An easy homemade Caramel Dip made right in your Instant Pot. With a hint of cinnamon and sliced apples, this is the perfect fall treat!
This post was sponsored by Microplane but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
I am so excited to be sharing this post with you!
Why?
I have the treat to share… you are going to love it! An awesome, EASY Instant Pot Cinnamon Caramel Dip (that’s amazing with apple slices) AND a GIVEAWAY!!!!
INSTANT POT CARAMEL DIP VIDEO:
First things first, you’ve gotta check out this little video I created. I will show you the steps I take to make this easy Caramel Dip in the Instant Pot and how easy it comes together.
Seriously a must-try recipe (and it’s perfect for fall and caramel apple season)!
Did you watch it?! So easy, right?
There are a few tips and tricks I’ll share below to make sure your Instant Pot Caramel Dip comes out perfectly every time. So make sure to read to the bottom (where the full printable recipe is).
GIVEAWAY!
Secondly, you can enter the GIVEAWAY! As I stated above, Microplane sponsored this post for me and we gave away a set of some of their fun kitchen gadgets that are perfect for the fall season (or really, any season). If you want to check out what they gave away last year, here’s a little peek.
The 3 item Microplane product included were:
- Spice Mill – you can also purchase a Spice Mill on here and use promo code “KitchenCents” to get 10% off. (Promo code for Spice Mill only).
- 2 in 1 Core & Peel
- Veggie Wedgie
INSTANT POT CARAMEL DIP:
Can you believe you can make Caramel Dip (perfect for dunking apple slices or pretzels) in the INSTANT POT? A little crazy but totally awesome!
This Cinnamon Caramel Dip has a couple of something-extras to make it taste amazing:
- use FRESH ground cinnamon using the Microplane Spice Mill (stronger better flavor)
- It’s HOMEMADE and more than 1 ingredient (richer, deeper flavors). This caramel has a rich amazing flavor with a smooth texture. The recipe is similar to the soft homemade caramels recipe I use every year for my family’s hand made chocolate fest (when we make Christmas chocolates for our friends and family). I also use it on my Gourmet Caramel Apples (when cooked on the stove to the precise temperature.
MICROPLANE SPICE MILL
This little kitchen gadget is pretty sweet! It can be used to grind your own cinnamon, nutmeg and more. You can control how fine the grind is by how much pressure you apply when turning.
If that’s not enough to win you over, it has a storage compartment for unused whole spices (cinnamon sticks in my case). This compartment makes using it convenient and easy.
For this recipe, I use about 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground cinnamon. It took me about a minute, 60 seconds, to grind that amount.
You can enter for your chance to win your own Microplane Spice Mill OR you can click on over to Microplane’s website and purchase your own today. Microplane is offering my readers 10% off their own Spice Mill by using promo code ” KichenCents” at checkout. SCORE!
Tips For Making Caramel Dip in a Pressure Cooker:
- Use a stainless steel metal bowl with a lip to help get a tight seal on the tinfoil OR glass mason jars with rings and lids (cook times may vary depending on the bowl or jars you use).
- Use melted butter. The mixture needs to be fully mixed and incorporated before cooking.
- Help lower sugar crystallization by stirring carefully. Don’t splash mixture onto the side of the bowl and avoid scraping sides which may cause sugar crystals to stick to the sides. (Sugar crystals that get stuck to the side of the bowl may not melt during the cooking process and can cause your caramel to go “grainy” during the cooling process).
- Make sure you have enough water in the Instant Pot.
- If using a bowl with tinfoil cover – water level should be at least as high as caramel mixture.
- Using mason jars – water level should be at least as high as the mixture but can be covering the jars.
- If sugar crystals are still present after cooking and stirring, cook again. If you can feel grains of sugar, cook again until dissolved (10-15 minutes on HIGH pressure).
WHY IS MY CARAMEL DIP “GRAINY?”
The ultimate goal when making caramel dip is to have a smooth, soft texture. Unmelted sugar grains can cause a reaction and make your whole batch go “grainy” or “sugary.”
There can be several reasons why this can happen but here are a few things you can do to help with sugar crystals.
- Be careful when stirring the mixture before cooking to avoid getting sugar crystals stuck high on the sides of the bowl.
- Mix in a separate bowl than what you plan to cook your caramel dip in.
- Make sure you have enough water around the bowl or jars to cover the caramel mixture.
- Adjust cooking time.
- For pint (2 cup) jars – increase cooking time to 40-45 minutes on HIGH pressure
- If using a more narrow bowl – increase cooking time to 40-45 minutes
- For half-pint (1 cup) jars – increase cooking time to 35-40 minutes
Already cooked the caramel dip but still slightly sugary?
If the mixture has already been cooked but you can still feel some sugar grains, it’s not the end of the world. Promise! Just stir it well, tightly cover again, then cook for an additional 10-15 minutes on HIGH pressure.
The longer you cook the caramel dip the thicker, darker, and less likely it will have sugar grains in it.
CINNAMON CARAMEL DIP & APPLE SLICES – A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN
What better way to enjoy this easy caramel dip than with apple slices. Microplane’s 2 in 1 tool makes it easy. Seriously!
I love using this little kitchen gadget. It’s quickly made it to the top of the list for frequently-used kitchen tools, especially during apple season.
