Homemade Dulce de Leche Recipe

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If you have a sweet tooth, try this traditional Argentine dulce de leche recipe [and our secret trick to achieve extra smoothness and shine] It only requires a few ingredients and a large pot. You can spread it on toast, use it to fill churros, or simply enjoy it with a spoonful. It’s the most versatile sweet treat you’ll ever taste!

Nothing screams Argentina more than a delightful jar of dulce de leche. It’s a creamy sauce that’s a tad sweeter than butterscotch and a bit thicker than caramel sauce. We consider it our favorite treat and a national culinary treasure, which is why in this post, not only are we going to explain how to make it from scratch, but we’re also going to share our favorite secret trick to make it extra smooth, creamy, and with a spectacular shine.

It’s also a beloved treat in Uruguay, Chile, and Paraguay, and can be found in many parts of the world. In Mexico, you can find dulce de cajeta, which is quite similar but not the same. Dulce de cajeta is usually made with goat’s milk.

Secret Trick to Achieve the Best Dulce de Leche

Most dulce de leche recipes involve cooking milk and sugar, but we want to share the secret ingredient that our families have been using for decades to achieve the smoothest dulce de leche you’ll ever taste: heavy cream. Adding a cup of heavy cream will increase the fat content, resulting in an extra smooth and creamy dulce de leche.

Let’s dive in!

This recipe has simple steps, but it does require some patience as it cooks. All you have to do is cook milk, heavy cream, and sugar for over two hours. But don’t worry, if you’re looking for an even simpler dulce de leche recipe, you can check out our easy dulce de leche recipe that only requires ONE ingredient, condensed milk.

Homemade Dulce de Leche Ingredients

Milk: Make sure to use whole milk as it provides creaminess to the dulce de leche. It’s the main ingredient, so choose good-quality milk for best results.

Heavy cream: This is our STAR ingredient. Heavy cream will give the dulce de leche extra creamines, a shiny look and an incredible texture so we strongly suggest including it.

Sugar: We recommend using refined white sugar.

Baking soda: Baking soda prevents the milk from curdling and will also give the dulce de leche its intense caramel color.

Vanilla extract: We use a teaspoon for two liters of milk, but you can add a tablespoon if you want a stronger vanilla flavor.

*See the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.

How to Make Dulce de Leche from Scratch

STEP ONE

First, heat the milk over high heat for about five minutes. Be careful, it shouldn’t boil. By heating the milk first, the sugar will dissolve more easily.

STEP TWO

Once the milk has heated up, reduce the heat to low and add sugar, heavy cream, baking soda, and vanilla.

Now the fun begins! Stir occasionally for about 45 minutes. After the first hour, it will start to change color and thicken. Keep stirring for another hour (as it thickens, you’ll need to stir more frequently). After two hours, the color will be dark, and it’s almost ready. Keep stirring until it reaches a slightly thicker consistency.

STEP THREE

Once you’ve reached the two hours of cooking, it should have a dark color and a thick consistency. Remove it from the heat, but continue stirring for about five minutes off the heat. Our trick to know if the dulce de leche is ready is to place a dish in the refrigerator for a while, then take it out and pour a spoonful of dulce de leche onto the plate. Run a finger through the dulce de leche. If it doesn’t come back together, it’s READY!

The consistency we achieved is slightly thicker than caramel sauce. This consistency is perfect for filling churros. 

If you want it a bit thicker, try cooking it for another 5 minutes, but be careful! Cooking it for too long may result in a very dense paste and ruin the preparation. Remember, it will thicken a bit more as it cools. 

STEP FOUR

Allow it to cool, transfer it to airtight jars, and voilà! You’re all set!

Tips for Success

Pot: It is better to use a pot with a thick bottom. This type of pot distributes heat more evenly and makes it easier to prevent the dulce de leche from burning at the bottom.

Wooden spoon: Always use a wooden spoon. Wood is not a conductor of heat, so it will prevent you from unexpectedly burning yourself while cooking the dulce de leche for a long period of time.

Prevent a grainy texture: To prevent a sandy texture, it is important to avoid overcooking dulce de leche. Therefore, cook it over medium or low heat for approximately two and a half hours. Even if you feel it hasn’t reached the desired consistency yet, remember that dulce de leche will thicken as it cools. Additionally, you should cook it at a low or medium temperature throughout the process. If the dulce de leche exceeds 93°C (200°F), the lactose may crystallize, resulting in a sandy dulce de leche.

How to use Dulce de Leche

If you want to start your day with a kick of delicious sugar, you HAVE to try a toast spread with dulce de leche and butter (a typical Argentinian breakfast that we adore) 

You can also use it to fill pancakes, cupcakes, empanadas (argentine hand pies), and churros, make dulce de leche ice cream, or simply enjoy it with the spoonful. Dulce de leche is also a great filling for cake. The options are endless, which is why we recommend making a large quantity of dulce de leche and using it in various recipes. If you need inspiration, we have a post where we share our favorite ways to use dulce de leche and different incredible recipes that always work.

Storing Instructions

Allow the dulce de leche to cool completely at room temperature and transfer it to a clean, airtight sterilized container, such as a glass jar. Store in the refrigerator and consume it within 2 weeks.

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