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    Home » Desserts

    Vegan Dulce De Leche

    Published: Oct 10, 2017 Updated: Jun 28, 2021 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe
    Vegan Dulce De Leche

    This vegan dulce de leche is thick and creamy and only 4-ingredients. Made with coconut and light brown sugar for a vegan take on a classic.

    Vegan dulce de leche in a glass jar with a spoon.

    This vegan dulce de leche sauce is simply divine. It’s the rich, creamy and smooth caramel sauce of your dreams!

    The traditional version of dulce de leche is made with sweetened condensed milk that has been boiled for many hours until it forms a thick caramel.

    The vegan version is much easier than boiling a can of condensed milk for many hours! It doesn’t even involve condensed milk at all.

    It’s made from coconut cream, coconut milk, light brown sugar and a little salt and it takes 30 minutes to make. Too easy.

    Vegan dulce de leche in a glass jar with a spoon.

    How To Make Vegan Dulce De Leche

    • Add coconut cream, coconut milk, light brown sugar and salt to a large heavy bottomed pot.
    • Whisk with a hand whisk to combine and heat on medium to high heat, stirring constantly until the mixture begins to boil. Turn the heat down to medium and let it boil (uncovered), stirring every now and then, until the mixture has reduced and thickened (about 20 minutes). Keep a close eye on it so that it doesn’t boil over.
    • Let the sauce cool for a few minutes in the pot before transferring to jars. Allow to cool completely in the jars before refrigerating. It will continue to thicken in the fridge into a thick caramel.
    Vegan dulce de leche in a glass jar.

    How To Serve Dulce De Leche

    You can eat it with a spoon. Or use it as an ice-cream sauce, or pour it over pancakes or whatever you like.

    When I gave some to my sister she immediately said ‘I’m just going to eat this with a spoon!’. So yes, it does inspire a person to do this.

    Vegan dulce de leche in a glass jar with a spoon.

    Storing Instructions

    Keep it stored in the fridge where it gets very thick and dreamily delicious.

    It actually keeps for quite a while in the fridge, a couple of weeks and up to a month when stored in an airtight container. 

    Reheat it over low heat on the stovetop if you want it served warm.

    Vegan dulce de leche in a glass jar with a spoon.

    More Delicious Vegan Caramel Recipes

    1. Date Caramel
    2. Vegan Caramel Sauce
    3. Vegan Chocolate Caramels
    4. Vegan Caramel Pie
    5. Vegan Salted Caramel Ice Cream

    Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

    Vegan dulce de leche in a glass jar

    Vegan Dulce De Leche

    This vegan dulce de leche is thick and creamy and only 4-ingredients. Made with coconut and light brown sugar for a vegan take on a classic.
    4.91 from 22 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 18
    Calories: 193kcal
    Author: Alison Andrews

    Ingredients

    • 14 ounces Canned Coconut Cream (400ml) Unsweetened
    • 14 ounces Canned Coconut Milk (400ml) Full Fat, Unsweetened
    • 1 ½ cups Light Brown Sugar (300g)
    • ½ teaspoon Salt
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    Instructions

    • Add coconut cream, coconut milk, brown sugar and salt to a large heavy bottomed pot.
    • Whisk with a hand whisk to combine and heat on medium to high heat, stirring constantly until the mixture begins to boil. Turn the heat down to medium and let it boil (uncovered), stirring every now and then, until the mixture has reduced and thickened (about 20 minutes). Keep a close eye on it so that it doesn't boil over.
    • Let the sauce cool for a few minutes in the pot before transferring to jars. Allow to cool completely in the jars before refrigerating. It will continue to thicken in the fridge into a thick caramel.

    Notes

    1. Use a large pot to prevent it from boiling over. When I tried making this in a saucepan, I turned my back for a second and it boiled over. Whereas when using a large pot, this has never happened. Nonetheless you do of course still need to keep a close eye on it.
    2. This recipe makes around 2 ¼ cups of dulce de leche. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2Tablespoons | Calories: 193kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 74mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @lovingitvegan on Instagram and hashtag #lovingitvegan
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    3.8K shares

    About the Author

    Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

    Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. James says

      November 20, 2022 at 8:31 am

      Really delicious! I used Orley Whip (South African imitation cream (30% fat) instead of coconut as I wasn’t sure if the coconut would come through). Worked really well, I was a bit worried it might split when boiled, but it didn’t. I think I didn’t reduce it enough and didn’t thicken up that much when cooled, but that might be difference in creams too. Obviously still delicious :P. I was planning on filling some chocolate cupcakes with this and ended up whipping it up to make it thicker and it was perfect. Love your recipes, they always work out and are always delicious! Thank you so much.5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        November 20, 2022 at 12:32 pm

        Oh brilliant, thanks so much for sharing and the wonderful review James! So glad Orley Whip worked!

