Dulce de Leche Recipe Thick Caramel
Dulce de leche is a thick, caramel milk-based sauce. I have seen many recipes for it that involve simmering an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in a big pot of water for several hours. I have tried this in the past, despite warnings that it might explode. It worked fine but still had that distinctive sweetened condensed milk taste. So try this recipe instead, its faster and is delectable.
Dulce de leche ingredients (makes 1 cup of thick dulce de leche)
4 cups or 1litre (0.26 gallons) milk (4% fat)
2 cups or 436g (15.38 ounces) sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
Bring the milk to the boil, add the sugar, vanilla and baking soda. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Reduce the heat and wash down the sides of the pan using a wet pastry brush. Simmer over medium heat for about 1 hour scooping off any froth every fifteen minutes.
As you get closer to an hour monitor the syrup regularly to check it is not burning on the bottom of the pan.
Pour through a fine metal sieve into a bowl and allow to cool. It will thicken more on cooling.
Use as a sauce or as a component for desserts like ‘gold bar’ or banoffee tart.
Excess can placed in a ziplock bag and stored in the freezer.
Troubleshooting: If on cooling it is not as thick as you need it has not been heated hot enough. Pour into a clean saucepan and stir as it boils until a small teaspoonful placed on the bench cools to be thick. WARNING: Caramel is extremely hot, any little splatters will burn, so wear protective gloves while stirring.
by Ann Reardon How To Cook That
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Hi Ann 🙂
Can this caramel be whipped into buttercream? (plain buttercream + dulce de leche) Or should it just be with butter, like in the salted caramel cupcakes? I’m trying to make a caramel-ish frosting.
Thank you! <3
Hi Hannah, You can and here are the instructions for how: https://www.howtocookthat.net/public_html/caramel-cupcake-recipe/
If we wanted to eat and or use the dulce the next day, do we have to put it in the freezer? Or can we put it in the fridge? Or even keep it at room temp? Please let me know! I read appreciate it! Thank you!
Hi Qwerty, Ann suggests keeping it at room temperature or in the fridge.
I get it. it had burnt because I mixed it with spoon :/
Anyway I finally can make it and I made gold bar from your next recipe.
It is so delicious
Tank you so much Ann :*
Hi Ann
Mine burnt after half an hour 🙁
what should I do?
Hi Shirin, There are a couple of possibilities here. You may have had the pan too hot. It is good to use a pan with a heavy base to reduce the likelhood of the sugar catching, so if your plan has a light base that could have been and issue. If you would like to try a simplier caramel recipe you could use the one from this post: https://www.howtocookthat.net/public_html/giant-mars-bar-recipe-milky-way-bar/ as it is less likely to cause you dramas.
Just wondering, to make the dulce de leche, do I use sweet condensed milk or just plain ordinary milk? 🙂
Hi Angelica, This recipe uses plain milk.
I tried to make this but it didn’t thicken up, even after heating for three to four hours
Hi Hannah, There must be an issue with your ingredients or perhaps your heat was too low. Sugar will thicken the mix if left on the heat for long enough.
bonjour
serait-il possible de mettre les ingrédients dans la video avec le pas à pas ???? Merci à l’avance
Is there a temperature we should stop at because I don’t want to overlook it accidentally or something?
Hi Catherine, I can’t give you a measure to aim for. Ann just does it my watching and checking the mix. She doesn’t rely on the temperature and hasn’t measured it to check what it is.
hi Ann, could i leave it to set to make cubes or chew strips to have as a treat?
Hi Tamyka, This recipe makes a caramel that is designed to be used as a sauce. It won’t set firm.
My dulce de leche isn’t thickening ): Please help!!
Hi Nicole, Oh dear, I am not sure what the problem is. I suggest you go back over the steps and try again.
Hello. The ‘you tube’ tutorial for Dulce de Leche says to use Bicarbonate Soda, yet the written recipe states Baking Soda. Which one is it please? thanks
Hi Moira, Thanks for your question. Either will be fine.
Thankyou for your response. I have made the dolce de leche now, and though it is very nice, it took over 2 hours! I had it bubbling as shown in the video. Should I have used granulated sugar instead of caster sugar? Thankyou
Hi Moria, The caster sugar is best. Given it took so long, it is possible you could have had the heat up higher. try that next time and let us know how it goes.
I’ve made this twice and it literally took 3 hours each time but it finally thickened and was perfect to incorporate into the salted caramel macaron filling recipe. I tried turning the heat up slightly periodically but it would boil and foam too much so I don’t the possibility of cutting the time down by much.
Do you have to have the bicarb? Can it be replaced by something? Thanks
Sorry Shiho,
You can’t really exchange the Bicarb for anything else.
But you commented on another subscribes post saying
Hello. The ‘you tube’ tutorial for Dulce de Leche says to use Bicarbonate Soda, yet the written recipe states Baking Soda. Which one is it please? thanks
Admin HowToCookThat · March 12, 2015, 10:15 am Reply
Hi (name), Thanks for your question. Either will be fine.
Hi Michelle, They are the same thing. Baking POWDER is however a different product. Some countries fmix the terms which can be confusing.
Could you ad seasalt to make a salty caramel ?
Hi Leni, Yes you can but add it AFTER the mixture has caramelized.
How many cups does this make?
About a cup. I think it says so on the video description on YouTube.
Hi! I just wanted to know how much vanilla extract i need. In one of your comments you said a couple, but how much is that? Thanks!
Hi Patricia, I would use about half a teaspoon but it is really something you add to suit your taste.
Hi Patricia, I use about half a teaspoon but you can make it to suit your taste up to 2 teaspoons.
Hey ann, quick q. does the end result change if i use the $2.00 cheap milk from coles ? it seems to not want to get thick ! :/ , iv popped it into the fridge as a watery liquid , n hoping it set thnx
Hi Ferne, If the mixture isn’t thickening it usually due to insufficient heating not according to the type of milk.
How long would this keep? I want to use this as a filling for candy to give as a gift on Christmas but the last thing I want is spoilt filling
Hi Audrey, it whould keep for a few weeks, if exposed to the air it may crystalise though
When do u add the vanilla extract?
Hello, can I use soy milk or almond milk?
Hi Annie, I have not tested with either of those so you’d have to give it a try
dulce de leche has to be made with real milk from animals.my relatives
are from South America where they eat dulce de leche on bread for breakfast.
professional baker/chocolate maker from Hollywood , CA
You don’t say how much vanilla extract to put in?
about a couple of teaspoons is good
Hi
I tried it and it tasted good when it was warm. on cooling the sugar crystallized and it became hard and breakable and tasted more like hardened caramel. I do not know what went wrong I followed the recipe.