File:Dulce de leche Muffin - ND0 4920 (8753463007).jpg

Dulce de leche (pronounced: ['dulse ðe 'let?e]; Portuguese: doce de leite ['dosi d?i 'lejt?i]) is an confection prepared by slowly heating sweetened milk to create a product that derives its taste from the caramelisation of the product, changing flavor and color. Literally translated, it means "candy of milk" or "candy [made] of milk", "milk candy", or "milk jam" in the same way that dulce de frutilla is strawberry jam. It is popular in South America, notably in Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay. The same goes for Chile and Ecuador where it is known as manjar (Spanish for delicacy). In Peru, Colombia and Venezuela, it is referred to as manjar blanco or arequipe, depending on regional variations. In Brazil, it is known by its Portuguese name doce de leite.

The dulce de leche of El Salvador has a soft, crumbly texture, with an almost crystallized form. A Mexican version called cajeta is made from goat's milk. In the Dominican Republic it is made with equal parts milk and sugar with cinnamon, and the texture is more like fudge. In Puerto Rico dulce de leche is sometimes made with unsweetened coconut milk.

A French version, known as confiture de lait, is very similar to the spreadable forms of dulce de leche. A Norwegian version, Hamar-pålegg ("Hamar spread"), better known as HaPå, is a commercial variant that is thicker and less sweet.