Instant Pot Dulce De Leche (Homemade Caramel) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Does sweetened condensed milk turn into caramel when cooked? ›

Most of the time, people cook caramel by heating up regular or brown sugar until it turns into a smooth and creamy substance. However, you can also make caramel out of sweetened condensed milk, creating the same great sauce with a unique, extra-sweet kick.

Caramel and dulce de leche might look and taste somewhat similar, but they are actually pretty different. While caramel is made from slowly simmering water and sugar until it caramelizes, dulce de leche is made from simmering milk and sugar super slowly until it turns into a creamy, caramelized substance.

The pressure inside the can can't exceed the pressure of the environment around it as long as it's covered by water the whole time it's cooking. Before cooking the condensed milk can inspect it and make sure it is not dented or have any damages. Always be VERY careful, make sure to cover the can with water completely.

Overcooking Dulce de Leche will make it too thick and maybe even taste burnt. To avoid overcooking, do a cold plate test. You simply dab a small amount of the caramel on a cold plate and turn it sideways. See how far the caramel runs.

Bring to the boil. Carefully place the can in the saucepan, ensuring there's enough water to completely cover the can at all times, topping up water frequently throughout the cooking process. Simmer, uncovered for 3 hours.

Can I Use Dulce De Leche and Caramel Interchangeably? Technically, if you see dulce de leche in a recipe, you can instead use caramel, and vice-versa. However, there will be a slight variance in taste and texture, and the recipe will no longer be authentic to the specified region.

Is there a difference between caramel and dulce de leche? Caramel is made primarily of sugar with some butter and cream added at the end. Dulce de leche is milk with some sugar added. Both are caramelized but the ingredient proportion and flavor are quite different.

Can I drink sweetened condensed milk? It is a ready-to-use product so it may be consumed without any other preparation. You can add it to everyday items like in your coffee, on toast with cinnamon, on fruit or yogurt, and in any way you see fit.

Pressure cookers are one-half to one-third the size of standard pressure canners, causing the heat-up and cool-down times to be significantly shorter. This difference could lead to an under-processed product, leaving an opportunity for dangerous botulism spores to survive.

You can store dulce de leche in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Some people even say 3 weeks. Make sure it's well covered. And you can also freeze dulce de leche, by placing in an air tight container, and placing in the freezer for 1 to 2 months, even though some people say it will last even longer.

How do you fix runny dulce de leche? ›

Tip: To thicken stovetop dulce de leche, make a slurry of 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 1/4 teaspoons milk. Bring it to a very slow boil over medium heat, whisk this slurry into the dulce de leche, and continue to boil slowly for five minutes before removing from heat and cooling.

***IMPORTANT: Do not open the cans while they are still hot! Let them cool completely before opening. Open the cans, stir the dulce de leche, transfer it to mason jars, and store it in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Lumpy: The Oven Dulce de Leche recipe tends to produce a lumpy dulce de leche. To fix that, you can process the dulce de leche in the food processor or blender, once it is at room temperature.

Yes, you can boil condensed milk directly in the can. This process is often referred to as “caramelizing” or “making dulce de leche. Why would I want to boil condensed milk in the can? Boiling condensed milk in the can transforms it into a rich and creamy caramel-like spread called dulce de leche.

What you make out of condensed milk is dulce de leche. It's often called caramel or toffee, but it's not really either. The recipe is trivial: pour the condensed milk in a pan. Heat it over low heat, stirring continuously, until it turns into dulce de leche.

Dulce de leche (cooked condensed milk) is a thickened caramel-like sauce that's made out of milk and sugar. In other words, it's sweetened condensed milk heated until it thickens and caramelizes. It's thick and gooey confection, with a nutty brown color and a taste that's not quite like anything else.