        Reply
    2. Clarrissa Smith says

      October 25, 2021 at 8:38 pm

      Can this be used as the base for banofee pie?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        October 26, 2021 at 5:29 pm

        I think so!

        Reply
    3. Trish says

      August 13, 2021 at 3:57 am

      Just made this for one of our international nights (Ururguay). It hasn’t cooled yet but the consistency looks good and it tastes delicious! I’m looking forward to having it with some vegan ice cream tonight.

      Trish5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        August 13, 2021 at 11:14 am

        Wonderful! Thanks so much Trish!

        Reply
    4. Christina says

      July 26, 2021 at 8:20 pm

      I made this last night, and thought I did something wrong at first because it wasn’t thickening up. After it sat in the fridge a few hours it became nice and thick, yet still able to drizzle. And the taste is just awesome, more buttery and flavorful than even the milk based. This will be something I will make often.

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        July 27, 2021 at 10:38 am

        Thanks for sharing Christina, so glad it worked out!

        Reply
    5. Veronica Adler says

      May 19, 2021 at 12:41 am

      Trying this soon! I’ve never had coconut cream on hand, Could this be made with two cans of coconut milk instead of one of each? My thinking is that the fatty part from the cream at the top of the can would work…

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        May 19, 2021 at 11:04 am

        Yes you can use all coconut milk so long as it’s the full fat variety. All the best! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Mariana Roballo says

      April 05, 2021 at 4:09 pm

      Would it still thicken enough if I only used 1 cup of sugar??

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        April 06, 2021 at 10:51 am

        I think so, it may just take a bit longer to reduce and thicken to the right consistency.

        Reply
    7. Cindy Ellis says

      March 23, 2021 at 9:13 pm

      What’s the shelf life for this ?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        March 24, 2021 at 10:55 am

        A couple of weeks in the fridge.

        Reply
    8. Irene Arpayoglou says

      January 28, 2021 at 7:11 pm

      I cooked this a little too long and too much moisture boiled out, so it ended up being very chewy and gummy. Taste is great though. Plus, being so stringy, I can wrap it around apple slices and it doesn’t drip off. Next time I won’t cook as long. Super easy, and cheap too!4 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        February 01, 2021 at 11:18 am

        So glad you are still enjoying it! Thanks for sharing! 🙂

        Reply
    9. Nathalie says

      December 23, 2020 at 7:45 pm

      Just made this and using it for my spikes
      vegan hot chocolate. Christmas Brunch is going to
      be lit!

      Reply
    10. Brianna mercado says

      August 25, 2020 at 2:48 pm

      Hi there! I put the dulce in a mason jar and the top of it starts to crust.. is that normal due to the coconut cream? I don’t want my dulce to have crust in it help

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        August 26, 2020 at 10:07 am

        Hi Brianna, I’m really not sure what that’s about! That definitely hasn’t happened to me. Has it cooled down? It will be good to let it completely cool before you store it.

        Reply
      • Shelly Bashkirov says

        February 20, 2021 at 5:14 am

        Hi Brianna! My first batch also had a crust but I boiled it for about 7-10 min longer the second time around and no crust! 🙂5 stars

        Reply
    11. diana says

      August 24, 2020 at 2:48 am

      I tried it! it’s perfect! just that I think I overcook it and the liquid fat separated from the Carmel, now it’s too hard… most as candy!… what should I do? stop cooking it at 250 degrees Fahrenheit… what should be the perfect temperature for your version?5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        August 25, 2020 at 12:51 pm

        Hi Diana! We didn’t use a candy thermometer in this recipe, it’s more about the thickness of it and also the time (it shouldn’t boil for too long).

        Reply
    12. Monica says

      August 17, 2020 at 1:30 am

      Can I sub coconut milk for almond milk and use monk fruit has anyone tried?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        August 17, 2020 at 9:45 am

        I don’t think almond milk will be rich enough, and monk fruit won’t work as a sub for sugar in this recipe.

        Reply
    13. Lucy says

      June 14, 2020 at 2:35 pm

      Could this be used in a vegan millionaires shortbread do you know? I cant get vegan condensed milk where I live. Do you know if it hardens slightly once cooled?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        June 15, 2020 at 12:25 pm

        It does get thicker when cooled, but I’m not sure it would be firm enough for that purpose. Maybe check out the caramel we used for our vegan twix bars, that definitely gets firm enough.

        Reply
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