There are so many uses for this milk jam than I know what to do with. Use it simply as a topping over ice cream, sandwich cookies, spread it on sweet bread or buns (as the French do!) or just eat it with a spoon right out of the fridge. If you are using it for baking and in other recipes, cook it for a shorter amount of time to get a runnier consistency for ease of use. Nevertheless, the caramel will soften with a blast in the microwave.
And before you ask, skim milk burns like buggery, so yes, it has to be full fat milk or nothing. And please, please, wait until it’s cooled before you dig in (it’s tough but doable!). Believe me scalded lips are just not fun.
Confiture de Lait (caramel milk jam)
Ingredients
(enough to make one jar – around 250-375ml)
1 Litre (4 cups) whole milk
300g caster sugar
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
In a pot large enough to fit the liquid with at least 10-15cm from the top of the pot to the level of the milk, add milk and stir in the sugar, salt, baking soda and vanilla extract.
Turn heat to med-high and bring the milk mixture to a boil without stirring. Once you see the milk start to boil and bubble slightly, get ready to turn the heat right down because the milk may froth and rise if it is overboiled.
Once it’s boiled, turn the heat down to the lowest (until it’s barely a simmer) and skim the foam. Continue to simmer uncovered for around 2 – 2.5 hours, stirring constantly (around every 10 minutes or so is best if you’re free) and skimming the foam when necessary.
2: getting frothy and rising as it boils
3: overboiling will cause the milk to rise fast (and spill over so be careful)
4: bringing it down to a simmer
Check the consistency at about 2 hours. I usually stop it now when I want a runnier caramel to use in other recipes. Cook it a little longer if you want a thicker jam to use as a spread or to sandwich cookies. Just remember that it’ll thicken up more while it cools and when it’s in the fridge.
Pour into a clean jar and cool uncovered. When it has cooled completely, stick the lid on and store it in the fridge (it should keep for around 1 to 3 weeks).
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m so glad someone has bothered to do it the traditional way! I think it makes a huge difference to the end product as well, as it doesn’t have that thick “gumminess” for lack of a better word that dulce de leche in a can can have.
Much kudos to you for doing so :)
Fantastic photos and instructions! Have you tried making caramels yet?
such patience karen! i’ve thought (multiple times) about making a caramelly nonsense on the stove top like this but just couldn’t bring myself to monitoring a pot for that long. it looks delicious (and i’m very hanging out for the recipes to come!)
Great!!!
Wow… that looks sooooo good! How long do you think it will keep in the fridge? A week, maybe longer?
With that amount of sugar in it I expect it would keep almost forever in the fridge. The sugar may start to crystallize a bit that’s all.
Looks delicious!
Should I use baking powder or soda? I’m a bit confused because you’ve mentioned baking soda in the ingredient list but in the recipe you said to add baking powder.
Hi Simon – I know what you mean. There’s just so many recipes involving condensed milk but it’s all the matter of taste. I much prefer making it from whole milk because you can adjust the sweetness of it if you like and it’s not as cloying or ‘gummy’ (as you said) as condensed milk. Thanks so much :)
Hi Belle – Thank you so much :) The closer thing to a caramel I ever got was sticking a thick jar of the stuff in the fridge to harden and get chewy, then dig in with a spoon!
Hi Shez – lol at ‘caramelly nonsense’. I hate making boiled sugar caramels but I love making confiture. Usually I make it while I’m doing something else in the kitchen so no pedantic monitoring needed! You should def try it :)
Hi Ricardo – Cheers mate!
Hi Brooke Haggerty – Thanks! As long as it’s in a clean, airtight jar in the fridge then it should def keep for a week. Someone I know even says a month but my caramel never lasts that long to confirm!
Hi Chaitali – Whoops! My bad! The post has been edited and corrected, thanks for pointing it out! It’s baking soda you should use.
Looks perfect. Even , just watching the photo I can guess that is home made dulce de leche (no condensed milk)just mil and sugar.Please send me a spoon right now :)
I still haven’t tried to make my own, but I LOVE dulce de leche.
Damn this is a case of the ingredients look simple, but you have to keep an eye on the cooking process or else it screws up! Top effort, looks delish.
I have been wanting to try making my own. This is the first recipe that I have seen that does not use sweetened condensed milk. Bookmarked.
You are so patient! I have to admit I don’t have the patience for the stirring and often get bored and walk away which is a big mistake.
Mmmmmmm it looks so gooey, sweet and rich XD but yeah I won’t have the patience haha
Sounds great and am sure it’s equally as sinful! :)
Hi Sylvia – thanks but try making it at home then you can have the whole bowl!
Hi Brittany – then you should def try asap :)
Hi Howard – it’s not as fragile of a recipe as you think. Trust me it’s easier than it looks!
Hi Kevin – Thanks and I hope you enjoy it!
Hi Lorraine – that’s why it helps cooking something else at the same time, that way I stay in the kitchen :)
Hi FFichiban – aww you might surprise yourself!
Hi Jo – in the case of desserts sinful is a good thing!
This was amazing! I wonder, though, if it would taste amazing too with some fleur de sel? If I wanted to try that, how do you think I should go about it?
Thank you for this! I’m making some tonight to fill my choco cake. :-)
This stuff is great. The first time I made it- I messed up a little and stirred a lot at the beginning. But I wound up with a delicious carmel-y concoction. The second time I made this, I followed directions perfectly, and wound up with an entirely too dark potentially burnt sugar syrup. I'll try again! I've got lots of milk to use!
Actually, the real recipe for dulce de leche is very similar to this, milk and sugar boiled for hours, but most commonly with cinnamon. That boiling of that condensed milk can is an invention of the people who didn't know how to make dulce de leche like our grandmothers.
I made a batch of this yesterday and it is beyond delicious! I'll be sandwiching it between cookies and swirling it into brownies later this week!
I was so excited to see a recipe 'from scratch' – none of those cans of condensed milk required!
Many thanks! :)
Surfing the internet for a recipe of Confiture de Lait/Dulce de Leche I found the Citrus and Candy site and of course subscribed immediately ! But I still need the recipe with canned sugared condensed milk ! Bought three cans of it to try it out, not throw them out ! Anybody ?
i’m giving it a go right now and it smells heavenly : )
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