Homemade Dulce de Leche without Sweetened Condensed Milk

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The creamy, sweet, gooey goodness that is dulce de leche isn’t that hard to make. With a little patience and 4 ingredients you can make this caramelized milk sauce.

Did you know you can make your own dulce de leche from scratch? It takes a little time, but it’s super easy. Plus the results are creamy, caramel-y and delicious. 

It’s a great way to use up extra milk before it goes bad. It’s a fabulous way to top ice cream or make a cup of coffee more special. 

Use it as a dip or drizzle or apple slices. Or drizzle it over cake for an extra decadent treat!

I think I may be slightly obsessed. After making a few batches of homemade cajeta and telling you how similar it is to dulce de leche, it occurred to me that I’ve never actually made dulce de leche.

I know, it was a wrong that needed to be fixed immediately.

Now there are a few ways to go about doing such a thing.  One involves cooking a can of sweetened condensed milk.

Now that would certainly be easy enough, but if you come here often you know I am much more likely to adapt than run to the store for an ingredient and I don’t always stock sweetened condensed milk in the pantry.

So I decided to make some using ingredients I do always have. The process is the exact same as the cajeta.

So it is not hard, but does take a bit of time and patience. The biggest thing to worry about is ensuring your pan is big enough.

It will grow and foam before it concentrates and reduces, so make sure to use a bigger pan than you think you’ll need.  Other than some stirring along the way, it basically makes itself.

A little science experiment

One more thing to discuss.  When making the cajeta, you may remember I was curious about the baking soda.

In fact, even after finding an explanation that I could at least fathom I still wasn’t sure. So I made two batches.

(I know, but sometimes you have to sacrifice and eat twice as much dulche de leche in the name of science. It’s rough, but somebody has to do it.)

In one batch I used a quarter teaspoon of baking soda and in the next batch I used a half teaspoon. While both batches tasted similar with that sweet, rich, creamy flavor and texture you’d expect, there was a quite noticeable difference in color.

Just that little change in pH really affected the look of the end product. Isn’t that interesting?

So next time you want some dulce de leche, don’t be afraid to make it yourself! It’s fun and a bit of a kitchen science experiment!

Great uses for your dulce de leche:

Whip up some caramel apple empanadas. This caramelly goodness is perfect for the filling and drizzling over the top of these tasty treats.

Use some to make some caramel pecan macaroons. That recipe only takes three ingredients and the combination of coconut, dulce de leche and pecans is fabulous!

Turn some into sundae cone dream no churn ice cream. It features this sticky sweet sauce along with chocolate and bits of waffle cone.

Make a rolo poke cake with pockets of dulce de leche in moist chocolate cake. Top it all with fluffy frosting and some chopped rolos for a perfectly decadent treat.

Put some on top of mini cheesecake jars for a fun twist. Add a few chopped toasted pecans if you’d like or even a drizzle of chocolate for a turtle inspired treat.

You could also stir a little bit into your cup of coffee for a bit of a treat. Or just warm a little bit up and drizzle it over apple slices. The possibilities really are endless!

If you love making things from scratch like this, you may also want to try making your own homemade sweetened condensed milk. It is another way to take some milk that is close to its date and make it last a bit longer, or a way to avoid a last minute trip to the store if you don’t have a can in the pantry!

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Thanks for sharing!