Dulce de Leche Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Megan Porta · This post may contain affiliate links.

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Dulce de Leche sweetened condensed milk recipe is made using only ONE ingredient. This delicious sweet sauce pairs well with baked goods!

Dulce de Leche Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe (1)

Original post: December 2017 | Updated: May 2021

Why This Recipe Works

When you think of Homemade Dulce de Leche, do you envision yourself sweating over a hot stove, fumbling with a candy thermometer and feeling hot, bubbling caramel splatter on your arms?

Because it is the opposite of that. Homemade Dulce de Leche requires one ingredient: a single can of sweetened condensed milk!

ONE ingredient and very limited effort is required to create this irresistible caramel sauce. Crazy, right?! There are so many delicious things to do with Dulce de Leche!

Recipe Ingredients

Sweetened condensed milk – That’s it! One ingredient that is probably already sitting in your pantry. You can’t mess that up, right?

How To Make Dulce de Leche Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Pour sweetened condensed milk into a round baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and set inside a 9×13 baking dish. Pour water into the outer pan (should reach 1 to 2 inches from bottom of pan).

Dulce de Leche Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe (2)

Step 2

Place into the preheated oven and bake for 90 minutes, or until the milk has turned into a deep caramel color. Remove from the oven and whisk until creamy. Let cool and store in sealed containers in the fridge.

FAQ About Dulce de Leche

Can dulce de leche be frozen?

It must be placed in an airtight container (not glass) and can be frozen for up to three months. When you are ready to use the sauce, allow it to thaw completely in the fridge before using. Pour it into a skillet and heat, stirring, until smooth.

What does dulce de leche mean?

A direct translation of the Spanish phrase “dulce de leche” is sweet from milk. It refers to heating sweetened milk until it caramelizes.

Is dulce de leche caramel?

Dulce de leche closely resemblescaramel. The difference is thatdulce de lecheis made using sweetened condensed milk (milk + sugar) andcaramelis made using sugar and water.

What to do with dulce de leche?

Dulce de leche can be used as a filling or topping for baked goods such as cupcakes or sandwich cookies. It can also be used as an ice cream topping, as a topping for donuts or a crepe filling.

Dulce de Leche Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe (3)

What To Do With Dulce De Leche

  • Drizzle it over an Oreo Caramel Frozen Yogurt Cake.
  • Add it to a few scoops of ice cream.
  • Sandwich it between Chocolate Cookies.
  • Pour it into a mason jar and gift it so a loved one!

Other Sweet Sauces

  • Just 4 ingredients needed to make your own Salted Caramel Sauce. Top or fill your next batch of baked goods with this delicious, irresistible sauce. You will need to resist the temptation to eat it by the spoonful!
  • Easy Blueberry Sauce is super easy to make and goes great on pancakes, waffles or works great as a pie filling!
  • Apple Butter is worth the wait! After you enjoy picking your favorite assortment of sweet and tart apples, you can add just a few spices to the rest of the ingredients and let it simmer.
  • Crockpot Applesauce – Homemade applesauce is fun to make and tastier than the store stuff! Let your slow cooker do the work so kids and adults alike can have a healthy snack!

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If you make this recipe and love it, stop back and give it a 5-star rating⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a comment. THANK YOU!

Dulce de Leche Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe (4)

Dulce de Leche Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe

Dulce de Leche sweetened condensed milk recipe is made using only ONE ingredient. This delicious sweet sauce pairs well with baked goods!

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Course: Dessert, Sauce

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 106kcal

Author: Megan Porta

Ingredients

  • 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 cups water

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Pour sweetened condensed milk into a round baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and set inside a 9×13 baking dish. Pour water into the outer pan (should reach 1 to 2 inches from bottom of pan).

  • Place into the preheated oven and bake for 90 minutes, or until the milk has turned into a deep caramel color. Remove from the oven and whisk until creamy. Let cool and store in sealed containers in the fridge.

Notes

Homemade Dulce de Leche must be placed in an airtight container (not glass) and can be frozen for up to three months. When you are ready to use the sauce, allow it to thaw completely in the fridge before using. Pour it into a skillet and heat, stirring, until smooth.

Nutrition

Calories: 106kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 44mg | Potassium: 123mg | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 88IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe?If you loved this recipe, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below!

« Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Dulce de Leche Chocolate Sandwich Cookies »

Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Dulce de Leche Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe (6)Megan Porta

      Ooo, I am going to try this! Thanks for the tip, Jennifer!
      Megan

      Reply

  1. Dulce de Leche Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe (7)Val

    NOT EVEN CLOSE…. To the real Argentinian Dulce de Leche…. Or the Mexican Cajeta, for that matter. That's just caramel sauce….

    Reply

  2. Dulce de Leche Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe (8)Del

    Hello! I just wanted to tell you that I'm argentinean, wich means I'm from the land of dulce de leche! (Yes, lucky one here)
    This recipe is quite good, and I have tried it many times,and although it's not quite like real dulce de leche, the taste is nonetheless amazing.

    Reply

  3. Dulce de Leche Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe (9)Megan

    You can also make it by boiling the can of condensed milk for 3 hours in a pot of boiling water. Works really well!

