Sure Dulce de Leche sounds fancy, but it’s just like caramel but more milky. MMM, creamy caramelized sugar…GOOOOD. The best part is, it’s insanely easy to make. Insanely! How can I stress this enough? So easy my dog could do it (if she had thumbs). So easy my dad could do it. (My dad has never used the stove before.) So easy, I’m pretty sure my cousin’s genius 2 year old could do it. (Steve and Karen, shall we test this theory out?) Do you get what I’m saying? It’s so easy, no excuses. Can you purchase a can of sweetened condensed milk? You’re already half-way done.
So here’s the secret, you basically just boil a can of sweetened condensed milk and that’s it; you get Dulce de Leche. Here’s the second secret: the ghetto police won’t even come get you because they use this method at fancy restaurants. I learned it myself at a fancy French place, saw it with my own eyes, asked questions in disbelief, then filled my gaping mouth with dulce de leche. It’s sticky and helped hold it back together.
This method yields a wonderfully smooth, shiny, and spreadable confection. It’s a great filling for cakes and cookies, or just spread on some toast. If you want to drizzle it, you need to warm it and thin it with some milk.
A detailed recipe that you really don’t need…
Dulce de Leche
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
Instructions –
1. Remove the paper surrounding the can and discard. Place can in a pot and cover with water.
2. Bring to a boil and cook for 90 minutes. (Time can be adjusted for a lighter or darker dulce de leche.) Make sure the can always remains covered with water, adding any when necessary. I keep a kettle of water heating on another burner so that I add boiling water each time because cold water will lower the temperature. (If you don’t do this, it’s not the end of the world.)
3. Remove pot form the heat and drain. Set the can on the counter and allow it to cool 5 minutes. Open can and enjoy. (Be careful. It’s hot! Use a towel to hold can and a little may spray out when you first puncture the can.)
Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge. Should last at least 1 week. You can use it straight from the fridge or warm it in the microwave.
this is one tip we can definitely use!
This is a great tip! I like that there’s no clean up involved!
wow kinda dangerous though, no?
Eddie, that’s what Lon asked but I’ve done it and seen it done so many times and nothing ever goes wrong. Any scientist want to explain why it doesn’t explode?
Sending this to a friend in NY. He tried the boil method, and he said it was too thick. Maybe your way will provide a bit more guidance!
i made this once with the pressure cooker…so goooood!
This is the most briliant thing ever.
OMG!!! This is such a great tip!! I can’t wait to try it.
Carmen
Thanks for sharing! Should I keep it on at medium heat for 90 minutes then?
This is the method used to make bananoffee pie, a U.K. treat.
Kim, just keep it boiling. On some stoves that may be medium, on some that may be low after it reaches it.
I have made dulce de leche like this before- I was stunned at how easy it was….and how wonderful!
This is great… And I think the fact that you constantly keep the can in water also avoids any can explosion!
I’ve done that and it comes out perfectly every time! I’ve gotten fat free condensed milk and been making a light version 🙂
5 Star Foodie, wow, fat free huh?
I’ve seen the microwave version too.. I did the simmer version and mixed the caramel with rum for extra flavor 🙂
Jessica, there’s no need to convince me to try making Dulce de Leche.
I learned to make this stuff before I learned to walk. Well, the first lesson involved watching my mom make it. Once old enough to be allowed in the kitchen without supervision, I started making this velvety, and wonderfully-caramel confection.
And in all these years, I have never once had a Kaboom! in the kitchen.
Tuty, spiked caramel, nice!
Marysol, glad to be verified! Don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me!!
If you ever get a chance to visit Argentina, try the Serenisima brand dulce de leche… I grew up on that stuff… must be the milk or something… but it’s soooooo soooooo goooood! =)
Just did it today with your recipe. Yum! I’ve still to post about it and link to your post here 🙂
Thanks again for the easy way!!
Hi Jessica,
I tried this today and it worked just as you said it would! I used it to make some cookies to take over to my grandma’s for tea 🙂 I posted about it on my blog, if you want to check out the cookie pictures??
Thanks again for the inspiration!
Cheryl, super cute little tea pots! Baking can be unpredictable at times, but keep at it, start on speaking terms today, and soon you’ll be best buddies. Thanks for letting me know that you tried my recipe, my favorite part about being a food blogger!
Here is the science, chemistry, physics of boil in a can:
The condensed sweetened milk boils at much higher temperature than plain water, because of all the dissolved sugar and milk solids. So the pressure inside the can even if you boil it hard will be less than atmospheric pressure. Therefore the can will no way burst or even swell.
If you let the water boil away and the can is heated on the fire, of course eventually it will explode; you don’t want to do that!
The myth that the can explodes and the alleged need to open the can and heat it in a pan or whatever was probably created by lawyers working for condensed milk companies. Have no fear.
This topic has been discussed much elsewhere, and I have made the stuff often. I like to boil it about 4 hours to get a thick and fully flavored product. One test showed 12 hours is just too much.
You can also make this by adding some baking soda, which makes the Malliard reaction go quicker. Some say using fresh milk, sugar and baking soda makes a better product. I say plain old condensed milk boiled in the can is inexpensive, easy, and tasty!
My concern here folks! Is it safe to boil a can … in terms of problems with the metal of the tin affecting the chemistry of the milk. Is this safe?
Chris, I believe that boiling metal cans is safe, and that they are often boiled in the canning process of many products.
I am very interested in making this but I am worried about the BPA in the lining of the can. Would heating the milk up like that inside the can make the BPA leach out even more? Maybe I’m just being a worry wort. 🙂
Beth, we learned about BPA in cans in the last few months and it is very concerning. We’ve actually temporarily suspended the use of any canned foods temporarily until we learn more. I wish they would just outlaw BPA in cans! =(
This is an amazing recipe! i am not very good in the kitchen, and im pretty sure that my mom expected me to blow up the kitchen when i told her i had to make Peruvian cookies for spanish class, and that it involved boiling a can! every thing turned out well though, and the cookies were a big hit! Thank you so much Jessica!