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Creamy homemade dulce de leche in a glass jar with a wooden spoon.

Instant Pot Dulce de Leche

Turn a simple can of sweetened condensed milk into rich, creamy dulce de leche using your Instant Pot. This foolproof recipe requires just one ingredient and zero babysitting, creating a silky homemade caramel sauce that's perfect for drizzling over ice cream, cheesecake, brownies, fruit and more.
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Latin American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 58 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 159kcal
Author: Megan Porta

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 14 oz sweetened condensed milk

Instructions

  • Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a pint-sized mason jar and secure a lid loosely.
  • Place a trivet inside your Instant Pot and place the jar on top, situated in the center so it is sturdy.
  • Pour water into the pot so that the top of the water sits where the sweetened condensed milk is. 
  • Place cover on pot and set to sealing. Cook on high pressure (use the pressure cook button) for 18 minutes. Since there is a lot of liquid in the pot, it will take approximately 30 minutes before it comes to pressure. Don’t fret! It’s doing its job!
  • Do a 10-minute natural release, then vent remaining pressure.
  • When the silver float valve drops, remove the lid and carefully remove the jar from the pot using a hot pad holder. Remove lid and give the mixture a really good stir. Let cool to room temperature. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
  • When ready to use, heat in 30-second intervals in the microwave as needed.

Notes

  • This homemade caramel sauce starts with just one ingredient: sweetened condensed milk.
  • Use a pint-sized mason jar and secure the lid loosely before cooking.
  • Because of the amount of water in the Instant Pot, it may take 25 to 30 minutes to come to pressure. This is completely normal.
  • Allow a 10-minute natural release for the smoothest, creamiest texture.
  • Stir thoroughly after cooking. The dulce de leche may look slightly separated at first but will become silky smooth as you stir.
  • The sauce will thicken as it cools and continue to thicken in the refrigerator.
  • To create a thinner, drizzleable homemade caramel sauce, microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each.
  • Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
  • Delicious flavor variations include sea salt, vanilla extract, cinnamon, espresso powder and peanut butter.
  • Use this homemade caramel sauce on ice cream, cheesecake, brownies, apple slices, pancakes, waffles and more.
Recipe Developer Note: After making this recipe dozens of times, I've found that 18 minutes at high pressure followed by a 10-minute natural release creates the perfect dulce de leche every time. The timing may seem precise, but trust me, I've done the testing so you don't have to.

Nutrition

Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 63mg | Potassium: 184mg | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 132IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 141mg | Iron: 0.1mg
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