Camp Dulce de Leche
One can of sweetened condensed milk, boiled until it turns to caramel.
- calories
- 230
- weight
- 2.4 oz
- cal / oz
- 96
- protein
- 5 g
- serves
- 6, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 150 min
- total time
- 152 min
- water
- 1500 ml boiled
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dessert
- Campfire coals
- Canister stove
- Liquid fuel
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Canoe / raft
- Vegetarian
- Gluten free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Grab and go
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Sweetened condensed milk | 1 can (14 oz) | full sugar, not evaporated milk |
|---|---|---|
| Salt | a pinch | stirred in at the end |
| Water | enough to cover the can | reused, not drunk |
Method
- Peel the label off the can and set it upright in your largest pot. Do not open it.
- Cover the can with at least an inch of water. That inch is the whole safety margin.
- Bring the water to a low boil and hold it there. Top up with more water every half hour so the can never breaks the surface.
- Two hours gives a loose amber sauce. Two and a half gives thick, dark caramel.
- Lift the can out and let it cool until you can hold it. Opening it hot sprays hot sugar.
- Open it, stir in a pinch of salt, and spoon it out.
This is home cooking that happens to suit camp better than a kitchen. Nothing needs refrigeration, nothing needs measuring, and the only skill involved is not letting a pot boil dry. The sugar in the condensed milk browns under heat while the milk proteins break down alongside it, and what comes out is caramel with body rather than syrup.
The unopened can does two useful things: it holds pressure so the milk cooks evenly without scorching, and it means no stirring for two hours. The rule that matters is keeping the can submerged. A can that boils dry gets hot enough to burst, which is why the water level is the only thing worth checking on. Cook the can, cool the can, then open it.
Time is the variable. Pull it early for a pourable sauce, leave it longer for something you can stand a spoon in. Once opened it will not keep in warm weather, so plan on finishing it that night.
Packing
The can is the packaging. Bring a spoon, an opener that fits it, and a pot deep enough that the can sits under water with room to spare. Pack the empty can out.
Variations
- Stir a spoonful into hot coffee or cocoa instead of eating it straight.
- Spread it on tortillas or graham crackers for something closer to a real dessert.
- A shot of instant espresso powder in the finished caramel cuts the sweetness.
https://savoriurbane.com/dulceata-de-lapte-reteta-de-dulce-de-leche