One ingredient – that’s it! One ingredient needed to make Dulce de Leche. Use condensed milk to make this thick, creamy, decadent confection. That, and an Instant Pot.
It takes several hours, over a low heat, for whole milk and sugar to caramelize and produce Dulce de Leche. What if I said you could make Dulce de Leche in 35 minutes? That’s where the Instant Pot comes in! Gone are the days of boiling cans of condensed milk on a stovetop for 3 hours, or worse 8 hours in a slow cooker. The Instant Pot reduces cooking time by hours and produces the same result.
Ingredients
Making Instant Pot One Ingredient Dulce de Leche could not be any easier! This Mexican caramel has just one ingredient- a can of condensed milk. Any brand, there is no difference between generic brands and name brand, so save some pennies and buy the generic.
Instructions
Using a can opener, remove the can lid. Cover the can well with aluminum foil.
I used 4 cans because that is how many can fit in my Instant Pot, and it stores well (refer below to Storage.)
Place the cans onto a trivet (or mason jar rings) placed inside the Instant Pot and add water until the water level reaches halfway up the side of the cans.
Put the lid on, lock it to seal it. Choose high pressure and 35 minutes on the timer.
Now walk away and have a cup of tea! No need to worry about exploding cans, with the lids removed there’s no pressure in them.
Once finished, release the pressure and let the contents cool for about 20 minutes. Using tongs, remove the cans from the Instant Pot and take the foil off. Be careful as the Dulce de Leche may be still hot.
The Instant Pot One Ingredient Dulce de Leche is now ready to be enjoyed. Refer to the “Uses for Dulce de Leche” below and discover how to enjoy it to its fullest!
Flexibility with Ingredients.
There’s not a lot of substitution with a one ingredient recipe! I already mentioned that, in my opinion, there is no difference between using a name brand or generic can of condensed milk. They all seem to contain the same amount of fat and sugar.
Some variations of Dulce de Leche involve adding baking soda and vanilla.
Adding a slurry of ½ teaspoon of baking soda mixed with 3 tablespoons of warm water will intensify the color of the Dulce de Leche and create a slightly less sweet result. This involves removing the condensed milk from the can, mixing the slurry in and then returning it to the can.
If you want a deeper caramel color without adding baking soda then:
- check the color after the assigned 35 minutes in the Instant Pot.
- If you want more caramelization to occur (yielding a deeper color and slightly richer flavor), then replace the foil and ensure it is well wrapped around each can.
- return the cans to the Instant Pot and pressure cook for another 5 minutes.
- now check the level of caramelization. If you want more, then repeat the above steps until your desired level of caramelization is reached.
Adding vanilla happens once the Dulce de Leche is finished. Scoop it out of the can into a bowl and add ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract per can of condensed milk used. Add more vanilla if you wish.
Adding baking soda and vanilla are completely optional. I do not do either.
Flexibility with Equipment
Really the only equipment needed is an Instant Pot (see below.)
If you do not have an Instant Pot or similar multi cooker, then this recipe can be made in the following ways:
Stovetop:
- Remove the labels from the cans and ensure each can has no dents or damage. Do not open the cans.
- Use a pot that will comfortably fit the number of cans on their side, you want to prepare. Place a clean rag or cloth at the bottom of the pot and add water so that the cans are submersed in the water with 2-3 inches of water on top.
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and let the water simmer for 2.5 hours to 4 hours (depending on how deep you want the caramelization level to be, 4 hours will yield a deep, rich caramel.)
- The pot needs to be checked about 3 times an hour to ensure the water level is always 2-3 inches above the cans.
- Let the can cool down all the way in the water before removing and opening, which may take a few hours.
Slow Cooker:
- Remove the labels from the cans and ensure each can has no dents or damage. Do not open the cans.
- Gauge how many cans (turned on their sides) will fit in your slow cooker.
- Cover the cans with hot tap water until the water is 2-3 inches above the cans.
