Homemade Dulce de Leche: 3 Different Methods

If you live in a part of the world where canned caramel (dulce de leche) is available to you, by all means walk to the shop and get some. Here in Ireland and UK, you can buy cans of Carnation Caramel that weigh 397 grammes (about 14 ounces), and in the States and Ecuador (only because Stefi tells me) you can buy Alpina Arequipe, that comes in larger packets:

However, if you live somewhere where this is not available, here are lots of options open to you, so don't fret. You can make a quick, cheat caramel on the stove stop, or you can do a long, slow caramel on the stove top or in the oven.

The cheat caramel is the fastest, but it's not an authentic, true dulce de leche (hence cheat). It's also the easiest to overcook and completely wreck. Sometimes in life, good things really do come to those who wait.

The stove-top method is the most traditional and widely used, so it's obviously a fairly consistent and reliable way of doing it. However, I find that it's impossible to tell if your caramel is dark enough for your liking if it's hidden inside a completely hermetically sealed can.

By far my favourite way is to cook the condensed milk in the oven. It's a nice halfway house between cheat caramel and and boil-in-the-can, as it only takes 90 minutes, as opposed to three hours, and doesn't have as narrow a margin for error as the cheat method.

Quick Cheat Caramel

2 ounces (55 grammes) caster sugar

One 14 ounce (400 gramme) can of condensed milk

Vanilla essence and salt, to taste

• Caramelise the caster sugar in 2 tablespoons of water in a small heavy saucepan. Once dark brown, remove from the heat and stir in the condensed milk. 
• Return to a medium low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until it has thickened and is a rich brown colour. Do not allow to boil.
• Pour the caramel into a bowl and allow to cool completely to room temperature. Once cool, add a teaspoon of the vanilla and some salt to taste

Stove-Top Slow Caramel

One 14 ounce (400 gramme) can of condensed milk

Vanilla essence and salt, to taste

• Take the label off the can and leave it completely closed. Place the can in a saucepan of cold water, making sure it is completely submerged. Bring to the boil on the stove top.
• Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer the can for 3 hours, topping up the water as necessary.
• After 3 hours, allow the water and can to cool completely to room temperature. Once cool, refrigerate overnight.
• When ready to use, salt and flavour to your own taste.

Oven-Baked Slow Caramel

One 14 ounce (400 gramme) can of condensed milk

Vanilla essence and salt, to taste

• Preheat the oven to 220C (450F, Gas Mk.9).
• Clean an 8 inch (22 centimetre) round cake tin very well. Make sure it has a solid bottom, not a removable one.
• Pour the condensed milk into the tin and cover the top tightly with tin foil. Place the tin in a large roasting dish and fill with hot water, until the level of the water reaches halfway up the side of the metal cake tin.
• Place the water bath and tin onto the centre shelf of the oven and bake for 90 minutes. After 90 minutes, remove from the oven and check: if it's the brown-ness you want, then it's ready! If you want it darker and thicker, cook for a little longer, but no more than 30 minutes in total.
• Once cooked, remove the tin from the water bath gently, and place on a wire rack to cool. Allow to cool completely before chilling. When it's ready to use, salt and flavour to taste.