35 Recipes For That Can Of Condensed Milk We Know You've Got Kicking Around In Your Pantry (2024)

35 Recipes For That Can Of Condensed Milk We Know You've Got Kicking Around In Your Pantry (1)

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!

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1

Atlantic Beach Pie

35 Recipes For That Can Of Condensed Milk We Know You've Got Kicking Around In Your Pantry (3)

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.

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2

Brigadeiros

35 Recipes For That Can Of Condensed Milk We Know You've Got Kicking Around In Your Pantry (5)

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.

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3

No-Bake Blackberry Oreo Tart

35 Recipes For That Can Of Condensed Milk We Know You've Got Kicking Around In Your Pantry (7)

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.

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4

Dulce De Leche

35 Recipes For That Can Of Condensed Milk We Know You've Got Kicking Around In Your Pantry (9)

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.

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5

Million-Dollar Pie

35 Recipes For That Can Of Condensed Milk We Know You've Got Kicking Around In Your Pantry (11)

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.

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6

Baileys Brownies

35 Recipes For That Can Of Condensed Milk We Know You've Got Kicking Around In Your Pantry (13)

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.

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7

Frozen Piña Coladas

35 Recipes For That Can Of Condensed Milk We Know You've Got Kicking Around In Your Pantry (15)

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.

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8

Banana Pudding

35 Recipes For That Can Of Condensed Milk We Know You've Got Kicking Around In Your Pantry (17)

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.

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9

Coffee Cookies 'N' Cream Ice Cream

35 Recipes For That Can Of Condensed Milk We Know You've Got Kicking Around In Your Pantry (19)

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!

Get the Coffee Cookies 'N' Cream Ice Cream recipe.

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10

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.

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11

Magic Cookie Bars

35 Recipes For That Can Of Condensed Milk We Know You've Got Kicking Around In Your Pantry (23)

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.

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12

Copycat Cheesecake Factory Mango-Key Lime Cheesecake

35 Recipes For That Can Of Condensed Milk We Know You've Got Kicking Around In Your Pantry (25)

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.

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13

Thai Iced Tea

35 Recipes For That Can Of Condensed Milk We Know You've Got Kicking Around In Your Pantry (27)

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.

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14

Tres Leches Cake

35 Recipes For That Can Of Condensed Milk We Know You've Got Kicking Around In Your Pantry (29)

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.

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15

Hot Chocolate Fudge

35 Recipes For That Can Of Condensed Milk We Know You've Got Kicking Around In Your Pantry (31)

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.

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16

Orange Sherbet

35 Recipes For That Can Of Condensed Milk We Know You've Got Kicking Around In Your Pantry (33)

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.

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17

Chocoflan

35 Recipes For That Can Of Condensed Milk We Know You've Got Kicking Around In Your Pantry (35)

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.

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18

Key Lime Pie Mousse

35 Recipes For That Can Of Condensed Milk We Know You've Got Kicking Around In Your Pantry (37)

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.

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19

Oatmeal Fudge Bars

35 Recipes For That Can Of Condensed Milk We Know You've Got Kicking Around In Your Pantry (39)

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.

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20

Lemon Icebox Pie

35 Recipes For That Can Of Condensed Milk We Know You've Got Kicking Around In Your Pantry (41)

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.

35 Recipes For That Can Of Condensed Milk We Know You've Got Kicking Around In Your Pantry (2024)

FAQs

What can I do with a can of condensed milk? ›

Milk It: What to Do With the Rest of a Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
  1. Upgrade Iced Coffee or Tea. Swapping out skim for sweetened condensed is a decadence we can get down with. ...
  2. Justify Making Another Baked Good. ...
  3. Turn Sweet Into Savory. ...
  4. Add to Ice Cream. ...
  5. Make Dulce de Leche. ...
  6. Pour it on Literally Anything.
May 20, 2015

What happens when you cook condensed milk in the can? ›

Yes, you can boil condensed milk directly in the can. This process is often referred to as “caramelizing” or “making dulce de leche. Why would I want to boil condensed milk in the can? Boiling condensed milk in the can transforms it into a rich and creamy caramel-like spread called dulce de leche.

Why do you add baking soda to condensed milk? ›

Baking Soda will make the Milk thick and give creamy texture. Condensed Milk is ready. It is thick and creamy. Cool down to room temperature.

Can you drink a can of condensed milk? ›

Can I drink sweetened condensed milk? It is a ready-to-use product so it may be consumed without any other preparation. You can add it to everyday items like in your coffee, on toast with cinnamon, on fruit or yogurt, and in any way you see fit.

Can you whip sweetened condensed milk? ›

The trick to turning sweetened condensed canned milk into whipped cream is chilling the equipment that's used to beat the milk into cream. While whipping the milk, sit the bowl in an ice water bath to keep it cold. It doesn't hurt to turn on the air conditioning or whip the cream in front ...

What can you eat condensed milk? ›

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.

Why do you use sweetened condensed milk in recipes? ›

It provides a concentrated creaminess and sweet, milky flavor to whatever you put it in, without all the excess moisture that you get from regular old milk. That makes it perfect for creamy things that you want to set to a near-solid, like key lime pie, fudge, frozen margarita pie, or caramel.

Why do you put lemon juice in condensed milk? ›

Lemon juice thickens condensed milk in the same way it would "thicken" regular milk, i.e., by curdling. Basically, milk has two general types of proteins: casein and whey.

What happens if you add sweetened condensed milk to a cake mix? ›

Condensed milk is just the right ingredient to add moisture and a hint of developed sweetness to your next boxed cake. This non-refrigerated dairy product is made from concentrated milk that has been sweetened.

Why is condensed milk used in cakes? ›

Underrated but definitely not underused, sweetened condensed milk is as much of a backbone in classic baking as sugar is. The thick syrup contributes both the sweetness of sugar and the benefits of milk without adding too much liquid since condensing milk removes moisture and concentrates the natural sugars.

How to use leftover condensed milk? ›

What are some uses for leftover sweetened condensed milk?
  1. Make your own caramel sauce. ...
  2. Use it as a dessert topping. ...
  3. Make key lime pie. ...
  4. Craft a heavenly co*cktail. ...
  5. Replace your favorite candy bar. ...
  6. Use it as a coffee creamer. ...
  7. Drizzle it on fruit. ...
  8. Stir it into brownie batter.
Jul 26, 2023

What is the best use of sweetened condensed milk? ›

Sweetened-condensed milk is the perfect addition to all kinds of treats and recipes, from pies to fudge to tres leches cake. But in Vietnamese coffee culture, it has a much more important purpose – it's mixed into strong coffee to make delicious, traditional Vietnamese brew.

Why is condensed milk not advisable? ›

Because condensed milk is more concentrated than the same volume of regular milk, it contains more lactose. Sweetened condensed milk includes a lot of calories, but it also has a lot of saturated fat, which is dangerous for people with diabetes and heart issues.

What is condensed milk mainly used for? ›

Condensed milk can be found in kitchens around the world, from the United States to Europe to Latin America to Asia. Sweetened condensed milk is commonly used in baked goods and desserts — like pie, pudding, ice cream — and as a sweetener in coffee and tea.

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