As far as pantry staples go, canned sweetened condensed milk is arguably the most magical. Not only is it rich, luxurious and delicious (we know you’ve licked the spoon clean before), but it’s also the key to making homemade dulce de leche, cheater’s fudge and foolproof no-churn ice cream without breaking a sweat. Iconic treats like key lime pie, tres leches cake and Vietnamese iced coffee wouldn’t be the same without its thick, sweet splendor. Here are 59 condensed milk recipes that prove you should always have a can on hand.
59 Condensed Milk Recipes to Bake for the Holidays and Beyond
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Published Sep 9, 2023
What Is Sweetened Condensed Milk?
Sweetened condensed milk is milk that's been cooked down to remove its liquid, the same way you would for a reduction or sauce to concentrate its flavor and thicken its texture. This process evaporates the water in the milk, leaving behind the creamy, decadent pantry staple you know and love. There's also sugar added to it, hence "sweetened" in the name. This prolongs its shelf life and makes its consistency even thicker (and its flavor delicious).
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly, make ahead
Banana pudding is delicious, but decidedly casual. Transform it into a photo-worthy cheesecake though, and it's ready for its dinner party debut. Sour cream in the whipped topping offers the optimal dose of tang.
- Time Commitment: 4 hours and 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, make ahead, <10 ingredients
Made with cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk and fresh lime juice, these pops are as luscious as they are citrusy. If you don't have ice pop molds, substitute disposable cups or Champagne flutes and wooden sticks.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour (plus chilling time)
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, gluten free, special occasion-worthy
This silky French custard gets a Vietnamese-inspired twist with the help of sweetened condensed milk. (We’re betting you already have the other five ingredients needed to pull it off, too.)
4. Vanilla Bean Thumbprint Cookies with Dulce de Leche
- Time Commitment: 3 hours
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Wanna see a magic trick? Submerge a can of sweetened condensed milk in water and gently simmer it for a few hours. Abracadabra: You’ve got dulce de leche.
- Time Commitment: 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Choose a bold, strong roast to balance the condensed milk’s sweetness. (You can also swap the coffee out entirely for black or chai tea.)
6. 3-Ingredient Ice Cream (with Endless Variations)
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes (plus freezing time)
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, no cook, beginner-friendly
No need for a fancy ice cream maker here. All it takes is a whisk or a stand mixer to whip up a killer pint. (See what we did there?)
7. Key Lime Pie with Coconut and White Chocolate
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
Get in, we’re going to Florida. Not only does the filling nail the sweet-to-sour ratio, but the crust boasts graham crackers, coconut flakes *and* white chocolate.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, gluten free, special occasion-worthy
Ombré desserts are always guaranteed to impress. This one’s made up of two layers of panna cotta—one spiked with Thai iced tea mix, the other infused with vanilla extract. The finishing touch? A generous dollop of whipped cream.
9. Coconut Rice Pudding with Rhubarb Compote
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
The Brits have been pairing rhubarb with cream to curb its bitterness for years. We up the ante by using whole milk, coconut milk and sweetened condensed milk.
- Time Commitment: 8 hours and 5 minutes (includes soaking and chilling time)
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
A type of creamy agua fresca, horchata is a Mexican drink traditionally made by steeping rice in water with almonds and cinnamon. Once you nail the O.G., give the coconut and matcha varieties a whirl.
13. No-Bake Key Lime Cheesecake
- Time Commitment: 8 hours and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead, no bake
See ya, fussy water bath. All this cheesecake needs to set is a night in the fridge. Don’t skip the pretty lime zest garnish.
14. The Easiest 3-Ingredient Brigadeiro
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, one pot, <10 ingredients
For the uninitiated, brigadeiro is a type of Brazilian chocolate truffle rolled in sprinkles. Chocolate milk powder gives the classic treat its flavor, but strawberry milk powder works just as well.
15. Creamy California Avocado and Mint Sorbet
- Time Commitment: 8 hours and 10 minutes (includes chilling time)
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Homemade sorbet can turn out unpleasantly icy, but buttery avocados, heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk ensure this one’s silky-smooth texture.
16. No-Churn Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
- Time Commitment: 5 hours
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
If you’re short on time, chocolate chips are a solid alternative to chopped dark chocolate. (Though you’ll have to wait for the cream to chill anyway, so why not go all out?)
