This is a Caramel Slice that works as promised – the creamy caramel sets perfectly and will never be runny, the chocolate won’t crack when cutting it and the caramel won’t ooze out. It’s an easy recipe with no thermometer required.
Essentially, this recipe fixes all the grievances I had with other recipes I’ve tried over my lifetime!
Caramel Slice
It’s practically un-Australian for a bakery to NOT sell Caramel Slice. With a simple coconut biscuit base, soft caramel filling and a chocolate topping, it’s one of those treats that’s craved by kids and grown ups.
I’ve only ever known it as a Caramel Slice, but I was quite interested to learn that overseas, it’s also known as Millionaire’s Shortbread (appropriate!), Caramel Shortbread, Chocolate Caramel Bars.
Doesn’t really matter what you call these. Just the sight of them surely brings a smile to anyone’s face, and that, my friends, is a universal language. 🙂 (“That” being a Food Smile)
Reader Rachel says “Wow! This was really fantastic. I’ve been hunting for a caramel slice that cuts well, doesn’t ooze or crack and had enough filling. This is perfect! So tasty, I love how crunchy the base gets and my mum adores it! I only made it last night, but I don’t think it will last long!”
A Caramel Slice recipe that actually works
I’ve tried countless recipes over the years including from some well known cooks, and classic “best ever” recipes but always experienced problems such as:
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Runny caramel
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Chocolate topping cracked when it was cut
I think some recipes make Caramel Slice overly complicated, trying to make the caramel using a traditional candy making method which calls for a thermometer and exact caramel temperatures.
Scratch that. Make Caramel Slice the easy way using condensed milk. Tastes just like you get from the bakeries!
What goes in Caramel Slice
Here’s what you need to make Caramel Slice:
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Base – a coconut biscuit base, not too sweet (because the caramel filling is plenty sweet!)
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Caramel filling – the secret ingredient here is condensed milk. So we make a caramel using sugar and butter, then we add condensed milk which thickens it and makes the caramel set;
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Chocolate topping – the secret to making sure the chocolate doesn’t crack when cut is a touch of oil!
How to make Caramel Slice
There are 3 components to Caramel Slice:
1. Biscuit base – just mix the ingredients together in a bowl, press into a pan and bake:
2. Caramel Filling – bring the butter and brown sugar to a simmer (this is caramel!) then stir in condensed milk. Whisk over low heat for a few minutes to give it some colour, then pour onto the base and bake. Baking is what makes the caramel set once cool.
3. Chocolate Topping – simply melt the topping then spread on the caramel base. To achieve a perfectly smooth surface, just shake the pan gently.
And proof – the chocolate DOES NOT CRACK when you cut into it!!!
These were fridge cold too – you can see the surface is sweating on this hot summer day I made them!
And a side view so you can see how it slices neatly, showing each individual layer:
Normally I try to show a bit of self respect with up close “bite shots” and use a fork…. But I’m not going to lie to you – in this case I just took a big fat bite out of this Caramel Slice!!!
Caramel Slice – Q&A
Here’s a little Q&A section for common questions and problems people face making Caramel Slice!
Why is my caramel slice runny?
Common problems that causes runny caramel include: using low fat condensed milk (ie. skim condensed milk) instead of full fat milk (it will not set properly), you didn’t bake the caramel layer (this makes sure it sets) or you used a recipe where the caramel filling is made without condensed milk (in which case you need a candy thermometer to achieve an exact temperature to ensure it sets).
How do you keep chocolate from cracking when cutting?
Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the melted chocolate – this makes the chocolate topping slightly softer so it doesn’t crack!
How long does caramel slice last?
5 days in an airtight container – in the fridge if it’s warm weather, otherwise in the pantry is fine.
That’s the proper answer.
But does Caramel Slice ever last FIVE WHOLE DAYS in anyone’s house??? 😳😳😳 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Caramel Slice
Ingredients
Base
- 1 cup flour, plain/all purpose
- 1/2 cup brown sugar , loosely packed
- 1/2 cup desiccated coconut (US: sweetened finely shredded coconut, Note 1)
- 125g / 4.5oz unsalted butter , melted
Caramel filling
- 125g / 4.5oz unsalted butter , roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup (80g) brown sugar , loosely packed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or essence)
- 395g / 14oz sweetened condensed milk (1 can, 300ml) (Note 1b)
Chocolate Topping
- 200g / 7oz dark or milk melting chocolate (US: semi-sweet chocolate chips)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
Base
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (fan 160°C)
- Grease and line a 28x 18cm (lamington pan) / 7" x 11" rectangle pan with baking/parchment paper (Note 2). Have overhang for ease of removal.
- Mix together Base ingredients and press into a pan (I use an egg flip)
- Bake for 15 minutes until the surface is golden. Cool in fridge if you have time (Note 3).
