This is a 1 ingredient, 15 second recipe for a Caramel made from sweetened condensed milk in the slow cooker!
This is how to make sweetened condensed milk caramel: Place sealed cans of sweetened condensed milk in slow cooker, fill slow cooker with water, slow cook on low for 8 hours. Output: Perfectly smooth, no stir, thick, deep flavoured caramel sauce. It’s incredible!
Sweetened Condensed Milk Caramel
“This keeps for a month in the fridge. But it won’t last that long.”
Dulce De Leche. Smooth, rich and thick with a deep caramel flavor, this South American export is the king of all caramels. The literal translation of “dulce de leche” is “candy of milk”. And that’s exactly what this is – milk and sugar that’s been slow cooked.
Made from scratch using milk and sugar, it requires a lot of attention for the first hour to make sure the caramel at the bottom doesn’t burn, then a further 2 hours of cooking (and checking….and cooking….and checking…). So if you’re more like me, this effortless version made with condensed milk in a slow cooker will appeal to you. This is how this goes down:
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Place sealed cans of condensed milk in slow cooker. You don’t even need to take the labels off. (3 seconds)
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Fill slow cooker with hot tap water (10 seconds)
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Turn slow cooker on for 8 hours on low (2 seconds)
“Use no-brand condensed milk if you want to save on cost. I promise you no one will know the difference.”
When you open those cans up, you are going to be amazed at the deep golden colour and the smell of the rich caramel is going to make your mouth water. Dig deep and be strong – do not get stuck in with a spoon because you won’t be able to stop!!
This caramel is quite thick, a spreadable consistency (shown in the top picture) and perfectly smooth. If you want to make it a pourable consistency, you can whisk in a touch of milk or even water, or heat it up in the microwave.
I don’t get fancy serving it up, I usually just warm it up slightly and pour it (generously) over vanilla ice cream, or spread it onto a biscuit. Because it’s so rich, I don’t think it needs much else to make it shine. But here are other suggestions for things you can use it for:
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As a sweetener + milk in coffee
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Use as spread on muffins or toast
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Spread on sweet plain biscuits like graham crackers or shortbread
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Drizzled over cakes and cupcakes. Fancy!
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Caramel layer in slices
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Over crepes and pancakes
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Cheesecake
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As a dip for churros (it is, after all, South American!)
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As a gift (if you like anyone enough to give this away to)
It’s pictured here used in this Shortbread Dulce De Leche Cookie Sandwiches. It could also be used to stuff a brownie (see these Salted Caramel Stuffed Brownies).
I hope you give this a try! It really is handy to have in the fridge. I’m especially glad that I made this batch today because I’ve just organised to have a bunch of friends over this weekend! 🙂 – Nagi x
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Sweetened Condensed Milk Caramel (Dulce de Leche)
Ingredients
- 2 cans sweetened condensed milk (395g / 14 oz each) (see notes)
Instructions
- Place cans in slow cooker on their side. Don’t worry about removing the label.
- Cover cans with hot tap water until the water is about 5 cm / 2” above the cans.
- Set slow cooker for 8 hours on low.
- If you want your caramel to be a really dark golden colour, slow cook for a further 2 hours.
- Remove cans from slow cooker using tongs. DO NOT OPEN CANS WHILE HOT. The contents might burst out – dangerous!
- Submerge cans in cold water to cool before opening. It only takes 10 minutes or so.
- Open cans.
- If not using right away, transfer into jars or air tight containers, do not leave it in the can.
To make on stove top
- Place cans in a large pot and cover with water so that it is 5 cm / 2 inches above the cans.
- Place on a small burner and bring JUST to boil - don't walk away, you don't want to leave the cans boiling in water.
- Then turn down the heat to medium low (or low if you stove is powerful), put the lid on and let it simmer for 2 hours to get the consistency and colour as per the photos you see, otherwise for 3 hours if you want to darker and thicker.
- Remove from the pot. Allow to cool before opening (otherwise the Dulce De Leche might burst out when you open it). You can speed up the process by submerging the cans in cold water.
Recipe Notes:
• As a sweetener + milk in coffee
• Use as spread on muffins, toast or graham crackers
• Drizzled over cakes and cupcakes. Fancy!
• Caramel layer in slices
• Over crepes and pancakes
• Cheesecake
• As a dip for churros (it is, after all, South American!)
