Instant Pot Dulce de Leche

One can in, caramel out

This is the strangest recipe on the site and maybe my favourite. You put a sealed can of sweetened condensed milk in water, cook it under pressure, and open it later to find caramel. The milk and sugar in the can do all the work while you do none of it.

The colour tells you it worked. It comes out a deep gold, thick enough to hold a spoon mark. Stir it well and it goes smooth and glossy.

The wait is the recipe

Here is the part that matters. A hot sealed can is under pressure of its own. Open one while it is warm and it can spray hot caramel. That is a burn you do not want. So the pot stays closed, the pressure drops on its own, and the can sits until the water is cold to the touch.

Yes, that means hours. Make it in the morning for dessert, or the night before. Once the can is cold, open it, stir, and jar it. The waiting is not a flaw in the recipe. The waiting is the recipe.