Can dulce de leche be frozen? - The complete guide

Whenever you need a delicious dose of chocolate or candy, dulce de leche is one of the best options on the market. The fudge is so rich that you can be satisfied with a small piece. There is something special about that smooth and creamy taste of dulce de leche.

Fudge is different from chocolate, but it has chocolate in it. Also, dulce de leche can last a long time. You don’t have to worry about it breaking down soon. Dulce de leche can be made at home or purchased at various candy stores and dulce de leche factories.

Dulce de leche can keep for a long time, but it’s so rich that it’s hard to eat a lot at once. You need a solution that will make it last.

So, can dulce de leche be frozen?

Yes, dulce de leche can be frozen. You just have to wrap and pack it. Storing dulce de leche in the freezer is one of the most effective ways to preserve dulce de leche for the long term. You don’t have to worry about it getting freezer dry if you follow our instructions correctly. 

In this guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about how to freeze dulce de leche and what to expect from the process. We will cover some additional information about dulce de leche that may be useful to you in your freezing process.

Read on to learn how to freeze dulce de leche and more.

The Complete Guide to Freezing Dulce de Leche

Dulce de leche is one of those foods that lasts surprisingly well for a long time. It can often be kept at room temperature for quite some time.

It can also be stored in the fridge or freezer to preserve it or extend its shelf life, or even if you just prefer it cold.

Before we talk about the process of freezing dulce de leche, let’s talk more about dulce de leche so we know exactly what we’re working with.

What is “dulce de leche?

The process of making dulce de leche can be a bit intense. Dulce de leche is made with sugar, butter and milk and then with any other additives.

You can make a wide variety of flavors . Most people think that dulce de leche is made of chocolate, but it doesn’t always have chocolate and chocolate isn’t necessary.

If you’re not familiar with fudge, it’s usually smooth and creamy when full. The flavor is usually quite rich and a little dulce de leche goes a long way. When done, the best description of the texture is a mixture of thick icing and hard candy. 

When you consider those two things combined, it’s the perfect way to imagine the consistency of a finished dulce de leche product.

You can find fudge to buy in many areas. You might see it at your local grocery store or candy store. Dulce de leche is also often found in tourist areas.

Dulce de leche can be a versatile treat.  You can add any number of flavors, toppings, or other fillings.

For example, you can use nuts, fruits, chocolates, candies, cookies, and other forms of sweets to enhance dulce de leche. These things can be mixed into the dulce de leche or used as toppings. You can even mix them up and use them as toppings if you want.

These are some of the most common dulce de leche flavors you might see in a candy store. 

• Chocolat
• Vanilla
• Chocolate Peanut Butter
• mint chocolate
• Nut butter
• Cookies and cream
• cookie dough
• Candy
• butterfinger
• Candy
• chocolate nut
• cherry with chocolate
• Turtle

These are just a few of the more common flavors, but you can make or find candies in any variety of flavors.

In fact, you can even play around and create your own flavor if you want. Some of the rarer flavors are Eggnog, Pumpkin Spice, Candy Cane, and Blueberry.

How to make caramel

Making dulce de leche can take a bit of work. It can be a challenge to get the timing and cooking right so that the dulce de leche sets well when finished. However, the end result is a delicious, creamy dessert or snack that goes a long way.

When making dulce de leche, NO baking is necessary! 

When you treat yourself to dulce de leche, you only need a small amount. In fact, when sold, you may find that it is sold in 1-2 inch squares. These squares are even larger than can sometimes be eaten in a single serving.

The good thing is that you can make the dulce de leche last quite a long time and it stores easily.

We are going to talk about how dulce de leche is made to give you an idea of the process. The general recipe we share below is for the traditional chocolate dulce de leche. Keep in mind that you can make a variety of flavors and you can add ingredients to your liking.

Dulce de leche can also be made in different ways. If you research dulce de leche recipes, you’ll probably find a ton of options. What we share here is just a general recipe. Once again, we want to remind you that recipes can vary and that’s okay.

Here you have our easy dulce de leche recipe to serve as a reference. 

1. You’ll need chocolate (more on types later), sweetened condensed milk, a small amount of kosher salt, vanilla extract, and any other ingredients or flavors you’d like to add.
2. Prepare the final pan by lining it with parchment paper and lightly spraying it with cooking spray.
3. Add the chocolate, condensed milk, and salt to a large skillet, bringing to a simmer.
4. Stir continuously while the chocolate melts. The mixture will become very thick and should also be glossy. This part of the process will take approximately 5 minutes.
5. Remove the mixture from the heat. Add the vanilla extract and any other ingredients. Stir it all good.
6. Pour the dulce de leche mixture into the mold that you have previously prepared.
7. Smooth out the caramel evenly in the pan.
8. Let the fudge sit to set for 1-2 hours.
9. Once the dulce de leche has cooled and set, you can cut it into squares or store it uncut. If you plan to store a portion in the freezer right away, we recommend leaving that portion uncut.

That is all! The process of making dulce de leche is relatively simple. The challenge is that you must give your full attention to the dulce de leche while you melt the chocolate. It can also be difficult to tell when enough has been cooked.

If the dulce de leche is not curdling well, it is most likely because it has not been cooked long enough. Be very careful and make sure that it is cooked long enough for the process to be more efficient and the caramel to set as it should.

