Sugar Free Dulce de Leche

Updated recipe!

I first created keto dulce de leche back in 2012, based on my sugar free condensed milk. And it is still a wonderful recipe, albeit a little time-consuming.

But I am always striving for better, easier recipes. And in my near-constant experimentation, I discovered something recently. I found that if I used some allulose sweetener and simmered the cream a little longer, I got perfect sugar free dulce de leche in 45 minutes.

How easy is that?

What is Dulce de Leche?

If you are unfamiliar with dulce de leche, allow me to introduce you.

The term itself is Spanish, meaning “the sweetness of milk” or “a sweet made from milk”. It originated somewhere in Latin America, with several countries laying claim to its creation. Dulce de leche looks and tastes a lot like caramel sauce, but it’s made quite differently. And the flavor is a little more mellow.

Traditional dulce de leche requires heating milk and sugar together for a very long time, slowly caramelizing the sugar and reducing the milk to a syrupy consistency.

A more modern approach uses a can of sweetened condensed milk and cooks that in the oven or on the stove for several hours. I used this same approach in my previous version and it worked very well.

But this new recipe is even better!

Ingredients you need

• Heavy cream: Be sure to use full-fat whipping cream for keto dulce de leche, as it has a lower carb count than milk or half-and-half.
• Allulose: Unlike many sugar replacements, allulose has the unique characteristic of browning and caramelizing very easily. It also keeps sauces and custards very soft and gooey.
• Swerve Brown: You can also use granular or powdered Swerve, but I like the additional color and flavor from the brown sugar replacement.

Step by step directions

1. Combine the ingredients: Whisk the cream and sweeteners together in a large saucepan.

2. Simmer: Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Then reduce the heat and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until it becomes a deep caramel color, and thickens considerably. This takes about 45 minutes.

3. Let cool: Let it cool in the pan. It will continue to thicken up as it cools.

Yup, that’s it. Just keep watching your sugar free dulce de leche to make sure it doesn’t boil over, or over-cook.

Expert Tips

Stay nearby: Do not wander off and let it cook by itself. You don’t have to hover over it constantly but you do want to keep an eye on it and stir frequently. I like to run a silicone spatula around the sides of the pot as I stir to mix in the bits that stick to the sides.

The sweeteners: I am sure I will get a lot of questions on this subject. I like the combination of Swerve and allulose for consistency, flavor, and color. You can try replacing the Swerve with another granular sweetener, or even more allulose. I simply cannot guarantee the results.

If you do use more allulose, keep a very close eye on the mixture as it may darken and thicken even faster.

Dairy-free option: You should be able to make sugar free dulce de leche with coconut cream as well. If you use canned coconut milk, be sure to drain off the watery portion and only use the thick white cream.

How to use sugar free dulce de leche

So once you have this wonderful caramel-like mixture, what do you do with it?

Well, the sky’s the limit, friends! Try it as a topping for Keto Cheesecake, swirl it into keto brownies, or stir it into your morning coffee. You can even make dulce de leche ice cream!

Or you can make Keto Alfajores, which are shortbread sandwich cookie. These cookies are so beloved in South America that I tried my best to stay as true to the original recipe as possible!