Dulce de Leche Cortada

Dulce de Leche Cortada is a traditional Dominican confection made by deliberately curdling fresh milk with lime juice or vinegar, then slowly simmering the curds with sugar, cinnamon, and sometimes coconut until the mixture reduces to a thick, caramel-colored sweet. Unlike the smooth Argentine dulce de leche, the Dominican version has a distinctive grainy, crumbly texture from the milk curds.

The preparation requires patience — the curdled milk must be stirred regularly over low heat for an hour or more as the sugars caramelize and the mixture thickens. The result is a sweet, rich confection that can be eaten with a spoon, spread on bread, or served as a dessert. Some versions are formed into small patties and wrapped in wax paper for sale as candy.

Dulce de Leche Cortada is one of the dulces criollos (traditional Creole sweets) that are sold at markets, festivals, and by street vendors across the country. These traditional sweets represent a candy-making tradition that predates industrial confectionery and connects modern Dominicans to their colonial-era culinary heritage.