easy dulce de leche $1.38 recipe
Oh boy, I may have done a bad thing when I made this... I may have opened Pandora's box. Now I want this delicious dulce de leche on everything. I've been sneaking spoonfuls out of the fridge just to get a "fix" all week.Dulce de leche, which translates to "milk candy", is a delicious caramel like dip. It is usually made by slowly cooking milk and sugar until the moisture boils off and the sugars caramelize leaving you with a thick, rich, creamy sauce.
Although it is printed clearly on every can of sweetened condensed milk NOT to heat the cans unopened, one of the most common ways to make dulce de leche is to boil the unopened cans in a pot full of water on the stove for 3-4 hours. Now, that method is very dangerous because the temperature is difficult to control and if too much water boils away the internal temp of the can will keep rising until it explodes. I've seen this happen. It's not pretty and caramel is nearly impossible to clean off of the ceiling and walls.
Using a slow cooker is much, much safer (although, the danger still exists). A slow cooker will maintain a fairly constant temperature (and a much lower temperature), the lid will prevent the water from boiling off and most lids secure into place with a clamp which would help stifle an explosion. BUT, the can still warns against heating unopened cans... so... follow this recipe at your own risk.
Okay, so if you haven't been scared off, this recipe is so super easy that it's almost unfair. Not to mention, you can make a batch of it for about $1.50 which is far less than the bottles of caramel ice cream topping or dip that you'd buy at the store. What can you use it for? Dipping fruit, topping desserts or stir it into your coffee drinks. It tastes exactly like those little square caramel candies that you can buy around Halloween time.
Total Recipe cost: $1.38
Prep time: 5 min. Cook time: 8 hrs. Total: 8 hrs 5 min.
| INGREDIENTS | COST | |
| 1 (13 oz) can | sweetened condensed milk | $1.38 |
| TOTAL | $1.38 | |
I find it convenient to make multiple cans at once. The extras can be stored in the refrigerator.
STEP 1: Remove the label from the can(s). Place the can(s) in the slow cooker and fill with water. The water needs to come at least one inch above the top of the can to maintain proper, even heat. Secure the lid on the slow cooker, set the temperature to LOW and let cook for 8 hours.
STEP 2: After 8 hours, turn the heat off, remove the lid of the slow cooker and allow the water and cans to cool undisturbed. Once cool, open the can and remove the dulce de leche. It is ready to serve! Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Step By Step Photos
Start with a can (or cans) of sweetened condensed milk, NOT evaporated milk. It needs the extra sugar that is in sweetened condensed milk for caramelization.
Remove the labels from the cans and place them in the slow cooker. Fill the slow cooker with water until it covers the cans by one inch (there is water in that picture but you can't see it because it's CLEAR! HA!). Secure the lid on the slow cooker, turn the heat on to LOW and let cook for 8 hours.
After 8 hours, turn off the heat, carefully remove the lid of the slow cooker and allow the water and cans to cool undisturbed. Once cool, the dulce de leche is ready to serve!
Completely decadent!
I labeled and dated my extra cans and am keeping them in the refrigerator (in case the seal was compromised on a microscopic level as the can oxidized in the water and heat).
The sweet and creamy dulce de leche was PERFECT with tart granny smith apples!
Hellooooooo delicious!
The longer you cook the dulce de leche, the darker and thicker it will get. So, if you prefer a lighter, more fluid dulce de leche, let it cook for about two hour less or carefully remove the cans from the hot water and let them cool in the air which will stop the cooking process sooner.
27 comments:
Beth,
I'm going to have to up my rental insurance because of you: I'm pretty sure I will be making *tons* of these, risks to the ceiling and walls be damned :D
-Christo
Another great way to make dulce de leche is in the microwave, but it has its own dangers: http://www.cookingforengineers.com/recipe/255/Dulce-de-Leche.
That said, I like the idea of making several cans at once. You don't need to put the extras in the fridge, though, since the cans haven't been damaged and no microbes have gotten in. Essentially, you've just re-canned the sweetened condensed milk, so it's good to go for awhile.
My favorite thing to do with dulce de leche is make banana toffee pie, using a baked pie crust, two cans worth of dulce de leche (on the lighter side), 3 bananas and a cup of heavy cream whipped on top. Very delicious, and not too expensive.
Well, I had PLANNED on just storing my extra cans in my pantry but the reason that I put mine in the fridge is because the cans oxidized during the cooking process and there was some rust around the edges. I don't know if any microscopic openings were made in the can. If so, this could be a danger for the same reason you don't want to buy any dented cans from the supermarket. Microscopic breaks or openings in the metal can allow contamination and growth. I guess I'm just extra careful :)
I've used the slow cooker method for making dulce de leche before, but instead of leaving the condensed milk in the original cans I transferred it to small canning jars and used new canning lid/ring seals. Basic jelly jars are 8 oz, which is a little more than the original can size, so you have to do some fiddling with numbers depending on how many cans you start with.