• As a gift – jar it and add labels and/or tags 7. Nutrition facts per serving assuming 3 cups (2 cans of sweetened condensed milk) serves 12 people.
Nutrition Information:
Was very skeptical about this, gave it a try and OMG! OFF THE CHARTS! THANK YOU!!!
I tried this today, and it is very solid and much darker than in your picture, and not very gooey either. Is it possible it was too hot/in too long? My slow cooker is not great quality and I think the temp can be off sometimes.
Hi Megan – sounds like the caramel has cooked too long/too hot – if your slow cooker isn’t great quality I’d say that would be the reason. N x
Thanks for your reply! I think I’ll have to keep experimenting. My silly Kmart slow cooker has failed me in the past! The flavour was good though, like a rich English toffee. I think I’ll make a banoffee pie!
Silly question, does it still work.if you stack tins on top of each other? I’ve bought seven tins to make enough for gifts
HI Cassie – I’m not sure about that. The bottom tins will get more heat because it’s in direct contact with the slow cooker. Personally I wouldn’t risk it, just do a single layer at a time 🙂 N x
Thanks for your speedy reply, l should have thought about my question before l asked it. Our slow cooker can only handle 3 at a time, l didn’t read the intructions properly, that they need to be on their side and that they need 5cms of water above them, so..two lots will have be done 😁
I’ve often stacked cans while making dulce de leche. Never had a problem with it.
5cm of water above them isn’t necessary either. 2-3cm will do. All you really need to do is make sure that they’re covered at all times. If you’re OK with checking in on them during the process, you can make do with less.
I COOK ON HIGH ON STOVE – CAN ALWAYS COVERED WITH WATER – FOR ONE HOUR. COOL. MIX WITH COOL WHIP AND PUT IN PIE SHELL ( GRAHAM CRACKER OR CHOCOLATE CRUST) FREEZE (TASTES LIKE BUTTERFINGER)
BEEN MAKING THIS FOR MY SON AND HE IS 43 ON 7/7/77 AND TWINS – 02/23/70. WHEN THINNER – ATE OUT OF CAN – COURSE IN COLLEGE DID NOT EVEN COOK TO EAT OUT OF CAN!
Hi Nagi! Have you tried making no churn ice cream with this? I’ve been making it for a few years now and I can’t find an easier, yummier ice cream! Just whip 500ml thickened cream to stiff peaks in the food processor then blend the dulce de leche into the whipped cream. I just pulse it several times in the food processor until combined. Pop in a container, cover and freeze overnight 😍
YUM!!! Sounds divine Sarah-Jane!
Any idea on how to make it thicker to make candies?
Hi Daniel, it would be a totally different recipe sorry – N x
Amazed the whole family!
They couldn’t believe it was made with just the sweetened condensed milk!
Really good!
Wahoo, that’s great to hear Carol!
Hello,
Please help.
Yesterday I put 4 cans of sweetened condensed milk in my Rival Crock pot. I covered the cans( labels removed) with water & cooked on low for 8 hrs.When I took them out of the heavy ceramic pot there were 4 circular imprints were the cans had been placed. I tried cleaning the pot with baking soda but the marks did not come out. When I opened the cans the caramel was more yellow than caramel in color & its consistency was runny. It tasted yummy good but it was so liquid that it was literally sliding off of the 3 layer cake!! Please note that the caramel icing was at room temperature when I put it on the cake. The icing hardened after the cake was refrigerated over night. Question: If I cook the cans longer would the color be darker and would the consistency be firm like icing? Also, what type of protector can I place on the bottom of the pot to prevent more can markings on the the crock pot?. Thanks for listening.
PS: though this crock pot is 40 + years old, I have never had any problems with the temperature until last night.
I put a piece of aluminum foil under my cans to keep the cans from leaving the circular imprint.
I am going to make your Peanut Butter Caramel Pie (sounds to die for!) so….could I use this as the caramel and then add Peanut butter to it? If that is possible, would I also then bake it for the time specified in the PB Caramel Pie recipe?
I haven’t tried to be honest, I think it may overcook the caramel unfortunately.
I made this before and it is amazing. Why can you NOT keep it in the can??
It gets metallic flavour 🙂 I guess it’s fine when raw but once the heat has been added into it, it does something N x
It’s a YMMV thing. I’ve never had a problem with keeping the dulce de leche in the can, sometimes even for months.
