Whether you refer to it as sweetened condensed milk or just condensed milk, one thing is for sure—we bet you’ve got a can or two kicking around your kitchen cabinets, waiting for the day you figure out what to make with it. Today is that day. We’ve got a list of all our favorite recipes featuring the canned staple, from showstopping pies to frozen Popsicles, with lots of super-shareable bars and mini bites in between. What are you waiting for? Bust out that can opener, and check out these 35 condensed milk recipes for ideas.
First things first—what is condensed milk? Like it's cousin evaporated milk, condensed milk was created in the early 1800s as a way to make the dairy product more shelf-stable. Unfortunately for this original condensed milk (but fortunately for us!), it didn’t taste very good…until someone had the idea to sweeten it. The rest is history. Heads up: Though originally you could get unsweetened condensed milk, the market has mostly divided today into just the two main products—evaporated (and unsweetened) and condensed milk (with the latter sometimes being called sweetened condensed milk).
Now on to the fun—the recipes! Though there are myriad recipes that condensed milk could be used in, there are a few in which it’s the star ingredient and they deserve a shoutout—dulce de leche (and recipes you can make with it like banoffee pie), Brazilian brigadeiros, tres leches cake, piña coladas, Thai iced tea, and magic cookie bars. If you’re unfamiliar with what condensed milk can do for a recipe, these are a great place to start.
Once you’ve tried the classics, it’s time to branch out. Other hits include fudge, like our peanut butter fudge or our hot chocolate fudge; popsicles, like our banana pudding pops or our margaritas pops; summery pies, like our Atlantic beach pie or our million dollar pie; or homemade ice cream, like our orange sherbet or our coffee cookies 'n' cream ice cream. The best part about nearly all of them? They’re actually pretty simple to make—thanks condensed milk!
Atlantic Beach Pie
Key lime and lemon meringue pie lovers—get ready to meet your new favorite summer dessert. Perfected by a chef in North Carolina, Atlantic beach pie is a twist on a North Carolina dessert staple that swaps traditional meringue topping for whipped cream, and adds a buttery cracker (trust us!) pie crust.
Get the Atlantic Beach Pie recipe.
Brigadeiros
Many a Brazilian birthday party has a dessert table that features these traditional fudgy, sprinkle-covered truffles, and it's pretty clear why. They’re delicious, adorable, and will disappear in seconds!
Get the Brigadeiros recipe.
No-Bake Blackberry Oreo Tart
Blackberries are that “side” berry we kind of forget about. But when Oreos come knocking, there is something special to be said about their lovely pairing. And the title of “no-bake” anything should be relieving, especially in the summertime.
Get the No-Bake Blackberry Oreo Tart recipe.
Dulce De Leche
Homemade caramel is delicious, but it isn't the easiest recipe to make. If only there was a recipe that required no stirring, almost no work, and gave you a consistent, luscious topping every time! Oh right, there is: dulce de leche.
Get the Dulce De Leche recipe.
Million-Dollar Pie
This retro pie is everything you want in the millionaire experience—crunchy, sweet, mile-high, and make-ahead. It’s prepared by pressing a graham cracker crust into a pie plate and piling it high with a rich whipped topping base filled with pecans, toasted coconut, and crushed pineapple.
Get the Million-Dollar Pie recipe.
Baileys Brownies
For the uninitiated, Baileys is essentially a mix of cream, cocoa, and whiskey, so yeah...it's pretty incredible! If you're not into the booze, no worries, you can totally leave it out. Same goes for the box mix brownies—feel free to use your fave homemade recipe if you like.
Get the Baileys Brownies recipe.
Frozen Piña Coladas
A classic summer drink, this tropical vibe in a glass is easy enough to order out, but when you want the perfect combination of sweetness, creaminess, and slush factor, making it at home is tops. We've landed on the ideal blend of pineapple, coconut, rum, and effort that will help you reach paradise.
