The Best Caramel Dip
on Oct 06, 2017, Updated Aug 21, 2024
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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.
I have a few favorite fall recipes that I always make for fun fall parties and events: apple cider, my favorite apple cheese board, and this Caramel Dip.
This caramel dip recipe is something you need in your life. It’s 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 I wanted to share the goodness. And goodness it is! I’ve made this recipe every fall since I first discovered it. I hope you try it and love it as much as I do!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This is the perfect homemade caramel for dipping. It’s thick and smooth while still being scoopable.
- I think of this caramel as party food and repeatedly take it to fall parties. It makes about 3 cups of caramel dip, so there’s plenty for a crowd.
- It’s really simple to make, too—just cook a few simple ingredients on the stove.
Recipe Ingredients
- Butter – I use salted but if using unsalted butter, add a tiny bit of salt
- Brown sugar – either light or dark will work
- Corn syrup
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Vanilla extract
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make the Best Caramel Dip
- Melt butter over medium heat.
- Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk, stirring to combine.
- Stir constantly until it comes to a light, bubbly boil.
- Remove from heat right away and add the vanilla.
Recipe FAQs
The goal for this dip is to be 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.
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 caramel corn. That being said, it is a different product than high fructose corn syrup. Here’s an article from The Kitchn about it.
If you see that the bottom is starting to scorch (you’ll see little flecks of really dark sugar when you stir), remove the pan immediately. If the caramel hasn’t finished cooking, you can return it to the heat, being careful to stir only the top of the caramel and avoiding scraping up the burnt sugar on the bottom of the pan.
Expert Tips
- 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.
- If the caramel does start to burn, remove the pan from the heat. 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.
- I serve it with apples and pretzels for dipping, and it’s also fabulous on churro waffles and an easy apple cake.
More Fun Fall Recipes & Projects to Consider
Pies, Crisps & Tarts
Healthy Pumpkin Pie Recipe
Dessert Recipes
Easy Pumpkin Donut Holes
Halloween Recipes
Halloween Food Ideas for Kids
From Scratch Recipes
Butterbeer
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The Best Caramel Dip
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, light or dark
- 3/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk, (14 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
- Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk, stirring to combine.
- 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).
- Remove from heat right away and add the vanilla. Stir to combine.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with apple slices and pretzels, or drizzle over ice cream.
Video
Notes
- The goal for this dip is to be 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 not for dipping little apple slices and pretzels.
- The corn syrup is a necessary ingredient so please don’t try any substitutes! (See my note above for more details, as well as this article from Serious Eats.)
- Don’t wander away from this recipe while it is cooking. A lot of stirring needs to be done so the bottom of the dip doesn’t scorch and burn.
- 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 carefully stirring 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.
I can’t wait to make this caramel dip! However, it may not all get gobbled up immediately. Do you think left overs could be stored in the refrigerator?
Yes ma’am! It stores great but firms up a lot when cold so plan on letting it warm up a big before serving again. You are going to love it!
Hi :). I can’t get corn syrup in Faroe Islands :(. Is there something else I could use?
I have no idea! I don’t think it would have the same texture with something else because the corn syrup is what thickens so well when cooked… Can you order it online?!
I can’t believe you jumped like that either !!! But handsome baby.Can’t wait to try the caramel Dip …..
~Blessings~
I just made the caramel dip and all I can say is it is out of this world good! Thanks for a wonderful recipe that I know I will be making for years to come!
SOOO glad you liked it! I just adore that recipe and in fact, I’m whipping up a batch to take to a church party tonight 🙂 Definitely one to keep around because making that and chopping some apples and opening a bag of pretzels sure isn’t hard but everyone loves it! Thanks for the comment!
Thank you for the Caramel Recipe been looking for one I can`t wait to try it. your baby boy is adorable !!! So Sorry to hear about your Chickens. My Hubby loved that Perfect Pound Cake So Moist except mying didn`t come out yellow it was a grayish color where did I go wrong? I know of one thing I did wrong I forgot to add the vanilla extract so l added to the milk ? Thanks, auntbea921
Oh I remember that party! So fun… good shot of my hubby too:) H/H! I also remember sweet Henry too in that newborn shot. That was so fun to be in the hospital at the same time (except for the jaundice of course)!
Amen to katie! Henry is adorable! that is so sad about your chickens. It’s true about out becomes sacred when you sacrifice for things. Love you!
Pool party shout-out!!! That was a really fun day 🙂
p.s. sorry, I was logged in as Michael… lame!
LOL. I shared a birth something or other under Thomas’ name once 🙂 Thanks for the condolences…it’s been awful!
My heart BROKE for you when I heard about your poor chickens! I’m SO SO sorry!
In happier news, this caramel dip is EXACTLY what I’ve needed. I can’t WAIT to try it! Love the photos!
My heart BROKE for you when I heard about your poor chickens! I’m SO SO sorry!
In happier news, this caramel dip is EXACTLY what I’ve needed. I can’t WAIT to try it! Love the photos!