Caramelize Your White Chocolate To Unlock A New World Of Flavor

Up until 2002, white chocolate was the pariah of the chocolate "family," as the FDA didn't officially recognize it as chocolate until some industry heavyweights turned on the pressure to bring it into the fold. Of course, chocolate outcast or not, its mild flavor and creamy texture had already secured its place as a baking staple, whether as a blondies mix-in, a cake ball coating, or the perfect base for a bark. And people are still discovering new and delicious ways to use white chocolate.

In 2006, in fact, a Valrhona chef inadvertently created caramelized white chocolate by leaving a batch in a water bath far longer than intended. The result was a shortbread-scented delight, and Valrhona began manufacturing the world's first "blond" chocolate bar shortly after. According to Lance Knowling, executive chef at Northridge Restaurant, caramelizing white chocolate is an excellent way to add some depth to white chocolate's typically one-note flavor profile.

To caramelize your own white chocolate, Knowling shares exclusively with Chowhound that you should be using "a non-stick pan and a heat-proof rubber spatula. Let the chocolate melt while stirring over medium heat, stirring top to bottom continuously until it starts to brown." You could also melt it in an oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring every 10 minutes. While this eliminates the need for constant stirring, it does require keeping an eye on the clock. Whichever method you use, adding a pinch of salt at the end can heighten the flavors even more.

Before you caramelize white chocolate, you'll obviously need to select the chocolate first. Perhaps you already have a go-to white chocolate brand. If not, Lance Knowling notes that most restaurants prefer Callebaut, a Belgian-based chocolate manufacturer. (Callebaut discovered another relative newcomer to the chocolate scene, pink-colored ruby chocolate, which debuted to the public in 2017.) However, there are plenty of other options. The important thing, Knowling tells us exclusively, is to choose a white chocolate that contains at least 30% cocoa butter. This should be noted on the label. For more inspiration, check out Chowhound's ranking of 20 popular chocolate bars. Scroll to the top of the list, and see if those manufacturers also offer a good white chocolate.

So, assuming that you've perfectly caramelized your white chocolate, what can you use it for? It's important to note that, once caramelized, the chocolate will re-solidify. So you can use it as you would a solid chocolate or re-melt it as needed.

Knowling claims that white chocolate "is ideal for dessert sauces, dipping fruit, dried fruit, and cookies just to name a few." Even caramelized, white chocolate should pair well with everything from citrus to nuts (Knowling particularly recommends toasted pistachios), berries, coffee, and more. Getting more specific, he says, "A great dish for using caramelized white chocolate is pineapple upside down cake with a caramelized white chocolate drizzle." Get creative and have fun!