This Easy Caramel, also called Dulce de Leche, yields a deliciously sweet, creamy, and smooth spread for your coffee, cakes & desserts with only 1 ingredient!
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of contents
Easy Caramel (Dulce de Leche)
Hi Everyone, I have enjoyed this Easy Caramel as a layer in a cake, in my coffee, on pancakes – not to mention apples, ice cream, and even pretzels – if you can imagine a food with caramel, let this Easy Caramel be its companion!
The “Calphalon Unison Nonstick 5-qt. Dutch Oven with Clear Cover” that I use for this recipe.
All you need is 1 can or several cans of sweetened condensed milk (because why make only 1??), cook them on the stovetop for 3 hours, and allow them to cool completely and you will be in caramel heaven!
It is important to remember that the cans need to be covered with water the entire time they are cooking as outlined in the recipe below.
When I make Easy Caramel, I do several at a time to make a large batch, then I have a supply of caramel for months.
I love having it in my coffee (how many times have I mentioned that?) or drizzled on a dessert; it goes well with so many different desserts.
There is a significant cost saving to making your own Easy Caramel too: a can of sweetened condensed milk cost about $1.30 and I have seen a jar of caramel sell for over $6 at the store!
You can even put them in mason jars and give them as gifts!
Ingredients
- 1 large pot of water, (I use a Dutch oven)
- 1 or more 14 ounce, (397 grams) can(s) of sweetened condensed milk
Kitchen Tools
- Dutch oven
- wet measure
- can opener
Web Story
Recipe Attribution
This method is found on many websites on the internet, I first saw it here on Todd’s Kitchen YouTube Channel.
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Please tell me what you like to have caramel on or what’s your favorite caramel dessert or food in the comments below!
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Easy Caramel (Dulce de Leche)
This Easy Caramel, also called Dulce de Leche, yields a deliciously sweet, creamy, and smooth spread for your coffee, cakes & desserts with only 1 ingredient!
Ingredients
- 1 large pot of water, (I use a Dutch oven)
- 1 or more 14 ounce, (397 grams) can(s) of sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Fill a large pot or Dutch oven with water. Place as many cans as you want to make in the water (you can make a lot at once!).
- Bring to a simmering boil, keep it at a simmer, covered, and cook for 3 hours. Important: You must make sure the water level is over the cans while it is cooking. Letting the water level lower than the cans could cause them to explode! Check the water level every half hour and leave the lid on so the water will not evaporate away. It is helpful to have a pot with a clear lid. After 3 hours turn the stove off and using tongs, take the cans out of the water and allow them to cool completely. Important: Do not open the cans until they are completely cool or you will get hot caramel sauce everywhere. I recommend allowing it to cool 6-8 hours or overnight. Store in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Notes: There is another way to make this without boiling it in the can (in case cooking something in a can freaks you out, it freaked me out a little bit at first but I have done this several times now) you can try transferring the sweetened condensed milk into mason jars and cooking them the same way in those - I have not personally tried this mason jar method yet, so I can not speak to it but I know other people do this.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. #CommissionsEarned #ad
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OXO Good Grips Smooth Edge Can Opener -
Ball Mason Jar Pint Wide Mouth Clear Glass W/Lids and Bands, 16-Ounces (Set of 4)
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Crock-Pot SCV700SS Stainless Steel 7-Quart Oval Manual Slow Cooker, 7 Quart
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Pyrex Glass Measuring Cup Set (3-Piece, Microwave and Oven Safe),Clear
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Calphalon Classic Nonstick Dutch Oven with Cover, 7 quart, Grey
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Lodge 6 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. Classic Red Enamel Dutch Oven (Island Spice Red)
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1717Total Fat: 47gSaturated Fat: 29gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 182mgSodium: 689mgCarbohydrates: 291gFiber: 0gSugar: 291gProtein: 42g
Please note that the Calculated Nutrition is an estimate at best.
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It’s just so simple! I haven’t made caramel like this for ages but you’ve reminded me how good it is! Thanks for linking up with our Fabulous Foodie Fridays party xx
Hi Lucy, I go back to this recipe (it’s more of a dessert hack, really!) again and again because it’s so easy and yields fantastic caramel every time, it’s such a pleasure to link up at the FFF link party, thank you for visiting!
