Homemade Dulce de Leche (Milk Jam)

French

Homemade dulce de leche, silky and caramelised: milk slowly cooked with sugar and vanilla until it coats a spoon.

Perfect for crêpes, cakes and toast. Includes timing cues, storage tips, practical troubleshooting and flavour ideas.

how to make Homemade Dulce de Leche recipe (Milk Jam)

Dulce de leche also called milk jam, starts with a humble duo: milk and sugar, gently simmered with vanilla until glossy and spoon-coating.

Keep the heat low, stir regularly, and watch the colour move from pale gold to deep amber as the texture thickens.

The longer the reduction, the creamier and more intensely caramelised the result.

A heavy-bottomed saucepan and a wooden spatula make the job easier; a tiny pinch of bicarbonate can reduce foaming and encourage colour.

Once slightly cooled, ladle into sterilised jars. It’s a dream on crêpes, cakes or toast.

Today, I share with my sister’s recipe of this classic, old-school method; very soon I’ll publish a foolproof, easy version too.

Essential ingredients for a lush, glossy result

• 1 litre whole milk : Whole milk’s fat delivers a creamy mouthfeel, sheen and even reduction. Pasteurised is ideal (UHT is fine).
• 350 g sugar (½ light brown, ½ white caster) : Light brown sugar adds caramel notes and colour; white sugar helps even cooking and shine.
• 1 vanilla pod : Split and scrape the seeds; infuse the spent pod during cooking for a deeper, natural aroma (or 1 tsp pure extract).

Step-by-step methods : traditional + sweetened condensed milk

Method 1 : Traditional (milk + sugars)

• Add milk, both sugars, and the split, scraped vanilla pod to a high-sided saucepan. Stir to dissolve.
• Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce to low. Cook 1 h 30-2 h, stirring every 5-10 minutes and scraping the sides to prevent crystallisation.
• The mixture will reduce by roughly half and darken gradually. Remove the pod once amber; stir continuously for 5-10 minutes to smooth.
• Doneness cues: it coats the back of a spoon and holds a line on a chilled plate (or reads ~103-105 °C).
• Adjust: too thick, whisk in 1-2 tbsp hot milk; too thin, continue cooking 5-10 minutes.
• Jar hot into sterilised jars, close, invert 2 minutes, then upright. Cool completely.

Method 2 : Sweetened condensed milk

Pressure cooker (quickest)

• Remove the label from 1 can sweetened condensed milk (~397 g); ensure it’s intact, not dented. Lay the can on a tea towel in the cooker.
• Cover completely with cold water (3-4 cm above). Seal. Once at pressure, cook 40-45 min for blonde, 50-60 min for darker caramel.
• Let pressure drop naturally. Remove and cool fully before opening. Whisk smooth; add vanilla or fleur de sel to taste.
• Safety: never let the water fall below the can level; never open a hot can.

Oven (most even results)

• Heat oven to 200 °C. Pour 1 can into a shallow baking dish; cover tightly with foil.
• Place inside a larger tin; add hot water to halfway up (bain-marie).
• Bake 1 h 30-2 h to your preferred shade. Optionally whisk at mid-time, recover, and continue for an ultra-smooth texture.
• Whisk when done; flavour with vanilla/fleur de sel if you like.

Finish & storage (applies to all methods)

• Jar while hot in sterilised jars and seal. Refrigerate 3-4 weeks after opening; freeze in small portions if needed.

Dulce de Leche Troubleshooting for the best result

Too thin : 

• Why: not cooked long enough, very low heat, high ambient humidity.
• Fix: cook 5-10 more minutes over low heat, stirring; check spoon-nap or cold-plate line.
• Prevent: aim for 103-105 °C, stir regularly, use a heavy-base pan.

Too thick

• Why: over-reduced in the last stage.
• Fix: off the heat, whisk in 1-2 tbsp hot milk until smooth.
• Prevent: stop at nap stage; check texture every minute near the end.

Grainy / crystallised

• Why: undissolved sugar on the walls, hard boiling, irregular stirring.
• Fix: rewarm gently, whisk; strain while warm if needed.
• Prevent: scrape pan sides with a spatula; dissolve sugars completely; keep heat low and steady.

Flavour too dark / slightly bitter

• Why: heat too high, over-caramelisation at the end.
• Fix: loosen with a splash of hot milk; use in thin layers (fillings).
• Prevent: favour slow simmer over a rolling boil; stir more often in the last 10 minutes.

