Deep in the midst of January, I began to wonder what to do with the cans of condensed milk I had left over from my holiday baking. The answer turned out to be homemade dulce de leche. A simple internet search on what to do with leftover condensed milk conveniently reveled a can of sweetened condensed milk placed in a warm water bath overnight will result in homemade dulce de leche. I was one of those kids who had a chemistry set, so I thought the chance to turn condensed milk to into caramel in my own kitchen would be pretty cool.
I approached this project with a great deal of trepidation. Phrases like “molten caramel bath” and “shrapnel” were used by multiple sources to describe what would happen if a hot can under pressure was dropped or opened before fully cooled. I was so frightened, I spent a bit of time looking for a pair of safety goggles to wear before I removed my can of sweetened condensed milk from the crock pot. I couldn’t find the safety goggles, so I simply turned my head away, sucked in a breath, and hoped for the best. It turned out that making homemade dulce de leche was easy, and by using common sense, safe.
I cooked my can of condensed milk on low heat for eight hours, and I let the can sit in the cooling water bath one additional hour until I could remove it by hand. A deeper caramel can be obtained by cooking the sweetened condensed milk for an additional one to two hours. I was so happy to have found a solution to my leftover condensed milk problem that I overlooked what turned into a dulce de leche problem. What exactly should I do with this sweet, caramel substance?
Since my internet sleuthing revealed dulce de leche is crazy popular in Argentina, I asked a friend from work who has spent a significant amount of time in Argentina for suggestions. Her advice was to use the dulce de leche like I would use Nutella. She and her family members spread dulce de leche on toast and stir it into coffee. So far, I have added mine to some ice cream, and I need to try the coffee idea. My friend also suggested making a traditional Argentinian dessert, mil hojas, which is layers of thin pastry and dulce de leche.
On another note, today is a little bit sweeter for Donna, who was chosen as the first giveaway winner. Congratulations to Donna, and thank you to all who entered. I truly enjoyed learning about your favorite kitchen gadgets, and I wish I could make you all winners. Be sure to visit on February 12 for a chance to win Giveaway 2. Have a wonderful weekend!
- 1 or more cans sweetened condensed milk
- water
- aluminum foil
- crock pot
- Line the bottom of a crock pot with aluminum foil.
- Place one or more cans of sweetened condensed milk in the crock pot and cover the cans with water.
- Place the lid on the crock pot, turn heat to low, and allow to sit for eight hours.
- Turn off the heat, remove the lid from the crock pot, and very carefully remove the can(s). Use tongs wrapped with rubber bands to remove the cans from the hot water. Alternately, allow the water to cool to room temperature before placing your hand in the water and removing the can(s).
- Allow the can(s) to cool to room temperature before opening.
yum! i’ve spent quite a bit of time in south america + specifically, argentina, + yes, dulce de leche is incredibly popular there. it’s great just served over ice cream, used as the filling for crepes, or made into any sort of cake/tart/cookie. it’s truly delicious (or should i say, delicioso!)
Great ideas! Thank you for sharing. I haven’t made many crepes, but a dulce de leche-filled crepe is now on may radar.
My brother makes a pie after making the dulce de leche…it’s really good poured into a homemade graham cracker pie crust! That’s what I made for Christmas dinner
Eric’s way was to boil them, but I think your way seems a little safer
I had no idea Eric had a specialty pie. I make a caramel pie that tastes pretty good, so I imagine a dulce de leche pie is delicious!
Oooo… I love dulce de leche ice cream so I’m very excited about this! I’ll have to try this on top of the baked apple recipe I have. I’ve always wanted to make dulce de leche, but reading the stove top method reminded me of the time Kyrie and I tried to make candy at my house. It resulted in a ruined pan, having to air the house out, and my dad having to replace the trap in the sink. I really like the sound of your method.
Great idea as a topping for baked apples! I first read this as a topping for baked apple pie. I suppose that would taste really good too…warm apple pie topped with ice cream and dulce de leche. I get a sugar high just thinking about it! Funny story about the candy! At least you didn’t have to call the fire department.
I fell in love with dulce de leche when I visited Argentina.
I don’t own a pressure cooker but I have made my own. I cooked the condensed milk in the oven – emptied the contents of the cans into a dish, covered with foil and cooked in a bain marie.
Have you tried alfajores? They are filled with dulce de leche and are divine. I can recommend the recipe from the Martha Stewart website.
I have not tried alfajores, but they sound delicious. Thanks for the recipe recommendation!