Imagine a creamy, rich, brown caramel made from the simplest of ingredients — milk and sugar — and involving little more than a pot of boiling water and a couple hours. Hard to believe, but the best way to make dulce de leche is also the easiest way. And tell me you're not salivating as you eye the caramel I've got sitting in a jar in my fridge. This stuff is to die for, people.
Ingredients: 1 can sweetened condensed milk.
Special equipment: 1 big, tall pot and lots of water
Peel the label of the can of sweetened condensed milk. Do not open the can.
Fill the pot with water so that the water level covers the can by at least an inch. Plunk the can into the pot to check, then remove.
Set the pot over high heat and bring to a boil; once the water is boiling, add the can, and turn the heat down to medium high, bringing the water to a simmer. The can should be standing on one side, not rolling around.
Now, I noticed that the can tends to make a lot of noise as the bubbles from the boiling water try to escape from beneath it. One trick, if you happen to have two pairs of tongs lying around, is to prop the can on a tilt by sticking a small ball of tin foil underneath it. This stops the noise.
Leave the can in the simmering water for at least 2 hours (longer for a firmer caramel — I left it in for 3), and make sure to replenish the water as often as you need to in order to keep the water level above the can. I had to add about a cup every half hour to 45 minutes.
When 2 hours (or your desired cooking time) have elapsed, turn off the heat and leave the can in the water for at least half an hour, to cool slightly. If you were to remove it immediately, the heat inside the can would overpower the air pressure surrounding it, and it would explode.
After 30-45 minutes, remove the can with tongs; if it's not too hot to touch, you can open it with a can opener. Dulce de leche will start oozing out as you open the can, and you should feel free to — ahem — clean it up. With your fingers. And then try it. Gaahhh it's so good 
59 responses so far ↓
1 a. grace // Feb 25, 2008 at
talk about your food porn. good lord in heaven, that's beautiful.
2 foodie // Feb 26, 2008 at
mmm my …. i always hear about this process but have never actually tried it. i really have no excuse not to……. must…. lick… spoon…
3 Deborah // Feb 26, 2008 at
This is the way we learned to make it in Junior High Spanish class. And then we ate it on apple slices. Yum!!
4 cakewardrobe // Feb 26, 2008 at
I never knew it was this easy!!! Yikes for fattynass tonight!!
5 Madeline // Feb 26, 2008 at
This looks amazing and so easy!
So, as long as you leave the can in the water to cool afterwards, it shouldn't explode, right? Forgive me, I am a chicken sometimes
6 rivka // Feb 26, 2008 at
Right
Embarrassingly easy, eh?
7 Allen // Feb 26, 2008 at
Looks thick and rich — I've been wanting to try this, fear of explosion has stopped me before. I'll have to throw caution to the wind
Beautiful caramel like this is worth it.
8 Jill // Feb 26, 2008 at
Just a little tip….If you make this, use a large pot & make 3 or 4 cans at the same time. It keeps forever.
9 Andrew // Feb 26, 2008 at
My dad made this for us once. In Chile where he's from they call it Manjar. ^_^
10 Medena // Feb 27, 2008 at
WOW! Soooooo easy! Thank you, thank you, I can't wait to make this—TODAY!!! :)))
11 david // Feb 27, 2008 at
I, like most commenters, hadn't really dulce de leche is so easy to make. Eating it with apples sounds delicious.
12 Dom Inican // Feb 27, 2008 at
Boil the can! Who would've thought. A variation to this is what's called Dulce de Leche "Cortada" (Cut), in which you curdle the milk by adding a squeeze of lemon juice. Pic is here: http://u.univision.com/contentroot/uol/art/images/mujer/coc/2004/10/dulce_leche.jpg
13 Amy // Feb 27, 2008 at
I would think the can would be harmful…or at least add a bad taste. Guess I should try and decide.
14 Tim // Feb 28, 2008 at
I'd prop it up to begin with- 3 little foil balls would be stable, or 2 "rails".
Great idea though, checking the cupboard now!!
15 crockpot lady // Feb 28, 2008 at
I wonder if I could do this in the crockpot…
leave it overnight?
I think I need this.
-steph
16 rivka // Feb 28, 2008 at
I've definitely heard that it's possible in a crock pot. The trick would be to put in the water cold with the can inside, prop up the can, turn the crock on low, and leave it overnight. You'd probably get a thicker, more solid caramel that way, but it'd be no less scrumptious.
17 Matin // Feb 28, 2008 at
Thats genius:-)
Cheers
X M
18 crockpot lady // Feb 28, 2008 at
thanks, Rivka! I'm going to try it out. I'll let you know how it comes out.
-steph
19 Sunmarc // Feb 28, 2008 at
My Dad used to make this when I was growing up in the late 60's early 70's. It was always a great treat when he did!
You can quicken the cooling time by running cool water from the the sink into the pot once the cooking time is finished. Then pop it into the freezer for a while.
20 Bob // Feb 28, 2008 at
I'm 45 years old and my family has been making this since before I was born. We simmer it for two hours and then take it right out of the water and put it in the fridge right away and I've never seen it explode.
21 NJMom // Feb 28, 2008 at
We call this World War II caramel. I often make it in my pressure cooker–low pressure for 1 hour. You don't have to wait so long!
A shorter cooking time yields more of a sauce, perfect for topping ice cream.
22 zack // Feb 29, 2008 at
It's actually called cajeta. "cah heh tha"
Translates to burnt milk. which it is.
Dulce de leche just means sweet milk.
This stuff gives people diabetes.
It's great.
23 saba // Feb 29, 2008 at
Another way to achieve this is to lay in a stock of tinned condensed milk and wait 30 years. My grandmother did this in Switzerland before World War II and my cousin and I ate the lot in the early 1960s.
24 Blah // Feb 29, 2008 at
When I live in NY, my mom out of nostalgia, did this for my brothers and me. We felt it was forever to cool off! Now that we moved back to Argentina, there's an endless number of brands of it, but it'll never feel as special as it did then.
Mom used to cut a vanilla cake bisquit in half and spread a large amount of it in the middle (usualy with sliced canned peach) and moisturize the cake a bit with rum or oporto wine for our birthdays. Then got creative with the decoration
I highly recomend trying it with bananas!
25 Ryan // Feb 29, 2008 at
How do I store it after? Refrigerator?
26 Mr_Br0wn // Feb 29, 2008 at
My mother used to use this method to make caramel pie. she would make a graham cracker crumb crust and line it with banana slices then spoon cans of this caramel over the bananas and refrigerate
27 Fernando Sotomayor // Feb 29, 2008 at
i think you should call it MANJAR like we do, is so much easier for foreign people
i had no idea it was this easy, i'm gonna make me some today ! ! ! !
call it Manjar ! Dulce de Leche is too long !
28 Dianne // Feb 29, 2008 at
I made some today because I could find it in my store and I needed it for this week's Tuesday with Dorie recipe. But how do you store it? Does it need to be refrigerated?
29 rivka // Feb 29, 2008 at
It keeps in the refrigerator forever — enjoy!
30 Dianne // Feb 29, 2008 at
Thanks! I will!
31 Jessica // Feb 29, 2008 at
to make a real good dessert out of this put a layer of graham crackers in the bottom of a 13×9 glass baking dish. then whip the can of boiled sweetened condensed milk with one pint of heavy whipping cream. when stiff spread the mix over the graham crackers. crumble some graham cracker over the top for garnish. chill and serve… very delicious!
32 Am // Mar 1, 2008 at
I haven't read all the comments above so someone may have already mentioned this but i use this technique to make the toffee for banoffie pie.
You just need a biscuit base, covered with the stuff above, then banna slices on top of that, then whipped cream (though i like to get crative and put random stuff throughout)
33 Leah // Mar 2, 2008 at
I would love to make this - you don't happen to know where I can buy tinned condensed milk in Israel, do you??
34 rivka // Mar 2, 2008 at
I do, in fact! Do you by chance live in Jerusalem? (I don't know if you saw on my about page that I lived there for two years and just arrived back in the US this past summer…) If you're in J'lem, "Super Moshava" on Emek Refaim has sweetened condensed milk, as do some "Mister Zol" stores. If you're in Tel Aviv, there are countless places to get it — just try real supermarkets, not the little "Makolot." Good luck!
35 rivka // Mar 2, 2008 at
I love all the fantastic names people have for this! Glad to know that it's actually called Cajeta or Manjar and not that long tongue twister of a name I thought.
And thanks for posting dessert ideas, everyone — not that I don't love eating it out of the jar for breakfast, but it'd be nice to share this with my next dinner guests.
36 VD // Mar 2, 2008 at
And if you mix about 3 tbsp of cocoa with it, you will have a delicious chocolate cake icing. I guarantee!
37 Melanie // Mar 2, 2008 at
My friend Tamara and I decided to try this out last night. I got very excited after I stumbled across the simple process the other day at work when I was browsing tastespotting.com. She decided to cook hers for 2 hours, I boiled mine for 3. They both turned out delicious! I had some with apple earlier on today.
38 Christine // Mar 3, 2008 at
Looks amazing, easy and sooo fattening! Gotta give it a try. I think I will try to make it healthy and have apples or bananas with it. Did anyone try it in the crockpot?
39 Grace Lane // Mar 8, 2008 at
In Australia, we layer the caramel into a pie shell, slice bananas over it, then cream, topped with passionfruit. So quick, so impressive.
40 Hanna // Mar 9, 2008 at
Freakin' beautiful!
41 Stefania // Mar 10, 2008 at
Can this work with condensed milk that's in a pop-tab can? The only ones I've seen at the store have the easy to open tab (like on a pop can). I'm worried that this type of can will explode regardless if I keep the can submerged.
42 Carolina // Mar 11, 2008 at
Hi everyone,
This is a great way to make dulce de leche. I had never heard of this method before, which is weird.
