Caramel Sauce from Condensed Milk Recipe

Yes, you can make caramel sauce from condensed milk with nothing but the can and a pot of water. Simmer one unopened 14 ounce (397 g) can of sweetened condensed milk under 1 to 2 inches of water for 2 to 3 hours, let it cool completely, then open it and stir. You get about 1 ¼ cups of thick, glossy dulce de leche.

The one rule that matters: the can stays under water the whole time. Everything else is waiting.

This is the calm cousin of my homemade caramel sauce recipe. There is no sugar to watch in a pan and nothing to stir until the end. The heat does the work slowly, and the water around the can keeps that heat even.

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What Goes in the Pot

• 1 can (14 ounces / 397 g) sweetened condensed milk: unopened, label removed, no dents or bulges
• Water: enough to cover the can by 1 to 2 inches, plus a kettle of hot water for topping up
• Optional: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and a pinch of sea salt, stirred in after opening

It has to be sweetened condensed milk. The sugar already in the can is what browns. A can of evaporated milk looks almost the same on the shelf, but it has no added sugar and will not turn into caramel this way.

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Why a Sealed Can Turns Into Dulce de Leche

Strictly speaking, this is not caramel made by melting sugar. The milk proteins and sugars in the can brown together slowly in the gentle heat, the same browning that colors toast. That is why it tastes milky and toffee-like rather than sharp, and why it comes out thick instead of runny.

The result is dulce de leche. In the UK the same thing is sold as caramelised condensed milk, and it is the toffee layer many people use in banoffee pie. So if you searched for condensed milk toffee sauce, this is it.

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Keeping the Can Covered and Safe

A sealed can in simmering water is safe as long as two things never happen. The first is the water dropping below the top of the can. The exposed metal heats unevenly, the contents can scorch, and a can that runs dry can burst. The second is opening the can while it is hot. The inside is under pressure, and hot caramel can spray out.

• Lay the can on its side in a deep pot so it heats evenly and stays well under the waterline.
• Keep a gentle simmer with slow bubbles. A rolling boil knocks the can around and evaporates water fast.
• Check every 30 minutes and top up with hot water from a kettle, not cold, so the simmer does not stall.
• Leave the can in the water until it is cool all the way through before you open it.

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Simmering the Can From Start to Finish

Peel off the paper label and check the can for dents. Lay it on its side in a deep saucepan and pour in water until it sits 1 to 2 inches above the can. Bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then turn the heat down until only small bubbles rise.

Set a timer for 30 minutes and keep resetting it. Each time it goes off, look at the water level and add hot water if it has dropped. I stay in the kitchen for this one.

After 2 to 3 hours, turn off the heat and leave the can to cool in the water. Once it is cool, open it, scrape the caramel into a bowl, and stir until smooth and creamy. Stir in the vanilla or salt now if you are using them.

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Two Hours or Three? Reading the Color

The simmer time decides both color and thickness, so choose it before you start. The recipe card uses 2 ½ hours as the middle.

• 2 hours: light golden, soft and spoonable, loose enough to drizzle once stirred
• 2 ½ hours: caramel brown, thick but still easy to spread
• 3 hours: deep amber, thick enough to hold its shape between cake layers

It should look glossy, never grainy. I trust the color most, and I write the simmer time on the jar so I know what texture I made.

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Condensed Milk Caramel vs Sugar and Cream Caramel

There is no quick way to brown condensed milk inside the can. If you need caramel within the hour, pick a different method:

• Can method (this recipe): one ingredient, 2 to 3 hours, almost hands off, thick and milky.
• Sugar, butter and cream: about 15 minutes at the stove, sharper and pourable. That is my caramel sauce made with sugar and cream.
• Condensed milk cooked open with butter and brown sugar: stirred in a pan for a few minutes until it thickens into toffee. That is the method in my banoffee pie recipe.

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Too Thin, Too Stiff or Lumpy Once Opened

Thin, pale caramel did not simmer long enough. You cannot put an opened can back in the water, but you can tip the caramel into a heavy saucepan and cook it over low heat, stirring all the time, until it thickens and darkens a shade. Next batch, add 20 to 30 minutes.

Caramel that is too stiff to spread was simmered close to three hours or has been chilled. Warm it gently and stir in a tablespoon of heavy cream. Small lumps whisk out while it is warm. A grainy texture usually means the water boiled too hard, so keep the next batch at a slow simmer.

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Drizzle, Dip, Banoffee and Cake Layers

Warm the caramel and loosen it with a little cream for a drizzle over ice cream or brownies, or for a dip with apple slices. If you want apples coated on sticks, use the cooked candy coating in my homemade caramel apples instead, because this caramel stays soft.

The darker three hour version spreads between cake layers without running. For a cooked sugar filling with toasted nuts, my caramel pecan cake filling is the one to use, and for a smooth salted layer there is my salted caramel cake filling. A few spoonfuls also beat into salted caramel buttercream, or stir a little into hot coffee the way I use my pumpkin sauce for coffee.

If you have a second can in the cupboard, my sweetened condensed milk fudge is another way to use it.

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Keeping a Jar in the Fridge

Spoon the caramel into an airtight jar and refrigerate it for up to 2 weeks. It firms up as it chills, which makes it easy to spoon straight from the jar. To pour it again, warm it in short microwave bursts or over low heat on the stove and stir until glossy.

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Condensed Milk Caramel Questions

Can I use evaporated milk instead?

No. Evaporated milk has no added sugar, so it will not turn into caramel in the can. Use sweetened condensed milk.

Is there a 3 ingredient version?

This is it: one can of sweetened condensed milk, plus vanilla and a pinch of sea salt stirred in after opening. Only the condensed milk is essential.

Can I add brown sugar?

Not to the can. Brown sugar versions cook the condensed milk open in a pan with butter, as in the banoffee toffee layer above.

Can I simmer more than one can at once?

Yes, as long as the pot is deep enough to keep every can under 1 to 2 inches of water for the whole simmer.