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    Home » Frostings & Glazes

    Easy Homemade Dulce de Leche

    June 7, 2019 By Kimberlee Ho Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Easy Homemade Dulce de Leche | kickassbaker.com pin for Pinterest

    Dulce de Lech is pure gloriousness. It's smooth, rich, milky, caramely goodness. And, it's so darn easy to make at home. One single ingredient is all it takes to produce this delectable Easy Homemade Dulce de Leche.

    Dulce de leche is very similar to caramel, but while equally delicious, they are not the same thing.

    Dulce de leche is made by browning sweetened milk whereas caramel is made by caramelizing sugar.

    While caramel can have a slightly bitter taste to it (it is burnt sugar, after all) dulce de leche has a sweeter, more butterscotchy flavor.

    Easy Homemade Dulce de Leche | kickassbaker.com overflowing jar of smooth caramel

    How to make Dulce de Leche

    There are lots of recipes out there for how to make dulce de leche. Some of them involve slow cookers and some require cooking on the stovetop.

    Many of them involve cooking the sweetened condensed milk in the can it came in while others require multiple ingredients to make your own sweetened milk.

    My preferred method for making homemade dulce de leche is to open the can, pour the contents into a pie pan, and bake it in a water bath in the oven. Here are the reasons why I like this method:

    • It consistently produces a smooth consistency of rich, milky, caramel-like sauce
    • It only requires one ingredient and no potential for exploding cans of hot caramel like some of the other methods unfortunately caution could happen
    • It's super duper easy - no mixing or blending or standing over a hot stove
    • It makes about 1 ¼ cups which is just enough to use in a recipe and have enough leftover to eat a spoonful directly out of the jar
    Easy Homemade Dulce de Leche just pulled out of the oven, overhead shot

    What to do with Dulce de Leche

    Ah, this is the question! What do you do with this wonderful sauce once you have made it? There are plenty of amazing recipes in which you can use dulce de leche including Alfajores, Banana Muffins Swirled with Dulce de Leche, and Dulce de Leche Scones.

    You can also drizzle it on ice cream, swirl some into brownie batter or banana bread or cheesecake, stir a teaspoonful into your coffee in place of milk or cream, or make frosting with it.

    And, of course, you can always eat a spoonful of it every night after dinner. Or before dinner - I won't tell anyone!

    Easy Homemade Dulce de Leche | kickassbaker.com jar of caramel with spoon dripping some into the jar

    Tips for Making this Recipe

    • Check the water level every 45 minutes or so. This is very important as the water bath helps the sweetened condensed milk cook slowly and consistently. And, without the water the milk will surely burn. Quickly
    • Cook until the milk is a deep brown color. If you don't have the time, you can cook for 90 minutes and still have an absolutely delicious result. But, if you've got the time (and the patience) cook for longer and you'll be happy you did
    Easy Homemade Dulce de Leche | kickassbaker.com jar with caramel dripping down the side with spoon sticking out

    Like this recipe? Follow me on Pinterest for loads more just like. And, don't forget to pin this recipe for later!

    Easy Homemade Dulce de Leche | kickassbaker.com overflowing jar of smooth caramel

    Easy Homemade Dulce de Leche

    Homemade dulce de leche is so darn easy to make at home. One single ingredient is all it takes to produce this delectable delight of a treat.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 3 hours
    Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes
    Course: All Recipes, Condiment, Dessert
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Servings: 1 cups
    Calories: 86kcal
    Author: Kimberlee Ho
    US Customary - Metric

    Ingredients

    • 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Prepare: Heat oven to 425°F with rack in middle position. Pour the contents of 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk into a 9-inch pie pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Set pie pan in a roasting pan and create a hot water bath by adding enough hot tap water to the roasting pan surrounding the pie pan to reach halfway up the outside of the pie pan.
    • Bake condensed milk in middle of oven. After about 45 minutes, check the water level and add additional hot water, if necessary. Continue baking, checking and adding more water every 45 minutes for a total cook time of up to 3 hours. You want the condensed milk to be thick and rich brown. Remove pie plate from water bath and cool, uncovered.

    Notes

    Store dulce de leche in a mason jar or another jar with a tightly sealed lid in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks

    Nutrition

    Calories: 86kcal | Carbohydrates: 14.5g | Protein: 2.1g | Fat: 2.3g | Saturated Fat: 1.5g | Cholesterol: 9.1mg | Sodium: 34mg | Sugar: 14.5g
    Did you make this recipe?Tag @kickassbaker on Instagram so I can see!
    Easy Homemade Dulce de Leche | kickassbaker.com pin for Pinterest

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    Filed Under

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    Hey there!  Thank you so much for visiting Kickass Baker!  I’m Kim, the working mom and home baker behind this blog.  I know how crazy life can be.  Too often, we can beat ourselves up and give up things we enjoy because we think we aren’t great at them.  But you are kicking ass everyday and I’m here to help you bake up some crazy-good recipes and embrace your Kickass Baker!

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Bakery-Style Double Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe
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