Learn how to make Dominican Dulce de leche en tabla, the traditional Dominican dulce de leche candy, dulce de leche fudge squares that can be combined with other flavors. You can find this uncomplicated anywhere in the Dominican Republic and now make it at home.
By - Reviewed: . Original: Oct 15, 2005
Why we ❤️ it
If you do an internet search for dulce de leche, you'll find several bazillion recipes (give or take), but traditional Dominican dulce de leche is not the same as the milk fudge that is more commonly found in South America (most famously Argentina) and Central America, which we use only as a filling in cakes and other desserts.
As with flan or tres leches, I'd be derelict in my duties if I didn't include this recipe in our collection just because it also exists elsewhere, because Dominican dulce de leche is a different thing altogether. Ours is a crumbly candy - similar to raw cookie dough - that can be combined with other candies, one to please everyone.
Dominican dulce de leche variations
There are several versions of dulce de leche in the Dominican Republic. Dulce de leche can be made into hard slabs of fudge, known as Dulce de leche en tabla, which can be layered with other types of "dulces," like guava paste, pineapple jam, or coconut fudge.
Another type is dulce de leche en crema, a soft fudge similar to South American dulce de leche, but less dark, as the sugar does not caramelize as much.
A popular version is "Concón de Leche," a semi-soft fudge with some burned bits. And don't miss Dulce de leche cortada, the Dominican curdled milk fudge.
Dulce de leche en tabla.
Traditional dulce de leche dominicano
In its original version, you would need freshly milked, raw milk. The recipe instructions call for evaporated milk because it has already cut over half the time it takes to make dulce de leche. If you don't mind an extra hour of cooking, use whatever whole milk you find at the local supermarket since finding raw milk is not as easy or advisable.
And just so you know, Dulce de Leche is sickly sweet, at least for me, so try not to overindulge, please. We would typically have a small square of it.
Top tips
- Mould: I did not have the traditional Dominican small molds used for dulce de leche en tabla. I improvised by covering the bottom of a milk box with plastic film, or aluminum foil lightly sprayed it with oil. You can also line it with thin wax paper or parchment paper. The size I used was 3"L x 4 ½"W x 2"H [6.75 cm L x 9.5 cm W x 4.5cm H].
- Avoid sticking: You must constantly stir once the milk reaches a rolling boil to prevent sticking to the bottom and scorching.
- Avoid overboiling: Boil in as big a pot as possible to prevent it from overboiling. This is not a set-it-and-forget-it type of dish.
- Hardening: The secret to making dulce de leche en tabla is that - unlike other dulces de leche - you do need to make the sugar crystallize. It changes the consistency from chewy to doughy.
- Other flavors: Instead of a piece of lime rind, you can add a cinnamon stick or a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the preparation.
- Fillings/toppings: After pouring into the mold, and before letting it cool, you can add a layerof some other Dominican fruit jams (on top, or between two layers of dulce de leche.) Pineapple jam, Dulce de coco, and Guava paste are some favorites.
- Patience 😃: The trick to homemade dulce de leche is patience and low heat. It might take up to half an hour or more to be done for the small portion this recipe yields. If you try to boil it at a higher temperature to shorten it, you risk overboiling or burning the milk.
About this recipe
This candy is part of some of my earliest memories.
Along with drinking a "jarrito de lata" full of freshly-squeezed cow or goat milk , one of my earliest memories was watching grandma stirring a tub-sized cauldron with an oar-sized wooden spoon for hours to make this (maybe everything looks bigger when you're a little kid).
I used to help my grandma stir the giant caldero. My reward was that I got to lick the wooden spoon after she was done. Good times!
This recipe is not like my grandma's. For one, it's hard to find raw milk these days. And when I tried using regular milk, I received complaint after complaint that it simply took too long.
Very long, arduous preparation was how grandma made it!
For this recipe (if you have been here for years, you will notice the change), I suggest a change that cuts the time by half by using evaporated milk.
I also came up (after endless testing) with a foolproof way to get the sugar to crystalize and make this into a dulce de leche en pasta and not just fudge. I am appropriately proud of that. 😉
Video
Recipe
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Dulce de Leche en Tabla [Video+Recipe] Dominican Fudge Candy
Equipment
- Empty milk carton washed and lined with plastic film.
Ingredients
- 1 can evaporated milk, 12 fluid ounces [354 mililiters]
- ¾ cup sugar (white, granulated), [150 grams] plus one tablespoon (divided)
- 1 piece lime rind, about 1 x ½ inch [1 x 2.5 centimeters], optional
Instructions
1. Mix ingredients
In a large pot or 3-quart saucepan, combine lime rind, sugar, and evaporated milk. Stir until the sugar dissolves
2. Simmer
- Heat the milk over medium heat. Simmer stirring constantly to prevent the milk from overboiling or scorching.Cook until it reaches the consistency of drinking yogurt (about 15 minutes). Discard the lime rind,
3. Crystallize
- Turn off the heat and add the remaining tablespoon of sugar and stir vigorously to mix. The sugar will crystallize changing the consistency of the dulce de leche.
4. Mold
- Once the mixture has a similar consistency to cookie dough, pour into the prepared mold and level with a spatula. Try to do this immediately, as it will harden once it starts cooling.
5. Serving
Let it cool to room temperature on the counter.Remove from the mold and cut into small candy-sized cubes or squares. Serve.
Cook's Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
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