5 from 2 votes

Dulce de Leche Bars

Dulce de leche bars are incredibly easy to make and absolutely scrumptious. For a decadent treat, enjoy gooey and rich Dulce de leche in a cookie bar base.

A plate of dulce de leche bars.


If you have tried dulce de leche yet, you are missing out. I remember discovering this Latin American decadence about 20 years ago. Our local grocery store brought in a new line of President’s Choice products, and I wanted to see what it was like.

OMG. It’s so good. It’s sweet, silky, and rich. If you like caramel, you will LOVE dulce de leche. After that, I was all about making dulce de leche desserts.

These Dulce de leche bars are perfection. Each bite is sweet and creamy, with a cookie-like feel. They are incredibly rich, so one bar is often enough to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature
  • Easy to make
  • Ready in under 1 hour
  • Decadent and divine dessert
  • Perfect for sweet cravings
  • An easy way to use dulce de leche
  • Kid friendly
  • Perfect for a potluck or bake sale

Ingredients

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    The full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is found at the bottom of the post.

    • Salted butter – Unsalted butter will also work, but I would add some extra salt to the dough to balance the sweetness.
    • Sugar – If you need to, you can use all white granulated or brown sugar.
    • Light brown sugar – Dark brown sugar will also work, giving it a more caramel flavor.
    • Buttermilk – If you don’t have buttermilk, add a teaspoon of lemon juice to your ¼ cup of milk. Let sit for about 1 to 2 minutes and it will curdle. Instant buttermilk!
    • All-purpose flour
    • Salt
    • Cinnamon
    • Baking soda
    • Dulce de leche – You should be able to find dulce de leche at your local grocery store. My local store keeps it with the jam and peanut butter. You can also make your own homemade dulce de leche in an Instant Pot!
    Ingredients on a dark grey surface.

    How to Make Dulce de Leche Bars

    • Step One: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
    • Step Two: Beat the salted butter, sugar, and light brown sugar together in a mixer until fluffy.
    • Step Three: Add in the buttermilk and beat until thoroughly combined.
    Collage of making the cookie bar base in a bowl.
    • Step Four: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. 
    • Step Five: Gradually combine the flour mixture with the sugar and butter mixture by beating it on low speed. Beat until just combined, being sure not to overmix.
    Collage of making the cookie bar base in a bowl.
    • Step Six: Press about ¾ of the dough into the baking dish.
    • Step Seven: Heat the Dulce de leche in the microwave in 15-second increments to make it pourable and spreadable. Pour the Dulce de leche over the dough, spreading it evenly.
    • Step Eight: Drop remaining dough in half-tablespoon pieces over the Dulce de Leche layer and then bake it in the oven for 34 to 36 minutes, or until the top dough is golden brown.
    • Step Nine: Cool completely before cutting and serving.
    Assembly of the recipe in baking pan.

    What to Pair with Them

    The recipe in the baking pan with a few pieces removed.

    Variations and Substitutions

    • To add another level of decadence, add caramel bites, toffee bits, chocolate chips, or even peanut butter chips to the batter or Dulce de Leche itself.
    • Drizzle caramel sauce or extra dulce de leche on top.
    • Serve it with a dollop of Cool Whip, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream. 
    • You could skip the dulce de leche altogether and use hot fudge sauce, butterscotch sauce, or caramel sauce instead.
    The recipe on a plate.

    Storage Instructions

    Cover and store these bars in the fridge for up to a week. 

    You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Wrap them up individually and then thaw them out at room temperature when you are ready to eat.

    Recipe Tip

    If you want to eat these as bars, it’s very important to wait until they cool completely; otherwise, they will be a glorious, sloppy mess. 

    If you don’t want to wait for them to cool, you can scoop them into a bowl and eat them warm with some ice cream.

    The recipe stacked on a plate.

    Is Dulce de Leche the Same as Caramel?

    No, dulce de leche differs from caramel, although they have similarities.

    Dulce de leche is made by cooking milk and sugar together, while caramel is made by slow-heating sugar with water, butter, or other liquids. They can typically be used interchangeably in recipes.

    A stack of the recipe.

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    5 from 2 votes

    Dulce de Leche Bars

    Created by Stacie Vaughan
    Servings 8
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 35 minutes
    Total Time 50 minutes
    These dessert squares are incredibly easy to make and absolutely scrumptious. Enjoy gooey and rich Dulce de Leche in a cookie bar base for a decadent treat.

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    Ingredients
     
     

    • ¾ cup salted butter softened
    • ½ cup sugar
    • ½ cup light brown sugar
    • ¼ cup buttermilk
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp cinnamon
    • ½ tsp baking soda
    • 1 ½ cups Dulce de Leche

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
    • Beat the salted butter, sugar, and light brown sugar together in a mixer until fluffy.
    • Add in the buttermilk and beat until fully combined.
    • In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.
    • Gradually combine the flour mixture into the sugar and butter mixture by beating it on low speed. Beat until just combined and be sure not to over mix.
    • Press about ¾ of the dough into the baking dish.
    • Heat the Dulce de Leche in the microwave in 15 second increments to get it to a pourable and spreadable consistency. Pour the Dulce de Leche over the dough, spreading evenly.
    • Drop remaining dough in half-tablespoon pieces over the Dulce de Leche layer and then bake it in the oven for 34 to 36 minutes, or until the top dough is golden brown.
    • Cool completely before cutting and serving.

    Notes

    If you would like to eat these as bars, it’s very important that you wait for it to cool completely or else it will be a glorious sloppy mess. If you don’t want to wait for them to cool, you can scoop it in a bowl and eat it warm with a dollop of ice cream.
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    Nutrition

    Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 814mg | Potassium: 68mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 545IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg

    The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Keyword bars, dulce de leche, squares

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    5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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