Get the Frozen Piña Coladas recipe.
Banana Pudding
Banana pudding is one of our all-time favorite desserts. It's a classic Southern recipe, and for good reason. Luscious layers of vanilla pudding (featuring condensed milk), whipped cream, ripe bananas, and wafer cookies are completely impossible to resist.
Get the Banana Pudding recipe.
Coffee Cookies 'N' Cream Ice Cream
You don't need a machine to make a homemade batch of ice cream—just a strong arm and some imagination. Here, we folded in Oreos, caramel sauce, and a touch of instant coffee for a caffeinated kick, but this recipe is infinitely adaptable!
Horchata
Looking for a creamy, sweet bevvie to sip on? Don’t sleep on horchata! Our Mexican version is made by soaking rice and almonds with cinnamon before blending everything together with milk (non-dairy works too!) and sweetener. There’s a lot of room to play around, so feel free to make it yours.
Get the Horchata recipe.
Magic Cookie Bars
Though dump cakes might be the easiest dessert to make, these cookie bars are a close second. And we'd reckon that these are even more customizable and more delicious. We encourage you to find your ideal flavor and ingredient combinations to discover the true magic of these bars.
Get the Magic Cookie Bars recipe.
Copycat Cheesecake Factory Mango-Key Lime Cheesecake
The Cheesecake Factory has 34 flavors of cheesecake, but their mango Key lime really stands out. You can see why—It’s got creamy mango and Key lime cheesecake, a layer of fluffy mango mousse, and a layer of mango glaze, all encased in a vanilla-coconut crust. 😍
Get the Copycat Cheesecake Factory Mango-Key Lime Cheesecake recipe.
Thai Iced Tea
We love this drink made of black tea, spices, and sweetened condensed milk a great alternative to our morning cold brew, or as a way to cool off our mouths after eating spicy Thai noodles.
Get the Thai Iced Tea recipe.
Tres Leches Cake
A tres leches (which means "three milks" in Spanish) cake is a sponge cake that contains three different types of milks to make it extra moist and tasty. It's basically the original poke cake, and you're going to be obsessed.
Get the Tres Leches Cake recipe.
Hot Chocolate Fudge
All you need for this hot chocolate-inspired fudge is four ingredients, a microwave, and a fridge. The biggest challenge is finding micro marshmallows, like the kind that come in hot chocolate mixes. Once you have these babies in your life, don't be surprised if you add a dash to every dessert.
Get the Hot Chocolate Fudge recipe.
Orange Sherbet
If sorbet and ice cream had a love affair, it would be sherbet (or sherbert, both are technically correct!). All you need are 5 ingredients and a few hours for this Creamsicle-inspired version.
Get the Orange Sherbet recipe.
Chocoflan
Chocoflan’s beautiful contrasting layers of chocolate cake and flan are totally mind-blowing. During the bake, the batters switch places. The end result is a distinctly layered dessert with moist chocolate cake as the foundation, a creamy set flan on top, and a caramel drizzle to crown it all.
Get the Chocoflan recipe.
Key Lime Pie Mousse
This take on Key lime pie has all of the refreshing tartness and buttery crumble of the classic dessert, but in adorable, individual containers. Make 'em for parties, or just when you and your sweetie need an easy treat.
Get the Key Lime Pie Mousse recipe.
Oatmeal Fudge Bars
These cookie bars are filled with the creamiest, dreamiest, fudgiest chocolate ever. It's so amazing, we made its layer just as thick as the oatmeal cookie. 😈 There should be enough dough to make two even layers, but it's okay to scatter big clumps on top if you put too much on the bottom.
Get the Oatmeal Fudge Bars recipe.
Lemon Icebox Pie
Extra buttery graham crackers meet a sweet, zesty lemon curd-esque filling in this amazing icebox pie. If you’re still looking for a truly no-bake lemon option, check out our lemon icebox cake.
Get the Lemon Icebox Pie recipe.
