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.

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!

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.

• 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.

• 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.

What to Pair with Them

• Dulce de Leche Coffee Milkshake
• Butterscotch Steamer
• Mocha Latte
• Cinnamon Cappuccino

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.

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.

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.

Bar Recipes

• Caramel Rice Krispie Bars 
• Butterscotch Blondies
• Magic Cookie Bars
• Maple Syrup Bars
• No-Bake Nougat Bars
• Biscoff Blondies with White Chocolate
• Brown Butter Caramel Blondies

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