In Chile, this dessert started as something you would buy to send to school. Manjarate is this Dulce de Leche Mousse’s commercial name, sold next to the jelly and yogurt at the supermarket.
My mother did not favor packing desserts besides fruit in my lunch box, so eating Manjarate (a play with the word Manjar = Dulce de Leche) was exceptional for me.
Living abroad, Manjarate is something I miss, so I now make this homemade version. It’s even better than the commercial one, fluffy and melts in your mouth with dulce de leche sweetness. The chocolate cover is a lovely crunchy compliment, I use dark chocolate to balance the dulce de leche, but you can use milk chocolate too.
What brand of Dulce de Leche do you recommend?
This is an important question; the most traditional will be a canned Dulce de Leche, La Lechera brand (made in Chile) Amazon affiliated link. Easy to find in Latino markets in the USA, also available in Safeway and Walmart. I don’t recommend using Argentinian Dulce de Leche; they are very heavy on vanilla flavor and distracting for Chilean purposes.
You may also like the recipe: Chilean Empolvados.

Manjarate Dulce de Leche Mousse
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 10 1x
Ingredients
Units
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Instructions
- In a large bowl, whip the evaporated milk with a hand or stand mixer on high speed until thickened, about 4-6 minutes, depending on the mixer’s power. The volume should increase at least twice.
- Add the dulce de leche and beat on low speed for 1 minute until fully incorporated. Add cream and beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Watch out for splashes.
- In a bowl, put the unflavored gelatin and cover with cold water, stir to wet all the gelatin and let stand for 1 minute, add half a cup of boiling water, and stir 1 minute until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Add the dissolved gelatin (can use a strainer if you are unsure) to the mixture and beat for 1 minute.
- Spoon mixture into individual ramekins and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Melt the chopped chocolate in the microwave for 45 seconds, remove and stir for 1 minute. If not totally melted, continue heating for 20 seconds and stir for 1 minute each time. When melted, spoon on top of each mousse.
- Refrigerate for 10 minutes and serve.
- Author: Pilar Hernandez
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 Minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Chilled
- Cuisine: Chilean
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 317
- Sugar: 38 g
- Sodium: 98.4 mg
- Fat: 12.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 45.5 g
- Fiber: 1.6 g
- Protein: 7.9 g
Keywords: Dulce de Leche Mousse
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