Dulce de Leche

Sticky, sweet, thick and glossy, dulce de leche is a caramel-like Latin American confection. It’s a lot less scary to make than a pan of sputtering, boiling-sugar caramel sauce, and is quite a bit tastier, too. Dulce de leche is made slowly (and we mean slowly) by heating a can of sweetened condensed milk until it takes on a deep, golden-brown hue and gains a rich texture. Once you have your pot of liquid gold, save it for your best desserts, or grab a spoon and dig right in.

What is dulce de leche?

Dulce de leche is a Latin American confection that’s like a creamy caramel. But unlike plain caramel sauce or caramel candy, which are made by heating sugar, dulce de leche is made by slowly heating (caramelizing, technically) sweetened condensed milk. The resulting dulce de leche is rich, sweet and not quite as sticky as standard caramel. It’s great for adding to cheesecakes, pies and even cakes.

Ingredients for Dulce de Leche

• Sweetened condensed milk: The easiest part about learning how to make dulce de leche is gathering everything on the ingredient list, because there’s just one item: sweetened condensed milk! Feel free to grab any brand from the store that fits your budget. Just make sure the can is labeled as “sweetened condensed milk” and not “evaporated milk.” Evaporated milk is not the same thing as condensed milk, and it won’t work in this dulce de leche recipe.

Directions

Step 1: Pour out the sweetened condensed milk

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Preheat the oven to 425°F. Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a 9-inch pie plate.

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Cover the pie plate with aluminum foil.

Step 2: Prepare a hot water bath

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Place the pie plate in a larger baking pan or roasting pan. Pour in enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the pie plate.

Step 3: Bake the sweetened condensed milk

Bake the sweetened condensed milk until it turns light brown, 1 to 1-1/4 hours, stirring halfway. Remove the pie plate from the water bath.

Step 4: Whisk out any lumps

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Cool the dulce de leche completely in the pie plate on a wire rack. Whisk the dulce de leche until it’s nice and smooth. Use it immediately or store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

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How to Store Dulce de Leche

To store dulce de leche, allow it to cool to room temperature, then pour it into an airtight container. It can last in the fridge for up to two weeks. I love to write the date I made it on a piece of tape and stick it onto the container so I remember.

Can I freeze dulce de leche?

You sure can! Once the dulce de leche has cooled to room temperature, pour it into a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to two months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter for one hour.

Dulce de Leche Tips

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How do you use dulce de leche?

Dulce de leche can be used in all the same ways as caramel. Whip dulce de leche into vanilla frosting for cupcakes and cakes. Drizzle it on brownies or on a classic tres leches cake as the finishing touch.

Dulce de leche is fantastic for cheesecakes, which is why we use it in the filling and on top of our favorite dulce de leche cheesecake. Don’t be afraid to get creative and trust your gut when adding dulce de leche to classic desserts. I actually think it would be incredible on a peach cobbler or pineapple upside-down cake. And it certainly works well in this contest-winning dulce de leche banana cream pie!

There are lots of recipes with dulce de leche to try out if you’re stuck, and there’s zero shame in simply eating it with a spoon. Viva la vida.

Can I make dulce de leche in a can?

Yes, you can make dulce de leche in a can. But should you?

As with the method above, you can use a hot water bath to cook an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk. Start by removing the label from your can, then place it in a pot. Slowly fill the pot with water, covering the can entirely. Heat the can over low heat for about 90 minutes, then allow it to cool.

There are downsides to this method. First, you can’t check your progress: Since the can is sealed, it’s impossible to see if the dulce de leche texture is to your liking. You have to trust your burner to get the job done.

Next, and most importantly, the can could explode. The can needs to be always covered with water, so our Test Kitchen does not recommend this dangerous method.

Can you buy dulce de leche?

Absolutely. For anyone who wants to bake with dulce de leche, but who doesn’t want to go through the process of actually making it, pick up a can at your local supermarket. Because dulce de leche is from Latin America, you can usually find it in the international aisle. You can also pick up cans of dulce de leche online or in big-box stores.

Can I make dulce de leche with sweetened condensed coconut milk?

Absolutely! Sweetened condensed coconut milk makes a great dairy-free sweetened condensed milk substitute. In addition to caramelizing nicely into dulce de leche (de coco), we love the hint of tropical flavor it adds.