Make your own Dulce de Leche with one can of sweetened condensed milk and choose between microwave, pressure cooker, and slow cooker methods for a creamy spread.
Homemade dulce de leche is a Latin American confection with a rich, sweet, milky flavor, golden-brown color, and thick, creamy consistency. Similar to caramel but creamier, it's a versatile dessert filling, spread, or topping. Try it in Dulce de Leche Churro Trifle, drizzle it over Apple Crumb Cake, or pair it with homemade churros.
Quick Look: Dulce de Leche
- ⏱️ Cook Time: 20 minutes
- 🕒 Total Time: 20 minutes
- 🍽️ Servings: 6 people
- 🥛 Main Ingredient: Sweetened condensed milk
- 🍮 Flavor: Sweet, milky, and caramel-like
- 🥄 Texture: Thick and creamy, depending on the cooking method
- 🍳 Cooking Methods: Microwave, pressure cooker, or slow cooker
- 🎂 Best For: Cake fillings, cookies, pastries, spreads, and dessert toppings
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- Why This Recipe Works: Sweetened condensed milk thickens and turns golden brown during cooking. It develops a creamy texture and caramel-like flavor. Three cooking methods let you choose your preferred cooking time and consistency.
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Jump to:
- Quick Look: Dulce de Leche
- Dulce de Leche vs. Caramel
- Chef's Notes from Valentina
- Ingredients
- Substitutions And Additions
- How to Make Dulce de Leche
- Expert Tips for Dulce de Leche
- FAQ About Dulce de Leche
- What to Serve with Dulce de Leche
- More Sweet Treats to Make
- Dulce de Leche Recipe (3 Easy Ways)
- Storage and Reheating
Dulce de Leche vs. Caramel
Dulce de leche is a thick, creamy treat that's popular throughout Latin America. Its name means "sweet of milk" in Spanish. In Brazil, it's called doce de leite, and in Chile, it's known as manjar.
Traditional dulce de leche is made from milk and sugar, which slowly cook until thick and golden brown. This process gives it its sweet, milky flavor and distinctive color. You can also make an easier version with sweetened condensed milk.
The main difference between dulce de leche and caramel is how they're made. Dulce de leche starts with milk and sugar, but caramel starts with sugar heated until it browns. Butter or cream can then be added to make caramel sauce.
Dulce de leche is usually thicker and creamier than caramel sauce, with a more noticeable cooked-milk flavor.
Ingredients
- Sweetened condensed milk – 1 can, 14 oz. The only ingredient needed for dulce de leche with condensed milk. Its concentrated milk and added sugar develop a thick consistency and caramel-like flavor during cooking. Use sweetened condensed milk rather than evaporated milk, which doesn't contain the same added sugar.
How to Make Dulce de Leche
Microwave Dulce de Leche
- Pour the condensed milk into a bowl: Empty one 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk into a deep microwave-safe bowl. Leave enough room for the mixture to bubble and expand without overflowing.
- Microwave at 50% power: Set a 1200-watt microwave to 50% power and cook for about 4 minutes. Carefully remove the hot bowl with oven mitts and stir thoroughly.
- Reduce the power to 30%: Return the bowl to the microwave and cook at 30% power for another 12–16 minutes, or until thick. Stir every few minutes and watch closely to prevent overflow.
- Whisk until creamy: Remove the bowl and whisk the dulce de leche until creamy.
Note: The microwave method produces a thick, slightly grainy consistency and a rich caramel-like flavor.
Pressure Cooker Dulce de Leche
- Place the can in the pressure cooker: Place the rack inside the pressure cooker. Lay one unopened 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk on its side on the rack.
- Cover the can with water: Add enough water to cover the can by 1–2 inches.
- Pressure cook for 30–40 minutes: Secure the lid and set the valve to sealing. Select Canning or Manual High Pressure. Cook for 30 minutes for a lighter color or 40 minutes for a darker color.
- Release the pressure and let the can cool: Quick-release the pressure using tongs to avoid burning your fingers. Once the pressure has fully released, carefully remove the lid. Let the water cool completely before removing the can.
