How to Make Homemade Dulce De Leche

1. Empty the sweetened condensed milk cans into an oven safe baking dish like a pie pan. Cover tightly with foil. Place in a larger roasting or casserole pan and create a water bath by filling it with water about 3/4 the way up the sides of your smaller dish. Bake at 425° Fahrenheit for 1-2 hours, checking every 30 minutes to see if the water level needs to be refilled. It should be brown and caramel-colored when it is ready. The longer you let it cook, the thicker your dulce de leche. At first it will have a bubbly appearance and may have some color differences if your oven heat is inconsistent. Whisk until smooth and let cool. I like to use a hand mixer for this. A few small lumps are normal and won’t affect the taste of your ice cream.

How to Make Dulce De Leche Ice Cream:

1. Combine milk and cream in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
2. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 1/2 cups of the dulce de leche until dissolved. Whisk in vanilla and transfer to a mixing bowl.
3. Chill in the fridge for at least four hours, ideally overnight. You can speed up the process by chilling in an ice bath by putting bowl in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and stirring occasionally until cold, about 20 minutes.
4. Freeze mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions.
5. Gently fold in the remaining dulce de leche leaving visible swirls. Transfer ice cream to a freezer-safe container and harden in the freezer at least 1 hour.