Sugar Free Dulce de Leche is a dream come true! This keto version of the famous Latin American caramel is so creamy and delicious. And now it’s even easier to make!
No, your eyes do not deceive you. This rich, creamy dulce de leche is entirely sugar free and keto-friendly. And it takes only 3 ingredients and about 45 minutes to make!
Hustle to your kitchen and make some as soon as humanly possible. Because this amazing Latin American caramel is pure heaven. And it stays soft and gooey, even after a few days in the fridge.
I highly recommend it drizzled over some keto ice cream. But you might be tempted to just eat it all with a spoon!
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!
Sugar Free Dulce de Leche Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- ⅓ cup allulose sweetener
- 3 tablespoon Swerve Brown
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk the cream and sweeteners together.
- Bring to a strong boil, then reduce the heat and continue to simmer, whisking frequently, until caramelized and thickened, about 45 minutes. The mixture should be reduced to about 1 cup.
- Remove from heat and let cool in the pan, then transfer to a glass jar or a bowl. It will continue to thicken up as it cools.
Notes
Storage Information:
Store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to a week, as long as your ingredients are fresh.Older Version:
- 1 recipe Sugar Free Condensed Milk
- Pinch kosher salt
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Preheat the oven to 425F. Pour the condensed milk into a glass or ceramic baking dish. Sprinkle with kosher salt and cover tightly with foil.
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Place the baking dish inside a larger casserole or roasting pan and fill with water to ¾ of the way up sides of baking dish.
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Bake 1½ to 2 hours, checking on it every 30 minutes or until condensed milk has taken on a caramel colour and a rich, caramel flavour.
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Whisk until smooth, let cool, then transfer to a glass or ceramic container and store in the fridge.
LucilleP says
After refrigerating my batch, it ended up super thick…to where I’ll need to reheat to liquefy. What did I do wrong?
Carolyn says
You didn’t do anything wrong! That’s what dulce de leche does in real life… even the sugary kind! 🙂
Nathalie Charron says
I love this recipe, but I cannot buy allulose anymore in Canada. What is the better option to replace the allulose in this recipe ?
Thank you ,
Carolyn says
Xylitol is your next best option.
Deb O says
I make a double recipe of this every week to spoon over whole fat greek yogurt. So good.
Carolyn says
Fabulous!