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15 Great Ways to Eat More Dulce de Leche

By Sandra Wu Published

Is there anything Latin America’s creamy, butterscotchy milk jam can’t do?

To say that dulce de leche is a pantry staple throughout Latin America is almost an understatement. Tubs of the creamy, glossy milk jam sit on kitchen tables and line supermarket shelves the way peanut butter does in America—but it’s arguably more pervasive. Under some circumstances, the preserve is actually eligible for medical coverage.

“If you’re diabetic in Argentina,” said Josephine Caminos Oría, Argentine American author of Dulce de Leche: Recipes, Stories, and Sweet Traditions (2017), “you can get a prescription for a dulce de leche with stevia that your insurance company will cover at the pharmacy.”

It’s also easy and satisfying to make yourself. I developed two approaches, for an oven and for a multicooker, that are almost entirely hands-off; read more about them and the magical transformation of runny milk to gooey jam here.

Best of all, it’s incredibly versatile and keeps for weeks in the fridge. Thanks to its complex sweetness and semisolid consistency, it can function as a spread, sweetener, glaze, filling, and topping. Here are just a handful of ways to use it; feel free to share new ideas in the comments section below.  

15 Great Ways to Eat More Dulce de Leche

1. Spread on buttered toast.

 

2. Stir into coffee or hot chocolate.

 

3. Balance acidity in vinaigrette or pan sauces.

 

4. Sweeten baby food.

 

5. Drizzle over pancakes, waffles, or French toast.

 

6. Mix into oatmeal.

 

7. Pour over ice cream or yogurt.

 

8. Fill cookies, cakes, crepes, doughnuts, or churros.

 

9. Swirl into brownies.

 

10. Blend into milkshakes.

 

11. Use as a dip for fruit or (for a salty-sweet fix) pretzels.

 

12. Glaze pork or poultry.

 

13. Toss with roasted vegetables.

 

14. Flavor butter for corn on the cob.

 

15. Pair with assertive cheeses.

Recipe Dulce de Leche

Coax sweetened milk into Latin America’s creamy, butterscotch-y jam—hands-free. 

Get the Recipe

Recipe Alfajores de Maicena (Buttery Cornstarch Cookies Filled with Dulce de Leche)

In the iconic version of this Latin American treat, shortbread-like cookies married with creamy dulce de leche are a melt-in-your-mouth indulgence.

Get the Recipe

Mint Hot Chocolate Mix

Recipe Hot Chocolate Mix

Hot chocolate mixes often disappoint. We wanted a thick, chocolaty, indulgent drink.

Get the Recipe

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JC
JOHN C.
16 days

Absolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too. I've done this using a rimmed sheet pan instead of a skillet and put veggies and potatoes around the chicken for a one-pan meal. Broccoli gets nicely browned and yummy!

Absolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too.

MD
MILES D.
JOHN C.
9 days

Amazed this recipe works out as well as it does. Would not have thought that the amount of time under the broiler would have produced a very juicy and favorable chicken with a very crispy crust. Used my 12" Lodge Cast Iron skillet (which can withstand 1000 degree temps to respond to those who wondered if it would work) and it turned out great. A "make again" as my family rates things. This is a great recipe, and I will definitely make it again. My butcher gladly butterflied the chicken for me, therefore I found it to be a fast and easy prep. I used my cast iron skillet- marvellous!

CM
CHARLES M.
11 days

John, wasn't it just amazing chicken? So much better than your typical oven baked chicken and on par if not better than gas or even charcoal grilled. It gets that smokey charcoal tasted and overnight koshering definitely helps, something I do when time permits. First-time I've pierced a whole chicken minus the times I make jerk chicken on the grill. Yup, the cast iron was not an issue.