How to make dulce de leche
04.20.2011 
I had no idea how easy it was to make dulce de leche (translation: milk candy) until three days ago. Doesn't it sound like something that would require candy thermometers and a lot of stirring and sweating over a hot stove? Well, guess what? It's not! And if you enjoy baking, think of all of the baked goods you could put dulce de leche in, on or over. Cakes, cookies, brownies, pies...mmmmmm..
(I adapted this from David Lebovitz's recipe.)
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
The only ingredient you will need is a can of sweetened condensed milk. Yep! That's it! Pour the entire can into a round baking dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Place the dish inside a larger baking dish such as a 9x13 pan. Pour 1 inch of hot water into the bottom of the outer dish.
Bake in the preheated oven for 70-80 minutes. You will need to top off the water in the outer dish a couple times throughout the baking process.
And after just over an hour, your sweetened condensed milk has magically transformed into dulce de leche! It should resemble caramel when it is finished. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool. Whisk it until it is free of clumps.
Now add it to your baked good or ice cream of choice! Store extra in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Reader Comments (11)
Girl I wish I never would have read that. Oh my - i will be putting that on EVERYTHING!
LOVE IT - Thanks tons!
Yum! Looks delicious!
ohmigosh, you've just made my week.
That looks delicious! Definitely something I need to do soon, I love dulce de leche :D
I made this today, and it's absolutely amazing, better than caramel!! But would you happen to know how long it keeps if i put it in a jar and stick it in the fridge?
I would say it would keep for 2 weeks, tightly sealed in the fridge. Glad you enjoyed it!
This is a great way to use oven space while making something else with a neutral smell in there. It saves on having to make it on the stove top for over an hour. Thank you for the tip.
You can buy this in the can aleady made in the Mexican food isle.
Hi Helen! I wanted to give people the option of not having to purchase it. It is so easy to make...so, why buy?! :)
Megan
You can also make it by boiling the can of condensed milk for 3 hours in a pot of boiling water. Works really well!
Hello! I just wanted to tell you that I'm argentinean, wich means I'm from the land of dulce de leche! (Yes, lucky one here)
This recipe is quite good, and I have tried it many times,and although it's not quite like real dulce de leche, the taste is nonetheless amazing.