Slow Cooker Dulce Le Leche

A simple way to make your own delicious homemade Dulce Le Leche caramel in the slow cooker from a can of sweetened condensed milk 

I have been wanting to share this method for making your own caramel for a long time, with the onset of the festive season now is the time! 

Please see the notes in the recipe card for safety precautions before you proceed with this recipe. If in doubt feel free to skip this one and purchase store made or make your own from scratch!

You can of course purchase Dulce Le Leche in stores already made but if you are like me, you like making things your self and the end result is delicious and oh so easy! 

All you need are one or two cans of sweetened condensed milk and a slow cooker, then a little time to slowly heat it to create the most delectable caramel that you can use in so many ways. 

There are many ways to make this caramel, some do it on the stove top, others over a high heat in the slow cooker but I have found the best and safest way is for me to do it for 8-10 hours in my slow cooker on LOW. 

The method is lovely and easy, simply remove the labels from your cans of sweetened condensed milk, place them on their sides in your slow cooker.

Then cover in water, at least 4-5cm above the cans to ensure they are well covered in water for the duration of the cooking process. 

I have a six liter slow cooker so I filled mine almost to the brim, then I popped the slow cooker on low and set a timer on my phone for 8 hours.

Then turned off the slow cooker and left it overnight to cool to room temperature. 

You must never open a hot can of Dulce Le Leche made this way as it has a tendency to explode! So cool it down slowly in the water it was heated in is the safest bet. 

Best practice is to transfer the Dulce Le Leche to a clean dry airtight container or jar as soon as it has cooled, store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. 

Check out my other desserts HERE

Here is my method for making Slow Cooker Dulce Le Leche

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Slow Cooker Dulce Le Leche from Condensed Milk

Yield: 1-2 Cans

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Additional Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 16 hours 5 minutes

Delicious caramelised Dulce Le Leche made in the slow cooker from cans of sweetened condensed milk

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Ingredients

• 1-2 Cans Sweetened Condensed Milk*
• 6 Litres Water*

Instructions

1. Peel the labels from your cans of sweetened condensed milk
2. Lay the cans on their sides in the bottom of your slow cooker and cover completely in water, cover with at least 4-5cm of water above the height of the cans, I fill my slow cooker to nearly full.
3. Never let them water level drop, this should not occur with slow cooking but keep an eye on it
4. Cover with the lid, set the slow cooker to LOW for 8 hours, do not turn or bump the cans during this time and only cook on LOW.
5. Once the 8 hours has been completed, turn off the slow cooker and leave the lid on and allow the water to naturally cool for at least 8 hours or overnight. NEVER open these cans while they are hot, they may explode.
6. Remove the cans once they are room temperature and completely dry them.
7. It is now safe to open your cans and transfer the contents to an airtight container or jar and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
8. Enjoy in so many ways! On a dessert, drizzled over ice cream, or use it in a Banoffee pie or trifle and more.

Notes

Safety Precautions

• Cans say DO NOT HEAT IN CAN, you are using your own discretion if you wish to make this recipe
• If you wish to make this recipe be aware to never open the cans when they are still hot, they can explode.
• Cook only on LOW for 8 hours, do not cook on high
• Safety issues are caused by the water level going below the cans and cooked at a high heat or pressure, cooking low and slow is much safer but take care.
• Do not bump or turn or jostle the cans while they heat.
• Once they have cooled transfer to an airtight container or jar straight away and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
• Use the best quality Sweetened Condensed Milk for best results

Is it safe to use the can to heat the condensed milk?

You may have heard talk online referring to the inside of the can leaching chemicals into the condensed milk.

However most cans these days are not lined with BPA, plastic or other chemicals, any issues are more likely related to cans with acidic foods such as tomatoes.

With this low and slow cooking technique compared to high pressure heating it is also less likely to cause any issues.

If these issues are a concern for you, then I recommend you purchase ready made dulce le leche, it is delicious or make your own from scratch!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 245Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 337mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 0gSugar: 42gProtein: 6g

This nutrition calculation for Just Slow Cooker Recipes has been automated, please use your discretion with the calculation and use your own if unsure.

I hope you love this one, let me know in the comments below if you make it. 

It’s totally ok if you are not comfortable making this one.

Thank you so much for stopping by to check out my latest recipe and others on my blog. If you are not already be sure to follow me on Facebook or Instagram for more Slow Cooker deliciousness, and you can register your email in the subscription box below to receive all my recipes as I publish them.

Happy Cooking!

Anna

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