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

Roasted cauliflower, creamy Japanese eggplant, and hearty chickpeas form the base of this nourishing dish, all warmly spiced with garam masala and caramelized to perfection in a hot oven. —Laura McLively, Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2025

Bring to a boil for a few minutes until the sugar caramelizes. —Kathryn Gregory, Louisville Courier Journal, 14 Oct. 2025

When roasted, the flesh becomes tender and caramelized, with a sweetness that’s almost dessert-like, balanced by a slightly nutty, earthy undertone. —Jill Schildhouse, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2025

Push through the bar’s heavy wooden door for hearty meals like goulash (from $10) and Bob’s Bad Breath Burger ($19), a half-pound beef slab with cream cheese, caramelized onions and garlic. —Peter Cameron, New York Times, 8 Oct. 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