Here’s a really easy oven method for making Homemade Dulce de Leche using only one ingredient: sweetened condensed milk. Dulce de leche is a dessert sauce/spread that is thick and creamy and decadent. It has a toffee or butterscotch-like flavor. And it can be used in all kinds of dessert recipes. I always use homemade dulce de leche for making Alfajores!
Watch the video in the post that shows you how to make this recipe, then scroll to the very bottom of this post and print out the recipe so you can try making this at home.
What is Dulce de Leche?
Created in Argentina, dulce de leche is a sweet, creamy, thick spread made by slowly cooking milk and sugar (or sweetened condensed milk) until it thickens and turns golden brown. It’s a more popular dessert spread in Latin America, but it has become more popular in the U.S. in recent years.
Homemade Dulce de Leche
I have an intense love for anything caramel, and most specifically- Dulce de Leche. If you’re not familiar with this Latin treat, you should plan on making its acquaintance very soon.
Cans of it already made can be found in Latin markets, or if you’re lucky they might actually carry it in your regular neighborhood market’s Latin products aisle and Walmart always has it too. The dulce de leche that you buy in the can is okay, but if you make your own you’ll be much happier with your homemade version.
Some cooks boil the can of condensed milk until it caramelizes (or use a pressure cooker or an instant pot), but the trouble with that method is that you’re never quite sure when it’s done. It’s generally advised not to boil sealed cans due to risk of explosion from the buildup of steam and pressure. I don’t use the boiling method!
How to make Homemade Dulce de Leche:
The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post. Here’s an overview.
- Preheat oven to 425℉.
- Open up the can and pour the sweetened-condensed milk into a pie pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Place the pie pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan so that it comes about halfway up the pie pan.
- Bake for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours. Give it a peek at one hour. It should be a caramel color and have a nice, thick texture.
- Remove from the oven. Let sit for a few minutes, and then beat with an electric mixer until smooth. That’s it!
What’s the difference between Caramel and Dulce de Leche?
- Caramel is made by heating sugar until it melts and browns. Then cream and/or butter are added in to make caramel sauce.
- Dulce de Leche is made by slowly heating milk and sugar together (or sweetened condensed milk), resulting in a thick, creamy spread with a milky caramel flavor that is not quite as sweet as caramel.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t use evaporated milk! It’s not the same thing. You can use any brand of sweetened condensed milk.
- Any shallow baking dish that is oven-safe is okay to use. I suggest using a cake pan if you don’t have a pie pan.
- The longer the cook time, the darker your dulce de leche will be.
- If you do not have an electric mixer to smooth out the texture after cooking, use a whisk instead.
What can you use dulce de leche for?
Use it as a filling for cakes, cupcakes, cookies and bars, pies or crepes. Use dulce de leche as a topping for ice cream or cheesecake or as a dipping sauce for churros or sliced apples. Or you might even want to just eat it by the spoonful! It’s some pretty addicting stuff.
How do you store dulce de leche?
Dulce de leche has a shelf life of 2 weeks in the refrigerator if it is kept in a sealed container.
You can also freeze homemade dulce de leche. Let it cool completely, then store it in an airtight container, leaving a little space for expansion. It will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw in the fridge and stir before using.
If you are looking for more DIY dessert sauce projects to try, you might also like my recipe for Hot Cherry Sauce or this Salted Caramel Sauce. Easy Raspberry Sauce, Hot Fudge and Hot Blueberry Sauce are good homemade sauces too.
Homemade Dulce de Leche
Ingredients
- One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- boiling water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉.
- Open up the can and pour the sweetened-condensed milk into a pie pan. Cover tightly with foil. Place into a larger pan and pour boiling water in a larger pan and around pie plate (level of water should be about halfway up the pie plate). Don’t let any water seep up and into the pie plate.
- Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour. At the one hour point, peel off the foil and check for progress. If the mixture has thickened and turned a caramel color, it’s done. If it doesn’t quite look thick enough or dark enough, cover it up and bake it a little longer (mine took 75 minutes).
- When the mixture appears to have turned into a nice, thick caramel, remove from the oven. Let sit for a few minutes, and then beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
Notes
- The recipe calls for one 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk, but you can use any size can for this method.
- Store in a covered container until ready to use (within a few days). Probably storing in the refrigerator is best, but return to room temperature when ready for recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this recipe I don’t know how you thought about doing this recipe in the oven, but I am so happy you did. Thank you so much..Ileen
Your version is surely better than store bought!! This is my go-to recipe for dulce de leche. SO GOOD!
Can I just say this is AMAZING in coffee!
Looks like a new staple in our house!!
I want to drizzle this on EVERYTHING!
Veeeerrrrry dangerous to have around, so good!
I was always hesitant to use the cook the can method, so thank you for this technique. It worked perfectly!
This is a terrific technique and such a treat over ice cream!