77 Heavenly Desserts To Make With A Can of Condensed Milk

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.

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Strawberry-Basil Ice Cream

Photo: 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.

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Milk Punch Tres Leches Cake

Photo: 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.

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Thai Tea Pie

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.

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Butterscotch Bars

Photo: 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.

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Lavender Rice Pudding Tarts

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.

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Two-Ingredient Macaroons

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.

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Peanut Butter Pie

Lee Harrelson

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.

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This Spiced Rum Milk Punch Is Like Eggnog Without the Eggs

Photo and Video by Alex Tepper

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

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Two-Ingredient Fudge

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.

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Blueberry-Lemon Zest Ice Cream

Photo: 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.

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

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

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

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Frozen Banana Pops

Frozen Banana Pops Recipe

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Orange Cream Granita

Orange Cream Granita Recipe

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Tagalong Milkshake

Photo: 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.

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Cherry Cream Cheese Pie

Cherry Cream Cheese Pie Recipe

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Strawberries and Milk Shaved Ice (Raspado)

Photo: 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.

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Creamy Mini Tarts

Creamy Mini Tarts Recipe

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Brown Butter Sweet Potato Pie

Photo: 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.

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Heavenly Key Lime Pie

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Leigh Anne Montgomery

Heavenly Key Lime Pie Recipe

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

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Almond Praline Cheesecake

Almond Praline Cheesecake Recipe

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DIY Baileys Irish Cream

Photo by Daniel Agee

DIY Baileys Irish Cream Recipe
Your morning is about to be very chill

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Berry Cheesecake Bars

Berry Cheesecake Bars Recipe

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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.

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Glazed Condensed Milk Cookies

Photo: 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.

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Copycat Dulce De Leche Milano Cookies

Photo: 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.

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Blueberry Croissant Bread Pudding

Blueberry Croissant Bread Pudding Recipe

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Black Forest Chocolate Cake

Black Forest Chocolate Cake Recipe

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Arroz Con Leche

Photo: 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.

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Better Than Sex Cake

Photo: Beth Branch

Better Than Sex Cake Recipe

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

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Caramel Fondue

Photo: 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

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Creamy Latte Pops

Creamy Latte Pops Recipe

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Chai Spice and Pear Oatmeal

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Chai Spice and Pear Oatmeal Recipe

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Magic Cookie Bars

Photo: 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!

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Three-Milk Cake

James Carrier

Three-Milk Cake Recipe
Also known as tres leches cake, this sweet, moist Mexican sheet cake contains whole milk, evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

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Apple Hello Dolly Bars

Photo:

Apple Hello Dolly Bars Recipe
Hello Dolly Bar fans will love this fresh twist that uses chopped apples, butterscotch morsels, and plenty of crunchy pecans and toasted coconut. Everyone will rave about these bars and they'll be gone before you know it!

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Soft Apple-Cider Caramels

Photo: John Kernick

Soft Apple-Cider Caramels Recipe
These chewy treats are like caramel apples in candy form, combining the tangy-sweet flavor of cider with buttery caramel. To create your own spin on them, use a flavored apple cider or add different spices, like ground ginger or black pepper.

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Butterscotch Cheesecake Bars

Butterscotch Cheesecake Bars Recipe
Butterscotch chips and cream cheese make a cookie kids (and grownups) will go wild for.

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Triple Peanut Fudge

Triple Peanut Fudge Recipe

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Zesty Lemon Pie

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Zesty Lemon Pie Recipe
If you don't have a 9-inch deep dish, you can use a regular 10-inch pie plate instead. Prepare recipe, without whipped cream, up to 2 days ahead.

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Honey Flans

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Honey Flans Recipe
An elegant make-ahead dessert, these custards sing with faint floral notes and sweet honey. Serving tip from our Test Kitchen: Flans release like a dream if you let the custard cups stand in 1 inch of warm water for 3 to 5 minutes before unmolding.

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Double Chocolate Bread Pudding with Dulce de Leche

Photo: Ryan Benyi; Styling: Stephana Bottom

Double Chocolate Bread Pudding with Dulce de Leche Recipe
Chocolate bread pudding just got better with the addition of decadent dulce de leche.

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No-Cook Peach Ice Cream

Oxmoor House

No-Cook Peach Ice Cream Recipe

Many homemade ice cream recipes require cooking a custard base, but this easy peach ice cream is made from sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk, and fresh peaches.

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Cherry Cheesecake Bars

Photo: Ralph Anderson

Cherry Cheesecake Bars Recipe

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Lemon Cream Tart

HOWARD L. PUCKETT

Lemon Cream Tart Recipe

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77 Heavenly Desserts To Make With A Can of Condensed Milk

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Strawberry-Basil Ice Cream

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Milk Punch Tres Leches Cake

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Thai Tea Pie

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Butterscotch Bars

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Lavender Rice Pudding Tarts

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Two-Ingredient Macaroons

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Peanut Butter Pie

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This Spiced Rum Milk Punch Is Like Eggnog Without the Eggs

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Two-Ingredient Fudge

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Blueberry-Lemon Zest Ice Cream

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

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Frozen Banana Pops

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Orange Cream Granita

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Tagalong Milkshake

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Cherry Cream Cheese Pie

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Strawberries and Milk Shaved Ice (Raspado)

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Creamy Mini Tarts

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Brown Butter Sweet Potato Pie

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Heavenly Key Lime Pie

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Almond Praline Cheesecake

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DIY Baileys Irish Cream

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Berry Cheesecake Bars

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Deep-Dish Strawberry Ice Dream Pie

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Glazed Condensed Milk Cookies

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Copycat Dulce De Leche Milano Cookies

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Blueberry Croissant Bread Pudding

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Black Forest Chocolate Cake

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Arroz Con Leche

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Better Than Sex Cake

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Caramel Fondue

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Creamy Latte Pops

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Chai Spice and Pear Oatmeal

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Magic Cookie Bars

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Three-Milk Cake

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Apple Hello Dolly Bars

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Soft Apple-Cider Caramels

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Butterscotch Cheesecake Bars

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Triple Peanut Fudge

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Zesty Lemon Pie