Caramel
- Lower oven to oven to 160°C/320°F (fan 140°C)
- Place butter, sugar and vanilla in a saucepan over medium low heat. When the butter is melted, whisk to combine with sugar, then just leave it until it comes to a simmer.
- When bubbles appear, add condensed milk. Whisk constantly for 5 minutes (Note 4), until you start getting some big slow bubbles on the base.
- Once bubbles start appearing, whisk for 1 minute, then pour onto Base. Tilt pan to spread evenly.
- Bake for 12 minutes. Don't worry if you get splotchy brown bits (this happens with ovens that don't distribute heat evenly).
- Cool on counter for 20 minutes then refrigerate 30 minutes - bottom of pan should be warm but surface cool (not cold) to touch. (Note 5)
Chocolate
- Place chocolate and oil in a microwave proof bowl. Microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between, until chocolate is fully melted (takes me 4 x 30 sec).
- Pour over caramel, spread with spatula. Then gently shake pan to make the surface completely flat.
- Refrigerate 1 hour or until set. Remove from fridge and leave out for 5 minutes to take chill out of chocolate slightly. Then cut into bars or squares to serve!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published 2016, updated with brand new photos and brand new video in March 2020.
For Caramel Monsters
-
Peanut Butter Caramel Tart – dangerously easy
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Sweetened Condensed Milk Caramel – just place a can of condensed milk in the slow cooker!
More slices and bars
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Brownies!! Also outrageous Nutella Stuffed Brownies!
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Strawberry Bars – made with tons of FRESH strawberries!
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Easiest Ever Raspberries Jam Bars
Life of Dozer
Dozer in his swanky bathrobe. On a scale of 1 to 10, how ridiculous do you think he looks in his bath robe??? 😉
(And on a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you want to see me in my matching robe?! 🤣 It was a GIFT!! I would never!!)
Ramya says
Dear Nagi, I am a great fan of your recipes. Though I am a vegetarian, I love to read your recipes and try the few vegetarian and dessert recipe you make :). I am planning to make this recipe today, can you please tell me the gram weight of coconut as I go by weight for all my baking recipes….
Nagi says
Ramya – just updated the recipe 🙂
Nagi says
Hi Ramya!I know I have a lack of 100% vegetarian recipes… *head hang in shame!* 1 cup of coconut is 90 grams. 🙂
Shaun Spinks says
Another fantastic recipe so far to I’ve tried about 12 of your recipes and everyone of them have been amazing I keep telling everyone who will listen about your recipes and how good they are.
Thanks for sharing
Nagi says
AWESOME!!! I’m so glad to hear that Shaun, thanks for letting me know. And thank you for your kind message! N xx
Wei @ Red House Spice says
Ah!! My son just had it yesterday in a country house café. He loved it and asked me to cook the same thing. Saw the link on Facebook this morning. What a coincidence! Thanks!
Nagi says
Ohhhhh! I love hearing that! 🙂 N xx
Barb says
Hi Nagi, I am just wondering how long do these keep for and can you freeze them? I assume they would be fine in the fridge for over a week.
Nagi says
Hi Barb! Yes I am sure they will be fine in the fridge for a week or longer 🙂 Not the sort of thing that goes stale. Freezer too! I’d keep it for 3 months – probably longer! 🙂
Barb says
Thanks Nagi! 🙂 🙂
I baked the slice today and it turned out perfect
Ingrid says
Made this with my grandchildren today and everyone loved it. Thank you.
Pamela says
I have never commented on a site before but am compelled to thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU Nagi!! I had almost given up trying to make caramel slice with so many failures, base too thick, caramel not setting and chocolate cracking ….. your brilliant introduction and step by step instructions (followed to the letter) produced the best caramel slice that any cafe would be proud to sell, my hubby and grandsons are in heaven! Thank you for sharing?
Nagi says
HIGH FIVE!!! So glad you loved it Pamela! And I totally hear your pain, I went through it myself! N x
Nagi says
How sweet that you made this with your grandchildren! I’m so glad you enjoyed it Ingrid, thanks for letting me know! 🙂 N x
Laura says
Made this today first time I’ve ever made caramel shortbread / cake , and have to say couldn’t wait on it setting looked so scrummy. I did though and worth the wait too. So glad I found your recipes Nagi will definitely be trying the sales caramel brownies.
Nagi says
Hi Laura, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you for letting me know! ❤️ N xx
Jo Conroy says
I am telling everyone about this recipe. Hands down the best caramel slice recipe I’ve come across. The caramel bit is a dream. Thank you. Next stop salted caramel brownies. I’m so glad I found you Nagi!
