Silky Homemade Dulce de Leche — Argentine Caramel
Dulce de Leche
Slow-cooked milk and sugar transformed into silky Argentine dulce de leche.
Nutrition (per serving)
Dulce de leche is Argentina’s most beloved sweet — a simple alchemy of milk and sugar slowly cooked until it becomes a silky, golden caramel. This recipe walks you through a classic stovetop method that yields a spreadable, deeply flavored dulce perfect for spooning onto toast, filling alfajores, or folding into cakes and crepes.
I love how patient cooking turns humble ingredients into something decadent. With minimal hands-on time and a little attention near the end, you'll have a jar of glossy, rich dulce de leche that tastes like a warm hug from Buenos Aires.
Ingredients
- Whole milk:4 cups
- Granulated sugar:1 cup
- Baking soda:1/4 tsp
- Pure vanilla extract:1 tsp
- Fine sea salt:1/8 tsp
Instructions
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Use a wide, heavy-bottomed saucepan and whisk together the milk, sugar, and baking soda until mostly dissolved.
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Place the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently so the sugar fully dissolves and the milk heats evenly.
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Once simmering, reduce the heat to low so the surface barely bubbles; continue to cook uncovered, stirring every 5–10 minutes and skimming any foam.
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As the milk reduces and the color deepens (after about 45–75 minutes) start stirring more often to prevent sticking and to encourage even caramelization.
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When the mixture coats the back of a spoon and has a deep golden-amber color (typically 90–120 minutes total), remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.
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Let the dulce de leche cool slightly in the pan — it will thicken further as it cools — then transfer to a jar or airtight container.
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Refrigerate once cool; the flavor improves after a few hours and it keeps for up to 2 weeks chilled.
Tips & Notes
- Use a wide pan so the milk evaporates more quickly and caramelizes evenly — a heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven works well.
- Keep the heat low during the long simmer: too hot and it will scorch; too low and it will take much longer. A gentle steady bubble is ideal.
- If you need dulce de leche faster, cook a can of sweetened condensed milk in a pressure cooker (covered with water) for about 35–40 minutes, but follow proper safety guidelines.
- Stir more frequently toward the end of cooking — that’s when sticking and burning are most likely. A silicone spatula helps scrape the bottom well.
- For a deeper flavor, let the dulce de leche rest a day in the fridge before using; it mellows and gains complexity.
- Use clean, dry jars to store and warm slightly before spooning if it becomes very firm in the refrigerator.
