Slow Cooker Dulce de Leche

You will be surprised at how easy it is to make this slow cooker dulce de leche. Once you make this, you will never go back to store-bought again.

This one ingredient caramel sauce is so thick, creamy, and decadent. You will love it, because it not only tastes good, it can be used in so many different ways.

Why You'll Love This Recipe:

• This is the easiest and best-tasting caramel sauce you will ever make.
• It is budget-friendly and costs a fraction of what you can buy at the store (well, it is where we live). 
• Make the most of your slow cooker and make several or as many as you can fit into your slow cooker because this sauce keeps well very well in the pantry.
• This delicious caramel sauce is ideal as a cake filling - scroll down the page for other ways to use this crockpot caramel sauce.

What is Dulce de Leche?

Dulce de Leche is a popular thick sweet milk used in many Latin American desserts.

Traditional Dulce de Leche is a thick, rich sauce made from milk, sugar, baking soda, and vanilla. The sauce is brought to a boil and is then simmered uncovered on the stove for several hours until it caramelizes and thickens.

This traditional method does require attention and almost constant stirring because it can boil over and burn.

It does give good results if you give it the time it deserves. But if you don't have the time, this slow cooker dulce de leche is for you.

Ingredients In This Recipe

You can download a printable version of this recipe below. It lists all the ingredients you need and gives clear, step-by-step instructions to help you make it.

Slow cooker dulce de leche is made with sweetened condensed milk. You will need at the very least one can of condensed milk.

If you have a large slow cooker, you may like to cook three or four cans at one time because, if you didn't and after opening the first can, you will have wished you had, because it is that good!

Step By Step Instructions

• You make slow cooker dulce de leche by slow-cooking unopened cans of condensed milk in a water bath.

• The level of water in the slow cooker must be about 5 cm (2 inches ) above the cans to ensure even cooking.  

• To start the cooking process, fill the slow cooker with hot water. It could be hot tap water or from the kettle. 
  
  Starting with hot water speeds up the cooking process, and it means you won't have to cook for longer because of the additional time needed to heat the water from cold.

• Once you have covered the cans with hot water, put the lid on the slow cooker and set it to low and allow to cook for 8 hours.

• After 8 hours of cooking, turn the slow cooker off, remove the slow cooker lid and allow the cans to cool to room temperature in the water.

SAFETY TIP: Don't handle the cans when hot because the liquid inside is under pressure and should never be opened in this state because the hot contents can spurt out and cause severe burns.

Recipe Tips

• Make it a budget-friendly recipe and use non-branded condensed milk.
• Check the cans before cooking for any visible damage, and if using ring pull cans, make sure that the seal is intact before using.
• Not exactly a tip, but you can leave or remove the label.
• During the cooking process, the cans can mark or stain the bottom of the slow cooker bowl. If you don't want this to happen, line the base with a piece of baking paper before adding the cans and water.
• Place the unopened cans on their sides in the slow cooker so that you use less water to fill the slow cooker.
• Always make sure that the cans are underwater the entire cooking time. So start the cooking process with the water level at least 5cm / 2 inches above the top of the cans.

Don't open the cans when they are hot - allow them to come to room temperature before opening. 

Serving Size

A serving size is about 1 tablespoon (20 grams / 0.67 ounces).

Calories Per Serve

A one tablespoon serving is about 65 calories.

Serving Suggestions

Straight from the can, this slow cooker dulce de leche is very thick and will need to be "loosened" or thinned down before you use it with water or milk.

For spreading onto cakes, sandwiching cookies, or filling tart cases, it is best to place some of the dulce de leche into a large cup or small mixing bowl and give it a good stir with a butter knife - see picture above. 

After mixing, test it by spreading a little on the cake or cookies, and if it is easy to spread use it.

But if it is too thick and pulls up pieces of cake or makes you break the cookies, or you can't spread it into tart cases, mix in about ¼ - ½ teaspoon of water at a time until you get a consistency that you can manage. 

To make this condensed milk caramel a pouring sauce, mix in small amounts of water until you get a pouring consistency you like.

You don't want to thin down the entire can all at once because you may end up with more sauce than you need. This is because of the extra water you added to it.

Also, if you have added just a little too much liquid and the sauce becomes too runny, you can add some of the reserved sauce to thicken it.

When adding water to thin down the dulce de leche, mix it well before adding the water.

If you don't and have added too much water, it does not mix that well and can become lumpy.

If you happen to end up with a lumpy sauce, put it into a fine-meshed sieve, place it over a bowl, and use the back of a spoon to press the lumps through it to get a smooth sauce.

What To Make With Dulce de Leche

Dulce de leche can be used in many different ways:

• Use it as a dip for banana or apple slices.
• Use it as a dip for churros.
• Use it to sandwich cookies together like Alfojores.
• Use it as a filling and a cake topping.
• Drizzle it over ice cream.
• Use it as a simple filling for tartlets.
• Use it as a topping on pudding or custard pots.
• Spread or swirl it into brownie batter.
• Use it as a filling for thumbprint cookies.
• Use it as a chocolate filling.
• Add it as a layer in s'mores.
• Use as a cupcake filling.
• Use it to make easy chocolate truffles.
• Use it to fill donuts.
• Use it as a topping or a mix-in for overnight oats.
• Use it as a cheesecake topping.
• Use it as a waffle or pancake topping.
• Use it as a filling for crepes.
• Use it in milkshakes.
• Add to your coffee.
• Use it to make condensed milk fudge.
• Spread it on muffins, crumpets, or toast.
• Fold it into whipped cream.
• Use it as and ingredient for mousse.
• Package it nicely and give it as a gift.

FAQ

More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes

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• Slow cooker pulled pork
• Slow cooker bolognese sauce
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