77 Heavenly Desserts To Make With A Can of Condensed Milk

Updated October 01, 2019

Sweetened condensed milk is delicious on its own, but once you see it transformed into everything from bread pudding to key lime pie, you’ll realize it’s actually magic. Both budget-friendly and versatile, the humble canned milk is the perfect rich ingredient to keep on hand at all times. So, add a satisfying sweetness to your coffee or whip up a creamy no-cook ice cream. There are endless dessert possibilities when it comes to this tried-and-true baking wonder.

Start Slideshow

1 of 76

Strawberry-Basil Ice Cream

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Strawberry-Basil Ice Cream Recipe

Fresh strawberries and basil become a refreshing treat in this summertime ice cream recipe. 

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 76

Milk Punch Tres Leches Cake

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Milk Punch Tres Leches Cake Recipe

Bake this a day before serving so it soaks up the creamy syrup. Make mini cakes with a round cutter. Top with whipped cream and a grating of nutmeg.

3 of 76

Thai Tea Pie

Credit: Aaron Kirk; Food Styling: Ivy Idom; Prop Styling: Christina Daley

Thai Tea Pie Recipe

Warmly spiced Thai tea mix—which you can purchase at an Asian market or online—stars in this show-stopping, no-bake pie. The tea is steeped in sweetened condensed milk which is then used to make a stovetop custard; after straining out the tea leaves (definitely use cheesecloth), you’ll simply pour the vibrantly colored custard into a peanutty, no-oven-necessary crust and refrigerate until set. If you’re looking for a pie that’s sure to impress, trust us, the sweet Thai tea against the salty, toasty flavor of the peanuts is a combo you won’t be able to get enough of. 

Advertisement

4 of 76

Butterscotch Bars

Credit: Randy Mayor; Styling: Jan Gautro

Butterscotch Bars Recipe

A small square of these rich bars is enough to satisfy a dessert craving. The flour and oats mixture is somewhat dry after combining, but it serves as both a solid base for the soft butterscotch chip layer and a crumbly, streusel-like topping.

5 of 76

Lavender Rice Pudding Tarts

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

Lavender Rice Pudding Tarts Recipe

In a stroke of pure genius, Darcy transforms homey, comforting rice pudding into pie. And why not? Rice pudding is a starchy, creamy delight, so it makes a perfect pie filling--especially when it's going into a pine nut-flavored crust. Some traditional rice pudding recipes use lots of sweetened condensed milk, but this one uses just 1/3 cup sugar for a not-too-sweet treat. Dried lavender, used judiciously, adds just the right amount of floral essence to lend an air of elegance, while blueberry jam spooned on at the end brightens with a tangy, fruity lift.

6 of 76

Two-Ingredient Macaroons

Credit: Time Inc. Video Studio

Two-Ingredient Macaroons Recipe

Requiring only two ingredients, these easy coconut macaroons are almost too good to be true. Whip up a batch in just 20 minutes for sweet and simple treat.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 76

Peanut Butter Pie

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey; Prop Styling: Kay Clarke

Peanut Butter Pie Recipe

Mary Frances Noveh from River Ridge, Louisiana, sent us this dessert recipe, which first appeared in December 2001. She noted it was like a "peanut butter and chocolate candy bar." We loved the results, and since it makes two peanut butter pies, you can share one with a friend and keep the other for yourself. Several tasters in our Test Kitchens enjoy serving this pie frozen.

8 of 76

This Spiced Rum Milk Punch Is Like Eggnog Without the Eggs

Credit: Photo and Video by Alex Tepper

This Spiced Rum Milk Punch Is Like Eggnog Without the Eggs Recipe

Traditional milk punch is made with either brandy or bourbon. We switched those out for spiced rum to make a spiced rum milk punch that's just like homemade eggnog—just without the egg. This creamy cocktail is sweetened condensed milk and flavored with cinnamon sticks and vanilla. The best part? You can make the milk punch mixture ahead of time and store it in your fridge for future boozing. When you’re ready to serve the milk punch, just mix in the spiced rum and serve over ice. We sprinkled cinnamon sugar over top, but feel free to garnish with nutmeg, too.

Spiced Rum Milk Punch

9 of 76

Two-Ingredient Fudge

Credit: Time Inc. Video Studio

Two-Ingredient Fudge Recipe

Requiring a mere 2 ingredients (both of which are likely already in your pantry), this is the fudge you can make with one only one hand. Packing an intensely chocolatey flavor, this easy fudge recipe is sure to please. 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 76

Blueberry-Lemon Zest Ice Cream

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Blueberry-Lemon Zest Ice Cream Recipe

If you like creamy, fruity ice cream with a little bit of zing, you'll love this ice cream dish.

11 of 76

Mango-Lemon-Buttermilk Icebox Pie with Baked Saltine Cracker Crust

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Mango-Lemon-Buttermilk Icebox Pie with Baked Saltine Cracker Crust Recipe

12 of 76

Frozen Banana Pops

Frozen Banana Pops Recipe

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 76

Orange Cream Granita

Orange Cream Granita Recipe

14 of 76

Tagalong Milkshake

Credit: Daniel Agee; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Tagalong Milkshake Recipe

Your favorite peanut butter and chocolate Girl Scout cookie in yummy milkshake form. We recommend buying high quality ice cream and hot fudge. You can also use pre-made peanut butter sauce, but having the leftovers is delicious (and useful for making more shakes). Enjoy immediately.

