These 5-ingredient sweetened condensed milk cookies are yummy and delicious. Made with 25 minutes of hands-on time, they are easy, quick, and simply the best cut-out cookies.
Follow my step-by-step photographed explanations, expert tips, and tricks to help you succeed with this incredibly yummy and delicious recipe.
There is no question about what to do with leftover sweetened condensed milk. Of course, good cookies!
Cookies with condensed milk have a lovely flavor, a milk taste that is both delicate and greedy at the same time, crumbly but perfect for soaking up.
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The dough is made in just seconds. It is beautifully soft with a smooth finish. You won't regret trying these sweet treats.
They closely resemble Estonian condensed milk cookies (aka condensed milk biscuits) called Kondenspiimaküpsised in Estonian.
They have a slightly different flavor than traditional cornstarch-based Brazilian biscoito de maizena. Instead of flour, the Brazilian cookies use the gluten-free alternative - cornstarch.
Finally, these cookies differ from thumbprint cookies; they resemble shortbread cookies.
Sweetened condensed milk cookies recipe
- Sweetened condensed milk cookies are easy, cut-out types of cookies made with little effort. They are fun to make with the kids.
- Shapes with St. Valentine's or Christmas themes are great for making them.
- They perfectly maintain their shape when baked, making them perfect for eating on the go.
- While the original recipe uses regular condensed milk, it could be easily adapted for those with dairy allergies.
- You can make cookies in the comfort of your own home with just a few simple ingredients.
- The humble condensed milk cookies are a family favorite. They are best enjoyed when paired up with a glass of milk. Also, they are a great option as a snack for lunch boxes.
- Finally, this easy recipe could be scaled: double it to make a big batch of cookies or halve the recipe.
Ingredients
Get a quick overview of the necessary ingredients. For precise measurements and instructions, refer to the recipe card below. Also, discover the essential baking tools I rely on for daily baking.
- Flour: The recipe calls for regular flour - all-purpose flour. I haven't tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
- Baking powder: Use fresh aluminum-free baking powder.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter right from the fridge. It should be chilled, not softened butter. You can replace butter with margarine or vegan butter.
- Condensed milk is the star of the recipe. Use homemade condensed milk or store-bought sweetened condensed milk, such as Nestle or MilkMaid. But don't confuse this with evaporated milk. For the vegan version of the cookies, use Nature’s Charm vegan condensed milk.
- Salt: A pinch of salt is optional but good to use to enhance the flavor of cookies. Omit the salt if you use salted butter.
How to make condensed milk cookies
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, mix all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt and sift using a flour sifter.
Step 2: Add cold butter, and cut into small pieces. Crush and rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers until the sandy texture (photo 1).
Step 3: Add sweetened condensed milk and mix until it forms a cookie dough ball.
Pro tip: Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water if the dough seems too dry.
Step 4: Wrap the dough in plastic film and chill in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes.
Step 5: Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Using a rolling pin, roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to 3-4 mm thick (photo 2).
Step 6: Cut out the cookies using your favorite cookie cutter, for example, a round-fluted cutter.
Pro tip: If the dough gets too soft to handle, place it back in the fridge for a few minutes.
Step 7: Arrange the cutouts on a baking tray covered with parchment. Optionally, add a few flaked almonds to create a flower pattern. Then, just press them down slightly (photo 4).
Pro tip: For the second batch, re-roll the leftover dough, chill it if necessary, and cut cookies out until the cookie dough has been used.
Step 8: Bake cookies in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges are lightly golden brown.
Pro tip: Don't overbake your cookies: they tend to color quickly!
Step 9: Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool down on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack. Dust with a little bit of icing sugar.
Expert Tips
- Correctly measure flour with a digital scale or scoop and level method.
- Don't skip the chilling time; it is essential to make these cookies.
- Use an adjustable rolling pin to get a perfectly even dough thickness.
- Use cookie sheets interchangeably with baking sheets if owned.
- Don't overbake cookies; they tend to burn very quickly. 8-10 minutes is enough for them to be fully baked.
Recipe variations
The condensed milk cookies recipe is straightforward, but there is still room for some variations.