Note: The 40-minute cooking time produced a darker, creamier consistency than the microwave method.
Slow Cooker Dulce de Leche
- Place the condensed milk in the slow cooker: Lay one unopened can of sweetened condensed milk on its side inside the slow cooker.
- Cover the can with water: Pour enough water into the slow cooker to cover the can by 1–2 inches. Close the lid.
- Cook on low for 8–10 hours: Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 8 hours for a lighter color or 10 hours for a darker color.
- Let the can cool completely: Allow the water and can to cool fully before handling. Never open a hot can.
Note: The slow cooker version has the smoothest, creamiest texture of the three, with a darker color and sweeter flavor.
FAQ About Dulce de Leche
Let it cool completely before checking its thickness. A runny consistency may firm up as it cools. If it's still too thin, cook it a little longer over gentle heat until it reaches your preferred thickness.
Yes. Pour sweetened condensed milk into a baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Place it in a larger pan with hot water halfway up the sides. Bake at 425°F for 1 ½–2 hours, or until thick and golden brown. Check the water level occasionally and replenish it as needed.
Yes. Use sweetened condensed coconut milk for a dairy-free version. Its flavor may have a slight coconut taste, and the texture can differ from traditional dulce de leche. It generally thickens further after cooling.
Use leftovers to sweeten coffee, swirl into brownies, spread over toast, or fill sandwich cookies. You can also stir them into hot chocolate or drizzle over oatmeal.
What to Serve with Dulce de Leche
- Cakes and Cupcakes: Spread between cake layers or use it to fill chocolate or vanilla cupcakes.
- Cookies and Pastries: Use it as a creamy filling for pastries or as a topping for butter cookies.
- Pancakes and Waffles: Drizzle over Oat Flour Pancakes or Coconut Flour Pancakes for a sweet breakfast treat.
- Ice Cream: Spoon over vanilla ice cream or pair with Chocolate-Strawberry Slump for a rich dessert.
- Fresh Fruit: Enjoy with sliced apples, strawberries, or bananas for a fresh contrast to its sweetness.
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Dulce de Leche Recipe (3 Easy Ways)
Equipment
- microwave, slow cooker, or pressure cooker
Instructions
Microwave Dulce de Leche
- Pour the condensed milk into a bowl: Empty one 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk into a deep microwave-safe bowl. Leave enough room for the mixture to bubble and expand without overflowing.
- Microwave at 50% power: Set a 1200-watt microwave to 50% power and cook for about 4 minutes. Carefully remove the hot bowl with oven mitts and stir thoroughly.
- Reduce the power to 30%: Return the bowl to the microwave and cook at 30% power for another 12–16 minutes, or until thick. Stir every few minutes and watch closely to prevent overflow.
- Whisk until creamy: Remove the bowl and whisk until creamy.Note: The microwave method produces a thick, slightly grainy consistency and a rich caramel-like flavor.
Pressure Cooker Dulce de Leche
- Place the can in the pressure cooker: Place the rack inside the pressure cooker. Lay one unopened 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk on its side on the rack.
- Cover the can with water: Add enough water to cover the can by 1–2 inches.
- Pressure cook for 30–40 minutes: Secure the lid and set the valve to sealing. Select Canning or Manual High Pressure. Cook for 30 minutes for a lighter color or 40 minutes for a darker color.
- Release the pressure and let the can cool: Quick-release the pressure using tongs to avoid burning your fingers. Once the pressure has fully released, carefully remove the lid. Let the water cool completely before removing the can.Note: The 40-minute cooking time produced a darker, creamier consistency than the microwave method.
Slow Cooker Dulce de Leche
- Place the condensed milk in the slow cooker: Lay one unopened can of sweetened condensed milk on its side inside the slow cooker.
- Cover the can with water: Pour enough water into the slow cooker to cover the can by 1–2 inches. Close the lid.
- Cook on low for 8–10 hours: Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 8 hours for a lighter color or 10 hours for a darker color.
