Dulce De Leche With Sweetened Condensed Milk

All you need is a can of sweetened condensed milk and some time to make this deliciously decadent homemade dulce de leche recipe – creamy caramel goodness that goes with all desserts.

Dulce De Leche

This dulce de leche recipe is a creamy caramel dream. Made so simply with sweetened condensed milk, the possibilities for what you can use this with are endless. It is found canned in many grocery stores, but in this post, you will learn how to make homemade dulce de leche from scratch.

What is dulce de leche?

Popular in Latin America but increasing in popularity state-side, dulce de leche tastes like creamy caramel and comes from sweetened milk, like the condensed milk we are using in this recipe. When heated, the sugar in the milk becomes caramelized and transforms into that sweet golden-brown color with a deeply decadent flavor.

You can use it as a topping for cakes, cookies, or cupcakes or my favorite is drizzling this on some vanilla ice cream.  

Now let’s get to making this creamy caramel treat!

Ingredients for Dulce De Leche

Recipe Ingredients

  • Sweetened condensed milk 
  • Water

It doesn’t get any simpler than that!  Have some aluminum foil at the ready along with a baking pan and a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.

How to Make My Dulce De Leche Recipe

pour the 14oz sweetened condensed milk in deep dish pie plate

Move the oven rack to the middle and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Pour the can of sweetened condensed milk into the pie plate.

Condensed milk in pie dish.

The sweetened condensed milk takes up about 1/4-inch or so of the pie dish.

cover with aluminum foil

Set in a larger pan, like a 9 x 13 baking dish, and cover with aluminum foil.

fill the 9 x 13 pan halfway with water

Fill the roasting pan halfway with water to make a water bath.

Place pan with pie dish covered in foil on middle rack of oven

Place on the middle rack of the oven.

dulce de leche

Check after baking for 45 minutes and add more water to the roasting pan if needed. Let the milk mixture cook for another 45 minutes if necessary. 

take foil off the dulce de leche after baking and stir well.

Give your dulce de leche a stir.

add to food processor after cooling slightly optional

Optional: Add to a food processor and whip to your desired texture.

transfer the dulce de leche to your favorite storage container

Transfer to your favorite storage container. I use a mason jar.

Oh, that is sooo good.  I might add this to ice cream with some cashews!

Dulce De Leche close up

Storage

This dulce de leche recipe will last up to 2 weeks when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. I usually keep mine in an empty mason jar or canning jar.

I don’t usually have any left to freeze. But if you wanted to,  I’d place it in an airtight container after it cools. General consensus is it will be good frozen for up to a month.  

Now go on and enjoy this lovely treat!

Recipe Notes

If you want a smoky caramel taste then like I did in our post (keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn), keep it in the oven until it has some darker brown spots. But if you want a milky caramel sauce instead, then check it after the first 45 minutes and then every 15-20 minutes or so to make sure it’s getting to the color and consistency you want.

Recipe FAQs

Can’t I just boil it in the can?

Yes, you could. Boiling is the traditional way of making dulce de leche. However, boiling a metal can in a large pot can potentially cause metals to leach into the caramel. So to avoid that we like to make it easily from scratch by baking it in the oven.

What can you make with this dulce de leche recipe?

The possibilities are truly endless but stir your dulce de leche into your coffee or cocoa, spread it on toast, serve it in a sandwich with peanut butter, or serve it warm drizzled on ice cream. But wait, there’s more! Here are some of our favorite recipes that use dulce de leche for a decadent dessert:

enjoy this caramelly dulce de leche

Dulce De Leche

All you need is a can of sweetened condensed milk to make this dulce de leche recipe - creamy caramel goodness that goes with all desserts.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Course: Dessert, sauce, Snack
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: caramel, sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk 14-ounce
  • water

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 425°F and adjust your oven rack so it's in the middle.
  • Pour the can of sweetened condensed milk into a 9-inch deep pie dish and cover tightly with foil. Set the baking dish in a pan that it fits in and add enough hot water to the pan so it reaches halfway up the pie dish.
    1 can sweetened condensed milk, water
  • Bake the milk in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes. Check the water level and add additional water if it's low. Then continue to bake for another 45 minutes or until milk is thick and brown. Remove and stir.
  • Allow the dulce de leche to cool slightly and then add it to a food processor (optional) to get to your desired texture. Makes about 1 1/2 to 2 cups.

Notes

If you want a smoky caramel taste then like I did in our post (keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn), keep it in the oven until it has some darker brown spots. But if you want a milky caramel sauce instead, then check it after the first 45 minutes and then every 15-20 minutes or so to make sure it's getting to the color and consistency you want.
Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

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8 Comments

  1. I’ve heard of using the sweetened condensed milk to make caramel but I only heard of boiling it in the can on the stovetop…never heard of baking it
    I haven’t tried either way YET!! Looking forward to it tho!!! Thanks!

  2. 5 stars
    Love this…. and if I’m not mistaken, can’t you also cook the condensed milk, by placing the can without the wrapper on it,in a large pot of boiling water, and do it that way?? This is delicious as is, and I also like a little smoky taste to it!!!

  3. Sounds great but I just simmer mine in the unopened can on stove for a couple of hours. Turns out great every time

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