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

The cinnamon flavor is subtle and balances nicely with the dulce de leche. —Bon Appétit Contributor, Bon Appétit, 7 Mar. 2024

The empanadas are great and the desserts are amazing (almost all are filled with dulce de leche). —Miami Staff, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024

My top pick for a swirl would be dulce de leche, which tends to be thicker than a standard caramel sauce. —Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2024

Guests enjoyed a chocolate cake with a dulce de leche filling from Keik by Andrea, a local Puerto Rican baker. —Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 12 Nov. 2023

The coffee is excellent, and the breakfast options range from shakshuka with a touch of chile (106 pesos) to French toast served with dulce de leche (130 pesos). —Elisabeth Malkin, New York Times, 23 Nov. 2023

Official tasting notes describe a blend of sweet, spice, and smoke on the palate, with notes of dulce de leche, spiced vanilla, cinnamon, orange zest, and of course a dollop of chile heat. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 17 Nov. 2023

Healthiest Cooking Oils to Lower Cholesterol Swaps for Sugar and Sweeteners There’s nothing like treating yourself to a creamy spoonful of flan de queso or a decadent cake topped or filled with dulce de leche. —Caitlin Pagán, Verywell Health, 21 Sep. 2023

In late 2022, Lopez did mimic the ginger tones of a PSL with her delicious dulce de leche nails. —Kara Nesvig, Allure, 8 Sep. 2023

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