Jose Agar
Baking

Caramel Slice with Sea Salt

A reliable bake-sale slice with a shortbread base, a proper set caramel layer, and a thin chocolate top finished with flaky sea salt.

The Jose Agar Editorial Team Tested and written in a home kitchen · Updated June 2026

How this was made: Recipes are developed and kitchen-tested by our editorial team. We use AI tools to assist with drafting, structuring and proof-reading; a human editor reviews and tests every recipe before publication. No fictional author is used.

Caramel slice cut into squares, topped with chocolate
Caramel slice cut into squares, with a flaky sea-salt finish.
20 minPrep
35 minCook
24 piecesServes
EasySkill

Caramel slice is a fixture of New Zealand baking. The method below keeps the three layers distinct: a firm base that holds, a caramel that sets without being hard, and a chocolate top thin enough to cut cleanly.

If you like a melt-and-mix base, you will recognise the rhythm from our ginger crunch slice. Both press into the same tin and finish with a poured topping, so the two make a tidy pair for a baking afternoon.

Ingredients

Base

  • 1 cup plain flour
  • 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 125 g butter, melted

Caramel

  • 395 g sweetened condensed milk (1 tin)
  • 2 tbsp golden syrup
  • 60 g butter

Topping

  • 200 g dark chocolate, chopped
  • 1 tsp neutral oil
  • 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt

Method

  1. Prepare the tin. Heat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C). Line a 20×30 cm slice tin with baking paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides.
  2. Make the base. Combine flour, coconut and brown sugar. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture clumps. Press firmly and evenly into the tin and bake for 15 minutes, until just golden.
  3. Cook the caramel. In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter with the condensed milk and golden syrup. Stir constantly for 5 to 7 minutes until thickened and a shade darker. Do not let it catch.
  4. Bake the caramel layer. Pour the caramel over the warm base and spread level. Bake for a further 12 to 15 minutes, until set at the edges with a slight wobble in the centre. Cool completely.
  5. Top with chocolate. Melt the chocolate with the oil, pour over the cooled caramel and tilt to cover. Scatter with sea salt before it sets.
  6. Set and cut. Chill for at least 1 hour. Lift out using the paper and cut into 24 pieces with a warm, dry knife.
Tips
  • Stir the caramel constantly and keep the heat low; this is the step that most often catches.
  • Adding a teaspoon of oil to the chocolate keeps the top soft enough to cut without cracking.
  • Cut with a warm, dry knife, wiping between cuts, for clean edges.
  • Stored airtight in the fridge, the slice keeps for up to one week.

Sources & references

Background reading used while developing and verifying this recipe. Quantities and timings were confirmed by our own kitchen testing.

  1. Edmonds Cookery Book, baking and slices section, for traditional NZ base and caramel ratios.
  2. New Zealand food-safety guidance on home refrigeration and storage times for dairy-based bakes.
  3. General confectionery references on condensed-milk caramel set points and tempering basics.

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