Leche, translated from Spanish, means milk. Dulce de leche is a milk sweet common in Latin America. It is thick milk that has been cooked with sugar for a long time on low heat until it’s reduced to almost 1/3 of its original volume and into a thick cream-like consistency. It’s rich, creamy and one of the best milk desserts you can make.
I love eating it straight out of the jar but it’s also great on toast, and a very popular cake filling. You can add it to your favorite frosting to make a dulce de leche buttercream frosting. Or you can add it to your ice cream to make a melt in your mouth ice cream.
Why make this ice cream
It needs just 2 ingredients that you probably already have on hand, and it takes just five minutes to whip.It makes smooth and creamy ice cream with no ice crystals and no one will believe that it was not made using an ice cream maker.Also, it has a long shelf-life. So, I make a few different flavors and keep them in the freezer.Add a little milk and whip in a blender to make the most amazing dulce de leche smoothie you have ever tasted.And unlike traditional ice cream, this one has no eggs, which means it’s eggless – one treat for everyone.I like to store my ice cream in an ice cream container but any airtight container or loaf pan works too. And, you can also fill this base into ice cream molds to make dulce de leche popsicles.
Ingredients and substitutes
Whipping cream – The higher the fat, the creamier your ice cream. I use 38% fat content in my heavy cream. With this recipe, I’m not calculating calories, so it’s got to be full-fat cream. You can, of course, use low-fat cream but it will give you ice crystals, which means your ice cream will be a bit icy. Nothing wrong with that just as long as you know what to expect.Dulce De Leche – Dulce De Leche is sweetened, which is why we do not add any additional sugar. I always use my homemade dulce de leche recipe. The best thing about a homemade recipe is that you can reduce sugar. I highly recommend you taste the ice cream before you freeze it to ensure it’s sweet. If necessary add a tablespoon or two of powdered sugar.Vanilla – I do not add more vanilla because condensed milk usually has vanilla in it. But feel free to add some more vanilla extract.
Dulce de leche ice cream recipe
In the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, whip the heavy cream until almost stiff peaks.Pro tip – The more you whip the cream the fluffier the ice cream. But, do not overwhip or you will churn the whipping cream into butter.Add 3/4 of the dulce de leche, vanilla extract, and salt. Combine well with a whisk.Pour the base into an ice cream storage container. Add the remaining dulce de leche and barely combine to create a marbled effect.Pro tip – This will give a very pretty and delicious two-tone effect to your ice cream.Freeze the ice cream for at least 4 hours or overnight.Pro tip – For the creamiest ice cream, thaw the container for at least 10 minutes before you attempt to scoop the ice cream. This will soften any ice crystals.Enjoy!
Variations
Dulce de leche chocolate ice cream – chocolate is a strong flavor, so I highly recommend adding no more than 100 grams / 3 oz. You can also add 1 tsp of cocoa powder dissolved in 1/4 cup of hot water. Make sure to cool it before you add it to the cold mixture. Spiked dulce de leche ice cream – my first favorite with dulce de leche is Bacardi rum, then Irish whiskey. I have added my homemade Baileys, Butterscotch Irish whiskey on a couple of occasions and it has been OMG delish. Bourbon is another great addition. Dulce de leche cookie milkshake– which basically is lots of ice cream, oreo or chocolate wafers, a little milk, and blitz.Have you tried a waffle ice cream sandwich with this dulce de leche in there? Oh yum! Of course, a dulce de leche ice cream cake should come as no surprise to you – I am a cake decorator after all. I make two layers of my butterscotch cake, split them in half then layer them with a batch of freshly prepared dulce de leche ice cream in a springform pan. Let it freeze overnight for best results. One of my personal cheats is to serve dulce de leche ice cream with my crepe instead of whipped cream.
Tips for success
Whip the cream separately, then fold the rest of the mixture into the whipped cream. This makes the end result more soft and creamy in texture.If you use less fat the possibility of ice crystals forming can be high. A great way to reduce that is to just stir the ice cream once or twice in between.You can store ice cream in a metal loaf pan wrapped in aluminum foil. The foil helps prevent the formation of ice crystals. I like to use these silicon ice cream tubs with firm lids.Let the ice cream thaw a few minutes before you attempt to scoop it. This will give the ice crystals a moment to soften.I like to dip my ice cream scoop in water. This helps scoop the ice cream better.
Frequently asked questions
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