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    Home » Recipes » Dessert Fillings

    Published on: April 25, 2013 by Janice Lawandi; Updated on: July 18, 2023 12 Comments

    Comparison of store-bought dulce de leche

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    Comparing the texture of three dollops of dulce de leche from three different jars or cans to show the difference in colour and texture of the commercial products.

    Find out the best store-bought dulce de leche in this comparison of three brands from the grocery store.

    Jump to:
    • What it is
    • How it's different than caramel
    • Ways of making it from scratch
    • Comparing store-bought dulce de leches
    • How it's used
    • Storage
    • 📖 Recipe

    What it is

    Dulce de leche is a sweet, caramelized milk spread that is very common in Latin America. It's also called milk jam. You can smear it on toast, especially brioche, or you can use it as a filling for cakes and cookies.

    How it's different than caramel

    Dulce de leche and salted caramel sauce are not the same thing. With dulce de leche, milk and sugar (or sweetened condensed milk) are cooked to make a thick, spreadable caramelized milk jam. On the other hand, for caramel sauce, the sugar is cooked alone, sometimes with water and corn syrup or glucose to prevent crystallization. The dairy (cream and/or butter) is added after sugar caramelization occurs.

    Caramel has a deeper flavour coming from the burnt sugar notes from the different cooking process. Some love it and some hate it for that reason. Though the processes can seem quite similar, the flavour and outcome of making dulce de leche versus caramel are quite different.

    Note that you can further cook caramel sauce to make a thicker filling or soft caramels, and it's likely that you could do the same with dulce de leche.

    Three types of dulce de leche from the grocery store, side-by-side.
    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Ways of making it from scratch

    There are several ways of making dulce de leche at home. Some start with cans of sweetened condensed milk, others start from milk and sugar. It's a delicate process to caramelize sweet milk and it takes time. The goal is to darken the colour of the milk to a deep mahogany, while also caramelizing the sugars and milk solids, developing the flavour, and thickening the mixture to a spreadable, thick consistency.

    Whether you start with cans of sweetened condensed milk or a combination of milk and sugar, all of these methods work fine. But some require constant stirring and all of them take at least an hour.

    Three spoons of three different store-bought dulce de leches to compare thickness, texture and colour.

    Comparing store-bought dulce de leches

    You might not have a couple of hours to make dulce de leche, and that's okay! I compared three brands of dulce de leche that were available at my local supermarket to find the best:

    • Bonne Maman (available on Amazon), a brand from France that is known for its jams
    • Caramella (available on Amazon), from Argentina, and one I had high expectations for because of where it's made.
    • Eagle Brand, from Canada, a brand that is better known for the evaporated and sweetened condensed milks

    Comparing consistency and flavour

    Caramella was the thickest, while Eagle Brand was really too runny. I felt like the Caramella dulce de leche had the best texture: thick and spreadable enough that it would probably make a good cake filling  Unfortunately, the Caramella dulce de leche didn't taste great, but it wasn't the worst flavoured. Interestingly, the Caramella brand was the only one that contained vanilla, which made it taste artificial and just didn't work on my taste buds.

    Comparison of three brands of store bought dulce de leche: Bonne Maman, Caramella, and Eagle Brand.

    My least favourite was the Bonne Maman dulce de leche. It had a pudding-cup-like consistency, and it had a tangy taste. Turns out that this dulce de leche is thickened with pectin and contains sodium citrate. My guess the latter is the cause of the "tangy", uncharacteristic flavour. Honestly, Bonne Maman dulce de leche isn't great. I would never buy it again. Sorry, Bonne Maman. I still like your jams (especially your rhubarb jam), but your dulce de leche kind of sucks.

    Comparison of three dollops of dulce de leche to show that the top one is much thicker than the two on the bottom.

    Hands down, between the three, there's only one dulce de leche I'd buy again: Eagle Brand. The flavour was great with a sweet, "natural" flavour: no weird tanginess from sodium citrate and no pectin added. However, it was so thin it would just run off a spoon. In the end, I much preferred the Eagle Brand dulce de leche, which I ranked as the best dulce de leche brand, even if it was more of a sauce than a spread.

    Comparison of two dollops of dulce de leche: the dollop on the left is very fluid, while the dollop on the right is boiled down so it is more thick.

    My solution to the consistency problem: boil it down, stirring constantly over medium–high heat (don't put it on high because it will catch and burn on the bottom, and if you think you are going to get pulled away from your simmering dulce de leche, best to lower the temperature of the stove or do this step later). In about 8 minutes, with constant stirring, I managed to turn the puddling liquid dulce de leche into a very thick caramel. For a caramel that is more spreadable, I'd probably simmer it for 6 minutes.

    Tip: If your store-bought or homemade dulce de leche is too thin to use as a cake filling, boil it down to thicken it!

    How it's used

    Dulce de leche has a caramelized flavour and a thick, gooey texture. It makes a great spread at breakfast served with this easy brioche kneaded in the stand mixer (after all, it is called milk jam for a reason!). It's also a great filling for cake recipes and cookie recipes. You can pipe dulce de leche onto cake layers you are stacking to make a layer cake. You can also sandwich it between shortbread cookies to make the most delicious alfajores cookies.

