How to Make Dulce de Leche from Sweetened Condensed Milk

Most of us love caramel spreads, and it is a fantastic snack to try with your friends. You just need some crackers for a sweet treat, and the preparation is effortless.

Do you want to know how to make dulce de leche? It may look difficult to do, but it is not. There are different ways to prepare this treat, and some are harder than others. But this time, we have chosen the easiest recipe so you can have it ready in a few hours.

We’re giving you a step-by-step guide with a few extra recommendations to personalize the flavor.

What is dulce de leche, and where is it from?

Dulce de leche comes from the Spanish “sweet made of milk.” It is a popular South American confection of cooked sweetened milk, and it resembles a caramel spread or sauce. You can say it is like butterscotch, mainly fatty and sweet.

Dulce de leche is popular in a sweet treat called alfajor. This is like a sandwich made of two cookies filled with this caramel spread. You can find different types of dulce de leche in most Latin American countries, and they have other names, such as arequipe, cajeta, and manjar.

Step-by-step on how to make dulce de leche

Do you want to achieve the consistency and taste of dulce de leche without much of a struggle? It is easy to do so if you have the right ingredients, but this time we’re telling you how to make dulce de leche with a single ingredient. All you need is a can of sweetened condensed milk.

Here is how to do it:

Step 1: Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a glass baking pan

First off, open the can of sweetened condensed milk carefully and pour its contents into a glass baking pan. It should preferably be glass because of its capacity to insulate or keep the heat for a longer time.

Step 2: Place it on a larger metal baking pan and pour hot water

Once you have the glass baking pan with sweetened condensed milk, place it on a larger metal baking pan and pour hot water. Metal is a fast heat conductor, and the water will distribute the heat evenly all over the surface of the glass pan. For extra insulation, we recommend wrapping the opening of the glass baking pan with aluminum foil.

Step 3: Bake in the oven

Once you have it ready, take this preparation to the stove, set it to 350 ºF, and leave it there for 2 hours.

Step 4: Stir and get it back in the oven

After two hours, take the trays out carefully and stir with a rubber or metal spatula. You will see it doesn’t have a very smooth texture yet. However, that will improve. Once again, cover in aluminum foil and take it back to the oven for 2 hours at a temperature of 350 ºF.

Step 5: Let it sit to room temperature and serve

After taking it out, stir once again and let it sit for as long as necessary until your dulce de leche reaches room temperature. When it does, the texture will become more fluid and smoother, as you can see in the picture below. When it cools down, it will be ready to serve.

Other ingredients you can try in your dulce de leche

We have described the easiest way of how to make dulce de leche. However, it is not the only option available, and you can personalize the taste with additional ingredients. Some people prefer to add vanilla or cinnamon powder to give it a unique flavor.

You can also choose between different types of preparation. Besides baking, you can also try boiling the sweetened condensed milk. If you prefer the taste, flavor, and texture of traditional dulce de leche, you can use milk, sugar, and baking soda instead of canned sweetened condensed milk.

In the following table, you will find different variations of dulce de leche and how to prepare them:

Variation	Ingredients	Preparation
Boiled dulce de leche	Same ingredients	Instead of using a glass tray, you will take the cans into a large pot and fill them with water to boil. Cooking time is 2-3 hours
Classic cooking method	4 cups of milk 1 and a half cups of sugar Half a teaspoon of baking soda	Stir the ingredients together and bring them to a boil. Keep stirring for 1-2 hours until the milk changes color and consistency
Flavored dulce de leche	Sweetened condensed milk Cinnamon powder or vanilla	Choose your extra ingredient for a slightly different taste. Stir the ingredients together and bring them to a boil or bake them as described above

Tasty ideas for your guests

Now you know how to make dulce de leche for your guests, you can create your own tasty treats. Here’s a list of ideas:

• Alfajor: All you need to create alfajor is two snowball cookies to make a sandwich filled with dulce de leche
• Dulce de leche brownies: You can spill dulce de leche on your brownies to give your guests a chocolate-caramel treat
• Ice cream sundae: Dulce de leche is also great with different types of ice cream. You can add whip cream and nuts for a different texture.