this be stored overnight in the fridge? Thanks!
Hi Louise, it should be fine in the fridge overnight just be sure to store it in an airtight container to prevent a crust from forming on the top.
Can I use this to make caramel corn? Will it harden once mixed w popcorn? If not, is there an easy way to thicken?
Thanks
This recipe is not suitable as caramel corn. We use this caramel corn recipe.
I’m so disappointed! The top layer didn’t get “crispy” it burnt…. after 35 min following the exact instructions….. and the inside goo tasted awful, like burnt milk. I wouldn’t waste your time with this. Maybe some things we just gotta do the old fashion way?
How disappointing for you Sheri! Based on the reviews, this recipe works well as written for most readers so I can’t say for sure what went wrong. I’ve made this countless times and haven’t had a burnt flavor/top. Did you use the water bath?
I wonder if you forgot to cover the pan with foil. I forgot to cover it and the top burned really bad.
I know this is an old thread but…
Maybe some people shouldn’t be in the kitchen. If it burned in 35min obviously your temp is too high, it’s on the broil setting, you are using a toaster oven or microwave or the wattage of your particular oven it too high. Don’t say something doesn’t work just because you failed….obviously it works as stated by many others that have tried it.
Hello Holly!
I found your recipe because I too, am wary of cooking inside the sealed can. I see that this recipe makes 8 servings, but what is a serving size? I need to make 2/3 cups of caramel sauce. Thank you so much for your consideration to my question!
Janie, each can will make about 1 cup of sauce. Hope that helps!
For the love, please don’t use a Pyrex casserole dish as the container for water. Halfway through baking the condensed milk, I opened the oven and saw that the Pyrex was dry. I poured some water from the fridge to replace the liquid level and the glass EXPLODED. Literally, glass shards everywhere in my oven…the cleanup was a nightmare. Because the milk/caramel was covered that was actually fine, so I’m finishing it the next day using an aluminum roasting pan underneath for water. Fingers crossed :)
Are you kidding? Any hot glass dish is going to explode if you put cold water in it. Wow!!
Pyrex is actually designed to withstand hot/cold changes, however the company tried replacing their own glass with a cheaper alternative at some stage and they started having issues like this
Can you use condensed coconut milk instead? We don’t do dairy and I’d like to make a salted caramel ice cream (vegan) but the recipe calls for dulce de leche or canned caramel. Thanks!
I have only made the recipe as written so can’t say for sure, but maybe another reader can help.