Description
Learn how to make creamy, caramel-like dulce de leche easily at home using just one simple ingredient: sweetened condensed milk. This recipe transforms a can of condensed milk into a rich and luscious dessert topping or spread through gentle simmering on the stovetop.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Prepare the can: Remove the label from the can of sweetened condensed milk and ensure it is unopened. This is important to prevent water from entering the can while cooking.
- Place in water: Put the sealed can in a large pot and fill the pot with water until the can is fully submerged with at least 1-2 inches of water above it. This ensures the can cooks evenly and safely.
- Simmer the can: Bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Maintain a steady simmer, not a rapid boil, for about 40 minutes. Make sure to keep the can submerged the entire time, adding more hot water if necessary.
- Cool the can: After 40 minutes, carefully remove the can from the water using tongs and allow it to cool completely to room temperature before opening. This may take an hour or more and is essential to prevent injury from hot caramel.
- Open and serve: Once cooled, open the can to reveal smooth, golden dulce de leche. Stir gently to combine and enjoy as a spread, topping, or ingredient in desserts.
Notes
- Never open the can while it is hot to avoid burns from hot caramel.
- Keep the can fully submerged throughout the cooking process to prevent it from overheating and potentially bursting.
- The longer the can simmers, the thicker and darker the dulce de leche will become; adjust timing accordingly for preferred consistency.
- Store any leftover dulce de leche in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
