No Bake Dulce De Leche and Peach Tart

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So I was last week years old when I found out it was national peach month, but that works just as well because I am LOVING these summer fruits especially this year. Maybe it’s the quarantine talking, but I’m especially grateful to be able enjoy all these fruits while we have them…At this point, it’s the little things keeping me sane.

First, of all, peaches and dulce de leche are a match made in heaven. The peaches nicely balance the sweetness of the dulce de leche…And did I mention this tart is made with the best dulce de leche you’ve ever had?? So, yeah, you’re going to want to try this for that fact alone.

Why you should make No Bake Dulce De Leche and Peach Tart

I could tell you that this tart is easy to make, there’s no oven required….blah, blah, blah, but the real reasons you’ll want to make this are:

1. The Dulce de leche. It’s seasoned with cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and lemon zest to brighten and round out the flavor a bit, making it an even better pair for the peaches.
2. It looks pretty. Impress all your friends or family with a gorgeous tart that took minimal effort to make (if you use store-bought dulce de leche).

Pro Tips/Things to Know About This Recipe:

The Crust

• To make this tart, I recommend using my Two Ingredient No Bake Pie Crust. It’ll keep things easy for you and eliminates the need to bake. Plus the nuttiness from the seed/nut butter that you’ll use will be a great flavor addition to the dulce de leche AND the peaches.
• You can also sub this tart crust for any other crumb crust recipe that you like.

Using Store Bought vs. Homemade dulce de leche

Personally, I love making my own dulce de leche so I can better control the flavor, color and texture, but I realize that not everyone has the time that, so feel free to Sandra Lee it up and buy it made instead. Either one will work, they’ll just require slightly different ingredients.

If you are making your own Dulce De Leche:

• There are a variety of methods you can use to make it. You can cook it directly in the can, or there are a variety of ways that you can cook it in a bowl. This can allow you to add the seasonings that make this recipe delicious before it’s cooked.
• To test this recipe, I made the dulce de leche in my InstantPot (find the base recipe here) in a glass pyrex bowl covered with foil. If you have a baby Instantpot like me (3 quarts), you can divide the recipe in half and cook it in two parts (40 minutes for each half for that deep rich color). To make enough dulce de leche for the tart, you will need to double this recipe. In case you were wondering, yes my method took forever to do this.
• No matter how you cook your dulce de leche, ensure that when cooled, the consistency is thick and puddling-like. When it’s warm, the sauce will always be much thinner than it will be when it is cool. If your dulce de leche is still thin once it has cooled completely, reduce it down in a sauce pan by itself or with a slurry of cornstarch and water (whisking constantly).

If you are buying your Dulce De Leche:

• Not all dulce de leches are made equal (actually, most of them are not). Assess the color and consistency of your dulce de leche. You want a consistency like a very thick creamy peanut butter. A good litmus test is that when a spoon is stuck into it, it can stand up straight on its own.
• The reason for this is so that it will hold it’s shape when cut into once in the tart.
• If your dulce de leche is too thin, you can either cook it down in a sauce pan or make a slurry of corn starch and hot water and cook it in a sauce pan (whisking constantly) to thicken it faster without reducing it so much. This would also be a good time to add the seasonings to the dulce de leche.
• If your dulce de leche is the right consistency, add the seasonings into the sauce, mix to combine then heat in a microwave for 1-2 minutes, or heat in a sauce pan until it starts bubbling. Once has started bubbling, remove from heat source and whisk vigorously to combine. Let cool completely (the fastest way to do this is in the fridge or freezer).

Working with peaches in this recipe

• I wait to cut my peaches until right before I’m ready to place them on the tart to make sure that they’re nice and fresh-looking.
• It’s best to use large peaches that are ripe, but not too ripe in this recipe. They should still have some firmness to them and shouldn’t be too juicy when they are cut. Peaches that are too ripe are likely to be too juicy and will get peach juice all over the dulce de leche and thin it out.
• The best way to cut peaches for this recipe is to thinly slice them (¼ to ⅛ inch thick). This will keep your tart from getting soggy as the peaches begin to release water.
• As I’m cutting the peaches, I like to place them in a bowl immediately and squeeze a little fresh lemon juice into them to keep them from browning too much. While I’m prepping everything else to put the peaches on the tart, I keep them in the fridge so they stay firm and don’t get too soggy.
• Just before I place them on the tart, I blot each slice on a napkin or paper towel to remove as many of the juices as possible. This reduces the likelihood of the juices from the peaches thinning out the dulce de leche and helps the tart keep for longer before it can be served.

Common Mistakes and How to fix them

Whew! Creating this recipe really required some trial and error, but just because I made some mistakes, doesn’t mean you have to:

If you realize that your dulce de leche is a little too thin after you’ve placed it into the crust:

• How to prevent this: make sure that your dulce de leche is thick enough for your spoon to stand up in (or almost that thick—the crust should absorb any extra liquid).
• The fix: All is not lost! I know you probably don’t want to turn on the oven right now, but if you bake it on low heat (about 230 degrees f) for about an hour, then let cool completely, the oven will absorb enough liquid to thicken the sauce while it’s in the crust.

If you’ve added too much nut butter to your crust:

• How to prevent this: divide your nut butter and stir into the graham cracker crumbs a little at a time to make sure your butter is fully absorbed.
• The fix: Add some more graham cracker crumbs, 1 tablespoon at a time until your crust is just coated with nut butter.

If you put your peaches in before the dulce de leche is totally set:

• How to prevent this: Make sure to touch the dulce de leche after you take the tart out of the fridge.
• The fix: Use a butter knife to remove the peaches and any dulce de leche that is thinned out (but sparing as much thick dulce de leche as possible). Then let your tart sit longer in the fridge or freezer (time will depend on how soft dulce de leche is. If it is still too thin and the peaches are sinking into the sauce or leeching too much water into the dulce de leche, remove peaches and bake on low heat (about 230 degrees f) for 30 minutes to an hour.

How Long Does This Tart Last in the Fridge

Once you make this tart, it’s best to serve immediately, or at least the same day that you make it.