Creamy Caramel Filling
This creamy caramel filling is luxury on its own with a melt-in-the-mouth velvet texture. This simple and easy recipe takes no more than 15 minutes to make and will have you using it as a cake filling, tart filling, pie filling, macaron, cookies, or cupcakes. Made with condensed milk and golden syrup this is absolute heaven.
When I had my cake business, I was always playing around with flavors — trying to find that “something extra” that would make people remember my cakes. One day, I decided to switch things up and use this different kind of caramel filling — made with golden syrup and condensed milk instead of the usual caramelized sugar, butter, and cream.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was rich, creamy, and way easier to work with, but would people love it as much as the classic?
Well, turns out — they did.
One customer came back after her party, absolutely raving about the cake: “This is the BEST caramel-filled cake I’ve ever had — what did you do?!”
And just like that, this caramel filling became my go-to anytime I needed something special for a cake, tart, cupcake, or dessert.
It’s thick, smooth, pipes like a dream, and tastes like pure magic — without the stress of caramelizing sugar or burning a batch (because yes, we’ve all been there).
Now whenever I need a caramel filling that’s reliable, delicious, and guaranteed to impress — this is the one I reach for.
If you know, you know.
Why make this recipe?
- If you love caramel, then you will love this better than any other caramel sauce you have ever eaten.
- It is really creamy and melts in the mouth. It does not have the sharp, burnt-sugar taste or flavor.
- I recently used it to make my salted caramel tart, and everyone raved about it so much.
- You can also use it as a filling for macarons, cream puffs, profiteroles, and chocolate bonbons.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Golden syrup – This gives the caramel its beautiful golden color, and it is also an invert sugar, which helps prevent crystallization. You can also use dark corn syrup
- Brown sugar – You can use white sugar, but I prefer the brown sugar to get a darker caramel color. You can use either light or dark sugar.
- Butter – everything tastes better with butter, and it could not be more right with this recipe. Add a nice richness to the caramel.
- Sweetened condensed milk – This is a great way to add a lot of cream without spending too much time stirring the mixture for hours. Makes the caramel creamy. You can use homemade condensed milk for this recipe as well.
- Vanilla – condensed milk does have vanilla added to it, and yet, I do like to add a bit more extract just to enhance the flavor.
Step-by-step: Caramel filling for cakes, desserts
- Place brown sugar, golden syrup or light corn syrup, and butter in a heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat. Stir until all the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.
Pro tip – Stir often and set the heat to medium. Otherwise, the sugar around the edges will burn, giving the caramel a burnt taste.
- Reduce the heat and continue to cook until the mixture becomes darker in color, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Pro tip – Once all the moisture has evaporated, the sugar will start to caramelize further, giving the caramel a deeper color. - Next, reduce the heat to low. Add the condensed milk and let it come to a boil on low heat again.
Pro tip – When you add the condensed milk, the mixture may appear curdled or separated, but just combine, and it will all become smooth.
- Cook on low for another minute or two, stirring constantly. The mixture will thicken. Add the vanilla extract and remove it from the heat.
Pro tip – We want a smooth, creamy texture that coats the back of a spoon. - Set aside to cool slightly before pouring into a mason jar or filling a tart.
Pro tip – The mixture will continue to thicken as it cools. You can pour warm caramel into a tart to help it smooth out easily. - Enjoy!
- Homemade Caramel Sauce
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- How to Make Homemade Condensed Milk
- Evaporated Milk Recipe from Scratch
Frequently asked questions
This caramel made with condensed milk will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It will get thicker over time.
Freshly made caramel will be of a pouring consistency. As long as it coats the back of a wooden spoon thickly, it is ready. Also, take note that the caramel will thicken as it cools.
If the caramel is cooled and still not thick, you can put it back in a saucepan and put it on the stove. Continue to cook until it thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
The caramel filling will continue to thicken as it cools. However, if you find that it is too thick, don’t worry. Add a tablespoon or two of hot cream and stir well. The heat will melt the caramel, and the liquid will thin it to the right consistency.
Both my caramel filling and sauce can be used interchangeably. That said, this recipe is creamier and more luxurious, making it perfect for filling cakes, tarts, and other desserts. The caramel sauce, on the other hand, has a more robust flavor, making it perfect for drizzles and drips on cakes, ice creams, or desserts.