Actually, you could even make this recipe in the microwave if you really wanted to, but we recommend using the stovetop.

The type of chocolate is important

There is nothing that tells you exactly what type of chocolate you MUST use in your recipe. In fact, when it comes down to it, you can choose between chocolate chunks, semisweet chocolate, or bittersweet chocolate.

In short, there is no wrong choice. What happens is that you may notice a difference in texture or flavor depending on the type of chocolate you choose for your dulce de leche.

Let’s talk about the differences. 

If you use chocolate chunks, you risk the chocolate not melting properly. Chocolate chips are processed with special ingredients that keep them in shape when cooked.

This is why your chocolate chip cookies don’t have melted chocolate all over them. The texture can also be slightly gritty due to the chocolate chips.

With semisweet chocolate, the end result is very sweet and rich. If you like your sweets to be really rich, this is the perfect option. Although it is only called semi-sweet, the result is very sweet.  The texture of semisweet and sweet and sour will be smooth and creamy.

If you choose to use bittersweet chocolate, you will get a strong chocolate flavor. It is the perfect mix of sweet and chocolate. Almost like your usual Hershey bar, but melted down to make a delicious dulce de leche.  The texture, again, is smooth and creamy.

If you’re not sure if you prefer really sweet or really strong chocolate for your taste, you can always mix half and half semisweet and bittersweet (or any other ratio). It’s a great way to get an in-between flavor and it’s really delicious.

Storage of dulce de leche

Storing dulce de leche is relatively easy. You don’t really have to worry too much about storing it perfectly and the dulce de leche lasts quite a while.

You can store the dulce de leche in the fridge or freezer. You can also store it at room temperature for quite a while.

Store dulce de leche at room temperature

If you think you’ll be using the dulce de leche in a couple of weeks, you can store it at room temperature.

Dulce de leche keeps well at room temperature. If you want to be more sure that your dulce de leche is stored safely or if you like it cold, you can always put it in the fridge. And if you think you’ll have it even longer, the freezer is also a viable option.

These are the steps to preserve dulce de leche at room temperature. The main thing is to prevent the dulce de leche from drying out. 

1. Place the dulce de leche in an airtight container or seal it in a zipper bag.
2. Store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Store the dulce de leche in the fridge

Storing the dulce de leche in the fridge is another simple process. The refrigerator will keep the dulce de leche cold and prevent it from drying out if stored correctly. If you don’t store dulce de leche properly, it can become dry and crumbly.

Follow these steps to store your dulce de leche in the fridge efficiently. 

1. Wrap the dulce de leche (individually or all together) in a layer of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Plastic wrap offers the best protection.
2. Place the wrapped dulce de leche in an airtight container or resealable storage bag.
3. Store it in the fridge for up to 1 month.

You can easily get the dulce de leche in and out of the fridge and it won’t spoil. If you wrap the dulce de leche squares individually, it is very convenient to take out one square at a time and enjoy it whenever you want.

The most important thing to remember is to keep it as airtight as possible to prevent the candy from drying out.  The fridge is one of the best ways to keep dulce de leche moist for a reasonable amount of time.

Store the dulce de leche in the freezer

These are the instructions for storing the dulce de leche in the freezer. 

1. You can save it in individual squares or in its entirety. We recommend using individual squares unless you have a purpose for the entire block at once. This simplifies the task when removing it from the freezer. However, if you are storing a whole block, leave it uncut until you remove it from the freezer.
2. Start by wrapping the dulce de leche in plastic wrap to seal in the moisture in the dulce de leche.
3. Place the wrapped candy in an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bag. If you wrapped them individually, you can place them all together in your storage device.
4. Label, date and seal your dulce de leche.
5. Store the candy in the freezer for at least 6 months. Up to a year is probably fine, but for best results the recommended time frame is 6 months.

Use the dulce de leche after freezing it

Using dulce de leche after freezing is very simple. If you like your dulce de leche cold, you don’t need to thaw it, but we recommend doing so for simplicity.

When defrosting the sweet, we do not recommend that you do it at room temperature. 

Place your dulce de leche in the refrigerator and allow it to thaw overnight. Then you can use your dulce de leche and enjoy it properly. Keep the dulce de leche in the fridge from then on.

Related questions

We hope you find this guide to freezing dulce de leche useful and informative. It is a simple process and we know that you can successfully enjoy your dulce de leche in many ways.

We invite you to take a look at the questions and answers section that we offer below. You may find additional information useful to you.

Can you do other things with dulce de leche?

If you are tired of eating only dulce de leche and want to use it in another way, there are many options to do so. Some good recommendations to use that dulce de leche can be to make dulce de leche brownies, dulce de leche cheesecake, dulce de leche cookies, etc. 

There are many ways to use dulce de leche without just eating it. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Dulce de leche is usually chocolate and can be used for things that require chocolate.

Whatever you do, be sure to enjoy the dulce de leche!

Does the dulce de leche go bad?

The biggest risk of dulce de leche is that it tends to dry out if it is not airtight or stored properly. We definitely don’t recommend storing dulce de leche in the heat anywhere. Make sure you store it properly.

Some things to look for to determine if the candy is spoiled are excessive drying and cracking.

If the dulce de leche is soft or soggy, you should also throw it away. If the caramel becomes oily or starts to separate, that’s another indicator to throw it away.