Learn how to make Dulce de Leche two different ways! The classic version is made from milk, sugar and baking soda while the easy version is made with a simple can of sweetened condensed milk. Both produce a delicious and rich caramel-like sauce that you’ll want to eat by the spoonful!
Do you ever get a craving for a decadent and comforting dessert that tastes so rich and delicious, you can’t wait to put it on everything? Then you need some dulce de leche!
This caramel-like sauce is so versatile, it can be used as a sauce, a spread, eaten on it’s own, mixed in as a flavoring and countless other ways.
What is dulce de leche?
Dulce de leche is a thickened caramel-like sauce that’s made with milk, sugar and sometimes flavored with vanilla and cinnamon. It’s prepared by slowly heating milk and sugar until the mixture caramelizes and thickens, turning it into a sauce that’s often referred to as Mexican caramel.
What’s the difference between dulce de leche and cajeta?
Dulce de leche is sometimes called cajeta because they’re very similar. Though they’re made the same exact way, cajeta uses goat’s milk whereas dulce de leche uses cow’s milk. If your tummy is sensitive to cow’s milk, take a look at my cajeta recipe.
Dulce de Leche – 2 Ways
There are two ways to make dulce de leche:
- The classic version made on the stovetop with five ingredients including milk, sugar, baking soda, vanilla extract and ground cinnamon.
- The easy 1-ingredient version made in the oven with one can of sweetened condensed milk.
Both versions are similar in flavor and color, but where they differ is the actual cooking method and time.
Making the Classic Version
To make the classic version, heat up some milk, sugar and baking soda in a pot over medium high heat. Once the mixture boils, reduce it to a simmer and cook for about 1-1 1/2 hours until it’s thickened and transformed into a beautiful golden brown color.
I like adding in some vanilla extract and a touch of ground cinnamon at the end for extra flavor, but that’s completely optional.
This method requires more attention and some stirring every now and then to make sure it doesn’t burn.
Making the Easy 1-Ingredient Version
To make the easy version, simply pour a can of sweetened condensed milk into a 9-inch baking dish like a glass pie plate and cover the top tightly with aluminum foil. Then place the pie plate into a larger dish like a roasting pan and fill up the pan with water until it reaches halfway up the pie plate.
This creates a water bath (or a bain-marie or baño-maría) that helps the sweetened condensed milk cook slowly and gently.
Bake this for 2 hours at 425°F and just set it and forget it. The longer it cooks, the darker and thicker it becomes.
Though this method takes a little longer than the classic method, it doesn’t require much attention once it’s in the oven.
Ways to enjoy dulce de leche
Besides eating it by the spoonful, here are some other ways to eat this amazing Mexican dessert!
- spread onto dough to make Dulce de Leche Cinnamon Rolls
- spread onto cookies or graham crackers
- stirred into coffee or hot chocolate
- drizzled on crepes, ice cream or brownies
- spread on fruit likes bananas and apples
More Mexican desserts
- Tres Leches Cake
- Conchas (Mexican Sweet Bread)
- Bunuelos
- Marranitos (Mexican Gingerbread Pigs)
- Easy Flan Recipe
- Sweet Tamales
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Ingredients
For the classic version
- 4 cups milk
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the easy 1-ingredient version
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
For the classic version
- In a large pot over medium heat, stir together milk, sugar, and baking soda.
- Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, making sure to remove the pot from the stove if it looks like the mixture is going to foam over. Keep stirring until the foam subsides and then return to the stovetop.
- Once the mixture is boiling consistently without foaming, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the milk has caramelized and thickened.
- When the mixture is a beautiful golden brown and the mixture has thickened to where it sticks very well to the back of a spoon, remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and ground cinnamon.
- Transfer to a glass jar to cool and enjoy!
For the easy 1-ingredient version
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a 9-inch baking dish (I used a pie plate) and cover it tightly with foil.
- Place the covered dish in a larger pan (like a roasting pan) and pour hot water into the larger pan until it comes halfway up the side of the 9-inch dish.
- Carefully transfer it to the oven and bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
- Remove the 9-inch baking dish from the water bath and carefully remove the foil. Whisk the dulce de leche until completely smooth and transfer it to a glass jar to cool. Enjoy!
Isabel’s Tips:
Nutrition Information
This recipe was originally posted in 2017 and was updated in March 2020 with new photos, helpful tips and an additional alternative way to make the recipe.
I love Dulce de Leche, good gravy, all I want is a bathtub full of it and a spoon. My best friend is married to a Mexican American but he came over when he was 20 ish in the early 70s. He had a restaurant called Taste of Mexico, and he is from the Chihuahua area, umm Rancho Pena is what I want to say. Anyway, I make a lot of different Mexican Foods, and I noticed there is no recipe for Puerco con Chile Verde which is one of my faves, and I do make it, but I would love to see another recipe, maybe I can add to my way.
I made the classic version and it turned out perfectly! It’s much easier to make than sweetened condensed milk which takes forever. I used mostly half and half because I didn’t realize I had very little milk and a whole lot of half and half. It’s so creamy and awesome! The directions were simple, easy to follow, and spot-on. It was on the stove for exactly 1.5 hours. Thank you!
I have a question. In the instructions, it says to “reduce the heat and simmer”. Does that mean to actually reduce the medium heat to a simmer heat or is it to lower the medium heat to lets say a low heat?
Hi! That just means to reduce the medium heat to a low heat and cook it for about 1.5 hours.
Can raw milk be used? And can the recipe be doubled or tripled?
This recipe hasn’t been tested using raw milk but I’m sure you use it. If you would like to double or triple this recipe you can use the toggle tool under the recipe title.
Hi. I want to try your recipe. But I just wanna ask if what is the purpose of adding baking soda on it? Is this ingredient really a requirement or just optional? This would be my first time making this one. I would be very much thankful for your short response. Thanks.
Hi! The baking soda in the recipe helps yield a smoother dulce de leche since it stops the milk proteins from coagulating. Hope that helps!
Can you use 2% milk in this recipe?
Yes! You can use 2% milk 🙂
Can you use 1% milk in this recipe?
Yes, you can use 1% milk.
Hi, I’ve loved dulce de leche ever since living in Buenos Aires as a child but wonder if you can put the pan, uncovered, into a slow oven rather than having it on the top of the stove. I have a stove which loses a lot of heat if the top is open for a long time.
Hi Anthea. I’ve never made it that way before so I’m not sure. If you make it, let me know!
I’m a Mexican girl and I have to say you make the recipes very well and I love you try to make different recipes, also I need to say Mexican food have lots of flavor and you’re doing it well girl. Thanks for love our food and show them to the world.
This recipe reminds me to my grandmas dulce de leche.
Aw, gracias Nathalia! 🙂 That means so much!
This turned out FABULOUS!!! I used whole cream raw milk for the at home version. I then used the Dulce de leche to make a salted caramel ice cream.