Is it dulce de leche or caramel? Does it really matter? This golden, thick and creamy sauce is one of the most delicious things you’ll ever make; and this sweetened condensed milk dulce de leche sauce couldn’t be easier!
The easiest way to make a homemade dulce de leche sauce? Heating your favorite Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk until it turns into a one ingredient dulce de leche. It’s as easy as that! No candy thermometer or fancy equipment needed.
Caramel Vs. Dulce de Leche Sauce
What is the difference between caramel and dulce de leche?
Caramel sauce is made from liquifying sugar by itself until it starts to brown and then adding cream and butter at the end. Dulce de leche is made by heating milk and sugar for a longer time, which creates the Maillard reaction.
Technically speaking, this recipe is a sweetened condensed milk dulce de leche. Here is my recipe for traditional caramel sauce, if that is what you were searching for.
There are several different methods for making the best dulce de leche. We’ll go over each one. The best part about this easy recipe is you only need one simple ingredients- that’s it!
How to Use Dulce de Leche Sauce
Because this is a dulce sauce, it is thicker and therefore can be used in so many more ways than just for a drizzle. Thick, like stick to your teeth, thick. And oh, so delicious! This sweet sauce can be used so many ways.
- Swirl it into brownies
- Use it as the filling for peanut butter
thumbprint cookies - Heat and drizzle over ice cream sundaes
- Swirl into milkshakes
- Line a martini glass for chocolate martinis
- Swirl into cheesecakes or other custards
- Sweeten coffee
- Use it as a fruit salad dip
- Fill pastries and other desserts
- Make Dulce de Leche Bars
- Scoop of vanilla ice cream
- Dip apple slices or graham crackers into it
- Use it to make banoffee pie
- Pour it over vanilla pound cake
Basically anything you can use for fudge sauce, you can also use with dulce de leche.
Creamy Dulce de Leche Taste
The best way to describe it is, well, a rich caramel sauce. Which is why the two get used interchangeably so frequently.
Its origin is from Latin American and used in many pastries and desserts. Sometimes it is just served in a dainty little bowl chilled, like a custard. Pair this sweet caramel with chocolate, cake, fruit and vanilla.
Heating the Can
For many years people have been making an easy dulce de leche sauce by taking an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk (milk and sugar) and placing it in a water bath in a slow cooker, oven or even a pressure cooker.
Well, as you can imagine, heating a metal can with liquid inside isn’t the safest thing to do. Especially if you open the top of the cans a little too early. It can literally explode. It makes me nervous.
Even if you use a can instead of our dulce de leche recipe, we suggest transferring it to a baking dish, roasting pan or pie dish.
Water Bath
What is a water bath? A water bath is simply a tray of hot water placed in the oven while baking certain baked goods and also some savory recipes. The water level should cover the condensed milk. It has two major benefits:
- It adds moisture into the environment. Think about as a steam room for your food to prevent it from drying out. This prevents cracks in cheesecakes, pumpkin pies and more.
- Prevents rubbery texture. That same moisture prevents some foods from getting rubbery and brittle, like baked custards and dulce de leche sauce.
How to Make Dulce de Leche Sauce from Condensed Milk
Making your own dulce de leche is easy. The oven method technique stays the same for the different ways to make it. We are going to heat milk (heavy cream) and sugar (sweetened condensed milk) at a steady heat while in a water bath.
- Add condensed milk to dish and cover. Pour one can of sweetened condensed milk into a shallow casserole dish or pie plate. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
- Add dish to water bath. Place in a larger pan and create a water bath up 50-75% of the dish with the sweetened condensed milk. It really depends on the size of your pans as to how much it can handle. Don’t overfill, but don’t let it get dry either.
- Bake until condensed milk has reached a caramel color. Check it periodically and also replace water as needed.
- Remove crust from top. Remove thin crust from the top or use an immersion blender to melt it back in.
- Cool completely and transfer to an airtight container or glass jar.
The Finished Product
After it finished cooking, it might have a thin crusty layer on top or a gummy film, like pudding. You will need to make a very telling decision. You have two choices. Other times, there won’t be an issue at all. The one thing to note is to do it while the sauce is hot or it will get lumpy.
Skim the top… and eat it! – Listen, that top layer is the like burnt sugar on a creme brulee or delicious pudding. You can use a spoon and gently lift it off. It is best consumed immediately while still hot. Don’t let it go to waste!
Blend It- Use an immersion blender and mix it all up while the sauce is still hot. The crusty or gummy pieces will melt right back in.
Double Boiler Dulce de Leche Sauce
The other option is to make this rich dulce de leche in a double boiler, two nesting saucepans, one with enough water bath on the bottom and the sweetened milk in the top.
I’ve found that this easy method takes the same amount of time, but is more hands on, having to stir it to make sure all of the liquid gets to the bottom/heat source to caramelize. It also has a higher risk of burning even though you are using a double boiler.
Heat the water to a low simmer then stir every so often for 1 hour.
Storage & Freezing
How to Store Dulce de Leche Sauce
After being cooled, covered and stored properly, this creamy caramel sauce can be kept up to 1 month in the fridge. Many people prefer to store it in a mason jar for the next day.
Can I Freeze Sweetened Condensed Milk Dulce de Leche?
It also freezes well. Place in an airtight container or plastic bag and keep for up to 3 months. Past that it starts to develop ice crystals. To thaw, leave at room temperature until it softens. I don’t recommend defrosting in the microwave.
More Dessert Sauces
If you know me, you know how much I love a good homemade sauce- and that includes sweet sauces too!
Dulce de Leche Sauce
Ingredients
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk 1 can is approximately 1.75 cups
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Pour one can of sweetened condensed milk into a shallow casserole dish or pie plate.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
- Place in a larger pan and create a water bath up 50-75% of the dish with the sweetened condensed milk. It really depends on the size of your pans as to how much it can handle. Don’t overfill, but don’t let it get dry either.
- Bake 60-90 minutes or until condensed milk has reached a golden brown color. Check it periodically and also replace water as needed.
- Remove thin crust from the top or use an immersion blender to melt it back in.
- Cool completely and transfer to an airtight container or glass jar.
- Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 month.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or ratings.
Nutrition