- Set slow cooker for 8 hours on low.
- If you want a greater caramelization level to be attained, then continue slow cooking for another 2 hours.
- Remove cans from slow cooker using tongs and allow the cans to cool. Opening cans at this stage when they are still very hot, could cause the cans to explode.
If the whole idea of cooking condensed milk in a can is scary to you, then you can use mason jars instead. Empty the contents of the cans into the corresponding number of mason jars. The mason jars do not need to be on their sides BUT they do need to rest on a trivet (or mason jar rings,) or the glass might shatter. Cook them in an Instant Pot, Stovetop or Slow Cooker exactly the same way as if the condensed milk was still in its can.
Uses for Instant Pot Dulce de Leche
There seem to be endless uses for this beautiful, finger licking’ confection!
- as a frosting substitute for cupcakes.
- as a topping for cheesecake.
- serve it with pancakes and waffles to replace syrup.
- spread on toast, rice cakes, scones and graham crackers.
- as the main ingredient in a Kid Approved Candy Apple Dipping Bar.
- use is as a dip for churros or fresh fruit.
- to sandwich cookies together, such as macarons.
- as an ingredient in baking such as Banoffee Pie.
- as an ingredient in ice cream.
- as a dessert fondue, use it instead of chocolate.
- substitute toffee / caramel with Dulce de Leche when decorating Candy Apples.
- stir it into coffee
- put it into mason jars and give it as a gift!
Storage
Always remove the Dulce de Leche from the cans and place it in mason jars or other airtight containers.
Store in the refrigerator for up 3 weeks (it won’t last that long!)
Freeze it for up to 3 months.
A Tip From Me
Keep this recipe simple and quick. If you avoid adding in baking soda or vanilla, or using mason jars instead of the can, then you are more likely to make it, use it and have it in your recipe repertoire. It’s so much cheaper than buying it at the store and you get to control your level of caramelization too.
Equipment
There’s a hint in the title “Instant Pot One Ingredient Dulce de Leche’ that an Instant Pot is needed. Here’s some information about purchasing one if you do not already have one.
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Got Questions?
I’ve got answers – hopefully!
- Why not just keep the can lid on? Removing the lid reduces any stress or worry about the can exploding. The foil, although wrapped tightly across the top of the can does not replicate the same pressure as the original can lid would.
- What is the difference between Dulce de Leche and caramel? Dulce de Leche is silkier, and made with sugar and cow’s milk. Caramel is denser, darker in color and made with sugar and water.
- Can I make this dairy free? Yes, by using sweetened condensed coconut milk. Use the same method except reduce the cooking time in the Instant Pot to 17 minutes.
- I made Dulce de Leche, when it is cold it is too thick, what should I do? Warm it in the microwave or stovetop gently. The saturated fat in it will become liquid through heating. So if serving Dulce de Leche fondue style, either serve it over a warm water bath or over a fondue stand with a tea light. This is enough heat to keep it warm without scorching it.
- I made Dulce de Leche, when it is warm it is too thick, what happened? The sauce overcooked and too much liquid has evaporated. Pulse in the food processor/blender with a tiny bit of cream or milk (about 1/2 teaspoon) until your desired consistency is reached.
Recipe for Instant Pot One Ingredient Dulce de Leche
Ingredients
- 1 can condensed milk 14 oz can
Instructions
- Choose as many cans of condensed milk as you would like and will fit in an Instant Pot.
- Using a can opener, remove the can lids. Cover the cans well with aluminum foil.
- Place the cans onto a trivet (or mason jar rings) placed inside the Instant Pot. Add water until the water level reaches halfway up the side of the cans.
- Put the lid on the Instant Pot, lock it to seal it. Choose high pressure and 35 minutes on the timer.
- Once finished, release the pressure and let the contents cool for about 20 minutes. Using tongs, remove the cans from the Instant Pot and take the foil off. Be careful as the Dulce de Leche may be still hot.
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