dulce de leche

noun

dul·​ce de leche ˈdəl-(ˌ)sā-də-ˈle-ˌchā 

ˈdül-

: sweetened caramelized milk that is traditionally made by reducing a mixture of milk and sugar over heat

Pastry chefs are obsessed with dulce de leche, the luscious, milky South American caramel.

—Food & Wine

… the three distinct textures—cakey brownie, gooey dulce de leche and semi-firm ganache—worked in a tasty little harmony.

—Gregory Furgala

To make a good dulce de leche—a gradual reduction of milk and sugar and bicarbonate of soda—is a time consuming and laborious process …

—Joe McNamee

Dulce de leche is a luscious topping made by slowly caramelizing sweetened milk. Many people make it by boiling a can of condensed milk unopened in a pot of simmering water …

—Stephanie Eddy

—often used before another noun

… astonishingly rich dulce de leche cheesecake with spiced caramel popcorn.

—John Mariani

Examples of dulce de leche in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In this version, the churro is filled with dulce de leche and covered with chocolate sauce, condensed milk and chocolate sprinkles. — Sarah Moreno updated July 18, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026

Here is a round up of the best homemade brownie recipes, from classic chocolate to caramel and dulce de leche, mint and peppermint, cookies-and-cream, and more. — Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 10 July 2026

Opt for dishes like the umami-rich roasted oysters accented with Grana Padano and crispy rashers, and don’t even think about skipping the decadent dulce de leche ice cream covered in warm Valrhona chocolate. — Tanya Edwards, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 June 2026

The company's Chips Ahoy brand is reaching Gen Z through partnerships with soccer stars, limited-time offers including a dulce de leche flavor, and a sweepstakes. — Phil Lempert, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from American Spanish, from Spanish dulce "sweet food, dessert" (noun derivative of dulce, adjective, "sweet," going back to Latin dulcis) + de "of, from" (going back to Latin dē) + leche "milk," going back to Latin lact-, lac — more at dulcet, de-, galaxy

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dulce de leche

• afresh
• horseflesh
• refresh
• creche
• flesh
• fresh
• lesch
• mesh
• resh
• thresh
• gilgamesh