Just so you know, it's not "actually" called cajeta or manjar. Those are different names for dulce de leche. I lived in Venezuela for a while and there they called it arequipe I think, and I believe they call it cajeta in Mexico and Peru and manjar in Chile (where I live now) but it is dulce de leche in Argentina (where my fiance is from and where I believe they use it and make it the most. I even believe that this is where it was first made) and its called doce de leite in Brazil (where I'm from). Leche dulce means "sweet milk", but dulce de leche means "a sweet or candy made of milk" or "milk candy". So really I guess you can call it any of those names because they are all correct somewhere, but for me, this is and will always be Dulce de Leche in Spanish and Doce de Leite in Portuguese. Thanks for the method!!
43 rivka // Mar 11, 2008 at
Carolina, thanks for your detailed explanation of all the names for this caramel!
Stefania, I'd be nervous to try it with a pop tab; if you do try it, remove everything around the pot and please let us know how it goes!
44 crockpot lady // Mar 11, 2008 at
Rivka, I made this yesterday! It was amazing, and oh so easy in the crockpot.
Thank you so much for the wonderful idea!
xox
steph
45 Heather // Mar 13, 2008 at
This looks lovely! My junior high school Spanish teacher was from Puerto Rico, and she made this for our class once. We ate it on Saltines crackers. I loved the sweet with the salty. I may have to try it myself! Thanks for sharing.
46 avis // Mar 13, 2008 at
I did this once and while the caramel was warm is was so soft but after it cooled off it was almost solid. Was it supposed to do that? Could I have warmed it up again to make it soften? Also - do you just store it in the unopened can or do you put it in another container? Would it last longer in the original can or does the can cause problems?
This really was the best stuff I had ever tasted.
47 rivka // Mar 13, 2008 at
Avis: If you cook the caramel for 2 or so hours, it comes out pretty soft; if you cook it for 3, it comes out more solid. It will melt and liquify if you melt it, so stick some in the microwave for a couple seconds and enjoy!
48 russ // Mar 19, 2008 at
Keeping it covered with water while boiling was mentioned, but not emphasized enough. If the water gets low, the can may get too hot and explode. Sweet, delicious Napalm substitute will be all over your ceiling (hopefully not you), and you will never get it off.
49 Angie // Mar 21, 2008 at
Oh, that's just wrong! I love it when my sweetened condensed milk caramelizes in the can. I'm going to have to try this on purpose! But not for the next 10 weeks, because I'm doing a weight loss thing. It definitely wouldn't help the cause!
50 Logan // Apr 9, 2008 at
I decided to try this recipe out today and was amazed at how great it turned out. I cooked it for 2 and half hours and the consistency was perfect, a nice smooth creamy style.
This is the most delicious caramel I have ever eaten. So sooooo good.
These directions were perfect. Just make sure you follow them exactly so you don't have an exploding mess like post 48.
Just typing this makes me have to go nibble a couple more spoonfulls.
DO THIS! It is easy and super delicious
51 Chuck // Apr 14, 2008 at
I have never heard of this before. I can't wait to give it a try this weekend. Thank you for sharing.
52 meredithann // Apr 15, 2008 at
This is about my favorite desert! My grandmother made it years ago (I'm 62). We would salivate in anticipation of the "done" product.
She would then prepare fresh whipped cream and add a tablespoon of that. Pure heaven.
53 Niall Harbison // Apr 17, 2008 at
Hi there,
I just stumbled accross your blog by using stumbleupon and love the design of the whole thing! I normally skip straight past food blogs as I have over 20 in my RSS and dont even have enough time to read the ones that I have! I am started out as a blogger myself and always tried to keep the design simple like yours as I think it is crucial, especially if you can back it up with some nice food pics like yours! Keep up the good work and if you feel like sharing some of the photos with other foodies pop over to http://www.ifoods.tv which is my new site for foodies! Cheers!
54 Owen // Apr 24, 2008 at
This sounds fun , but a bit of a random, question, but how should the can sound when shaken, as I had a can going for about 2 and a half hours and it still sounds far to liquidy inside.
55 rivka // Apr 24, 2008 at
Not sure — I've never shaken the can. was your water at a rolling boil the whole time? and was the can totally submerged? If so, you should be fine…
enjoy!
56 erin // May 20, 2008 at
Oh My Heavens - I made this last night and it was wonderful. Put a spot in my coffee this morning and what a treat! I just left it in the pan of water over night to cool down and it was sooo thick! YUMMY!!!!
57 Jaimeson // May 31, 2008 at
This is a great way to do it on the stove. I have only made it in a crock pot. It takes about 8 hours that way but its perfect to leave in overnight = )
Thanks for all the dessert suggestions… I love to make it but then never have any use for it all!
58 FreshArrival » Blog Archive » Dulce-de-leche. // Jun 1, 2008 at
[…] VISIT SITE […]
59 RPO // Jun 30, 2008 at
This looks delicious!
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