It may depend on brand (assuming there’s any difference in the cans) or personal taste.
They are in the slow cooker as we “speak”. Can’t wait to see the result tonight, I mean EAT! :))
Woot! Enjoy!
Should we be concerned about the inside lining of the can.?
I was. I put the condensed milk in canning jars first and it worked fine!
What size jars did you use? I think using jars is a better idea than just putting the cans in. But wonder if the time or amount of water would vary. I guess as long as the jars are covered it’s ok? This would also enable a larger yield if large jars were filled, maybe two cans would fit in one jar?
You folks realize condensed milk is a milk & sugar mixture, poured into those tin cans by a machine, another machine seals the can with a lid, then all those cans are put into a giant canner and canned for so much time at a specific temp just like ALL canned and jarred foods we buy in stores are done to kill bacteria(common sense), and like we can foods at home in a jar at a much HIGHER temp than what a crockpot on LOW is so, I highly doubt there should be any concern whatsoever for the lining in the can, it’s just silly. My mom told me when she was a kid in the 50s and 60s, they took all the food they harvested from gardens to a cannery in town where they put the foods in the cans, sealed them, brought them home and canned them in a canner, labeled them and they were good for over a year.
If I were to cook three tins at once (I’m giving dulce de leche as Christmas gifts so need to make a lot), would I need to adjust cooking time?
Thanks!!!
Perfection! Followed the recipe, used house brand sweetened condensed milk and it turned out perfectly. I love how easy this was to make.
Great Sherri!!
I have half a can of sweetened condensed milk leftover from a recipe I made. I’m going to try to do this in a crockpot. I have the milk in a glass closed container submerged in water and the crockpot is set on low. I’ll report back with the results. If it works, that is a perfect way for me to use the whole can instead of throwing it away.
Hi Laura, I’d love to know if this works!
I’m looking to make these for Christmas gifts and I’m wondering how long these would keep if I make them ahead and store them in airtight containers in the fridge? Would it be best to store them right in the tin that they are made in or should I scoop them into the glass airtight container?
Any thoughts / opinions welcomed.
I just had a question about the caramel recipe okay at the beginning of the article it says use condensed milk but at the end of the article it says don’t use condensed milk it won’t work use sweetened evaporated milk the only reason I’m asking is I’ve had mine in there for 10 hours and it still hasn’t worked and I don’t think the issue is with the Crock-Pot cuz my crockpot so pretty good one can someone please help me out I’m a little confused here thank you
It’s sweetened condensed milk, not evaporated of any kind.
I think you misread – they specifically said to use sweetened condensed milk NOT evaporated milk, that evaporated milk WILL NOT work. I’m sure you’ve figured this out already… I have no idea how old this article/comment is Lol
Hi Nagi,
I was just wondering what brand of condensed milk you suggest for this recipe? I bought the nestle sweetened condensed milk from woolies, will that do?
Madi xx
That’s what I use too!
I don’t know what went wrong, but mine was on low in the slow cooker for closer to 12 hours & is the exact same as if it had never been cooked. It didn’t change at all. I was looking forward to it being a caramelized & gooey. ☹
HI Karen! And the slow cooker was definitely on???
Absolutely! I’m going to try it again on high & see what happens. Maybe low is too low on that pot.
Did this ever work for you? I’m having the same issues I know my crockpot is on it’s actually been on warm Heat for 10 hours idk what I did wrong
Needs to be on LOW, not warm.
Did you use Sweetened Condensed Milk, or Evaporated Milk? It MUST be Sweetened Condensed Milk. If that’s what you used, and it was on LOW, not warm, for 8 hours, then there’s something wrong with your crockpot.
I haven’t gotten around to trying it again.
Question Nagi: The condensed milk in the can that I have has a lever type pull tab….would that be a problem for processing with this method? And it is also a Low Fat Version…??
Appreciate your recommendation Nagi. Thanks so much.
I always use the pull tabs. I put them upside down(tabs down) in the slow cooker. Just be careful that when you go to open the can you do it slow and I always face it downward towards the bowl slowly bc if still warm it sometimes sprays and it’s HOT! Enjoy -Candis
Just put mine in the crockpot. I’m anxious to see how it turns out!