- Let the can cool completely: Allow the water and can to cool fully before handling. Never open a hot can.Note: The slow cooker version has the smoothest, creamiest texture of the three, with a darker color and sweeter flavor.
Recipe Notes
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerator: Store cooled dulce de leche in a clean, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Avoid storing it in the opened can. Freezer: Transfer the cooled dulce de leche to an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Leave a little space at the top for expansion, and divide it into smaller portions if you only need a little at a time. Thawing: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Stir well and mix in a little milk or heavy cream if the dulce de leche becomes too thick. Reheating: Warm gently in the microwave at low power in short intervals. Stir between intervals until it reaches your preferred consistency.Nutrition
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My family grew up with Dulce de Leche as a staple on our morning breakfast table. We would spend it on toast and my Mamá’s very thin Bisquick pancakes. She made them like crepes, but we never called them that. We just grew up loving super thin and light pancakes.
As to the cuisine, you listed it as Mexican. I wish you would change that to Latin, Hispanic, or even Pan-American. I have only seen Dulce de Leche included in a small fraction of all the Mexican homes and restaurants I’ve ever been in. While you will find it almost every place and household that serves Argentine food. If you go to an Argentina Carnicería or Mercado, you will find huge cans and small specialty jars of it alongside the cans of Dulce de Patata, another lovely item we spread on toast. When my Mamá moved to the US from Argentina, she brought with her The Pan-American Cookbook. The recipes were all in Spanish on thin onion skin paper. We grew up using that recipe book. Dulce de Leche was one of the many delicious recipes.
I would also like to add a suggestion- be very careful if you decide to pressure cook it in the can. My Mamá used to fill a giant pot with water, put Borden’s Sweetened Condensed Milk in, and bring it to a boil. It would boil for a couple of hours (estimating). It always came out thickened to perfection, caramel colored, smooth and creamy. BUT, one time, there was a huge explosion! We had bits of sticky dulce de leche on every part of the stove, counters, walls, and ceiling! Ugh, it was a big job to clean up! lol!
As an adult in my own kitchen, that didn’t deter me, as I blew up a can not once, but twice!! I never want to clean that mess again, so I look for recipes that are safer and faster. Making it in the microwave does not ever compare to the slow cooking method, but It will do. 🙂
Thank you for the suggestion. Yes, dulce de leche is popular in other Latin cuisines such as Brazilian (doce de leite), Argentinian, Peruvian, and more. I have eaten dulce de leche in Mexican cuisine as Cajeta and a fudge candy as well as in their bread pudding.
Have not tried yet , unless I missed it, what setting for your slow cooker? High, low, or warm setting?
Hi Jim! You set the slow cooker on LOW for 8-10 hours.
Oh I love this stuff! I’ve never made it this way - it sounds easy! I also love cajeta. Fabulousness.
At the first glance, I though slow cooker one is the best and am so glad to read it all through to see it's the best one. I make dulce de leche from scratch but on the stove top, slowly cooking condensed milk in a skillet, no sugar, vanilla only and, aside it lasts for hours, was the best version for us until now. Thank you for detailed instructions so I could save my time in future 🙂
I am so glad this method was useful for you.
I've always wanted to try this, and never have. I didn't know you could do it in a slow cooker, and am glad to know that it seems to be the best way, because I'm kind of inclined to whip that thing out and try it. Out of curiosity, why is it not good to store it in the can?
Hi Jeff! The reason why dulce de leche should be stored in a clean airtight container (rather than a tin or can) is because it would better maintain its flavor and quality.
Hi! I just found this recipe and would like to make this today in the slow cooker. Is it possible to do 3 or 4 cans all at the same time? Thank you!
Hi Bev! It will depend on the size of your slow cooker. It is very important the side of each can is lying down at the bottom of the slow cooker and are covered with water.
Sounds like sweet and slow is the way to go! (Although I imagine the taste testing was fabulous!)
I like the idea of using the slow cooker to prepare this. It certainly looks more attractive than the results produced by the other two ways of doing this. And if it tastes the best, then it IS the best. 🙂