    Reply

  4. Dulce de Leche Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe (10)Megan Porta

    Hi Helen! I wanted to give people the option of not having to purchase it. It is so easy to make…so, why buy?! 🙂
    Megan

    Reply

  5. Dulce de Leche Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe (11)Helen

    You can buy this in the can aleady made in the Mexican food isle.

    Reply

  6. Dulce de Leche Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe (12)Dani

    This is a great way to use oven space while making something else with a neutral smell in there. It saves on having to make it on the stove top for over an hour. Thank you for the tip.

    Reply

  7. Dulce de Leche Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe (13)Pip

    I would say it would keep for 2 weeks, tightly sealed in the fridge. Glad you enjoyed it!

    Reply

  8. Dulce de Leche Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe (14)a person

    I made this today, and it's absolutely amazing, better than caramel!! But would you happen to know how long it keeps if i put it in a jar and stick it in the fridge?

    Reply

  9. Dulce de Leche Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe (15)Dee

    That looks delicious! Definitely something I need to do soon, I love dulce de leche 😀

    Reply

  10. Dulce de Leche Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe (16)Parsley Sage

    ohmigosh, you've just made my week.

    Reply

  11. Dulce de Leche Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe (17)Blog is the New Black

    Yum! Looks delicious!

    Reply

  12. Dulce de Leche Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe (18)S from work

    Girl I wish I never would have read that. Oh my – i will be putting that on EVERYTHING!
    LOVE IT – Thanks tons!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Dulce de Leche Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take for condensed milk to turn to caramel? ›

Place can of condensed milk, unopened, in the boiling water. Cover and let simmer for 3 hours, refilling water as needed and turning the can every half hour to prevent scorching. Carefully open can and serve.

Does boiling condensed milk turn into caramel? ›

This is a simple baking hack to create 'Carmel in a Can' (Dulce De Leche). It comes together super easy, all you need to do is take the label off a can of condensed milk, fire it into boiling water for about 3 hours (make sure it's fully under the water) and boom, it's ready to go.

Is it safe to boil a can of sweetened condensed milk? ›

Is it safe to boil my can of sweetened condensed milk to make caramel sauce? No. For safety reasons, we do not recommend heating a can of our condensed milk, opened or unopened. The current can is not designed to withstand high temperatures.

What happens if I boil a can of condensed milk? ›

Yes, you can boil condensed milk directly in the can. This process is often referred to as “caramelizing” or “making dulce de leche. Why would I want to boil condensed milk in the can? Boiling condensed milk in the can transforms it into a rich and creamy caramel-like spread called dulce de leche.

How do you know when condensed milk is ready? ›

The condensed milk is ready when it can lightly coat the back of a spoon, and is still thin but more viscous than at the beginning. It will thicken considerably once cooled. Store in an airtight container in the fridge, and use for anything from no churn ice cream to caramel slices to Vietnamese iced coffees.

Why is my dulce de leche not thickening? ›

Thickness: in order to obtain a really thick dulce de leche, you have to bake it for a really long time. However, the longer you bake it, the more scorched it gets. Frosting use: if the dulce de leche is too lumpy it won't work well for frosting.

Why is my dulce de leche runny? ›

The longer you cook, the thicker and darker the dulce de leche will be. For a light and runny dulce de leche, cook for 2.5 hours, for a dulce de leche that is easy to pipe and holds its shape, cook for 3.5 to 4 hours.

How do you make dulce de leche more liquid? ›

Dulce de leche is too thick: If it's too thick while warm, this also happens when the sauce is overcooked and too much liquid has evaporated. Pulse in the food processor/blender with a tiny bit of cream or milk (start with 1/2 teaspoon; a little goes a long way) until it reaches your desired consistency.

How do you know when condensed milk has turned to caramel? ›

When you add heat to your ingredients, they undergo a chemical reaction known as the “Maillard reaction.” This means that the sugar is cooked to the proper moisture level and caramelization occurs. You know when this happens as the mixture changes colour to a rich brown.

Why is my homemade condensed milk not thickening? ›

If your condensed milk doesn't thicken after a couple of hours, it means you removed the pan from the heat early. You can pour the mixture into a small pan and carefully continue to reduce the mixture.

What can I substitute for dulce de leche? ›

Technically, if you see dulce de leche in a recipe, you can instead use caramel, and vice-versa. However, there will be a slight variance in taste and texture, and the recipe will no longer be authentic to the specified region. That is why we always recommend differentiating between dulce de leche and caramel.

How to make caramel from condensed milk without boiling? ›

Heating in a Slow Cooker

Fill the slow cooker with enough water to fully immerse the can and cover it with an extra two inches (five cm) of water. Heat on low for eight to 10 hours. For a lighter dulce de leche, cook for eight hours; for a thicker and darker sauce, heat for ten hours.

What happens if you whip sweetened condensed milk? ›

Can condensed milk be whipped like cream? Yes, condensed milk can be whipped to create a creamy, fluffy texture similar to whipped cream. This makes it a great alternative for those who are lactose intolerant or looking for a dairy-free option.

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