Caramel Filing for Cakes Tarts and Desserts
This creamy caramel filling is luxury on its own with a melt-in-the-mouth velvet texture. This simple and easy recipe takes no more than 15 minutes to make and will have you using it as a cake filling, tart filling, pie filling, macaron, cookies, or cupcakes. Made with condensed milk and golden syrup this is absolute heaven.
Ingredients
- ½ cup (110 g) Light Brown sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Golden syrup or light corn syrup
- ¼ cup (60 g) Butter
- 14 oz (396 g) Can of Sweetened Condensed milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Method
- Place brown sugar, golden syrup, and butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stir until all the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.½ cup Light Brown sugar , ¼ cup Golden syrup, ¼ cup Butter
- Reduce the heat and continue to cook until the mixture becomes darker in color. This takes about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Next, reduce the heat to low. Add the condensed milk and let come to a boil on low heat again.14 oz Can of Sweetened Condensed milk
- Cook on low for about another minute or two stirring constantly. The mixture will get thicker. Add the vanilla extract and take it off the heat.1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Set aside to cool slightly before you pour into a mason jar or fill a tart.
Notes
- Use Sweetened Condensed Milk: Start with sweetened condensed milk. It contains sugar and is thick and creamy, which makes it ideal for caramelization.
- Choose the Cooking Method: There are a few ways to make caramel sauce from condensed milk: stovetop, oven, or slow cooker. Each method has its pros and cons. The stovetop method is the quickest but requires more attention, while the oven and slow cooker methods are more hands-off but take longer.
- Stovetop Method: Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat the milk over low to medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a heat-resistant spatula or whisk. This process requires patience and attention to prevent burning or sticking.
- Oven Method: Transfer the sweetened condensed milk to an oven-safe dish (like a pie plate or baking dish) and cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Place the dish in a larger roasting pan, add hot water to the pan to create a water bath, and bake at a low temperature (around 350°F or 175°C) for 1.5 to 2 hours or until the milk turns into a rich caramel color.
- Slow Cooker Method: Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a mason jar or a heat-safe container with a lid. Place the container in the slow cooker and fill the slow cooker with enough water to cover the milk. Cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours or overnight.
- Water Bath: When using the oven or slow cooker method, the water bath is crucial for even cooking and preventing the condensed milk from scorching. Make sure to check the water level periodically and add more hot water if needed.
- Patience is Key: Whichever method you choose, making condensed milk caramel sauce requires patience. Slow, steady cooking is necessary to achieve the right consistency and color.
- Cooling and Storage: Once the condensed milk has caramelized to your desired color and thickness, remove it from the heat source and let it cool completely. It will thicken further as it cools. Transfer the caramel sauce to a clean, airtight jar, and store it in the refrigerator.
- Variations: For additional flavor, you can add a pinch of salt, vanilla extract, or even a splash of rum to the caramel sauce while it’s still warm.
Storage
- All food containing milk products need to be kept in the fridge.
- This filling will stay well in the fridge for a week.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
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Can light corn syrup be used in place of golden syrup? Also, after adding the condensed milk, how do you return it to a boil on “low heat”?
Yes, Brock. Light corn syrup works but golden syrup will give you a nice golden color for the caramel. And yes, you will boil it on low until it thickens. Thanks
Is this thick enough to pipe into a cupcake for a filling or would I have to cut a hole out of the cupcake to put the caramel in?
Hey Karen, It depends on how you cook it and how much it sets when cooled. It is thicker than regular caramel sauce and I just place it in a piping bag with a piping tip and pipe it into my cupcakes while they are still fresh. When cold or chilled you will need to cut a hole into the cupcakes. I hope that makes sense.
If you fill a cake or cupcakes with caramel, do they need to be refrigerated??
If the filling is perishable then yes, they will need to be refrigerated SF. Thanks
Very easy and quick to make.
I didn’t have golden syrup so used honey and it worked perfectly.
I highly recommend this recipe.
Thanks, Sonia. Yes, honey would work too. Thanks for coming back to write this feedback.
Thanks for the yummy recipe! Mine tastes great, but has little dark crystalizes flecks throughout. What did I do wrong?
