Dulce de Leche Dip | The Speckled Palate

Craving something rich, creamy and irresistibly sweet? This Dulce de Leche Caramel Dip is a fall must-make recipe! Made with just three simple ingredients, it’s velvety smooth and perfect for dipping crisp apples or your favorite fruits into. Plus, thanks to my dulce de leche hack, it comes together in no time, making it the ultimate quick indulgence for both kids and adults!

I’m back on my dessert dip nonsense, and I’m happy to be here because holy cow, this is irresistible and one of my new favorite recipes.

My younger daughter and I made it one afternoon, gobbled up our test immediately and then made it the next day because I’m nothing if not predictable when it comes to getting dessert recipes correct and sharing them with the world immediately.

You’re welcome.

This recipe has the vibes and flavors of classic caramel apples, and I am here for it.

Why I love this recipe:

This creamy, sweet dessert dip is the dessert of fall. 

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.

This Dulce de Leche Dip is super satisfying and wonderfully balanced, with hints of tanginess from the Greek yogurt and sweet, creamy caramel notes from the dulce de leche. It’s also got a pop of saltiness because salted desserts are craveable. (If you’re not into the salt, check out the note I made for you in the recipe card below.)

It’s great paired with apples or other fruit, as well as crackers and cookies.

It’s akin to the sweetness of a creamy Caramel Dip for apples… but it’s significantly faster to pull together, and there’s no cooking involved, so you won’t have to get out that candy thermometer! 

Also, it doesn’t involve making a butterscotch sauce or a homemade caramel sauce, so that’s a win. There is no added high fructose corn syrup or artificial flavor, either, which makes me happy, too.

What’s the difference between caramel and dulce de leche and butterscotch? The ingredients are different.

• Dulce de leche is made when milk and sugar cook down until incredibly creamy and caramelized. (It can be made relatively easily in the Instant Pot with a can of sweetened condensed milk.)
• Caramel is made when water and granulated sugar cook down together. The water eventually evaporates the sugar caramelizes, then you add butter and cream and salt, if desired. It is essentially candy-making and requires some serious kitchen attention!
• And butterscotch is made when butter and dark brown sugar cook down together, like the caramel sauce above.

The end result is wonderfully fall-centric and the dip has the perfect consistency: beautifully luscious and thick, so it sticks to whatever you dip into it. After all, who could turn down a caramel-y dessert in the fall?

So whether you went apple picking or are looking for a sweet dessert dip to dip apple slices into or just want a sweet treat as a part of your snack, this recipe is here for you. After all, this is an easy caramel apple dip recipe for a reason…

OH! And it’s great for entertaining, too, because it comes together so quickly. You can also double the recipe if you’re planning to feed a crowd.

Other dessert dips that are great for entertaining: Chocolate Cheesecake Dip | Raspberry Yogurt Fruit Dip | Cheesecake Dip | Funfetti Dip

Looking for sweet tooth inspiration? Head on over to my Dessert Recipe Index for some ideas.

What you need to make this recipe

The Speckled Palate participates in affiliate programs. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Please refer to my disclosure page for more information about these affiliate programs.

Here are the easy ingredients that you need to grab at the grocery store:

• Greek yogurt — I used plain Greek yogurt. You may use nonfat, 1% or full fat. 
• Canned dulce de leche — this is our not-so-secret ingredient that brings that caramel flavor to the dip. It is thick, sweet and decadent.
• Kosher salt — medium grain kosher salt is my go-to for recipes. You could use a similarly sized sea salt.

And of course, you’ll need a few dippers, as well. You can have as many or as few as you want, so feel free to have fun with it, especially if you’re hosting friends and sharing this with them.

Here are some of our favorite things to dip into this Dulce de Leche Dip:

• Apple slices
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Graham crackers (the regular honey kind, the cinnamon-sugar kind or even the chocolate ones!)
• Animal crackers
• Vanilla wafers
• Oreos
• Cinnamon sugar pita chips
• Pretzel Crisps or even soft, homemade pretzels

How to make Dulce de Leche Dip

Measure the yogurt and the dulce de leche into a large bowl.

Use a hand mixer or a rubber spatula to whip them together until combined. This may take a little time because the dulce de leche is extremely thick.

Season with salt, and stir until that has been incorporated. It will be thick, but this is the right consistency because it will stick to whatever you dip into it.

And that’s it. Some people serve a homemade caramel apple dip like this with toffee bits or chocolate chips, but I chose to leave it plain! 

Serve with your favorite dippers — fresh apple slices, crispy pretzels (or soft pretzels!), Graham crackers, fruit, etc. 

The sky is the limit, so have fun with it and choose dippers that you enjoy!

How to store:

Store in an airtight container (or even a mason jar) in the refrigerator for up to a week.

You might have to drain off excess water from the yogurt before enjoying again.

Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips

This Caramel Dip recipe is a crowd pleaser and fun to serve kids and adults for a variety of occasions.

If you need an easy dipper for kids and mamas to enjoy during a playdate? This is it.

Want a little sweet treat to serve at a backyard barbecue? This would be perfect.

This dessert dip is truly wonderful for entertaining because it requires very few ingredients and comes together quickly.

If we’re hosting friends or family and want to serve this dip, here are some things I suggest:

• Double the recipe for a crowd. We’ve hosted family and served this as a dessert snack. It was gone in no time flat.
• Make it in advance. Since this keeps well in the fridge, make it a day or two in advance so all you have to do is remove the dip from the fridge 30 minutes before you plan on serving it. You will need to drain any excess moisture from it.
• Offer all kinds of dippers. Depending on who you’re hosting, you might want more or less of some dips. For us, we went with a variety of different apple slices, as well as some pretzels, cookies and Graham crackers. Please do whatever works best for you!

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick tips and tricks for the best Dulce de Leche Dip

• Make sure you’ve got the ingredients on hand. Of course, this is an obvious step, but I stress this because store-bought dulce de leche is so easy to use. If you don’t have it on hand, you will need to make your own, which is significantly more time-consuming.
• Store this Dulce de Leche in an airtight food storage container in the refrigerator for up to a week! High fives for being able to make this dip well in advance so you don’t have to fret the day of your gathering.
• Add this dessert to a dessert board for extra fun!

Here’s how you make this desert dip: