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Caramelized White Chocolate

What the heck is caramelized white chocolate? And is it worth the hype? White chocolate haters, I’m here to blow your minds and change them in the best way.

OK, OK, I know white chocolate doesn’t have a lot of fans out there, and I get it. But what if you turned white chocolate into something more like salted caramel?

Applying a little heat to white chocolate transforms its simple (some would say cloying) sweetness into something akin to dulce de leche.

melted caramelized white chocolate in a baking pan
Photo: Casey Barber

It truly does taste caramelized, and since pretty much everyone under the sun is a fan of salted caramel… you see where I’m going here?

How to caramelize white chocolate

Also often called roasted white chocolate, caramelized white chocolate is made by heating chocolate at a low oven temperature to caramelize the sugar and milk proteins.

At only 250 degrees F, it’s not enough heat to scorch and burn the chocolate, but it’s enough to melt it and give it a golden tan. And it’s accomplished in an hour, with periodic stirring.

As someone who’s only recently been coming around to the charms of white chocolate, this technique—which chefs have been tossing around for the past few years—opens up a whole new field of possibilities.

spooning caramelized white chocolate out of a cup
Photo: Casey Barber

Can I use chocolate chips?

In a word, no. No. Really. Please, don’t use a regular old bag of white chocolate chips for this recipe.

All chocolate chips—white, milk, semisweet, and bittersweet—contain stabilizers that help the chip keep its shape when baked. It doesn’t matter if it’s a generic store brand or a high-end brand, that’s part of the point of chocolate chips.

For melting chocolate, you want a pure chocolate blend that will melt down evenly and stay creamy, not chunky.

melted caramelized white chocolate in a baking pan
Photo: Casey Barber

You can use blocks of chocolate, such as those from Callebaut or Guittard, high-quality baking bars, such as those from Ghirardelli and Lindt, or go for the Maserati of white chocolate with Valrhona Ivoire fêves.

Just make sure your white chocolate contains cocoa butter at the top of the ingredient list—and good brands will tell you the exact percentage of cocoa butter in the white chocolate. It must contain at least 20 percent, or it’s not officially white chocolate, according to the FDA.

What can I make with caramelized white chocolate?

Anywhere you can dip, smother, scoop, or otherwise use white chocolate in a recipe is perfect for using caramelized white chocolate too.

You can use caramelized white chocolate for:

melted caramelized white chocolate in a baking pan

Because the recipe below makes 1 pound of caramelized white chocolate, you may not need all of it for one recipe. Don’t worry!

It’s easier to make the whole batch and then save the leftovers for another day. Here’s how.

How to store leftover chocolate

Line a heatproof dish, such as a square baking dish, with parchment paper so it hangs over the edges.

Pour the leftover caramelized white chocolate into the dish and allow it to harden at room temperature.

chopped caramelized white chocolate on a cutting board
Photo: Casey Barber

When the chocolate is fully solid, chop it into chunks and transfer to a sealed jar or other container.

It will stay at room temperature for a few months, though the cocoa butter will separate from the other solids and give it a mottled effect.

You can re-melt the chocolate and use it the next time you get a craving.

spooning caramelized white chocolate out of a cup

Caramelized White Chocolate

Yield: 1 pound
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Caramelized white chocolate is made by slowly baking white chocolate until it deepens to a caramel color and flavor similar to dulce de leche. Use it in all your favorite dessert recipes!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound high-quality white chocolate that's at least 20 percent cocoa butter
  • 3 tablespoons (42 grams) coconut oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
  2. If you're working with a block of white chocolate, chop the chocolate into small chunks (no more than 1 inch big).
  3. If you're working with high-quality white chocolate baking discs, such as Valrhona Ivoire fêves, you don't have to chop anything.
  4. Spread the pieces of chocolate in single layer in a 9x13-inch ceramic or glass baking pan, or other casserole dish. You want something with high-ish sides, so you can stir the chocolate once it melts.
  5. Scoop the coconut oil into the pan as well. The oil doesn't need to be distributed evenly, since everything will melt soon enough.
  6. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
  7. Remove from the oven and stir the semi-melted chocolate and fully melted coconut oil together with a silicone spatula, then return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes more.
  8. Remove and stir again. The chocolate will begin to darken to a taupe color and it may be a little lumpy or chunky, but don't freak out. Just stir it and return it to the oven for 10 more minutes.
  9. Now you're at the 40-minute mark. Usually white chocolate will take a full 60 minutes (1 hour) to get to a wonderfully caramelized spot, so continue to stop and stir every 10 minutes until you get there.
  10. Your eyes and nose need to be the judge here; when it's deep golden like supermarket peanut butter, it's good to go.
  11. If it's not ready, continue baking and stirring at 5-10 minute intervals until it's reached your desired level of caramelization.
  12. The caramelized white chocolate may still be similar to the consistency of natural peanut butter when it's fully caramelized, but again, don't panic!
  13. Take the pan out of the oven and continue to stir the chocolate in the pan with a silicone spatula. After a few minutes, it will start to soften and liquefy.
  14. At this point, you can use the melted caramelized chocolate for any recipe you choose.
  15. To store leftover caramelized white chocolate, see the Notes below.

Notes

To store leftover caramelized white chocolate:

  1. Line a heatproof dish, such as a square baking dish, with parchment paper so it hangs over the edges.
  2. Pour the leftover caramelized white chocolate into the dish and allow it to harden at room temperature.
  3. When the chocolate is fully solid, chop it into chunks and transfer to a sealed jar or other container.
  4. It will stay at room temperature for a few months, though the cocoa butter will separate from the other solids and give it a mottled effect.
  5. You can re-melt the chocolate and use it the next time you get a craving.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 218Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 17mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 0gSugar: 11gProtein: 1g

The nutritional information above is computer-generated and only an estimate.

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