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Argentine · Uruguayan

Homemade dulce de leche

Vegetarian

Dulce de leche casero

Milk and sugar slowly reduced with a pinch of baking soda into a thick, glossy, caramel-brown spread — the sweet heart of Río de la Plata baking.

Homemade dulce de leche is an Argentine condiment, ready in about 2 hours 55 minutes and made with milk and sugar. It serves 32 and is rated easy to cook.

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Enjoy a cozy coffee break with dulce de leche and cookies on a stylish setup in São Paulo.
Photo: Cibele Bergamim / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
5 min
Cook
2 h 50 min
Total
2 h 55 min
Serves
32
Level
Easy
Calories
88

Ingredients

32 servings (2 tbsp; about 800 g)

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Put the milk (opens in a new tab) and sugar (opens in a new tab) in a wide, heavy pot and bring slowly to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

  2. Step 2

    Stir in the bicarbonate of soda (opens in a new tab) (it will foam), lower the heat and keep at a lively simmer, stirring every few minutes, for about 2 hours as it reduces and turns golden.

    • 120 min
    • medium-low heat

    A wide pot speeds up evaporation.

  3. Step 3

    As it darkens and thickens, stir constantly for the last 20–30 minutes. It is ready when a drop on a cold plate holds its shape. Stir in the vanilla (opens in a new tab).

    Food safety: Thick milk caramel spits and sticks; use a long wooden spoon.

  4. Step 4

    Pour into clean jars and cool; it thickens further as it cools.

    • 5 min

About this dish

Origin
Not attributed to one place · Origin disputedArgentina and Uruguay both claim it, and very similar milk confections exist across Latin America and beyond; no single origin is established.Also popular in Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Brazil, Paraguay
Dish
Breakfast · Dessert · Snack · Condiments, chutneys & relishes · Sweets & confectionery
Cooking method
Simmered
Taste
sweet, creamy, rich
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb
Without the optional extras: Alcohol-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead
Cook more with
Milk · Sugar · Baking soda
Techniques
Simmering · Reduction

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom milk

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

88 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 25 g · recipe makes 32

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 9%
  • Carbohydrate 70%
  • Fat 21%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy88 kcal351 kcal
Protein2 g8.1 g
Carbohydrate15.6 g62.4 g
Net carbohydrate15.6 g62.4 g
Sugars15.7 g62.9 g
Added sugars12.5 g50 g
Fibre0 g0 g
Fat2.1 g8.4 g
Saturated fat1.2 g4.8 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol6 mg26 mg
Sodium48 mg191 mg
Salt equivalent0.1 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
85 mg
Calcium
73 mg
Iron
0 mg
Magnesium
6 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
30 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
0.8 µg
Vitamin B12
0.3 µg
Folate (DFE)
3 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: vanilla extract.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Common mistakes

  • Rushing it over high heat scorches the milk and gives a grainy, bitter result.

Serve with

  • Spread on toast, fill alfajores and panqueques, or swirl into ice cream.

Storage

  • Refrigerate in sealed jars up to 3 weeks.

Variations

  • Dulce de leche repostero (Argentina): Cooked longer until very thick, for filling cakes and pastries.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Goes with

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in step 1

Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

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