How to Make Homemade Caramel with Raw Milk Whey

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This How to Make Homemade Caramel with Raw Milk Whey recipe is the perfect marriage of old-world resourcefulness and modern indulgence. If you’ve been wondering what to do with all that leftover whey from your raw milk adventures, this is your answer.

With just a few simple ingredients and a bit of patience, you can turn what’s often discarded into a rich, velvety, deeply flavorful caramel that’s perfect for drizzling over fruit, spooning onto yogurt, or (let’s be honest) enjoying straight from the jar. Not only does this recipe help reduce waste, it elevates your homestead kitchen skills to the next level.

Why Raw Milk?

Cow’s milk is actually really good for you! One of my children would break out in a horrible facial rash whenever they would consume pasteurized dairy, and it was at that point I started to really research all there is to know about store bought milk and raw milk.

Unpasteurized milk has beneficial bacteria, that can act as a great probiotic, which can benefit the digestive system and overall gut health. Raw milk is full of beneficial nutrients, beneficial enzymes, vitamins, and minerals – which can significantly benefit ones health and overall immune system.

There is a common misconception regarding the safety of consumption and the benefits of raw milk, but this science backed article does a great job of explaining things. If the raw milk comes from a healthy cow, following a sanitary process safe for human consumption, the risk of becoming ill is incredibly low (somewhere around 1 in 6 million chance).

Sourcing Raw Milk

It is my dream to someday have a family milk cow, my own cow. In the meantime, I was fortunate to find a local farmer gal who sells raw milk from her jersey dairy cow named Cloud.

If you don’t have a milk cow of your own (many beginners in the raw milk world don’t) I would recommend searching realmilk.com.

An important factor in choosing a raw milk supplier, for me, is a well cared for and healthy cow. In addition, I wanted to be sure the suppliers process was extremely sanitary. When we went for our first raw milk pick up, we got to meet Cloud, and the supplier discussed the importance of a sanitary process – I was thrilled.

In some states the purchase of raw milk for human consumption is illegal, but other states do allow it and may even sell it in a local grocery store.

Beginning with Raw Milk

The first thing I dove into making with our raw milk, or cream rather, was homemade butter. It was a beautiful bright yellow and so delicious! Check out how to make homemade butter with raw milk cream here.

The second thing I wanted to learn was cheese! Check out the easiest method that uses just vinegar for homemade mozzarella here.  We’ve shredded it for homemade pizza, added it to lasagna, and enjoyed it as string cheese or homemade mozzarella sticks.

Another delicious beginner 2 ingredient raw milk cheese recipe is my Easy Homemade Cottage Cheese Recipe – check it out here!

Finally, a household staple raw milk recipe is another family favorite, my homemade Greek yogurt recipe – check it out here! We love to add honey and frozen blueberries to your Greek yogurt and it really is quite delicious.

Any extra yogurt freezes well in cubes and makes for a perfect addition to smoothies instead of ice. Plus, you can use the homemade yogurt to make your own GoGurt – learn how here!  

An added bonus – any cream will rise to the top when the yogurt has finished and can be scraped off to use as homemade sour cream!

Wait – What do I do with all this Whey?!

When making cheese (cheddar, cream cheese, cottage cheese, etc.) and yogurt, you end up with a lot of whey. Essentially, the product (cheese or yogurt) is strained and separated from the excess liquid during cooking.

Whey is the byproduct that results from the straining, and is a cloudy yellow liquid containing vitamins, protein, and minerals. There are two types of whey – sweet whey and acid whey, and the type depends on what product made.

There are a variety of ways to use up whey, such as adding it into soups, liquid added to smoothies, freeze to use as an ice alternative in smoothies, use in recipes as a milk substitute, make whey cheese, etc. However, one of our favorite ways of using whey is by making a simple and delicious homemade caramel or caramel sauce.

This caramel sauce recipe is a bit tangier than your typical store bought caramel sauce, but we love it all the same. The kiddos love to drizzle the homemade caramel sauce on apple slices, ice cream, or add it to homemade Greek yogurt. I love to add the whey caramel to my morning coffee or add a drizzle to a smoothie. 

Often, I store the whey in the refrigerator until I have multiple quarts, and make one large batch of caramel. Then, by adding a few simple ingredients a delicious caramel sauce is made. 

Storing Whey

Leftover whey should be stored in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed glass jar for up to 3 months. In addition, frozen whey can be stored in the freezer for 6 months or longer.

Ingredients for How to Make Homemade Caramel with Raw Milk Whey

• 1 quart whey [4 cups of whey] (acid or sweet)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2oz butter
• 1 Tbs vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt

See recipe card for quantities.

Equipment

• A Large Pot or crockpot – I use this large pot, but a large Dutch oven or stockpot will work. I love my crockpot because it has the simmer function as well as a timer.
• Large Spoon – I like to use a large wooden spoon with holes, the set I have is this one. A slotted spoon works great. 
• Cheese Cloth – these reusable bags are my go to option for straining

Instructions for How to Make Homemade Caramel with Raw Milk Whey

The first step is to pour the whey into the crockpot and simmer on low until it has reduced in half (up to 8 hours on a slow simmer in the crockpot/ slow cooker depending on how much whey is being used, I typically quadruple this recipe using 4 quarts of whey).

Or pour into a large pot and simmer on medium/low on the stove until reduced in half which can take up to an hour (the more whey the longer this takes). Keep a close eye to ensure it doesn’t bubble over. 

Strain the whey with a colander or cheese cloth to remove any remaining curd pieces. 

Add the strained whey back to the large pot and add sugar. Stir well, and add to low heat to gentle simmer. (Or return to crockpot and simmer on low after adding sugar.)

Continue to stir until the whey and sugar mixture has reduced in half again. Constant stirring will ensure the sugar doesn’t burn to the bottom of the pot. Be sure to watch closely to ensure it doesn’t bubble over. 

The caramel sauce will thicken to a syrupy consistency, and turn a beautiful medium-dark amber color. Next, turn off the heat source and add in the cold butter, salt and vanilla. 

Pour caramel sauce into a glass mason jar to cool to room temperature, then store in the refridgerator. 

Note – I have gotten the sauce to thicken up significantly while using whey from homemade yogurt. To do this further reduce the whey and add more sugar. This may take a little more time and patience. This has made more of a caramel candy type product and had a sweet taste rather than the tangy taste of the caramel sauce from cheese products. Adding some cream is another option!

Caramel Sauce Storage

Homemade caramel sauce should be stored in the refrigerator in a mason jar for up to 2 weeks. Or freeze for later use.

Caramel Sauce Uses

• Add a little bit to homemade cream cheese to sweeten the spread for sourdough bagels (recipe coming)
• Drizzle on warm sliced apples
• Add to coffee as a sweetener with heavy cream
• Use with caramel rolls or monkey bread
• Add to yogurt
• Drizzle on ice cream or other deserts 
• Use as a maple syrup substitute 

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