I returned from Argentina about a month ago and all I can say is I have never seen so much dulce de leche in one place. It was everywhere and appeared to be used on everything. Of course I can see why. . .it is that heavenly. I’ve never actually made it and looking at your recipe it is so hard to believe that something so rich and so divine could be so easy to make (far easier then caramel. . .or so it seems).
Hi Lynn, Argentina sounds so nice right now as we are in the Winter months in NJ. It’s really amazing stuff! The flavor improves any dessert that you want to add it to, definitely one of the finer things in life that doesn’t have to be expensive. Thank you for visiting!
Sara this dulce de leche looks perfectly sweet and creamy! It’s amazing how easy it is to make!
Hi jessica, yes, it really is creamy too, I think that’s one of the reasons why it’s so satisfying 🙂
Wow….love it. I will never again buy the jarred stuff. Yum!
Hi Ali, yes, it is much less expensive than the jarred stuff, we are talking less than $2, I’ve seen caramel sell for $6, that’s a significant cost savings! Thank you for visiting!
It’s so hard to find Dulce de leche in Germany, so your recipe is perfect for me. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Julia, yeah, even in the USA, not every place has it, but you can certainly find sweetened condensed milk in most places! I really hope you enjoy it, thank you for visiting!
Huh! I can’t believe how simple this is!! Mind blown! I am going to try this!!
Hi Cassandrea, yes when I found out about this, I was like, “I have to try this!” too and it beats standing over a stove stirring & constantly monitoring caramel, it’s so easy and the results are worth the minimal effort!
This is dangerously easy to make!
Yes, I just got a bunch of cans to make some more right before Christmas! Thanks for visiting!
I’ve made dulce de leche many times using this exact method. It’s unbelievable how something so simple can taste so good.
I totally agree Mark! Thank you for visiting!
Oh I lurrrrrve this stuff, been making it this way for years. Although I do it in my slow cooker (crock pot) to make life easier as I can forget it and I won’t need to worry about the pan running dry. Look at that glorious goo …. ooo food porn alert!
Would it be really bad if i just ate this with a spoon ? It looks so amazing I just wanna sit on the couch and kill it lol
Oh Florentina, I have been eating with a spoon everyday!
Yes, I could never only make one of this. I grew up making this in Sierra Leone but never knew what it was called.
Hi Bintu, I am about to make another batch today, it’s so easy! Thank you for visiting!
Thanks for sharing this simple formula for dulce de leche! We’ve made it just once, for some dreamy filling for cupcakes. Your version looks spectacular!
What a great idea to stuff it into cupcakes! Thank you for commenting!
dulce de leche can make any day a beautiful day. And now so easily too!
I totally agree Claudia! Thank you 🙂
I love DULCE DE LECHE in pastries and this seems to be one easy way to make a batch at home 🙂
Hi Revi, yes it’s really nice and “convenient” to have a stockpile of Dulce de Leche on hand! Thank you for visiting & commenting!
Wow that looks good! I love caramel on just about anything and this recipe looks great!
Thanks Chris! Yes, I have been putting it on everything 🙂
This recipe is luscious took me back about 30 years or so when we also still boiled sweetened condensed milk to get caramel for use in desserts and cakes. At some point the Nestle company who manufactured the condensed milk in South Africa decided to boil it themselves, and sell it for double the price as a dessert topping. It saves at least 3 hours of cooking time and the tension of waiting 🙂
Wow, I did not know that Razena, that’s interesting.
I love the can method, haven’t tried it but the results look great.
Hi Sara, I wish I could send you a spoonful right now!
Hi Sara, sending you a virtual spoonful now!
I love dulce de leche, this looks fabulous, I need to try it soon!
Hi Joy, it’s so good, I hope you do!
This caramel looks heavenly! I’d put this on every dessert!
Thank you Marsha, that’s exactly what I’ve been doing!
What a wonderful looking Caramel sauce. I have marked it for future use! Thanks.
The Old Fat Guy
Thank you so much, I am glad you like it!
I didn’t realize this could be so simple! Thanks for sharing!
I’m glad you like it; I love a stupidly simple recipe like this one!