Can you resist if I say you can make a delicious cookie using just 3 ingredients and in under 25 mins?? This Sweetened Condensed Milk Cookies is just that recipe.
What is Sweetened Condensed Milk Cookies?
Sweetened Condensed Milk Cookies is basically a cross between shortbread cookies and thumbprint cookies but in a simplified version. They have the delightful crumbly texture of shortbread that you can use as the base to jazz up with any filling of choice like a thumbprint cookie.
Why you must try this recipe?
- Ease of the recipe - With just 3 ingredients and hardly any time needed, I bet you cannot go wrong with this recipe.
- Basic recipe - Basic easy to follow with simple 4 steps instructions, this is the perfect recipe to try with kids or even as a beginner baker.
- Variations - Well, this being the basic version you can jazz it up with endless variations to customise. Find a few suggestions in the post.
- Easy to scale - This recipe can easily be doubled or halved.
- Sells like hot cake - A very delicious cookie recipe that you can literally pack and sell. Easy to package, transport and would be a perfect addition to your cookie box for this festive season.
- Use your leftovers - Wondering what to do with a can of condensed milk or have some leftover condensed milk in your fridge? This is the perfect milkmaid cookies recipe to use it up.
Ingredients Needed:
- Plain Flour: that is APF works best for this recipe
- Butter: needs to be chilled and cubed
- Sweetened Condensed milk: Don't confuse this with evaporated milk. You would need condensed milk and not evaporated milk.
Step by Step instructions:
Step 1: Prepare the Dough
Combine together the flour and butter in a mixing bowl. Using your fingers rub the butter into the flour to create a wet sand like texture (image 1-2).
This technique of rubbing the fat into the flour is known as reverse creaming and it helps in making a tender cookie recipe by inhibiting the development of gluten.
You can check this Fresh Fruit Tart recipe if you would like to learn more about the science behind this reverse creaming technique more. (The post has a detailed explanation with infographics)
Once the flour and butter is rubbed well, add in the sweetened condensed milk to form into a cookie dough (image 2-3). Condensed milk acts as both the sweetening and the binding agent in this recipe.
If you find the dough to be sticky you can add a tbsp or two of flour and get it into a dough.
Step 2: Shaping
Using a tbsp as a measurement, take out the portion of the dough and roll it into a ball.
Then press the dough using the back of your spoon or your forefinger to make an impression (images 4-6).
There are two ways of filling the cookie now:
First Way:
In the first way, add 1/2 tsp of condensed milk in the impression created before baking. Then bake in the preheated oven (images 7-8).
Second Way:
In this method, you add the condensed milk once the cookies are baked.
So once out of the oven and still warm, you press the cookie again with the back of your tsp to create the well and the fill the cavity with the condensed milk (images 9-10).
Step 3 - Baking
No matter which way you choose to fill the cookie, bake them in a preheated oven of 180°C for 8-10 mins until the base of the cookie is golden brown and the top remains pale in colour.
Allow it to cool and crisp up.
Enjoy the delicious cookie.
Texture of Condensed Milk Biscuits
Depending upon which way you choose to fill the cookie, you would get a variation in the texture.
First Way:
When the cookies are baked with the filling, the sweetened condensed milk caramalizes a bit more, boils over and sets completely.
So when you bite into it or break the cookie into two using your fingers the condensed milk won't ooze out.
Making it perfect to be packaged and be shared eventually.
Second Way:
In this method, since the condensed milk is added after the cookie is baked it remains flowy in consistency, so when you bite into it the filling oozes out.
This type of sweetened condensed milk cookies is perfect for those who absolutely love eating the condensed milk on its own. I absolutely love this one.
Storage (Make-Ahead) Instructions
Store these cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.
Like any other cookie dough, this sweetened condensed milk cookie dough also freezes well.
How to freeze the cookie dough?
Once the dough is formed, shape it to a log, cling wrap and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When ready to bake, take it out from freezer, cut to form roundels; the process is similar to Tutti Fruiti cookies.
Please note in this case you cannot fill the cookies like a thumbprint cookies.
Instead you can treat them like the Jim Jam biscuits. Emma's goodies video explains it clearly.
Baker's Tips:
- The most important thing to take care is that you are using Condensed Milk by Nestle or MilkMaid and not evaporated milk for this recipe.
- If the dough feels sticky, add an additional tbsp of flour to bind them together.
- Use a tbsp or tsp measurement to divide the dough into roundels. That way all your cookies will be evenly shaped.
- While shaping the cookies might tend to dry out leading to formation of cracks. So work quickly while shaping and giving the impression on top.
- If you feel that the base of the cookie gets too brown quickly, then follow the double pan technique while baking. This technique works well for all types of cookies.
Variations:
Like I said, this version of Sweetened Condensed Milk Cookies is a very basic version. You can alter the filling choice in so many ways.
