Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

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Smooth and creamy dulce de leche ice cream is made with just 4 ingredients! You won’t be able to resist the rich caramel flavor.

Whenever I pull out the ice cream maker, my family knows they’re in for a treat. And considering in the summertime I make ice cream at least once a week… well, let’s just say they’re pretty lucky!

I don’t like choosing favorites when it comes to ice creams, but honestly this dulce de leche ice cream has shot right to the top for our family. 

It’s no wonder though, because dulce de leche, a rich milk caramel, is one of the most delicious things there is. 

Added to ice cream? Well, let’s just say you might need to find a hiding spot in the freezer for this one!

Ingredients for dulce de leche ice cream

Full list of ingredients including quantities is located in the recipe card.

You’ll need:

Heavy cream – Also labeled as heavy whipping cream. You do not want pre-whipped cream or Cool Whip.

Milk – I use 2% milk in this recipe. Whole milk will make the ice cream even richer and more delectable! I don’t recommend using skim milk.

Dulce de leche – Dulce de leche, also known as milk caramel, milk jam, or milk candy, is made from slowly cooking sweetened condensed milk. You should be able to find cans of it in the baking section right next to the condensed and evaporated milks. Some stores also sell artisan brands.

You can also try your hand at making your own Instant Pot dulce de leche!

Vanilla – I add just a little bit of vanilla extract to this caramel ice cream to boost the flavor.

How to make this recipe

The most important step is to make sure your ice cream bowl is frozen! I keep mine in the freezer at all times, but not everyone has the space for that. Make sure to put it in the freezer for at least 24 hours before making the ice cream.

To make the ice cream base, combine the cream and milk in a saucepan. Set over medium heat and simmer until just bubbling around the edges.

Remove from heat and add the dulce de leche. Whisk until the caramel is completely melted into the liquid, then whisk in the vanilla. Optional: add a pinch of salt to enhance the flavor.

Pour into a container, cover, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

When you’re ready to churn the ice cream, set your frozen bowl in your ice cream maker. Remove the chilled mixture from the fridge and pour into the ice cream machine. Churn according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Depending on your machine, churning will take anywhere from 20 minutes to 1 hour. 

When the ice cream is done it will be a soft serve consistency. You can enjoy it right away, or pack into containers and chill until firm and scoopable. 

Storage tips

I recommend storing homemade ice cream in silicone ice cream containers, or using other freezer-safe containers. Lined cardboard soup containers also work well for ice cream.

A metal loaf pan is not a good option for storing ice cream, as it does not have an airtight seal and ice crystals can easily form. Only use a loaf pan if you plan to serve the entire batch of ice cream at once time.

More ice cream recipes

Craving even more cold treats? There’s plenty of options to make ice cream at home!

For classics, make vanilla bean ice cream or creamy chocolate ice cream.

Branch out with strawberry pretzel ice cream, based on the classic strawberry pretzel pie. 

Or, embrace cold-season flavors with peppermint ice cream or spiced cranberry ice cream!

You’re going to love this homemade dulce de leche ice cream recipe. You might even need to start keeping dulce de leche on hand!