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!
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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
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Hey there, I am thinking of using this as a donut filling for 20 donuts, would you say the 2 cup would be enough to fill 20? ?
Sam, it can be enough. it really depends on how much you fill inside the donuts. You can divide 1 cup for every 10 donuts.
week2 day1
Hi! I love this recipe and add 1 tsp salt to make it a salted caramel filling. My most popular filling! ? I do have an issue when I freeze it though. I freeze extra filling for later and when I defrost it, there are crystals which make it have a grainy texture. Do you have a solution for this? Do you find the same thing if it is frozen?
Riya, Happy you are enjoying this recipe. Yes, the crystals are the sugar. Next time try adding a tablespoon of light corn syrup or glucose along with the condensed milk. These are invert-sugars and help with crystalization.
Hi Veena! Just popping in to thank you for this wonderful caramel filling recipe! I’ve been using it now for about 2 years, and wanted to share how versatile it truly is! I’ve used it to make melt-in-your-mouth, bite-size chocolate covered caramels by cooking it a tad longer. I’ve thinned it slightly and whipped it with heavy whipping cream for a heavenly caramel mousse. I’ve even added it to vanilla buttercream for yep, you guessed it, caramel buttercream! It’s uses are really only limited by the imagination! I had never heard of golden syrup before until I started using your recipe, but I get it from Amazon, usually 2 bottles at a time! Once I was out of it, so I literally mixed some light and dark corn syrup together, and even though it was good…really really good!!…I do prefer the more buttery-ness (if that’s a word!) of the golden syrup! Anyhoo, I’m sorry for rambling on, but I’m from the South and we’re notorious for talking too much! Thank you so so so much for this amazing recipe, it’s been a real game-changer!
Thank you Stacey. I did make the caramel mousse a couple of times and one of my customers said – it is to die for. She even took the recipe. I’m so happy you are enjoying this recipe so much. Thank you for the lovely comment. Dont’ worry about length. I love connecting and I love hearing about my recipes being used. Thanks much
Hi Veena, how much salt would you recommend to add (and at which point of the cooking process) to make it into a salted caramel filling? Thank you for your time
You can add 1 tsp at the end of cooking. Use coarse salt for the best flavor. You can also drizzle more salt on top
Hi Veena, can this caramel filling be baked in the middle of a cake rather than spreading it on the cake once it’s done?
You can use it in a cake but some of it might get incorporated into the batter with the high heat in the oven. But yes, you can use it
Hello! I was just wondering how thick this caramel is, and how well it would set if I put it in my tart?
This is perfect for a tart. I thickness depends on how long you cook it. I used it in this salted caramel tart
Is it ok to leave out the Golden syrup?
The corn syrup prevents crystalization.
Week 2 day 3 done
What exactly is golden syrup? Is it the same has maple syrup?
Golden syrup can be purchased in any pastry or cake short. These days most supermarkets keep them too. It is not the same as maple syrup. In some recipes, corn syrup works great as a replacement.
Hello Veena, wondering if this sauce is thick enough to be sandwiched between cookies? Will it hold its shape or will it flow out?
TIA
Hey Reema. The thickness of the caramel depends on how much you cook it. It thickens as it cools too. This one was made for a source so pouring consistency. If you want it thicker just cook it a minute or two more. If some reason it becomes too thick. Add a tsp of milk and heat it up for 10 seconds in the microwave, give it a good mix and that should work. I hope this helps
Week 2 day 3 done
Is this the caramel that is mentioned in your gauche flavoring recipes?
Sorry, ganache not gauche
Ah, no that one is this caramel sauce recipe Thanks
Thank you so much for the quick reply. I’ll send you a picture of the cake I’m making with the ganache when I’m finished.
Thanks, Richard. Yes, you can share on my Facebook group -https://www.facebook.com/groups/1894425737541123/