Irresistible dulce de leche is easy to make in your slow cooker. Plus you can control the consistency, making it soft set like pudding or drizzle-able for use as caramel sauce.
Over the years, I read several times that simmering a can of sweetened condensed milk on the stovetop for several hours would magically transform the contents into dulce de leche.
This sort of made sense. After all, dulce de leche, translated, means sweet milk. Yet the claim seemed too good to be true.
Recently, I posed the question on The Fountain Avenue Kitchen Facebook page and the comments amazed me. Scores of people – interestingly, many from South America and England – told of doing this regularly and raved about how delicious it is.
Some also shared stories of the can exploding, resulting in a major mess on the ceiling. Others were concerned that the coating on the inside of the can would leech into the milk.
Curious, but wanting to avoid a kitchen disaster, I transferred the condensed milk into Mason jars and used my slow cooker.
The result was exactly what was claimed, without the mess. After 10 hours on low, the condensed milk turned the color of caramel and was the consistency of a thick pudding. My kids love using it as a dip for apple slices or a spread on toast.
Further testing revealed that a shorter cook time allowed for a sauce that could be drizzled on ice cream, apple pie, caramel apple nachos, and more. The best part is that you can open a jar and check as the condensed milk cooks, so you can achieve the precise consistency you’re seeking. I’ve included these details in the recipe notes.
I’d love to know if you try this recipe! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @fountainavenuekitchen on Instagram and Facebook. Your feedback is always appreciated.
Slow Cooker Dulce de Leche
Ingredients
- 2 14-ounce cans of sweetened condensed milk
- 3 half pint (8-ounce) canning jars
Instructions
- Open cans of sweetened condensed milk and pour into three half pint jars, dividing evenly. Put on lids and rings. They should be snug but not too tight.
- Place jars in crock pot and add water to just reach the bands of the jars.
- Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours (for caramel sauce consistency) or 10 hours (for a consistency more like pudding; see notes).
- Carefully, remove jars from the crock pot and enjoy!
Notes
- Initially, I cooked this for 10 hours and savored the pudding-like dessert that was magically created. Then, the thought occurred to me that cooking for a slightly shorter amount of time might create a consistency that could be drizzled over ice cream or my favorite apple cake. I made another batch and checked at six and at eight hours. The dulce de leche was a syrupy consistency both times. (This led to my new favorite use for this sweet treat: a make-at-home dulce de leche latte! The recipes for this as well as the apple cake are available on my website.) Select a cooking time based on the consistency you desire, and don’t hesitate to open the lid and check it as slow cookers vary based on size, model, etc.
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