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Instant Pot Caramel. Whether you call it instant pot caramel, instant pot caramel from condensed milk or dulce de leche, it is a wonderful quick one ingredient pantry instant pot pressure cooker recipe that reminds you why owning an instant pot makes your life in the kitchen so much easier and cheaper.
Table of Contents
- Instant Pot Caramel
- Cooking Condensed Milk To Make Caramel
- Instant Pot Caramel (dulce de leche)
- Cooking Condensed Milk In Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Caramel Sauce
- How Long To Cook Condensed Milk To Make Caramel?
- Listen To How To Make Caramel
- Desserts With Caramel Condensed Milk
- Instant Pot Caramel From Condensed Milk Recipe
- Can’t make it now? Then pin it for later!
- Join The RecipeThis.com Community:
Instant Pot Caramel
This easy instant pot caramel recipe is an update from a 2017 recipe. One of our favourite instant pot pantry recipes and perfect for a quick batch of caramel for a recipe.
Welcome to how to make Instant Pot Caramel from condensed milk. If there is just ONE Instant Pot recipe that you MUST make as a beginner to the instant pot it has to be Instant Pot Caramel.
I often get emails from either potential (or brand new) Instant Pot users.
They are all fascinated by the electric pressure cooker trend and want to know (considering they can cook good) what is the point in them owning the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker?
Well you can see it from their point of view, can’t you?
- They like cooking
- They hate the idea of batch cooking
- They are not in a huge rush so a 40-minute chicken doesn’t appeal to them
- They are good at peeling their boiled eggs
- They like the smell of a warm stew in the oven
Though, I think I just described me and the hubby!!!
Instant Pot cooking is very much about being able to cook an 8 hour pulled pork in less than an hour, being easy for people that are terrible at cooking and a fantastic option for if you hate peeling eggs.
But if none of that bothers you then why get an Instant Pot?
Well for me it comes down to one thing and one thing only. You can turn condensed milk into caramel in just 40 minutes instead of 4 hours on the stove. I mean that is truly an amazing time saver.
This has nothing to do with whether you are an excellent cook or not, but about an act of magic.
Dominic (my husband of over 17 years) was a chef when we met. He is excellent in the kitchen and has a natural ability when it comes to cooking.
When I said that I was getting an electric pressure cooker he was far from pleased, as we like to cook so much.
But when he realised, he could make his favourite caramel so fast I had him. He was hooked.
You might be the only one in your family with an instant pot and trying to get the rest of the family on board and this instant pot caramel will do that.
Or you are new to the instant pot and want easy steps. If that is you straight after doing your instant pot water test, do instant pot caramel.
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Cooking Condensed Milk To Make Caramel
To me cooking condensed milk to make caramel is old school classic cooking.
My grandmas would always have cans of condensed milk sat in their pantry and they would be perfect for a range of desserts.
It was back then, and it is right now, much cheaper to buy a can of sweetened condensed milk and turn it into caramel yourself rather than having it done for you.
Making caramel from condensed milk would involve submerging a sweetened can of condensed milk in a pan on the stovetop and then it would boil away and eventually turn into caramel.
It was a slow process though and it would take on average between 3 to 4 hours.
How to make caramel from condensed milk quickly? Like I mentioned above this is when the instant pot comes into play.
Instead of taking several hours you are reducing the time significantly.
Another interesting point is that when you cook condensed milk on the stovetop you are boiling, while the instant pot is retaining the flavour by pressure cooking.
Instant Pot Caramel (dulce de leche)
If it is just instant pot caramel, then why do most people call it instant pot dulce de leche?
Dulce de leche is a Mediterranean phrase that describes caramel made from sweetened canned milk.
It is how many desserts are described throughout Spain, Portugal and other neighbouring European countries.
Here in Portugal we have dulce de leche ice cream, which is vanilla ice cream that has been sweetened with condensed caramel.
Cooking Condensed Milk In Instant Pot
Cooking condensed milk in the instant pot to make caramel is so ridiculously easy you will want to do this all the time. Just maybe take up running if it becomes a daily occurrence!
- The wrapping is removed from the can of condensed milk.
- It is submerged in the instant pot so that water just covers it.
- It pressure cooks.
- You cool it down.
- You eat it.
Just think that is how you use the instant pot to turn condensed milk into caramel. Have I got you hooked on this easy kitchen gadget now?
