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No-Churn Salted Caramel Ice Cream
Updated June 4, 2024
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- Total Time
- 3½ hours
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 3 hours 20 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 1(14-ounce) can or jar dulce de leche
- 1½cups heavy cream
- ¼teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½teaspoon flaky salt (optional)
Preparation
- Step 1
Pour or spoon about ¾ of the dulce de leche from the can into a small bowl (save the remaining dulce de leche for swirling). In a large bowl, using a whisk or electric mixer, beat heavy cream and fine sea salt until stiff. Add a dollop of the whipped cream to the small bowl, and mix until the dulce de leche has loosened.
- Step 2
Add the lightened dulce de leche mixture to the bowl of whipped cream, gently folding until combined.
- Step 3
Add remaining dulce de leche to the now-empty small bowl and season with flaky salt (or you can substitute ¼ teaspoon fine salt, but you won’t have the crunch).
- Step 4
In a quart-size container, add a quarter of the dulce de leche whipped cream. Dollop in a few small spoonfuls of salted dulce de leche on top and swirl gently. Repeat until all of the whipped cream and dulce de leche are transferred. Freeze until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
If you can’t find dulce de leche at your local grocery, you can easily make your own by simmering, for 3 hrs, an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in a pot of water. Keep it covered by an inch or so of water! (No, it won’t explode.) Remove from hot water bath and bring to room temp. It stores indefinitely, so make several. Can’t wait? Open a can, scoop out 1/3 cup and top with whipped cream. I’ve made it this way for many years.
I have made condensed milk based ice creams in a Cuisinart ice cream machine. I just mix the heavy cream and condensed milk together. I add it to the machine, no whipping necessary. Since dulce de leche is just caramelized condensed milk, this method should work well.
I just love everything Melissa does. Period.
You can find cans of dulce de leche at most grocery stores, although clearly some smaller ones only carry sweetened condensed milk. It’s usually in the Latin American foods aisle or the baking aisle.
The real easy way is to pour some Bailey salted Carmel over Vanilla or other favorite ice cream.
This sounds great to a caramel with sea salt lover but I have a question about the math. Recipe calls for 14 ounce can dulce de leche. In step 1 instructs to combine a dollop of beaten whip cream (& sea salt) to 3/4 cup (6 ounces) dulce de leche, stir to loosen. Step 3 instructs to “Add remaining 5 ounces dulce de leche to the now-empty small bowl”. 6 oz + 5 oz = 11 oz, not a full 14 ounce can. Is step 3 supposed to be “remaining 8 ounces”? Question to those who have already made. Thanks!
I make my own dulce de leche by putting an unopened can of condensed milk, label removed, into my slow cooker and filling well above the top of the can with water. I slow cook for 8-9 hours and let the can cool before opening. I read that it is important to ensure the can stays submerged as it cooks to ensure it doesn’t explode while slow cooking. Has worked every time for me.
The Nestle company makes 14 Oz cans of dulce de leche and they are usually right near the cans of the sweetened condensed milk in the baking aisle.
This is absolutely fabulous. I am writing this before the three hour mark is up since I have already sneaked a few delicious tastes and I know it's going to be fabulous. How simple, glorious, and satisfying! This is by far the best dessert that I have ever licked the bowl for -- the whipped cream + salt combo is PERFECT with the sweet caramel. Will definitely save this recipe for many evenings to come.
When I bought Dulce de Leche it was in a new package -- with 11.5 oz in it (Shrinkflation). You might want to take that in mind when making this. Also a hint of vanilla in the whipped cream wouldn't go amiss. Still, it was delicious.
You must be sure that it says Milk-Based Caramel on the Sweetened Condensed Milk can that says Dulce de Leche on it. Without those words, it’s just regular sweetened condensed milk in a Dulce de Leche can. Very confusing
Haven’t made this (yet), but we can get canned dulce de leche in the Mexican section at Wal Mart (at least here in TX).
I'm wondering if this could be made with aquafaba (liquid from canned chick peas) whipped cream - there's one way to find out!
I use my Cuisinart all the time to freeze no churn ice creams. They come out just fine.
My father in law who was born in Argentina made dulce de Leche in a pressure cooker. He put the sealed can and some water and turned it in. I have never done this - too afraid He did it all the time for the kids. The guy is a legend.
Hmm, the domestic godess hereself, NIgella Lawson, suggests SLOWLY adding up to 3 T of bourbon to the mix. Whiskey or rum would work too.
When I make this, I plan to add chopped Toffeettes from See’s. I’m drooling as I think of it!!❤️
I dropped in lumps of safe to eat raw cookie dough for the flavour that ice cream shops need to add right now!
As @Kathryn noted a year ago, you can probably find dulce de leche in your supermarket. At my local Price Chopper/Market32, I buy Nestle's La Lechera instead of the much pricier stuff from Stonewall Kitchen.
3/4 of the can in step one, not 3/4 of a cup.
If you don't want to steam your kitchen up or worry about forgetting its on and boiling your pan dry. (yep been there, done that) Just Place sealed cans of sweetened condensed milk in slow cooker, fill slow cooker with hot tap water, slow cook on low for 8 hours or overnight. just way too easy... :) Makes good caramel for millionaires shortbread too!
Dulce de leche is not caramel! Salted dulce de leche is not salted caramel! Caramel is sugar cooked till amber. This is salted dulce de leche ice cream, and it matters that it is this and not that.
can I make this with a different flavor and use the other ingredients as a no churn ice cream base? I wanted to use pistachio paste instead of dulce de leche
Her cookbooks are great.
Made my own dulce de leche by putting a can of sweetened condensed milk in the instant pot for an hour, instead of the 35min timing that others used. Then I made espresso in my moka pot and poured a bit of that into bowl with the very stiff dulce de leche and “loosened” it with the espresso. Stirred vigorously and used that for the ripples to get coffee caramel. Delicious!!!
Amazing. The velvety texture is immaculate and is the ice cream that keeps on giving.😋
I’m making this ice cream today. IF I can stop eating the dulce de leche that I made yesterday straight from the can. This will probably be dinner!
I am not a fan of sweetened condensed milk, but the Eagle brand Dulce de Lèche made with sweetened condensed milk was all my store had. I made the recipe using this product, and while my ice cream turned out, the flavour and texture seemed very “commercial.”I will try this recipe again with a homemade version of Dulce de Leche and see if that makes a difference. Meanwhile I suspect the batch I made yesterday will be sitting uneaten in my freezer for a long time.
Hi Sheila. The directions say 3/4 of the can of dulce de leche, not 3/4 cup. It ends up being ~ 10 oz with the remaining 4 oz for swirling. I hope this helps!
The math is not off. It says 3/4 of the 14 ounce can of dulce de leche, not 3/4 cup.
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