Dulce de Leche recipe with step by step photos. One of the desserts which I wanted to make from a long time was banoffee pie (also a requested recipe from readers). Banoffee pie is composed of bananas, cream and a special confectionary ingredient – Dulce de Leche.
Now dulce de leche is not available in most Indian cities. So the only way is to make it yourself. So I made dulce de leche and voila, I was simply bowled by the confection that dulce de leche is – Thick, luscious, caramelized condensed milk with a toffee taste. it was just wow. The toffee taste is one of the special characteristics of dulce de leche and can make you an addict if you have a sweeth tooth.
What is Dulce de Leche
Dulce de leche is a caramelized confection made from sweetened milk. dulce de leche is originally from Latin America but is now popular in Europe, America and even in India. Dulce de leche is a spanish word and means candy made from milk or caramel.
Methods to make Dulce de Leche
- Slow cooking sweetened milk – this method takes hours and hours with frequent stirrings in a pan on a stovetop. this is the traditional method and unless you have plenty of time on hand, avoid it.
- Pressure cooker or pot method – in this method, sweetened condensed milk cans are kept in a pan or pressure cooker with water. This one is an easy method, but there are chances of the can bursting. So why take the risk. I have had a couple of times pressure cooker bursting due to other people mistakes and I know the mess it can make. Why risk?
- Oven method – this is the safest method to make dulce de leche. It won’t need you to monitor often. Pour sweetened condensed milk in a pan which is placed inside another pan with hot water. Bake for an hour or two hours. The only problem you face is getting the pan out of the oven to check the condensed milk. So do this carefully. Note that the dulce de leche made with sweetened condensed milk will be more sweeter than the one made with the traditional method.
This dulce de leche recipe
- Is made in the oven
- Easy and safe
- No mess
- Needs two ingredients – sweetened condensed milk and hot water for the hot water bath
Dulce de leche can be made and later used in any of the sweets or desserts it calls for. You can even slather it on toasted bread. I made a lovely banoffee pie which I will share in a few days. I have used amul miThai mate for the sweetened condensed milk. You can use any brand of sweetened condensed milk.
The oven method is adapted from David lebovitz’s website.
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Dulce de Leche
Equipment
- 1 ceramic pie dish or ceramic pie pan
- 1 baking pan or roasting pan
Ingredients
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk - 400 grams
- 3 cups hot water or as required
Instructions
preparation for making dulce de leche
- In a ceramic pie pan pour condensed milk from 1 can (400 grams). Using a small silicone spatula scrape the sides and bottom of the can and add all of the condensed milk in the pan.
- Seal the pan tightly with a tin foil or aluminium foil.
- Place this pan in a larger pan. A roasting pan can also be used. Preheat oven at 220 degrees celsius or 430 degrees fahrenheit for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Heat water till it starts boiling.
- Carefully pour the hot water in the baking pan or roasting tray till it reaches half of the pie pan. note that the amount of water to be added will depend on the size of the pans.
making dulce de leche
- Using oven mitts (oven gloves) carefully place both the pans in the oven. bake at 220 degrees celsius for an hour or two hours. For a light caramelization of the condensed milk, you can bake for an hour. For a more deeper caramelization, bake for two or for more than two hours. Check after an hour. Remove the pans carefully using oven mittens.
- If the caramelization is less, then continue to bake for more 30 minutes to 1 hour or more. You can even check after 2 hours. You can also add a pinch of salt (optional) in the dulce de leche after it is done. Mix well and use in desserts or sweets.
- Dulce de leche stays well at room temperature for a few days. You can even keep in the fridge in an airtight jar or container. Stays good for a month in the fridge. On keeping in the fridge, the color slightly lightens and the consistency becomes more fluid. So if you are planning to use dulce de leche in a day, then might as well keep it at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition Info (Approximate values)
Preparation for making dulce de leche
1. In a ceramic pie pan pour condensed milk from 1 can (400 grams). Using a silicone spatula scrape the sides and bottom of the can and add all of the condensed milk in the pan.
2. Seal the pan tightly with a tin foil or aluminium foil.
3. Place this pan in a larger pan. A roasting pan can also be used. I used my 9-inch metal cake pan. It is lighter & easier to handle a metallic pan instead of a heavy ceramic pan. 2 ceramic or stoneware pans can become heavy and difficult to handle when placing in the oven. Preheat oven at 220 degrees celsius or 430 degrees fahrenheit for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. In a saucepan heat 3 cups of water till it starts boiling.
5. Carefully pour the hot water in the baking pan.
6. Pour water until it reaches half of the pie pan. Note that the amount of water will depend on the size of the pans you have used.
Making dulce de leche
7. Using oven mitts (oven gloves) carefully place the pans in the oven. Bake at 220 degrees celsius or 430 degrees fahrenheit for an hour or two hours. For a light caramelization of the condensed milk, you can bake for an hour. For a more deeper caramelization, bake for two or for more than two hours.
8. I removed pan after 1 hour and 15 minutes to check. In the picture, you can see that the condensed milk had begun to caramelize. The pan will be very hot, so be careful when sealing back with aluminium foil. As I wanted to show you the changes in the color and consistency, I removed the pan four times from the oven to take pictures.
9. Later removed pan again after 30 minutes and the color of the condensed milk was beginning to deepen. Again kept in the oven for one hour. Do note that you will have to add some more hot water in the pan if the water becomes less. After checking lightly stir with a spatula the condensed milk in the pan.
10. I again removed pan after 30 minutes and you can see the result. The color has darkened more.
11. Later again removed after 30 minutes. You can see that the condensed milk has become very thick and looks so viscous. I kept for a total of 2 hours and 45 minutes. However, do note that the baking time will vary depending on the temperature in the oven. So check after 1 hour as checking often is difficult. if the caramelization is less, then continue to bake for more 30 minutes to 1 hour or more. You can even check after 2 hours. You can also add a pinch of salt (optional) in the dulce de leche after its done. Mix well and use in desserts or sweets. If keeping dulce de leche in a jar or bowl, then use a spoon to place the dulce de leche in the jar. Scrape the sides with a silicone spatula and add the remaining dulce de leche in the jar.
12. Dulce de leche stays well at room temperature for a few days. You can even keep in the fridge in an airtight jar or container. It stays good for a month in the fridge. On keeping in the fridge, the color slightly lightens and the consistency becomes more fluid. So if you are planning to use dulce de leche in a day, then might as well keep at room temperature.
Hi, can we substitute a smaller baking tin instead of a ceramic dish to pour the condensed milk in?
Yes, you can do that.
just a question
If I were to remove the top of the can,
Surround it with water to the halfway mark at least
Pressure cook it
Will that not be quicker and less energy consuming ?
if pressure cooked with water, it will be steaming. the water will create steam in the cooker. chances are that the condensed milk will have water floating on top as the top of the can is removed. there are methods to pressure cook where the can is not opened. the can is kept as it is in the water and immersed completely in it and then pressure cooked. i find this method risky. on the web you will find the pressure cooking method also. in the method just check for the volume of cooker used (4-litre or 5-litre etc) and the amount of water added.
Hi Mam,
A big fan of your blog. Have tried so many recipes and everytime it’s been a hit.
I have a question. Can we use a metal pan like a baking pan instead of a ceramic pan if we don’t have one?
thank you kanchana. yes, you can use a metal baking pan. you can even use a heatproof glass baking pan.