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

The onions will take some time to caramelize, but each minute spent hovering over the stove top will be worth the wait. —Restaurant Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026

Roasting raw vegetables brings out flavor as their natural sugars caramelize. —Mary Ann Esposito, Boston Herald, 4 Mar. 2026

At the same time, the ingredients at the bottom of the tagine will caramelize, developing an extra-rich flavor. —Bridget Shirvell, Martha Stewart, 27 Feb. 2026

To caramelize the brown sugar, put sugar in a skillet with ½ cup water and salt. —Indianapolis Star, IndyStar, 27 Feb. 2026

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