Caramelized White Chocolate

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I can’t believe it has taken me so long to post a recipe on how to make caramelized white chocolate (or blonde chocolate) since I have been using it for so long. But Fall is the perfect opportunity to showcase caramelized white chocolate in a different way than you may be used to. In fact, this is the first recipe in a two part blonde chocolate ultimate pumpkin pie recipe that I created for Thanksgiving.

For anyone not familiar with this secret flavor weapon, it is high quality white chocolate that is baked and spread at a low temperature until caramelized. Blonde chocolate is a game changer for bakers. We are talking earthy, toasty, sultry, and nutty, with so much oomph that you may not do normal white chocolate ever again.

The blonde chocolate adds a subtle yet incredible hit of unique flavor to all dishes it touches, enhancing it all with caramel tones. It plays especially well with warm spices.

The Dog Ate My Chocolate

This toasty chocolate is so good that my old dog, Lukas, took it upon himself to steal some while I was taking photos. He is quite the dog. He was a rescue dog that now has great taste in culinary ingredients and dog treats!

I was in panic mode calling the vet to make sure white chocolate won’t kill him. Good news, while I was doing that he lived to steal some whipped cream I had just made! And sounds like that old guy will be just fine. Here is the cute thief in action.

Tips For Caramelizing White Chocolate

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Caramelizing white chocolate is a simple process but it requires high quality chocolate, patience, and watching the oven.

First, let’s talk chocolate. To get silky smooth chocolate like pictured, you must use high quality white chocolate. I have experimented and found that it works like a charm with white chocolate that has at least 24% cocoa butter. But higher cocoa butter content is better for caramelizing white chocolate. I used Callebaut brand for this post, and that has 28% cocoa butter content. You can find it in the bulk section at markets like Whole Foods, or online. But you can choose to go even higher end with Valrhona, which yields 35% cocoa butter. But warning, it isn’t cheap.

Do not use white baking chips or cheap chocolate. It won’t work. That stuff is all sugar so it will be clumpy, gritty, and nothing that actually classifies as caramelized white chocolate. But you can certainly use the chips as a substitute chip in Chocolate Brownie Cookies.

I have heard people adding oil, blending, and straining to get clumps out. That is so unnecessary if you do this properly with the right chocolate. Furthermore, it will taste terrible if you start experimenting with adding oil, etc. The point of caramelizing chocolate is all about flavor and texture, so go all out and get the good chocolate.

Spreading the chocolate correctly is also key to making sure it reaches the correct texture. Many use a strong silicon spatula. You can use any strong spoon or tool that will press against the chocolate and spread it evenly and with steady pressure. This will eliminate clumps and any grainy texture.

*If using silicone, first scrub the tool with a paste of water and baking soda and wash and dry thoroughly. Reason, silicone can harbor residue and leave a silicon like flavor on your food.

Stay around the oven. Much like making Granola, You will need to spread it and swirl it around every 10 minutes. It takes at least 40 minutes on low temperature. But it could take up to 50 minutes to get it completely smooth and melted. It continues to deepen in color as it cooks.

How To Make Blonde Chocolate

After finely chopping the white chocolate, you will spread it in an even, single layer onto a baking sheet. If you use chocolate feves/oval discs, then no need to chop it. For my method, I use a enough chocolate to get a whole layer of chocolate on the sheet. It works better if you do it this way. So for this caramelized white chocolate recipe, use at least 16 ounces of chopped white chocolate.

After spreading it onto a half baking sheet. Bake it for 10 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Now, I might get some slack for going the non-silicon method here. But I usually use a large soup spoon or wooden spoon. The spoon does not scrape against the baking sheet since the white chocolate melts into a thick layer. This is just my method, but you can use a silicon spatula. Take the utensil and pull down and around on the chocolate, dragging and smearing it. It will already have a caramel tint on the bottom as you work it.

Place it back in the oven for another 10 minutes. Then continue repeating this process until you have roasted the white chocolate for up to 50 minutes, stirring every 10. It may go through stages where it continues to be a soft solid, however, keep at it. If your chocolate does go through the gritty stage, keep going. Soon enough, you will be smearing liquid gold.

When it reaches the liquid gold stage pour it and smooth it onto a parchment or a silpat in an even layer and allow it to cool.

The chocolate may gets streaks as it firms up again, like in the photo below. That is normal.

Once it is cooled and solid again, the caramelized white chocolate can be broken up into chunks and use in other recipes like Muscovado Oatmeal Cookies or Rye Chocolate Chip Cookies. Or swirl it into brownies. And stay tuned for Part 2 of the special Caramelized white chocolate infused pie I have coming up for you next time!

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