Introduction: Dulce De Leche

About: Robert Faludi is an advisor and consultant for connected device companies. He is currently head of product for Perceptive Things, a startup in the Smart Buildings space. For six years, he was the Chief Innovat…


Dulce de leche is a delicious caramel-like candy made from milk and sugar that's popular in many South American countries. It's called confiture de lait in French, and doce de leite in Portuguese, No matter what your language, this is a tasty treat to spread on toast, layer into pies and ice cream, or eat straight, one spoonful at at time.

Flavor heaven is as easy as cooking a can! The following instructions will teach you how to make your own.

Please note that there's a small possibility of explosion when you cook a can. This risk can be greatly reduced by making sure that the can is covered with water at all times.

Step 1: Ingredients


You'll need:

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

That's it. Don't use evaporated milk, it's totally different. Has to be sweetened & condensed.

Step 2: Remove Label


Peel the paper label off the can.

Step 3: Admire Can


The can is so shiny, so silver, so not like anything else you have ever cooked.

Step 4: Fill Pot With Water


Fill a large pot with water.

Step 5: Place Can in Pot


Put the can into the pot of water. The water should totally cover the can at all times.

Step 6: Boil Water


Bring the water to a nice rolling boil.

Step 7: Simmer 4 Hours


Cover and simmer over low heat for 4 hours. The can should always be covered with water, so add more as needed.

If you like your dulce de leche a little runny then maybe 3 hours will do the trick.

Step 8: Remove Can


After 4 hours of boiling a can, it gets blazing hot. Use tongs to remove the can from the water, and place on a rack to cool completely.

Note that that can may bulge because it is under pressure. Do not open the can while it is still hot.

Step 9: Open Cooled Can


When the can is totally cooled off, it's finally time to open it. It may take an hour or more for the can to cool down, but the wait is worth it.

Step 10: Eat and Enjoy!


Everyone loves dulce de leche! Eat it with a spoon or try with vanilla ice cream.

It's good to cook a can!