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Dulce de Leche

Dulce de leche is a thick caramel-like milk sweet commonly used as a spread, filling, or dessert topping.

Dulce de Leche — illustrative ingredient image

About Dulce de Leche

Dulce de leche is a thick, smooth milk-based confection made by heating sweetened milk until it develops a caramel-brown color and dense, spreadable consistency. Its flavor is sweet and milky with cooked-caramel notes, and its color and firmness vary with the cooking process and final moisture level.

It is used as a spread, filling, dessert topping, sauce, or component of cakes, cookies, pastries, candies, and frozen desserts. Products labeled dulce de leche can differ in sweetness, thickness, and added flavorings. It may be sold in jars, cans, squeezable containers, or prepared in a thicker form for cutting or piping.

The product is generally smooth and spreadable, but reduced moisture can make it firm enough for cutting or piping, while added moisture produces a more pourable sauce. Heating can soften it for spreading or saucing; cooling and further concentration can make it denser. Its appearance ranges from light to caramel-brown according to cooking.

Ingredient type
compound ingredient

Forms & related ingredients

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Where dulce de leche appears

11 linked foods

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Desserts

Ingredient connections awaiting review · Coverage is still growing, including packaged snacks.

Name examples awaiting language review. Confirm the specific food or product.

Local names for dulce de leche

Names and romanised forms to recognise on menus and labels.

English

Dulce de Leche

Available names only. Languages may be spoken in other countries; a name alone does not identify every ingredient in a dish.

Dulce de Leche nutrition & diet

Dulce de Leche nutritional value

Dulce de Leche

Per 100 g of the edible portion in the recorded food form.

Calories
315kcal
Protein
6.8g
Carbs
55.4g
Fat
7.3g

Reference values for the specific food form shown. Other varieties, brands and preparations can differ.

Portions & preparation

Reference the exact dulce de leche form, such as spread, filling, topping, or confection, because moisture, concentration, and added ingredients vary. Specify whether it is made from milk and sugar alone or includes cream, starch, flavorings, salt, or other recipe components.

Compare the right form: Match the reference to the brand or recipe and serving form, including concentration, milk ingredients, sugar, starches, flavorings, and preparation.

Diet considerations

Dulce de leche is ordinarily dairy-derived and sugar-based, but recipes and commercial products may include other milk ingredients, cream, starches, flavorings, or animal-derived additives. Compatibility changes with cereal-containing desserts, coatings, or fillings. It is not a plain plant food, and portion size is especially relevant to its carbohydrate pattern.

AI-authored reading notes · Awaiting editorial review. Measured values, where available, have a separate source above.

Dietary compatibility

  • Vegan
    Typically incompatible
  • Vegetarian
    Depends on the version
  • Pescatarian
    Depends on the version
  • Keto
    Not established
  • Paleo
    Typically incompatible
  • Low-carb
    Not established
  • Halal
    Not established
  • Kosher
    Not established
What these diet assessments mean
Vegan · Typically incompatible
Recorded common ingredients: Cow Milk. The ingredient profile identifies an animal-derived food or derivative. Recipes and products can differ.
Vegetarian · Depends on the version
Check the version or source of: Sugar. Check the refining process and processing aids for the particular producer.
Pescatarian · Depends on the version
Check the version or source of: Sugar. Check the refining process and processing aids for the particular producer.
Keto · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Paleo · Typically incompatible
Recorded common ingredients: Sugar; Cow Milk. This profile falls outside the conventional paleo pattern used here (grains and pseudograins, legumes, dairy or refined sugar). Recipes and products can differ.
Low-carb · Not established
A defined serving and sourced carbohydrate data are needed before assessing this dietary pattern.
Halal · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish halal status.
Kosher · Not established
Sourcing, processing and any applicable certification have not been verified. A food name alone does not establish kosher status.

For the plain ingredient · Awaiting review. Diet compatibility is not allergy suitability or halal/kosher certification. Keto and low-carb depend on the portion.

Reviewed ingredient entryIngredient reference · Preparations vary

AI-generated illustration for visual context. It does not identify a particular product or establish allergen content.

Sources & review

Nutrition reference: USDA FoodData Central — Dulce de Leche ↗. Values are scaled from 100 g of the recorded edible form. Individual portions have no assumed fixed weight.

Expanded overview, name examples and nutrition notes are database drafts awaiting editorial review. Numeric nutrition values, where shown, have their own source and food-form reference.

The ingredient description and dish connections come from the draft catalogue and may change after review.

Last recorded verification: .