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 pineapple, thinly sliced, was caramelized in spots. —Michelle Huneven, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026

The pork stays tender and lightly caramelized, while the pineapple turns jammy and charred around the edges. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 14 Apr. 2026

These elegant, striated cylinders are chewy and caramelized on the outside and soft and custardy in the middle. —Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 6 Apr. 2026

Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender and lightly caramelized. —Kelly McCarthy, ABC News, 3 Apr. 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