15 of 76

Cherry Cream Cheese Pie

Cherry Cream Cheese Pie Recipe

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 76

Strawberries and Milk Shaved Ice (Raspado)

Credit: Thomas J. Story; Styling: Joni Noe

Strawberries and Milk Shaved Ice (Raspado) Recipe

Blogger Ana Frias grew up in the desert, in Sonora, Mexico. She has very strong memories of buying raspados--Mexican-style snow cones--after school from the curbside vendor, and slurping them until her brothers would finally pick her up. To make the shaved ice, just whirl ice cubes in a food processor, 2 cups at a time, until the ice no longer makes a racket and looks like snow, with no lumps.

17 of 76

Creamy Mini Tarts

Creamy Mini Tarts Recipe

18 of 76

Brown Butter Sweet Potato Pie

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Ginny Branch

Brown Butter Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

Browning the butter with spices lends a deep, nutty flavor to this Southern classic.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 76

Heavenly Key Lime Pie

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Leigh Anne Montgomery

Heavenly Key Lime Pie Recipe

This pie is wonderful with fresh or bottled Key lime juice.

20 of 76

Almond Praline Cheesecake

Almond Praline Cheesecake Recipe

21 of 76

DIY Baileys Irish Cream

Credit: Photo by Daniel Agee

DIY Baileys Irish Cream Recipe

While you might only drink a splash of Baileys once a year on Saint Patrick’s Day, the creamy drink is actually so easy to make you could feasibly always have a jar of it in your fridge. Although, you’ll want to save this particular creamer for a morning when you have time to get a little buzzed. You ready? Put on a pot of coffee and pull out the blender.

Start with a hefty pour of Irish whiskey in a blender, then stream in sweetened condensed milk, nondairy creamer (regular cream or half-and-half will also work), hot cocoa mix, instant coffee powder, and a bit of vanilla extract. Cover the beaker with a lid and blend the mixture well. Fill a mug with coffee, pour in the Baileys, and relax. Your morning is about to be very chill.

Copycat Baileys Irish Cream

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

22 of 76

Berry Cheesecake Bars

Berry Cheesecake Bars Recipe

23 of 76

Deep-Dish Strawberry Ice Dream Pie

Deep-Dish Strawberry Ice Dream Pie Recipe

The filling for our killer pie is somewhere between ice cream and mousse--a creamy concoction that's ridiculously easy to make.

24 of 76

Glazed Condensed Milk Cookies

Credit: Jessica Colyer; Styling: Jessica Colyer

Glazed Condensed Milk Cookies Recipe

Need to throw together a last minute treat? Make a batch of fluffy and buttery, cream cheese-glazed cookies using 1 whole (14-ounce) can of sweetened and just a handful of other staple ingredients you probably already have in the fridge and pantry. You will use 2/3 cup of the condensed milk in these melt-in-your-mouth cookies (which eliminates the need for additional sugar or eggs), then simply combine the rest of the can with softened cream cheese to create a tangy-sweet glaze. After you glaze the cookies and add sprinkles (if desired), leave them on the wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes so that the glaze can set so that you don't end up with a mess. 

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

25 of 76

Copycat Dulce De Leche Milano Cookies

Credit: Aaron Kirk; Prop Stylist: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Stylist: Paige Grandjean

Copycat Dulce De Leche Milano Cookies Recipe

For a cookie that’s sure to impress, look no further than our homemade take on Milano Cookies with a buttery-sweet dulce de leche filling. We tested using Nestle brand canned dulce de leche, but you can also make you own if you have a can of sweetened condensed milk in the pantry. For other favorite fillings, try our DIY take on classic Milanos as well as our Copycat Mint Chocolate Milano Cookies. 

26 of 76

Blueberry Croissant Bread Pudding

Blueberry Croissant Bread Pudding Recipe

27 of 76

Black Forest Chocolate Cake

Black Forest Chocolate Cake Recipe

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

28 of 76

Arroz Con Leche

Credit:  Jen Causey, Food Styling, Rishon Hanners, Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower

Arroz Con Leche Recipe

This rice and milk dish is essentially a rich and creamy rice pudding. Sweetened with raisins and vanilla, you can up the sweetness factor by adding sugar and cinnamon to the mix. This dish is one big comforting bowl of goodness that can be enjoyed as a rich dessert or even as a creamy and indulgent breakfast. This dish can easily be  made ahead of time and chilled, just be sure to place plastic wrap directly on the pudding to prevent a layer of film from forming on top.

29 of 76

Better Than Sex Cake

Credit: Beth Branch

Better Than Sex Cake Recipe

Chocolate, caramel, and Heath candy take chocolate cake to a whole new level.

30 of 76

Caramel Fondue

Credit: Oxmoor House

Caramel Fondue Recipe

Make fondue the hit of the party at your next gathering.

Prep: 12 minutes; Cook: 3 hours, 30 minutes

Slow-Cooker Size: 3-quart

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

31 of 76

Creamy Latte Pops

Creamy Latte Pops Recipe

32 of 76

Chai Spice and Pear Oatmeal

Credit: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Chai Spice and Pear Oatmeal Recipe

33 of 76

Magic Cookie Bars

Credit: Oxmoor House

Magic Cookie Bars Recipe

These are also known as seven-layer or Hello Dolly bars. They take 30 minutes of hands-on prep and call for just eight ingredients, making them the perfect dessert for taking, well, just about anywhere!