Nagi says
Ba ha ha!! Thanks Jo! I’m pretty happy with this recipe, I have to say 🙂 Had a lot of fails before I finally figured out how to make that caramel perfect. So glad you found me too Jo! N xx
Marie says
Hi! This recipe is delicious! But I had some issues with the caramel. My squares were sitting at room temperature for about 5 minutes and the caramel started “melting” and doesn’t stay firm. Do you know why this would be?
Nagi says
Hi Marie, that doesn’t sound right. The caramel definitely sets – unless it is extremely hot where you are? Did you simmer the caramel per the recipe and it got thick and golden? Glad it was still delish though! N xx
Tee says
Hi Nagi I made this recipe and they are sooo delicious I had to make them a 2nd time. My family loves it and it has become my favourite. Thanks for sharing.
Nagi says
WOO HOO! HIGH FIVE, thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it Tee! N x
Jo says
Hi there,
I am not a fan of coconut, how will leaving this out affect the base ? Can you recommend a substitute for coconut ?
Thanks
Nagi says
HI Jo! I’m sorry I can’t think of one but you could use the base in my raspberry jam bars recipe! https://www.recipetineats.com/easiest-ever-raspberry-jam-bars/
Liza Plunkett says
Nagi I am just double checking there isn’t baking powder in this base is there
Thanks again
Nagi says
Hi Liza! Yup, that’s right, definitely no baking powder in the case N x
Liza Plunkett says
Well I have made this several times now since I last emailed Nagi
It is so delicious
I am going to try the caramel
Brownie next
Thanks ?
Nagi says
I’m so glad you love these too Liza, thank you for letting me know! N x
Liza plunkett says
Hi there ?
I can’t wait to make this tonight ,
I too have never had a recipe where it hasn’t all turned to custard after all the preping and time to cut it into slices
Thanks
Lucinda panarello says
Do you think you could make and freeze this slice ? ThAnkyou
Nagi says
Hi Lucinda, I am very confident it will be fine! Caramel freezes fine and the other components should be just fine too!
Maryam says
omg im sooo soo happy to have found a recipe without a golden syrup! golden syrup is quite expensive here in japan so im thrilled to find yours! btw the first time i tasted a caramel slice was the TWIX caramel slice and loved it so much, tried to dupe them one time and apparently it wasnt a good recipe the caramel oozed out when i cut. cant wait to get home and try this! thanks again!
Nagi says
Hi Maryam!! Where in Japan are you??
Rachel says
Wow! This was really fantastic. I’ve been hunting for a caramel slice that cuts well, doesn’t ooze it crack and had enough filling. This is perfect! So tasty, I love how crunchy the base gets and my mum adores it! I only made it last night, but I don’t think it will last long!
Nagi says
WOO HOO! So glad you enjoyed it Rachel! And I love that you have the same grievance I have with other recipes!!! 🙂 N x
MaryAnn says
Hi Nagi, My son (who has coeliac) loves caramel slice but I have found it difficult to find a good gluten free recipe. Would your recipe work if I substituted the plain flour for gluten free flour?
Many thanks
Nagi says
Hi MaryAnn! I haven’t made this with GF flour but I can recommend the base from this recipe -> http://www.noshtastic.com/lemon-bars-gluten-free/ My friend Sheena runs that blog and she is a coeliac too. So you could use the base from that recipe and the toppings from mine!
Tamara says
Hi just wanted to say love love love this recipe I’ve made it three times I just switch the flour for Gluten Free Aldi (Australian) flour works a treat. Highly recommend giving it a go
Nagi says
Woah! Thank you so much for letting me know it works great with GF Aldi flour! N x
Beck says
Yum! I love the coconut in the base – and the perfect ratio of base to caramel to topping. My husband said it might be the best caramel slice he’s ever had…and he’s not kidding, judging by how many pieces have mysteriously gone missing this weekend. Great recipe!
Nagi says
YAY!!! So glad you enjoyed this Sveta – and thank you SO MUCH for coming back to let me know!! I’m especially happy because I really worked hard on this recipe, so double thank you for coming back! N x
Lise says
This looks so decadent!! I can’t wait to try it. Quick question: what could I use as a coconut substitute? I can’t eat the stuff, but I’m addicted to chocolate and caramel so I need a workaround 😉
Nagi says
Hi Lise! You can use the base from my Lemon Bars recipe instead 🙂 Just double the recipe because the pan is slightly larger for this recipe. -> https://www.recipetineats.com/lemon-bars/
Glenda says
Can you make this the day before and do you store it in the fridge or on the counter?
Nagi says
Hi Glenda! It depends how warm it is where you are 🙂 If it’s warm enough that ordinary chocolate bars would soften a bit, I would keep it in the fridge. It will keep for a few days – I have storage notes in the notes to the recipe!