Condensed-milk method too pale

• Why: not cooked long enough.
• Fix: return 10-15 min (pressure cooker) or 15-20 min (oven, bain-marie).
• Safety: let the can cool completely before opening; keep the can fully submerged in the cooker.

Scorched spot on the bottom

• Why: hot spot, not enough stirring.
• Fix: immediately transfer to a clean pan without scraping the burnt area; salvage the smooth part.
• Prevent: low heat, figure-eight stirring, heavy-base saucepan.

Storage, sterilisation & safety

– Sterilise jars & lids : Wash in hot soapy water, rinse. Dry jars in the oven 130 °C for 15 min (or boil 10 min); lids only in simmering water. Air-dry; avoid touching the inside.

– Hot-fill & seal : Place jars on a tea towel, fill piping hot, leaving 5 mm headspace. Wipe rims (a drop of vinegar helps), twist finger-tight.

– Vacuum step : Invert 2 minutes, then upright. Cool 12-24 h.
Note: because it’s dairy, avoid room-temperature canning; store refrigerated.

Shelf life

• Sealed jars (vacuum achieved): 4-6 weeks in the fridge.
• Once opened: 3-4 weeks refrigerated.
• Freeze (small portions): up to 3 months.

– Defrost & re-texture
Thaw in the fridge overnight, whisk; if needed, loosen with 1-2 tbsp hot milk.

– Spoilage signs
Bulging lid, off odour, bubbles, mould: discard.

SAFETY (condensed-milk can method)

• In a pressure cooker, keep the can fully submerged; let pressure drop naturally; cool completely before opening.
• Never use a dented/rusted can; discard any bulging can.
• Do not heat a sealed can in the oven (dry heat = explosion risk). For oven use, decant into a dish and cover tightly.
• Keep children/pets away during cooking and cooling.

Variations & flavours (including a matcha version)

General tip: add flavourings off the heat when the dulce is warm (about 60-70 °C), then whisk. For powders, sieve first and loosen with 1-2 tbsp of warm dulce to make a smooth paste before folding in.

– Fleur de sel (gentle salted caramel) : + ¼ – ½ tsp fleur de sel per 500 ml.
When: off the heat. Balances sweetness and boosts flavour.

– Cinnamon / warm spices (gingerbread/speculoos vibe) : + ½ tsp ground cinnamon + a pinch of nutmeg/ginger/cardamom.
When: last minute of cooking, then rest 5 minutes.

– Coffee latte : + 1 tsp instant coffee or 1-2 tbsp well-reduced espresso.
When: off the heat. If using liquid, add gradually to avoid thinning too much.

– Cocoa / chocolate : + 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa (sieved) or 40-60 g finely chopped white chocolate.
When: off the heat; whisk smooth. White chocolate adds extra silkiness.

– Citrus zest : + 1 tsp finely grated zest (orange, clementine, lemon).
When: off the heat. Avoid juice (acidity can cause graininess). Strain if needed.

– Cardamom & orange blossom water : + 2-3 lightly crushed cardamom pods infused at the start (remove later) + ½ tsp orange blossom water at the end.

– Hazelnut praline : + 1-2 tbsp praline paste (or 100% hazelnut butter).
When: off the heat. Brings a gianduja-style note.

– Cajeta (goat’s milk) : Swap part or all of the cow’s milk for goat’s milk; add a small pinch of bicarbonate at the start.
Result: deeper, slightly tangy flavour and a darker hue.

– Coconut version (no cow’s milk) : Base: full-fat coconut milk + sugar (same ratios), gentle simmer, usually a shorter reduction.
Note: toffee-coconut profile; texture slightly looser.

– MATCHA (green tea) : Dose: 1-2 tsp culinary matcha (sieved) per 500-600 ml.
When: off the heat, around 60 °C. First loosen the matcha with 1-2 tbsp warm dulce to form a paste, then whisk in.
Tip: start with 1 tsp, taste, adjust. Elegant bitterness, green-amber colour; lovely with a pinch of fleur de sel or a hint of vanilla.

– Two-tone swirl : Reserve 2-3 tbsp plain dulce, flavour it (cocoa, matcha, coffee), then swirl through the jar for a marbled look.

Texture tips

– If a liquid flavouring thins it: simmer gently 2-3 minutes.

– If it turns grainy after spices: stick-blend 10-20 seconds, then let it rest 5 minutes.

How to use Dulce de leche

• to garnish french crepes
• Or to fill Jam Shortbread Cookies : sablé sandwich
• to fill banoffee pie