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
A teeny-tiny bite of pure sunshine. They bake in a muffin tin for just 20 minutes, so they’ll be in your mouth before you know it.
18. Miniature Banoffee Cobblers
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
Rich caramel, tender bananas, airy whipped cream and crunchy graham cracker crumbles—consider our boxes checked. The recipe calls for canned dulce de leche, but you can make your own if you're feeling ambitious.
20. Coconut Banana 3-Milk Cupcake with Nutella Buttercream
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, kid-friendly
Believe it or not, you can actually use Nutella hazelnut-cocoa spread in baking recipes instead of devouring it straight from the jar. Who knew?
- Time Commitment: 6 hours and 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, make ahead, gluten free
Just one bite will put the Scrooge of your family in the Christmas spirit. The gingerbread swirl is loaded with molasses, cinnamon and warm spices.
22. Chocolate-Drizzled Buttery Pecan and Caramelized Condensed Milk Cookies
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
Simmering the condensed milk over low heat for half an hour turns it ridiculously thick, so much so that it can hold its own as the cookie sandwiches’ filling.
23. Easy No-Bake Peanut Butter Nutella Cheesecake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, no bake, kid-friendly, make ahead
Complete with a flourish of chocolate and peanut butter chips, this dessert couldn’t be any more decadent. Use a store-bought graham cracker crust to save time.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
Sour cream in the batter guarantees a moist, tender crumb. Feel free to substitute regular lime juice if you can’t find key limes.
25. Loaded Peanut Butter & Chocolate-Covered Potato Chip Dulce de Leche Fudge
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
It’s safe to say that you’ll land a permanent spot on the nice list if you gift a sweet-and-salty batch of this fudge to your friends and family.
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
The traditional Latin dessert couldn’t be easier to prepare. The cake is soaked overnight in a mix of whole, evaporated and condensed milks.
27. Fudge Ice Cream Tacos with Banana Peanut Salsa
- Time Commitment: 8 hours and 10 minutes (includes chilling time)
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Just like the Choco Tacos (RIP) you’d get from the ice cream truck as a kid…only a million times more gourmet.
28. Candy Cane Chocolate Swirl Fudge
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Five ingredients + ten minutes prep + a trip to the refrigerator = the easiest holiday fudge of all time.
29. Caramelized Condensed Milk Mini Apple Pies
- Time Commitment: 2 hours
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
Between the Honeycrisp apples, buttermilk crust and bourbon-spiked filling, this fall sweet is bound to be a home run on Thanksgiving.
30. Pumpkin Mousse
- Time Commitment: 8 hours and 15 minutes (includes chilling)
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
It’s your pantry’s time to shine. We’re talking easy canned pumpkin purée, sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar and fall spices.
31. Dulce De Leche Cheesecake Brownies
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Tangy, chocolatey and impossibly gooey. Simmer the condensed milk the night before so it has plenty of time to caramelize and cool before baking.
32. Southern-Style Banana Pudding
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, make ahead, kid-friendly
Topped with toasted meringue for good measure. Save time by using store-bought instant vanilla pudding.
- Time Commitment: 2 hours
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
Not only is there lemon zest in the cake batter, but the whipped cream topping also gets a dash of lemon extract to drive the citrusy flavor home.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
Between layers of coffee-soaked ladyfinger cookies and meringue-kissed mascarpone cream is a bed of chocolate chip cookie dough. Need we say more?
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
BRB, going for a dip in a pool of sweet ricotta. Might we suggest topping the cake off with crumbled cannoli shells?
36. Brown Sugar Cookies with Dulce de Leche
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Why I Love It: make ahead, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
You're about to win this year's cookie swap. Dulce de leche, fancy sprinkles and festive cookie cutters elevate these simple brown sugar cookies without asking much of the baker.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, make ahead, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
You’re only five ingredients (plus some pastel sprinkles) away from the cutest Easter favor of all time.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes (plus chilling)
- Why I Love It: no bake, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
A buttery brown sugar crust meets a sweet-tart cream cheese filling. Did we mention you don’t even have to turn on the oven to pull it off?
39. White Chocolate Buttered Rum Fudge
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, gluten free, <10 ingredients
Don’t worry, there’s not a drop of alcohol in this holiday treat. The key to its boozy flavor is rum extract.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly
Think of it as sugary, custard-soaked French toast. This sweet breakfast dish is typically made with milk bread, but buttery brioche is a fine substitute.
41. Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies (Alfajores)
- Time Commitment: 4 hours and 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
These traditional Argentinian sandwich cookies *will* change your life. Save yourself hours’ worth of simmering by using canned dulce de leche.
- Time Commitment: 8 hours and 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
The dulce de leche topping comes together in a water bath in the slow cooker, so you won't need to babysit the stove.
43. Blackberry, Pineapple and Coconut Swirl Italian Ice Pops
- Time Commitment: 6 hours and 15 minutes (includes freezing time)
- Why I Love It: make ahead, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, gluten free
The ultimate trifecta of canned pantry staples—coconut milk, coconut cream and sweetened condensed milk—make these ice pops possible.
44. Seven-Layer Bars
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Three types of baking chips, coconut flakes and nuts doused in sweetened condensed milk? Pinch us, we’re dreaming.
- Time Commitment: 3 hours
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Look for Honeycrisp, Braeburn or Winesap apples—they’re prime choices for baking due to their sweet-tart flavor and hardy texture. Bonus points for topping the tart with apple rosettes.
46. Chocolate Caramel Fudge with Cracker Jack Popcorn
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes (plus chilling)
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free, beginner-friendly
The nostalgia is strong with this one. Finish the fudge with a sprinkle of flaky salt to really make the flavors pop.
47. Strawberry White Chocolate Gooey Bars
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
How do these delectable handhelds only call for five ingredients, you ask? Chalk it up to sweetened condensed milk and store-bought strawberry cake mix.
48. Peanut Butter Hot Fudge Sauce
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, gluten free, make ahead
For ice cream sundaes, brownies and well, just about any dessert that could use a lil’ something extra. The recipe calls for melting down white chocolate chips, but you can substitute half with peanut butter chips if you’d like.
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
This summery pie is famous for its sweet-and-salty saltine cracker crust. (Though we’d argue that the three-ingredient citrus filling is just as noteworthy.)
50. Caramel Apple Pie Poke Cake
- Time Commitment: 4 hours and 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
Boxed cake mix and canned apple pie filling make this dessert super low-lift. Besides, the real star is the caramel-topped cream cheese frosting.
51. Pumpkin Pie with Chocolate Crust
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
Trading graham crackers for chocolate wafers reinvents this old-school dessert in no time at all.
52. Bananas Foster Dulce de Leche Crepe Cake
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
The layered masterpiece is drizzled in a rich, bananas foster-inspired sauce made from dark rum, maple syrup and butter.
53. Sweet Cream Cold Brew Fudgesicles
- Time Commitment: 6 hours (includes freezing time)
- Why I Love It: make ahead, crowd-pleaser, gluten free
Admit it: You wouldn’t mind waking up at the crack of dawn to start your day with one of these bad boys. (We’ll be letting ours melt into a hot cup of joe, thank you very much.)
54. Banoffee Pie with Honeycomb
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
We can't decide what we love most, the two-ingredient graham cracker pie shell, the beyond-crispy honeycomb topping or the banana-dulce de leche filling. Did we mention the pie is also finished with dark chocolate?
55. Cold Brew Coconut Horchata
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: no cook, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
Take it from one of Miami's best baristas: Sweet dreams are made of these ridiculously easy lattes. All you need is ice and a blender to pull them off.
56. Dulce de Leche Skillet Brownie
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
It doesn't get more ooey-gooey than this marbled masterpiece. (If you like your brownies less fudgy, bake for 40 to 45 minutes instead of 30.)
57. No-Churn Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream
- Time Commitment: 12 hours (includes freezing time)
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, no bake, beginner-friendly, make ahead
Bye-bye, ice crystals. Your scoop will be smooth and grit-free, thanks to condensed milk and a dash of citrus liqueur. The only crunchy part will be the broken shortbread cookies.
58. Gingerbread Linzer Cookies with Dulce de Leche Centers
- Time Commitment: 4 hours and 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
You're about to totally dominate the holiday cookie swap with these spicy, decadent, elegant treats. Use canned dulce de leche instead of making your own to save time.
59. Kool-Aid Pie
- Time Commitment: 4 hours and 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, no bake, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
This vibrant, no-bake pie tastes like childhood. Choose any Kool-Aid flavor you'd like. Whipped topping and sweetened condensed milk pairs with just about anything.
