If you love caramel, you need to try this easy homemade pressure cooker recipe. This sweet dip is silky, creamy and made with only one ingredient. Enjoy Instant Pot Dulce de Leche with your favorite desserts like cake or apple slices for dipping.

A spoon coming out of a jar of dulce de leche.

Do you have a can of sweetened condensed milk in your pantry right now? You can make delicious dulce de leche or as may family likes to call it, Instant Pot Caramel! It’s so easy!

This creamy caramel sauce is absolute perfection. Once it cools, I could eat it right out of the jar with a spoon. It’s that good. You’re going to want to put it on everything!

I think it’s my favorite thing to make in my Instant Pot. It comes out a beautiful deep golden color and lovely thick sauce. This silky smooth dulce de leche recipe is a keeper.

Why You’ll Love Instant Pot Dulce de Leche

A sweet caramel sauce that is amazing paired with a variety of desserts
A delicious treat you’ll want to eat right out of the can
Perfect for fans of regular caramel to try something a little different
Enjoy on toast with your morning coffee
Only one ingredient
Can be used in may dessert recipes and where it calls for homemade caramel

Ingredients

Sweetened Condensed Milk – I like Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk, but you can experiment with other brands and see which ones you like the best.

How to Make Instant Pot Dulce de Leche

Step One: Remove the label from the can of sweetened condensed milk. Make sure the can you use has no dents.
Step Two: Place the trivet in the bottom of your Instant Pot. Place the can of sweetened condensed milk on top of your trivet, preferably on its side so you use less water.
Step Three: Fill the Instant Pot with water until it covers the whole can. Close the lid and heat on high for 35 minutes.
Step Four: When it’s done cooking, release the steam with Quick Release and open your pot. Remove the can with tongs because it will be extremely hot. Allow the can to cool completely.
Step Five: Open the can and pour into an airtight container.

Steps to make Instant Pot Dulce de Leche.

Equipment Needed

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What to Serve with Dulce de Leche

Ice cream – Try my homemade vanilla ice cream.
Cheesecake – Add some dulce de leche to a plain cheesecake to make a luscious caramel cheesecake.
Brownies – Swirl it into your brownie batter.
Use as the filling for thumbprint cookies.
Serve on toasted bread, cookies or crackers.
Add to waffles or pancakes.

A jar of dulce de leche with a spoon on a platter with some cookies.

Storage Instructions

Store the dulce de leche in an airtight container or a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

You can freeze it up for up to 3 months in the freezer. Don’t forget to add a paper label so you know when you put it into the freezer.

What Is Dulce de Leche?

Dulce de Leche is a delicious confection from Latin America made from slowly heated sugar and milk. It means candy of milk, sweet milk, or milk jam in English.

It’s typically made by slowly simmering milk and sugar over several hours while stirring constantly until the mixture turns that beautiful golden color we know and love.

Why Use the Instant Pot to Make Dulce de Leche?

The instant pot method with the can of sweetened condensed milk is the easiest way to make dulce de leche. The Instant Pot does all the hard work. The hardest part for you is the waiting game until it cooks and cools!

I’m sure the traditional method yields an amazing result, but I don’t want to stir for hours!

A jar of dulce de leche with a spoon in it.

Are Dulce de Leche and Caramel the Same?

Nope! Although they do look and taste a bit like, they are not the same thing. Caramel is made from water and sugar while dulce de leche is made from milk and sugar. Dulce de leche is a thicker consistency as well.

That said, you can pretty much use the two sauces interchangeably in recipes.

How Much Water Do I Add to the Instant Pot?

You’ll need to add enough water to your Instant Pot so that it entirely covers your can of sweetened condensed milk. It’s very important that the can be completely submerged in water.

When Can I Take Off the Lid of the Can?

You’ll need to wait until the can completely cools before opening the cooked jar of dulce de leche. I know, waiting isn’t fun, but it will be worth it!

If you open the can too soon before it’s cooled, you may end up with lumps and it won’t be as silky.

Can I Make in the Slow Cooker?

If you don’t have an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, you can use your slow cooker to make dulce de leche.

It’s basically almost the same method, but with a different cooking tool. Remove the paper from the can. Place it in the slow cooker and completely submerge in water.

Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours. Turn off the slow cooker and remove the lid. Let the can cool completely before opening it.

A glass jar of dulce de leche with a spoon in it.

Recipes Made with Dulce de Leche

Try my caramel sauce.

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