My 8-year-old can even use it without me worrying about her cutting her finger on a peeler or with a pairing knife! That’s a mommy win!
Now, you’re probably wondering why I like this little tool so much. Let me tell you!
It’s one tool that does 2 things. I love things that are 2 in 1. They’re convenient. No need to track down two different tools for two different jobs. This baby cores and peels and apple.
I love that the peeler blade is small. It makes it much safer for me and my kids to use. It also lessens waste when peeling (if it were larger it would cut deeper and cut more of the good flesh of the apple rather than just the skin). Check out the recipe video above for a quick demo.
While your caramel dip is cooking, grab your Microplane 2 in 1 Apple Corer/Peeler and make yourself some apple slices.
LEFTOVER CARAMEL?! HOW TO STORE.
If you are lucky enough to have leftovers (or you were just smart and made two batches to be safe 😉 ) you can store the leftover caramel dip in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
When you’re ready to enjoy the leftovers, pop them (in a microwave-safe container) in the microwave for 30-60 seconds until the caramel is soft.
PRO TIP: If your leftovers go “grainy” because sugar crystals reform, reheat in the microwave in a bowl that is at least 4 times larger than the amount you are heating. Heat for 1-2 minutes. The caramel dip will bubble up and melt any sugar crystals.
The longer you heat it the thicker it will become. If too thick, you can add a little milk, cream or even water. Caramel also firms up as it cools.
FOR OTHER AWESOME MICROPLANE PRODUCTS VISIT MICROPLANE.COM!
*Their Professional Series graters are my FAV!!! (I asked my husband for a microplaner for zesting citrus fruit several years ago. He did the research and found the best… Microplane was it. I love and use them all the time.)*
HERE’S THE FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE.
I hope you enjoy this easy Instant Pot Caramel Dip as much as we have!
Instant Pot Caramel Dip
An easy homemade Caramel Dip made right in your Instant Pot. With a hint of cinnamon and sliced apples, this is the perfect fall treat!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp FRESH ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup salted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup corn syrup
- 7oz sweetened condensed milk (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Apple slices and/or pretzels
Instructions
- In a metal bowl (*see notes), carefully mix ingredients together. Avoid splashing sugar on sides of bowl.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
- Place trivet in bottom of Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
- Add enough water to pot to come up on sides of bowl to level of caramel mixture. (this is important, if not high enough all the sugar won't dissolve and could cause your caramel dip to be grainy).
- Add sling (I make mine out of aluminum foil)- this will help you remove the bowl when it's done cooking.
- Place sealed caramel mixture Instant Pot. Set valve to "seal."
- Cook on MANUAL HIGH pressure for 30-40 minutes.
- Allow 10-minute natural release.
- Remove bowl. Remove aluminum foil. Add vanilla and Stir until smooth. The mixture will look gelatin-like and clumpy until it is stirred. This is normal. Once stirred it will be smooth.
- Allow caramel dip to cool and thicken before serving.
Notes
- I use a stainless steel mixing bowl with a lip. I believe it's about 3 quarts. When in place I have about a half-inch of space between the lip of the bowl and my Instant Pot bowl. If you use a bowl that is more narrow, you may need to adjust and increase cook time to ensure sugar dissolves fully.
- If using glass mason jars, I recommend using half-pint (8oz) or 4oz jars with lids and rings and submerging them in the water. I had fabulous results with 4oz jars!
- The longer you cook the caramel, the darker, thicker and less likely it will have sugar crystals (more likely it will be silky smooth).
- If after cooking the caramel dip, you can feel sugar granules, you can cook on HIGH pressure for an additional 10-15 minutes or microwave for 1-2 minutes. Microwaving is faster but will thicken the caramel dip.
- Store leftovers in fridge for up to 2 weeks. To warm, microwave in a microwave-safe container for 30-60 seconds until caramel dip is soft.
Recommended Products
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GIVEAWAY DETAILS (CLOSED)
HOW ENTER TO WIN:
There are 6 different ways you can enter this giveaway. You can do one or complete all 6 to increase your odds of winning. See below and good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveawayThe giveaway will close at 12 AM MST 10.13.19. The winner will be contacted within 48 hours.
The winner has been contacted/confirmed and giveaway is closed.
WHAT WOULD YOU MAKE IF YOU HAD A MICROPLANE SPICE MILL?
This post contains affiliate links. This post was also sponsored by Microplane but all opinions are my own. I only promote products that I personally love and use.
O.P. 10.5.19 Updated: 9.18.20
I would make a lemon dessert! I like a lot of lemon zest in whatever I am making with lemon. Thank you!
Yum! That sounds delicious!
I’d make a Gingerbread Cake and Lemon Curd from scratch!
Ooh! That sounds amazing!
I would make gluten free apple crisp with FRESH spices!
YAY! Fresh spices are the best! A gluten-free apple crisp. Sounds delicious!
I would make Apple Cobbler! I have never used fresh ground cinnamon or nutmeg and would like to try them. I love that you can store the spices in the Spice Mill and easily control how fine the grind is. I am going to keep these gadgets in mind for Holiday gift giving, perfect for a gift basket with the spices.
Apple Cobbler would be delicious! You can use promo code “kitchencents” to save 10% on a Spice Mill at Microplane.com. I hope you have an awesome holiday season.