Instant Pot Caramel Sauce
If you want to transform your instant pot caramel into instant pot caramel sauce, then I suggest that you add some milk and a little water to your instant pot caramel until it reaches the right thickness.
I have found that skimmed milk is best because it is fat free and therefore thin and easy for making something super thick, all skinny.
How Long To Cook Condensed Milk To Make Caramel?
If using the instant pot, it takes JUST 40 minutes to cook condensed milk to make caramel.
But there is also the time to get your instant pot to pressure and the time for your caramel to cool down enough for you to touch it.
My best tips for decreasing the time is to use warm water when you fill your instant pot. Because there is a lot of water to go to pressure.
My other best tip is Dominic’s and he pours cold water over the condensed milk can once done, so that it can cool down quicker.
Listen To How To Make Caramel
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Desserts With Caramel Condensed Milk
With my love for caramel made with condensed milk, I am sure you will appreciate that we use caramel condensed milk a LOT in our desserts.
Here are a few of our favourite desserts with caramel condensed milk:
- Dulce De Leche Ice Cream
- Ben & Jerry’s Caramel Chew Chew Ice Cream
- Instant Pot Banoffee Pie
- Instant Pot Caramel Rice Pudding
- Instant Pot Caramel Popcorn
- Air Fryer Caramel Cheesecake
Instant Pot Caramel From Condensed Milk
Instructions
- Remove the packaging from a can of condensed milk and place into the instant pot inner pot.
- Pour warm water over the can of caramel until it is submerged.
- Place the lid on the instant pot, set the valve to sealing and cook for 40 minutes on manual pressure cook.
- Use quick pressure release and pour cold water over the can to cool it down quicker.
- Once the can of condensed milk is cool enough to handle remove the lid, stir and eat.
Notes
Nutrition
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It did not get as dark as it should have. Can it be cooked again in any way? I took it out of the can already.
Hi Harriet,
We have not tried to cook it more, as we loved how it came out. May be it was darker before because you had to cook it on a stove in a pan of boiling water for several hours. You could try gently microwaving it and see if that darkens it but like i say we have not tried to cook it anymore 🙂
Has anyone tried this with a vegan condensed milk or condense oat milk?
Hi Melody,
We have not tried it, I would only say that there needs to be sugar in the milk for it to turn into any kind of caramel/Dolce De Leche 🙂
You say manual pressure. I have high or low options. Which do you mean?
Hi,
We always use high unless it is for any rice dishes then we always use low 🙂
My instapot has two options for temperature. Should I use hi temp or low temp?
Hi Heather,
We only use low temp for things like rice 🙂
I will admit to being just a little scared the first time I used this method, but I figured (a) it’s been done before, and (b) if a can of condensed milk is going to explode in my kitchen, I’d rather have it happen inside a solid stainless steel pressure vessel (the Instapot). Safety first! Happily, I’ve never had a can explode on me, and the resulting caramel (dulce de leche if you’re being pedantic) is always delicious.
Just one word of warning though – do NOT try to open the can of caramel before it’s completely cool. Don’t ask me how I know.
Hi Matthew,
Glad you took the plunge and tried it. Yes i did the same when it first came out and it exits the tin very rapidly and is very very hot all over the work surface, but even though the waiting to cool is long it is so worth it 🙂
Hi when u put the can in the instapot do u poke a small hole in the can,
I am so scared to put a can in the insta pot
Please get back Thank you
Hi Leeann,
We did not put a hole in as the condensed milk is runny before it gets cooked so would just go into the water and dissolve. If you are really scared then please do not do the recipe, we did it because everyone was asking us to and it was so much quicker than doing it on the stove top 🙂
Thank you so much for this quick and easy recipe! Made it exactly as you instructed and it came out beautifully! Creamy and delicious. Took a while before the 40 minute countdown started even with adding warm water to the Instapot. After the 40 minutes, quick release took exactly 8 minutes before I could remove the Instapot lid. Once I removed the can from the water, I just let it rest until it had cooled. Going to use this delicious goodness for a banoffee pie!!
Can i cook condensmilk with the self opening lid and must the can stand up or lay on it’s side when cook
Hi Debbie,
A self opening lid we are not familiar with. We used a pull lid where you pull the lid up after it has cooled, and we stand the can up but either should be ok as when the IP starts to boil the water the can sometimes falls onto its side 🙂