Dulce de Leche
Milk, sugar and baking powder come together in this Argentine dessert — 55 minutes, 7 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for pan and large pot. At easy difficulty across 7 steps, it's a good one for a busy evening. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Combine Ingredients: In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, mix the milk, sugar, and baking soda. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
- Thicken: Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture becomes thick and caramel-colored, about 1-2 hours.
- Flavor: Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Cool: Let the dulce de leche cool, then transfer to a jar. It will thicken further as it cools.
- Pro Tips:
- Stir continuously and keep the heat low to prevent the milk from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- A drop of vanilla extract added at the end of cooking enhances the flavor.
You'll use: Pan · Large pot
Watch how it's made
Hosted on YouTube — pressing play loads content from YouTube.
Ingredient substitutions
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
What to serve with Dulce de Leche
Tips & common questions
How long does Dulce de Leche take to make?
About 55 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 4 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of milk?
Try any unsweetened plant milk. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Dulce de Leche vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Recipe data for Dulce de Leche via TheMealDB (open database). ▶ Video. Original source. Consomee adds the scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.