Sous Vide Dulce De Leche

Have you tried Sous Vide Dulce De Leche yet? If not you need to! This creamy, caramelized milk is heaven in a jar. It’s got 1 ingredient, 10 minutes of prep, and 12 hours to perfection. Check out my dulce de leche recipe for step by step instructions and helpful hints!

When you taste something so good, that your tastebuds open up a serotonin highway straight to your brain and you are hit with a jolt of omg.

We need to figure out a way to bottle that feeling. It’s such a pleasant sensation when you taste something good, then get an after-shock when your brain realizes just how good.

I might not have found out how to bottle that feeling, but I did find out how to bottle to food that gave it to me.

This sous vide dulce de leche recipe is dedicated to brain food.

Tips + Tricks

No. 1 –> This recipe requires sous vide cooking. While they used to be cost-prohibitive, this is no longer the case. I have (and love) this Instant Pot sous vide stick.

No. 2 –> Some people sous vide their dulce de leche in plastic bags. Using a freezer ziplock bag will work, but I much prefer to cook and store my foods in glass wherever possible. If you don’t love mason jars, check out these reusable silicone bags! They’re perfect for sous vide.

Is it caramel?

Caramel is made by melting sugar until it browns and caramelizes – cream and butter are then added to make it a creamy sauce. Caramel can be finicky to make.

Dulce de leche is made by heating sweetened condensed milk. Sweetened condensed milk has higher sugar content than regular milk, heating it allows the sugars within the milk itself to caramelize and brown.

And we know from browned butter and browned cream that caramelizing the sugars and milk solids is ahh-mah-zing!

How to use

You can use dulce whenever you’d use caramel sauce because they are similar in ingredients and flavour.

We like to use it:

• as a spread for pancakes
• a dollop on muffins
• a spoonful stirred into coffee or hot chocolate
• drizzled on ice cream
• a dip for apples

How to make sous vide dulce de leche in mason jars:

If you choose to make your dulce de leche in a mason jar, there are slightly different steps than if you use bags.

1. Prep your sous vide container. I use my Instant Pot liner because it’s got perfect straight sides. I like to fill mine to the minimum line on the sous vide.
2. Wash your jar with hot soapy water and dry it with a clean towel. Since we are cooking and storing in the jar, food safety is important.
3. Empty the contents of your sweetened condensed milk. 2 cans will give you two and a half 250ml mason jars.
4. Fill the jars to 1″ headspace – I usually eyeball and fill to the shoulder of the jar, located right below the threads.
5. Tighten the lids until you feel resistance, and then back off 1/4 turn. Alternatively, tighten the jar without holding it, and stop once the jar spins with you turning the lid. This allows any steam to escape. The jar should NOT be sealed completely.
6. Place the jars in the water bath. At this point, turn on the sous vide to 185f.
7. Using plastic wrap, cover the top of the sous vide container.
8. Cook at 185f for 12 hours.
9. Use a jar lifter to remove the jars from the sous vide pot. Set them aside to cool before opening. They are HOT!
10. Enjoy!

How to make in a bag:

If using silicone or Ziplock bags, the steps are slightly different!

1. Prep your sous vide container.
2. If using a silicone bag, wash with hot soapy water and dry with a clean towel. If using a Ziplock bag, this step is not necessary.
3. Add sweetened condensed milk to the bags. I like to put 1 can to each bag.
4. CAREFULLY remove all the water from the bags – the water displacement method works well, but I generally prefer to lay my bag down flat and move the air out that way.
5. Ensure the bags are properly sealed.
6. If using Ziplock bags, clip them to the side of the pot with binder clips. If using silicone bags, stand them up in the sous vide container. At this point, turn on the sous vide to 185f.
7. Using plastic wrap, cover the top of the sous vide container.
8. Cook at 185f for 12 hours.
9. Allow the water bath to cool before removing the bags.
10. Enjoy!

How to store

Because this is a milk-based product, it needs to be stored in the fridge. The good news is that it will keep for up to 1 month!

How to soften homemade dulce de leche

Depending on the use, this sauce can be hard to use straight from the fridge. There’s a couple of options you can use to soften the dulce de leche:

If you’re using mason jars for storage, you can place your jar in a pot and gently simmer until it’s soft. OR, you can heat it in the microwave. I prefer to heat over the stove.

If you’ve made your dulce in a bag and are storing it in the same bag or a plastic container, transfer it to a glass bowl. With a glass bowl, you can either heat in the microwave, or warm gently over a double boiler.

Sous vide sweets you’ll like:

📖 Printable Recipe

Sous Vide Dulce De Leche

Allyson Letal

A rich, creamy, milk-based caramel style sauce made in the sous vide means it's hands-off, but damn delicious! Check out this recipe for step by step instructions, tips and a video.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 hours hrs

Total Time 12 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course Treats + Desserts

Cuisine Argentinian

Servings 700 ml

Calories 4 kcal

Ingredients

 

• 2 cans sweetened condensed milk

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

To Make In Mason Jars

• Prep sous vide container.
• Pour sweetened condensed milk into freshly washed and dried mason jars. * see notes
• Seal jars to finger-tight and place into the sous vide container.
• Turn on the sous vide to 185f and set the timer for 12 hours.
• Cover the sous vide container with plastic wrap to minimize evaporation
• Cook the sweetened condensed milk at 185f for 12 hours.
• Using a jar lifter, carefully remove the jars from the hot water and set aside to cool before storing in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

To Make In Silicone Bag:

• Prep your sous vide container.
• If using a silicone bag, wash with hot soapy water and dry with a clean towel. If using a Ziplock bag, this step is not necessary.
• Add sweetened condensed milk to the bags. I like to put 1 can to each bag.
• CAREFULLY remove all the water from the bags – the water displacement method works well, but I generally prefer to lay my bag down flat and move the air out that way.
• Ensure the bags are properly sealed.
• If using Ziplock bags, clip them to the side of the pot with binder clips. If using silicone bags, stand them up in the sous vide container. At this point, turn on the sous vide to 185f.
• Using plastic wrap, cover the top of the sous vide container.
• Cook at 185f for 12 hours.
• Allow the water bath to cool before removing the bags.
• Transfer the dulce de leche from the bags to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to one month
• Enjoy!

Recommended Equipment + Ingredients

Carnation Sweetened Condensed Milk

Instant Pot Accu Slim Sous Vide, Precision Cooker and Immersion Circulator with digital touchscreen display, Silver (Accu SSV800)

Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker and Warmer (IP-DUO60), Stainless Steel/Black

Ball Mason 8oz Quilted Jelly Jars

Reusable Silicone Food Bag

Nutrition

Serving: 50mlCalories: 4kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 0.1gFat: 0.1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.004gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 0.4mgSodium: 1mgPotassium: 4mgSugar: 1gVitamin A: 3IUVitamin C: 0.03mgCalcium: 3mgIron: 0.002mg

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