    Storage

    You can keep dulce de leche sold in a sealed jar or can, unopened, for several years, but always check the label for an expiry date (or use by date). Once opened, store the jar in refrigerator. You can keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

    📖 Recipe

    A jar of homemade milk jam viewed from the top to show the gooey, thick texture.

    How To Thicken Dulce De Leche

    AuthorAuthor : Janice Lawandi
    If you want to use dulce de leche to fill cakes or cookies, it has to be thick. Here's a trick for achieving the right consistency in just a few minutes!
    4.34 from 6 votes
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    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 10 minutes mins
    Course Condiment
    Cuisine Latin American

    Equipment

    • Wooden spoon
    Need measurements in CUPSUse the button options below to switch from Metric to US measurements! It's that easy!

    Ingredients
      

    • dulce de leche homemade or store-bought

    Instructions
     

    • Pour the dulce de leche sauce into a medium saucepan and place over medium-high heat.
    • Stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil for 5 to 8 minutes or until the desired consistency is reached (if you get to the point where the mixture is bubbling like thick, hot lava, your caramel will be very thick).
    • Transfer the mixture to a deep bowl and then blitz it with an immersion blender to get rid of any lumps (if you have any), while the mixture is still warm.
    • Transfer to a jar and store in the fridge.
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    Comments

    1. Josie G says

      August 17, 2022 at 9:23 pm

      Thanks for the comparisons! I just opened a can of Nestle brand "La Lechera" dulce de leche, and must say, it has a very thick texture, not runny at all, and a nice mild caramel flavor. Not quite as flavorful as if I'd made dulce de leche myself, but definitely adequate for making banoffee pie or something similar. Check it out!

      Reply
    2. stephanie says

      April 10, 2021 at 7:08 pm

      Just found this tip for my Eagle Brand dulce de leche. Spot On!! It went from a runny syrup (still tasty) to a nice thick caramel I can spread in my alfajores.
      Thanks!!

      Reply
    3. DaleBoca says

      December 29, 2018 at 10:31 pm

      Clearly you have never been to Argentina. You would have known Havana is gift from God and is the standard to which all dulce de leech should be compared.

      Reply
      • Cat says

        February 06, 2019 at 9:42 am

        What are the ingredients in the Havana brand? It's probably hard to find here in the US, but it would be fun to try and recreate it at home! 😀
        Thanks!

        Reply
    4. Lisa says

      December 19, 2018 at 6:46 pm

      Thank you! I actually made my own dulce de leche from scratch, but after refrigeration it seemed a little too thin. Taste amazing! 😉 I was looking everywhere online to see if it’s possible to cook it a little longer after cooling to thicken it. Your article answered my question!

      Reply
    5. Marilu says

      October 22, 2018 at 9:14 am

      I am from Argentina and in my opinion Eagle Brand tastes a lot like Caramel. I live in Canada and the PC brand dulce de leche is just the flavour of Argentinean dulce de leche.
      I wish they sold a bakers dulce de leche, thanks for the boiling down option, it can get sticky but soooo worth it!!!

      Reply
    6. Maria says

      December 28, 2016 at 10:29 am

      The best Dulce de Leche I have had is Dulce de Leche Santa Fe, I order it from mcmfoodcorp.com. I have also found it at our local grocery store. You should give that one an evaluation!

      Reply
    7. Bernardo says

      August 28, 2014 at 1:39 am

      Hello! I'm from Argentina. Excuse my bad english.

      You must try the Dulce de Leche "Havanna". Or Dulce de Leche Estilo Colonial made by "la Serenísima".

      Saludos!

      Reply
    8. Andrea Doucet Donida says

      April 26, 2013 at 8:37 pm

      Tip from Brasil, where we eat so much condensed milk and Doce de leite (yes, we pronouce it differently!): you can make some fast in the microwave oven! Just pour your condensed milk jar into a glass or microwave friendly large bowl, and power off! Check it every couple of minute and stir, at least the first time you make some because timing varies with each microwave.
      Perfect for your ADD!
      Andrea Doucet Donida (alias ADD).

      Reply
      • Janice Lawandi says

        April 27, 2013 at 1:59 pm

        It's true! Your initials are ADD, lol! Thanks for the microwave suggestion. I am definitely going to give that a try because that sounds like a great idea 🙂

        Reply
    9. Michelle says

      April 25, 2013 at 5:46 pm

      Awesome... I have a jar of Bonne Maman Dulce de Leche in the cupboard waiting to be used.... 🙁 Any suggestions where the taste won't be so obvious? I was fooled by the brand!

      Reply
      • Janice Lawandi says

        April 25, 2013 at 6:02 pm

        The thing is because I was comparing three of them, it became obvious what I liked and what I didn't like, but maybe had I only had the one, I wouldn't have noticed how much I didn't like it. Know what I mean? I think the Bonne Maman spread would be perfect in cream cheese frosting, actually. It would work really well with the tanginess of the cream cheese!

        Reply
    4.34 from 6 votes

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