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:
This looks fantastic! What a great idea! I really can’t wait to try it. I love how you give the directions to cook this on the stove, too. Thank you again!
Please be sure to use the FULLY sealed cans and NOT the ones with the pull tabs.
What happens if you use a can with a pull tab? (… I ask as I turn on my Crock Pot with just such a can in it.)
All I have are pull tab cans. Did it work???
It worked just fine for me!
Can this be done with sweetened coconut condensed milk too?
I tried it and it works. Mine came out a light brown color the first time.
Thank you for this. I’ll give it a try.
I honestly haven’t tried Pat – one to add to the list! N x
I may give it a try sometime soon. I think it would be delicious in a banoffee pie.
Sweetened condensed coconut milk works great. I do it all the time, it’s hard to find a good dairy free caramel and this method is awesome.
Hi Nagi, if you don’t open the cooked caramel can it be stored in the can or does it need to be decanted into a jar? thanks
I pressure-cook (15 lbs) the cans for 15 – 20 minutes and let cool naturally before opening the cooker so the cans won’t burst. 20 minutes gives a bit more solid result that’s also a little darker than the 15 minute version.
Thanks Nagi! This was so easy!! My Mum used to make this all the time as a child and I’d forgotten how great it was. Thanks for reminding me 💜
This is my first time making it in the slow cooker. I had it set to finish the 8 hours at 7:30pm but now I will be out for the night! Will it matter if it stays on ‘keep warm’ until 10:30-11pm? That’s an additional 3 hours and I’m scared my Mother’s Day dessert will be ruined.
Glad to know we had the same plan Ashlee! I actually had mine in on low for 8 hours, kept it on warm for over an hour, then turned it back on to low for an hour and it’s glorious! I see no reason why keeping it on warm would ruin it. Worse case scenario, grab another can on your way home and let it run overnight (as a backup) 🙂
Mine came out wonderful too! Thick and a rich caramel colour. The flavour is to die for, I’m sure mum will love it.
I’m so glad it worked for you Ashlee, I hope you had a great mothers day!! N x
My family makes this except we made it on the stove on low for about an hour and forty mins.we generally spread it on cakes and bread only once have we had it on meringue,i’m going to try some of your suggestions thanks!
Yummy and easy. Aside from all the other ways listed, this is good eaten with Ritz crackers. A bit of salty from the crackers gives a contrast.
Have cooked mine in the slow cooker for way over 8 hours. Mine is still like the condensed milk! Do you have to use Dulce
De Leche?
Glad you liked it and nice idea, Leah!! – Nx
Have made this for years. Eagle brand candy. Open can and dip out a teaspoon of cooked eaglebrand. Form into a ball and roll in coconut or chopped nuts. Wonderful and so easy!
I made this for years and then just stopped. I have no idea why.
I decided to make an apple crisp for tonight. Luckily, I had some sweetened condensed milk in the pantry. Stuck it in the crockpot early in the AM and pulled it out this afternoon.
My wife never had it and questioned if it would work. Of course it did. We drizzled it over the apple crisp with vanilla ice cream. The vanilla, caramel, apples, cinnamon combination is to die for!
I am now under strict orders from my family to create new & fun recipes. My first attempt will be to blend it into an ice cream / frozen concoction. Then make a float using the dulce de leche ice cream & apple beer!
here’s a fun recipe to try for the holidays. Think about your regular pumpkin pie, but instead of sweet condensed milk, you sub it for dulce de leche – what a twist on a holiday classic! Enjoy
Hi, Have you ever used this caramel to make candy apples? If so, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Thanks.
Hi Ali! This is not suitable for that purpose, it doesn’t set hard like candy 🙂 N x
Does this need to be refrigerated after making the caramel sauce? Or will it last in a glass jar and lid on the pantry shelf like canned condensed milk?
I made the Carmel in the crockpot cooking it for 8 hours on low. It was a little on the thin side. Should I increase the cooking time so it comes out thicker? The flavor is wonderful! Thanks!
Nagi, “Thank You So Very Much”
Made this for very 1st time.
After I let it slow cook (crock pot) for 8.5 hrs on low. I cooled it for 10 mins & I was like idk but low & behold when I barely pulled back on the can tab. This beautiful caramel started oozing out. I was like YESSSSSSSS!!!! 😁.
It’s delicious. The transformation from condensed milk to this rich carmel is really AMAZING. My mind went to racing thinking about all the possibilities & presentations I can make. Perfect timing for the holidays.
Thanks again for sharing. Stay safe.
Can you can this carmel???
Hi Robin, I’m sure you could! I haven’t tried yet 🙂 N x
I bought skim milk by mistake, will this still work with this recipe? Thanks.
Hi Leone, I haven’t tried with skim sorry – would love to know if it works! N x
It was a success with the skim milk version! Yummy as!
I tried this and it did not work. Spent money to buy the sweetened condensed milk, electricity for 8 and a half hours to get a very light color of milk. Spent another hour using gas stove to try and get the right color. Probably cheaper to buy it. Won’t be trying this again!!
I’d never bother doing this in the slow cooker. Mum always did this on the stove top and it was done within the hour or so. You just have to check the water stays to the correct level.
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!