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4(5)-Methylimidazole (4(5)-MEI) can be formed during the caramelization procedure and the Maillard reaction and has been classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans. Data concerning the formation of 4(5)-MEI by the reaction between amino acids and sugars are still scarce. In this study, an ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-ToF-MS) method was developed for the determination of 4(5)-MEI in aqueous model systems containing sugars (fructose and glucose) and amino acids (proline, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and lysine), after thermal processing at 100 °C. The results showed that the 4(5)-MEI was formed in all model systems, with the highest concentrations to be determined in fructose–proline (3.5 μg mL⁻¹) and fructose–tyrosine (3.0 μg mL⁻¹) aqueous model systems.