- Replace cornstarch with white flour in the cookie-baking process.
- Swap cornflour for chestnut flour if you want to make chestnut-based cookies.
- Use cooked condensed milk instead of a regular one to give your cookies a caramel flavor.
- Play around with different cookie cutters, but stay within the optimal range of 1.5 inches/3.5-4 cm for excellent results.
No cookie cutters? You don't even need them! Just use a sharp knife to make diamond-shaped cookies.
Once baked and cooled, dust cookies with icing sugar, drizzle with melted chocolate, dip them in melted chocolate, or sandwich them with the filling of choice.
Storing and freezing
Store cookies at room temperature in an air-tight container for one week.
Can you freeze condensed milk cookies? You can freeze plain (undecorated) cookies for up to 3 months. But first, let them cool down completely.
Then place them in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag in flat layers divided by parchment paper so they don't stick together. To thaw, let cookies stay at room temperature for a few hours.
The best thing is to freeze the cookie dough to bake cookies later. Shape it into a log, wrap it with plastic film, and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQ
Condensed milk is thicker and sweeter, so it works as a sweetener and binding agent in the recipe. Unfortunately, you can't replace condensed milk with evaporated milk because they are not exactly alike.
You can make the cookie dough in a food processor at low speed, but make sure not to overmix it. Just pulse the ingredients until they come together.
Yes! The dough should be chilled for 30-45 minutes. This step facilitates cutting cookies out of the dough and helps avoid spreading the cookies in the oven.
Just replace regular condensed milk with coconut condensed milk and butter with vegan butter.
Love cookies? Try these next!
Have you always wanted to learn how to make cookies but didn't know where to start? Now is your chance with these easy recipes that even beginner bakers can try.
- Cookie cutter cookies
- Italian shortbread cookies
- Chocolate chunk cookies
- Coconut macaroons
- Or browse all the cookie recipes
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Recipe card
Sweetened Condensed Milk Cookies
These 5-ingredient sweetened condensed milk cookies are yummy and delicious. Made with 25 minutes of hands-on time, they are simply the best.
- Total Time: 25 minutes, plus chilling time
- Yield: 30 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups plus 1 ½ tablespoons (200 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (50 g) cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2.8 oz. (80 g) cold unsalted butter
- 6.2 oz. (175 g) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 pinch of salt (optional)
- flaked almonds (optional)
- icing sugar (optional)
Instructions
-
In a large mixing bowl, mix all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt and sift using a flour sifter.
-
Add cold butter, and cut into small pieces. Crush and rub the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers until the sandy texture. Add sweetened condensed milk and mix until it forms a cookie dough ball. If the dough seems too dry, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water.
-
Wrap the dough in plastic film and chill in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes.
-
Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to 3-4 mm thick.
-
Cut out the cookies using your favorite cookie cutter, for example, a round-fluted cutter. If the dough gets too soft to handle, place it back in the fridge for a few minutes.
-
Arrange the cutouts on a baking tray covered with parchment. Optionally, add a few flaked or slivered almonds to create a flower pattern. Then, just press them down slightly. For the second batch, re-roll the leftover dough, chill it if necessary, and cut cookies out until the cookie dough has been used.
-
Bake cookies in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden brown. Don't overbake your cookies: they tend to color quickly.
-
Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool down on the baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack. Dust with icing sugar.
Notes
- Correctly measure flour with a digital scale or scoop and level method.
- Don't skip the chilling time; it is essential to make these cookies.
- Use an adjustable rolling pin to get a perfectly even dough thickness.
- Use cookie sheets interchangeably with baking sheets if owned.
- Don't overbake cookies; they tend to burn very quickly. 8-10 minutes is enough for them to be fully baked.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 69
- Sugar: 3.2 g
- Sodium: 8 mg
- Fat: 2.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 9.9 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 1.2 g
- Cholesterol: 8 mg
Keywords: sweetened condensed milk cookies
Follow my step-by-step photographed explanations, expert tips, and tricks to help you succeed with this incredibly yummy and delicious recipe.
The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.
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