Caramel slice

Name: Caramel slice
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 24 pieces
Cuisine: Australian
Ingredients: 150 g Wheat flour, plain; 90 g Brown sugar; 60 g Desiccated coconut; 125 g Butter, melted; 790 g Sweetened condensed milk, two 395 g tins; 60 g Butter; 3 tbsp Golden syrup; 200 g Dark chocolate, chopped; 1 tbsp Neutral oil

A coconut shortbread base, a thick layer of condensed-milk caramel and a thin snap of dark chocolate on top. Cut into squares.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.

Start cooking

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 40 min
Rest: 1 hr 30 min
Total: 2 hr 30 min
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: No chilli
Cost: Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

Image coming soon

About

Caramel slice is three layers in a tray. The base is plain flour, brown sugar and desiccated coconut bound with melted butter and baked until just firm. The caramel is two tins of condensed milk cooked with butter and golden syrup until thick and a shade darker, then baked again on the base until it bubbles and sets. The top is dark chocolate, spread thin so it snaps. The only real skill is patience with the caramel: stir it over low heat, never walk away, and let the tray cool fully before the chocolate goes on.

What you'll need

9 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 9 ready

24 servings

Base
Caramel
Topping

Ingredients

Servings

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Heat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 20 by 30 cm slice tin and line it with baking paper, leaving the paper overhanging the long sides.
5 min180°C
Step 2
Mix the flour, brown sugar and coconut, pour in the melted butter and stir until it clumps. Press it firmly and evenly into the tin with the back of a spoon. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until pale gold. Leave the oven on.
20 min180°C
Step 3
Put the condensed milk, butter and golden syrup in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly, scraping the bottom, for 8 to 10 minutes until it thickens and turns a shade darker.
10 min
Watch: Condensed milk catches fast. If dark flecks appear, take it off the heat at once and pour it into a clean bowl, leaving the bottom behind.
Step 4
Pour the caramel over the base and spread it level. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until it bubbles at the edges and has a light golden skin. Cool completely in the tin, then chill for 30 minutes.
15 min180°C
Step 5
Melt the chocolate with the oil in a bowl over simmering water, or in short bursts in the microwave. Spread it thinly over the cold caramel and leave it to set.
10 min
Step 6
Lift the slice out by the paper and cut it into 24 squares with a large knife dipped in hot water and wiped between cuts.
10 min

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 235 kcal
Protein: 3.8 g
Carbs: 30.2 g
Fat: 11.6 g
Saturated fat: 7.3 g
Fibre: 0.7 g
Sugar: 24.2 g
Sodium: 47 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Wheat
Milk

Vegetarian

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.

Substitutions

Golden syrup → Maple syrup or light corn syrup
Maple is thinner and changes the flavour a little; corn syrup adds sweetness without the toffee note.

Tips

Cut it when the chocolate is just firm rather than rock hard, and the top will not crack.
It keeps a week in an airtight tin in a cool place, or in the fridge in hot weather.

History & culture

It is in every café cabinet and bakery window in Australia, next to the vanilla slice and the lamingtons. It turns up at school fetes, Country Women's Association stalls, office morning teas and funerals. Ask for a slice in Australia and you mean a tray bake cut into squares, and caramel is the default one.

The British have millionaire's shortbread, and the idea is the same. Australian and New Zealand versions usually add coconut to the base and golden syrup to the caramel. Condensed milk makers probably did much to spread it through recipe booklets in the twentieth century, and most family recipes sit close to one of those. Nobody can name an original.

Traditional — Older recipes set the chocolate with Copha, a solid coconut fat, which gives the classic snap; a spoon of neutral oil is the easier swap. Some cooks skip the second bake and simply cool the stovetop caramel on the base.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Caramel slice take?

2 hr 30 min all in — 20 min prep, 40 min cook, 1 hr 30 min rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 24 pieces. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Easy.

How spicy is it?

No chilli.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian.

8 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Oven, Baking tray, Mixing bowl, Saucepan, Chef's knife.

How much salt do I put in?

This recipe does not list a salt amount. We will not invent one.

How much brown sugar?

90 g of Brown sugar.

What can I use instead?

Golden syrup → Maple syrup or light corn syrup. Maple is thinner and changes the flavour a little; corn syrup adds sweetness without the toffee note.

What should I watch for?

Condensed milk catches fast. If dark flecks appear, take it off the heat at once and pour it into a clean bowl, leaving the bottom behind.

Any tips from this recipe?

Cut it when the chocolate is just firm rather than rock hard, and the top will not crack. It keeps a week in an airtight tin in a cool place, or in the fridge in hot weather.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.