Hey Ruth. Glad it tasted yummy. Could it be that the sugar got burnt before you added the condensed milk? Since I can’t see it I can’t say for sure though.
Hi
Can I use this filling for no bake cheesecake like a layer between my cheesecake (base, cheesecake, filling and then cheesecake again)?
Thank you.
Absolutely, Klara. It will be a very rich cake but if you like it – you can spread this caramel filling in between two cheesecakes.
Great, thank you so much for your replay. Great blog anyway I really like it ??
This tastes amazing, Thank you. Can the creamy caramel filling be frozen?
Yes, you can Dolores. Just thaw it in the refrigerator, not room temperature. Thanks
Veena, I apologize for posting a second comment/question. This recipe calls for a can of “Condensed Milk”. Is this what we call “Evaporated Milk” in the U.S. (milk that’s had much of its water content cooked out), or “Sweetened Condensed Milk” – milk that’s been cooked down AND has had a substantial amount of sugar added to it? They’re not interchangeable, so I want to make sure to use the correct ingredient!
Hey TwirlyGirly. This is sweetened condensed milk not evaporated milk. I know the difference – I am from the US and we have the same here. The sugar and milk are cooked down but not for too long just until the sugar is melted and you have a nice color. The recipe is correct and yes there is lots of sugar both in the CM and BS but this is caramel which is supposed to be high in sugar.
Veena,
I appreciate you responding to both questions I posted. In the past, when I’ve asked questions on cooking blogs pertaining to recipes that are several months old, I rarely get answers. (Obviously, *you* keep up with reader’s comments/questions). Thank you for taking the time to reply!
I notice you amended the recipe to include the word “sweetened” as clarification. I think what made me question the “condensed” vs “evaporated” milk was the inclusion of golden syrup in the recipe; that’s not an ingredient commonly seen in recipes in the U.S. (I have a bottle of Lyle’s in my pantry!) and it’s what made me think “Maybe she’s not in the U.S., and in a country that calls evaporated milk condensed milk…better check before pulling out a saucepan!”
Thanks again,
TwirlyGirly
Thank you TwirlyGirly. Yes, I try to reply as soon as I can because often people want to try the recipe. Today I was working on the blog so could answer instantly.
yes, I did make changes to make sure people know it’s condensed milk. I often use my readers prompts and question to write my posts.
I completely understand. The purpose of the golden syrup in this recipe is to prevent crystallization when the caramel cools.
You can also use corn syrup or honey but I find golden does the trick of adding a nice color to this one too.
Thanks
Veena, I stumbled across this recipe when searching (unsuccessfully) for a butterscotch cake filling that isn’t a pudding, uses butterscotch pudding mix, or those (awful!) butterscotch chips. In desperation I thought maybe if I found a good caramel cake filling I could adapt it to butterscotch by switching out the granulated white sugar for brown sugar. But….YOUR recipe, which you call “caramel”, *does* use brown sugar, so isn’t it technically a butterscotch filling as opposed to butterscotch? If not, can you explain the difference to me and perhaps point me to a butterscotch cake filling recipe you like?
Yes, TwirlyGirly. I used brown sugar in this to get a good caramel color. The condensed milk doesn’t cook down enough to get a deep caramel color. So yes, if you use white sugar you can make this the pale caramel filling. Personally, I use dark brown sugar in this same recipe for my butterscotch sauce. That gives me a deeper butterscotch color as well as the flavor of rich molasses which is perfect for butterscotch. I hope I answered your question. Thanks
Hi!
I want to add this to thin Chocolate tart cups for an upcoming retirement party. I need to make it 4 days in advance. It cant be warm or it will melt the Chocolate. Any suggestions on when to add this to the tarts shells?
Hey Melissa. You can add them when the caramel is cooled but not set. It still has some working time when it’s cooled.
Thank you!
OMG, you weren’t kidding when you say creamy. I was supposed to add this to the tart. Think I need to make more. We ate it all by the spoon. It is so delicious. Ok from now on… I’m doubling any recipe from your site.
Last month I made your butterscotch and had the same problem, so delicious we had to make more.
Ha… Dina. yes, it is amazing, isn’t it? So happy you had success with this recipe and that you enjoyed it so much. Thank you for coming back to write this feedback. Appreciate it very much. I love hearing from those who try my recipes.