Dulce De Leche Recipe (3 methods)

Dulce de leche is a thick, rich caramel sauce made from one ingredient — sweetened condensed milk. This dulce de leche recipe can be using 3 different methods. I made them all and I’ll show you which ones worked best and why, so you can make your own homemade dulce de leche, easy peasy.

Stovetop dulce de leche

Now, let me show you how to make dulce de leche from condensed milk. The first method is made on the stovetop.

1. After washing the can, open the lid, so it’s still got a hinge of metal attached. Crack the top, so the cover is open about 30°.
2. Place a small dishrag in the bottom of a small saucepan (the dishrag is to prevent the can from rattling on the bottom of the pan as it cooks – because that can be annoying for 2-3 hours.)
3. Fill the pan with enough water to reach about 3/4 of the way up the side of the can. (Please be careful not to get water in the sweetened condensed milk.
4. Bring the water to a simmer and cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, refilling it every 15-20 minutes to keep it at the same level you started with.
5. Over 2-3 hours, the sweetened condensed milk will transform into a golden caramel. The longer it cooks, the deeper the caramel color and the thicker the resulting caramel.
6. The top of the caramel may not look as if it’s changed much, but stir it with a spoon, and you’ll see a definite transformation.
7. Use a pair of tongs to carefully remove the caramel from the water bath and let it cool at room temperature before transferring the golden elixir to a glass jar with a lid and refrigerating.
8. Note: caramel will also thicken as it cools and after it has been refrigerated.

Note: You can also make the dulce de leche recipe on the stovetop using a sealed can of sweetened condensed milk. Please take a look at the notes below.

Variation on the stovetop method

You can use a sealed can. That’s right. You can make dulce de leche in a can without opening the can of sweetened condensed milk!

If it’s your first time, you should start with the first method so you’re comfortable with the process, but after that, this is easier and has the bonus of not needing to be refrigerated after cooking.

1. Place a cleaned, sealed can into a large pot (with the dish rag to prevent the clanging) and add enough water to submerge the can with about 1″ of water over the top.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a rapid simmer and cook for 2-3 hours, adding water so it’s always covered.
3. Remove the can with a pair of tongs and let it cool to room temperature.
4. Since the can is sealed, there’s no need to refrigerate it. You can store it in your pantry and open it when needed.

What sweetened condensed milk caramel looks and tastes like

The photo above is what the caramel looks like after refrigerating. You can see it’s thick and smooth. The flavor is rich and sweet, with an almost chewy consistency.

This dulce de leche hits every part of your palate with a decadent and almost buttery sweetness.

It has a different flavor and depth than a standard caramel made of sugar and cream, but this dulce de leche dessert is remarkably tasty.

Making dulce de leche in the oven

This method came from the Epicurious website, and I initially thought it would be the easiest way to go, but there were a few snags, which I’ll get to in a minute.

The sweetened condensed milk caramel with the oven method

1. Preheat the oven to 425°.
2. Empty the can of sweetened condensed milk into a 9″ baking dish or glass pie dish.
3. Cover the pie dish tightly with aluminum foil.
4. Place the pie dish into a larger roasting pan and fill it with hot water until it comes about halfway up the pie plate (this is called a bain-marie or water bath, and it provides a slow, even heat, with no scorching.)
5. Cook for 2 hours. Carefully remove the pie dish from the water and let it cool to room temperature before transferring the mixture to an airtight container to store in the refrigerator.

Challenges with the oven method

The first issue I encountered was finding a roasting pan large enough to accommodate a 9″ pie dish. My standard roasters (even an oval one that I thought was a shoo-in) needed to be larger.

It would have fit into a turkey roaster. Still, I thought that was overkill. I ended up using a 12″ paella pan. Look around your kitchen and get creative.

The second problem was that after two hours in the oven, the dulce de leche caramel was lighter and thinner than I would like. I put it back in to cook for another 45 minutes.

The images above show the difference. The top left is after 2 hours. The bottom left and right is after 2 hours and 45 minutes. It needed the extra time — at least for my tastes.

Using the Instant Pot to make dulce con leche in a sealed can

I read many blog posts that mentioned that you could theoretically make it in its sealed can, but none had the nerve to do it. Well, I’m nothing, if not ballsy.

Here’s how it went.

Instant Pot Dulce De Leche

1. Ensure you clean that can well — and remove the sticky, gluey residue.
2. Lay a small dish towel in the bottom of the pressure cooker (to prevent rattling and denting the Instant Pot.
3. Place the unopened can of sweetened condensed milk on the towel on its side and fill it with water up to the maximum fill line. (Water should cover the can by about 1 to 2 inches).
4. Seal the pressure cooker and bring it to high pressure for 40 minutes.
5. Let the pressure naturally release, then remove the can, dry it off and let it cool to room temperature before opening.
6. It can be stored directly in the pantry until you’re ready to use it.

Which method was easiest?

The Instant Pot was the easiest way to transform sweetened condensed milk into caramel. Not only was it very hands-off, which I loved, but the dulce was also uber-rich and thick.

Several Instant Pot recipes claimed the caramel could be ready in as little as 15-20 minutes. Still, after my first two attempts, I knew a longer cooking time was required for the concentration of flavor and pudgy consistency I like. If you want a looser caramel sauce, try it for 20 minutes.

It was a real boon to put the jar directly back into the pantry for storage too… How handy!

What can you do with homemade dulce de leche?

• Imagine someone pops over unexpectedly during the holidays, and you have nothing to offer… Just whip out a can of your homemade dulce de leche and slice some fresh apples or pears for dunking.
• Or jazz up a dish of ice cream with slightly warmed caramel spooned over the top.
• You could even stick a bow on the can and give them away as fun hostess gifts. How simple is THAT?

More uses for dulce de leche

• Dip churros into hot dulce de leche.
• Swirl some dulce into cheesecake batter before baking.
• Drizzle hot dulce de leche over pound cake or sponge.
• Rim a cocktail glass for a caramel appletini.
• Serve it warmed over apple pie.
• Try spooning some over Autumn Spiced Baked Pears.
• Add a teaspoon or two to chocolate wafer cookies for a filling for sandwich cookies (see example below).