Because you can easily see the color of the caramel during cooking when it's in glass, you can tweak the recipe time more accurately. By using the glass and the canning lids, there's no oxidation issues for long-term storage. I'd still keep the jars in the fridge, since it wouldn't be canned under pressure.
This method gives you the great caramel, isn't much harder, and is less dicey as far as potential risks (however large or small they may be). Less potential metallic taste too :-D
Excellent suggestions, Gina! Thanks!!
LOVE this. Thanks for sharing- I can't wait to make my own!
If you're worried about exploding cans, you can make dulce de leche using a double boiler (explained here).
Hmmm. This dulce is definitely a yummy one. Frugal living for frugal business that makes money, eh
You can actually empty the sweetened condensed milk into a pyrex dish and bake it in the oven, stirring it every half hour or so - no dangerous can-heating involved! From what I understand, you can do the same by putting it into the crock pot - also not in the can!
I think I'll try the double boiler method - I'm a little uncomfortable with potentially blowing up a can of hot sugar! Thanks for the post, I'm excited to try it out.
I've done this for years. I just cover mine in a pot, get it to a rolling boil, then lower it until it simmers just enough to "plop" in the bottom of the pot once in awhile. I add water if it gets below the can. Then, I add 2-3 of the cand to a graham cracker crust, top with whip cream and garnish with mini chocolate chips! It's the easiest caramel pie EVER and everyone thinks that you did a ton of work! I love this blog! Thanks for helping provide affordable, tasty meals!
Is this what they call arequipe in Colombia??
I'm lucky enough to get dulce de leche shipped to me from Argentina (where they make the good stuff!) but if I ever need it in a pinch, this is a great method. Thanks for the tips.
OMG this came out so good. I was nervous about the exploding (my crockpot has just a glass lid, not a lock on it) but I had no problems. Now I don't have to buy bottles of caramel syrup for my caramel frappacinos! And the kids love it with apples and over ice cream. I would not hesitate to do this again. I also am keeping mine in refrigerator, I am assuming it can keep for a long time? Again, thanks Beth, this is so yummy!
So crock pots and slow cookers ARE the same thing? And I didn't even think of "an exploding can" Are the chances of that happening actually significant?
Ashlea - Yes, Crockpot is actually a brand of slow cookers :D The chances of an exploding can are extremely low if you use enough water and have the slow cooker set to low - I just wanted to include the warning to make people aware. The chances of an exploding can with the stove top method are very high because the temperature gets much higher and the water can easily evaporate (leading to an even HIGHER) temperature.
So that trace of brown around the can lid is rust? I thought perhaps caramel was leaking out. If the can was somehow punctured, do you know how long it should last in the fridge?
Thanks so much. :) I'm making it today. I'm afraid it's going to be so good and easy that I'm just going to live off of it for a few days!
Ok, I had saw Chef Michael do this on the food network but he did it stove top. I always wanted to try it and seeing the crock recipe made me that much more anxious to try it! I put it on overnight and even after reading the reviews I still didnt know what to expect. It is sinfully delish! I made 3 cans! I transferred mine to jars afterwards.
You can buy this already made in the grocery stores in the Mexican food section. I made sure to find it when we moved back to the States. It is sold on the shelves in just about every store in Central and South America and was used in so many different dessert recipes! We lived in 3 countries there and it was a "staple" at our house. :o)
We do this on the stove - it is aggravating listening to those cans boiling and we just keep adding water to the pot. And then we take 2 cans, add choc chips and pecan pieces and pour it into a graham cracker shell, then top with cool-whip - Turtle Pie!
I use a pressure cooker. Make sure the can(s) are covered with water. Seal the cooker, when it starts whistling, lower the heat a bit and cook for 45 minutes. When it's done, open the lid and when the water gets to room temperature, open the can.
The crockpot is also an excellent idea! I've tried doing it stovetop with a regular pot and I always mess up on how long I should cook it for and either over cook or under cook. Pressure cooker is always perfect though (and quicker than a crockpot if you need it in a pinch).
Ok, 7 hours on low and the sweetened condensed milk is the exact same color and density as it was when I started. What did I do wrong?
Anon - Hmm, that's really strange. The only thing I can think of is that there must be a major temperature variation between your slow cooker and mine.
..and you did fill the slow cooker with water, right?
I hate you.
This recipe worked perfectly. Now I have cans of amazing caramelly sauce in my fridge, that I want to eat all.the.time. Darn yooooou!
@Scott Viney, yes, dulce de leche is the same as Colombian arequipe. :)
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