Slow Cooker Dulce De Leche (From a Can!)

Intro: Slow Cooker Dulce De Leche (From a Can!)

Who doesn't love Dulce De Leche (otherwise known as thick delicious caramel with a milk, sugar base)

I love to make it and have it on ice cream, use it in baking or eating it straight as it is! it is highly addictive. I have been using this slowcooker recipe for years and it is great because you can use homebrand condensed milk and a slow to make one of the most incredibly tasty foods in the world!

Making dulce de leche from scratch is very fussy and time consuming, with this recipe all you have to do is place it in a slow cooker overnight and BAM! it is beautiful waking up to sweet, sweet dulce de leche in the morning!

And another bonus you can make a huge amount of this at one go! just use multiple cans and follow the ingredients for the same result!

STEP 1: Ingredients

- 1 can sweetened condensed millk

- Cold water

THAT IS IT YAY!!! Just a few notes here

1. I am using home brand, this is literally half the price of the normal sweetened condensed milk, so i can make twice as much homebrand for the price of another can! And there is no difference in flavour (i have tested this hypothesis).

2. If you are using homebrand it will not have a ring pull on the top of the can be wary. if you do not have a can opener you will need the ring pull. (the can in the right of the picture is homebrand and silver, more expensive ring pull can is more yellow).

STEP 2: Equipment

- Slow cooker (alternatively you can use a saucepot)

- 1 Sheet baking paper (or something to line the base of your slow cooker

- Can Opener (if using cans without a ring pull)

- Large bowl (for cold water)

- Something to remove the hot can from the water, oven mits, tongs etc.

STEP 3: Slow Cook It!

The first thing to do is line the base of the slow cooker with baking paper* then place the can on top of it, on its side. Then cover the can in water so that there is about 5cm of water above the can**.

Put on the lid of the slowcooker and and place it on low for about 12 hours. I put it on before I go to bed, so that I can wake up to fresh yumminess!.......... I like dulche de leche on porridge for breakfast ok!

* This prevents any marks from the can on your slow cooker

**Make sure the can is fully submerged or it may open.

Extra note, the last picture shows a minor rust stain from the can after it was cooked. I'm placing it at this step so you can see it is important to do so that you do not mark your slow cooker or pot.

STEP 4: ***ALTERNATIVE COOKING - SAUCE POT***

If you do not have a slow cooker or you want this done quickly. Line a saucepan with baking paper place the can on its side as well and fill the pot with 5cm of water above the can. then bring it to a slow simmer (very few bubbles) and cook it for between 3-4 hours on medium low.

This method requires more attention as you may need to keep filling the pot with water. If the water level gets too low the can may explode....... That is why I stick with the slow cooker.

Then follow the same instructions on the next step.

STEP 5: Cool the Can

Now this is very important!!!

*** DO NOT TRY AND OPEN THE CAN STRAIGHT AWAY!!**

You need the can to cool enough so that you can easily handle it. It can still be warm when opening it, however if you attempt to do so when it is hot, there is a lot of pressure, possibly steam that can burn you. plus the hot caramel may burst out and burn your hand.

Therefore you can remove the can with tongs or silicon oven mits (for the slow cooker or pot). Place the hot can on a heat proof surface and allow it to cool for about 30 minutes to 1 hour before opening.

OR you can place the can in a bowl of cold water to speed up the cooling process.

STEP 6: Open and Enjoy!

Once your can is cool enough to touch eith open with a pull rng or with a can opener. Be careful with a can opener as the first 'incision' may squirt some dulce de leche out. THEN WATCH THE DELICIOUSNESS!!!!

Comments

[Jennamatic_3000]

If you are concerned about the possibiity of an explosion, you can do this in a pie dish in the oven! It comes out great!

[SabinePru]

Mmm, I remember boiling this when I was a kid - really delicious! :)

[ElisesEats]

Yay!! I'm glad people have done this in many ways!

[KristinK3]

Hi there, this looks fantastic! Is there any reason the can HAS to be on its side? Thinking it may be more on its base, but you've done this before and I haven't, so ...just wondering. Thanks for this!!

[ElisesEats]

That is just how I was taught, mainly it allows the can to roll around for a more even cooking otherwise. If the can stands up the base of the ban may get hotter than the top of the can and hence may be cooked unevenly.

[MamaDrinnon]

You are an evil genius! I'm definitely making my dulce De leche like this from now on. Work smarter, not harder!

[ElisesEats]

HAHA thank you I try to use my evil for deliciousness!!

[CHRIS11556]

Just a note. My wife makes millionaires shortbread which has three layers, shortbread base, caramel centre and white and milk chocolate top. To make the caramel she opens a tin of condensed milk as per recipe into a saucepan and simmers on a mid to low heat stirring often for 15 minutes ish until it thickens and turns darker watching it doesn't burn. Then pours on shortbread and when cool it is thick enough to pour on chocolate. I love sweet things. I've heard of people in the past having condensed milk sandwiches but how about caramel sanwiches?.

[ElisesEats]

That is an awesome thip thank you! I've never done it in a saucepan like that. And those shortbread sound absolutely delightful!!

I would be down to try caramel sandwiches!

[MamaDrinnon]

How bout now

[jimdkc]

I will definitely try this! I've successfully used the stovetop method many times, but it does require a good deal of attention to keep the cans completely submerged. I was considering trying the pressure cooker method, but this looks even easier and safer! Store-brand or generic sweetened condensed milk works just fine and is much less expensive than the "name-brand" or commercially canned Dulce de Leche. This stuff is great on ice cream (if you can avoid just eating it straight from the can!)

[ElisesEats]

I'm too afraid to use a pressure cooker. So i hope that this helps! not going to lie whenever someone says pressure cooker i start singing "UNDER PRESSURE DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN"

[deluges]

I have done that! It's delicious. And I did burn my hand with delicious steaming spatter, lesson learned..

Thanks for sharing

[ElisesEats]

Oh no I hope it is ok!

I got splateres with hot water when I tried to pick up the can on the smooth rounded edge instead of the (normal/easy/obvious) way on the top and bottom of the can..... You only do those things once

[MichiganDave]

I have done this for about 10 years now. The author is exactly right: easily accomplished, and safe, and delicious. I generally use a sauce pan, doing two or three cans at a time. Once I misjudged the time between adding water to keep the cans covered but no explosion occurred. I just added water to the pan and things were fine. Next time I make more I will use the slow cooker. BIG thanks for sharing.

[ElisesEats]

That is great I hope you like it in the slow cooker! I'm glad you didn't have any explosions, although that would be a very delicious explosion!

[PabloD35]

I love how people are making Dulce de Leche.

Being an Argentinian, and having whole asiles of Dulde de Leche in every market, I cannot imagine a world without it.

As a note, I think the finished product needs a little more cooking, since the colour is kind of pale. Is going to be tasty (because is condensed milk, come on) but the original Dulce de Leche is more Dark Brown.

[ElisesEats]

OOHHHH That looks delicious!! and thank you for the tip!

[osoriocj]

Great! I'd like to show another way.
1- Put the can in a pressure cooker and add water to cover it;
2- Bring it to high simmer until you have pressure and then, change to low.;
3- Wait 35 minutes, turn it off and wait 10 minutes more;
4- Release the remaining pressure, open the pressure cooker, and put the can in a big bowl of water to cool it down.

Caution: Don't hurry, wait at least two hours (changing the water if necessary) to open the can or you will get a lava torrent in every direction, including yours. Note that even the can seems to be cool, it's only the external layer.
Note: You can adjust the colour and texture changing the "cooking time" from 25, 35, 40, 45 up to 50 minutes but keep the same 10 minutes of "wait time".
Enjoy it with responsibility.
Tip: Open on both sides to ease the cream removing .

[ElisesEats]

Brilliant! thank you so much!!