Here are few examples for you:
- Condensed Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies: You can add chocolate chips to the cookie dough and then make a ball and bake instead of the filling method.
- Condensed Milk Peanut Butter Cookies: Fill the cookies with peanut butter instead of condensed milk. Actually any nut butter would work in place of peanut butter. So you can choose to fill almond butter, cashew butter or whatever you like the most.
- Oreos: Crush the oreos and mix it with the dough. Divide into roundels and bake to form condensed milk oreo cookies.
- Milo: Mix around 20 gms of Milo or any drink powder - Boost or even cocoa powder will work for chocolate version.
- Caramel cookies: Just use homemade caramel sauce or butterscotch sauce for the filling in place of condensed milk.
- Glazed condensed milk cookies: So instead of giving an impression on top, bake the cookies like a sugar cookie and then dip them in a simple sugar glaze and coat with sprinkles on top.
FAQ's:
No you cannot. Condensed Milk is thicker and sweeter in consistency and hence works as both the sweetening and binding agent in the recipe. It cannot be substituted with evaporated milk.
Yes the cookie dough freezes well. Find the detailed instructions in the paragraph above.
The cookies should crisp up on the sides. The bottom of the cookies changes to golden brown coloration whereas the top remains pale. If you have added condensed milk before baking then it should have set too.
Yes you can pulse the butter and flour in the food processor. Just make sure to not mix for long because you do not want to cream the butter here which might incorporate air into the batter and cause your cookies to spread. So just pulse until it comes together.
Related Recipes:
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Sweetened Condensed Milk Cookies
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups + 1 tbsp Plain Flour
- 1/2 cup (113 g) Butter cubed and chilled
- 1/4 cup (80 gms) Sweetened Condensed Milk
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl rub the flour and butter until it resembles a wet sand like texture.
- Add the condensed milk and combine to form a dough. If the dough feels sticky then feel free to add additional tbsp of flour to make it into a cookie dough.
- Using a tbsp as the measurement, take out the portion of dough, shape it into a ball and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- First way of filling: Using the back of your tsp make a well in the centre of the cookie dough. Smoothen the cracks if any. Then fill it with condensed milk.
- Bake in a pre-heated oven of 180°C for 8 to 10 mins until the bottom of the cookie is golden brown and the top is pale in colour.
- Second way of filling: In this method, make a well in the centre of the dough but do not fill it with anything. Once baked and still warm press again on top to create the well then fill it with condensed milk.
- Let the cookies cool completely and then transfer to an air tight container and store for 1 week at room temperature.
Video
Notes
- Start by adding 1.5 cups of flour. The additional 2 tbsp is to be used only if you feel the cookie dough is way too sticky.
- Work with chilled butter for optimum results.
- Use a tbsp or tsp measurement to divide the dough into roundels. That way all your cookies will be evenly shaped.
- Try to work fast while shaping the cookie dough. If you observe any cracks developing then just smoothen it up with your fingers.
- Cookies will crisp up upon cooling
- If you feel that the base of the cookie gets too brown quickly, then follow the double pan technique while baking. This technique works well for all types of cookies.
Lisa says
Looking forward to trying this recipe. I noticed some of the cookies were filled with chocolate. What chocolate/method did you use?
sushma iyer says
Hi Lisa.. It is just nutella.. you can use any filling of choice to fill the cookies 🙂
Alisa says
I just finished making these and they’re good. I made them plain, baked with the milk, Nutella, and some where I added milk afterwards. My favorite was the cookies that had milk added after baking. I’m going to try this again with a dash of salt in the flour to see how it turns out because it was a little too bland without it.
sushma iyer says
Hi Alisa.. thank you for your honest feedback appreciate it 🙂
Kim says
I’m assuming unsalted butter since it doesn’t say?
Thanks!
sushma iyer says
Hi Kim.. yes it is unsalted butter
Susan says
Thanks for the recipe Sushama and for everyone’s tips! I put the little wells in them with my index finger (made them deeper) filled with a drop of condensed milk, bring careful to fill less than half-way, dropped a cashew on top for some and some cut-up dried bing cherries nuked with kirsch for one minute in others. I tested them in my oven first (just two) with and without condensed milk and first for 8 minutes, but took them up to 12. Perfect!
sushma iyer says
Hi Susan.. that sounds like a great addition.. I love anything with nuts in them.. thank you for sharing your experience with us.. this would help many others reading this.. 🙂
Julie says
Hello, thank you for your lovely little sweet biscuit recipe, I am very much looking forward to making a batch or two. Would you or any of your followers know if I could sub plain flour for corn flour? (starch)
sushma iyer says
Hi Julie.. no that substitution won't work in my opinion.. sorry
Martha says
Hello, did you use Nutella for the center after baking the cookies?
sushma iyer says
Hi Martha.. yes after baking I added nutella
Shawnna says
I made these substituting the half cup and tbsp of four with almond flour. I also added 2 tsps of vanilla. They turned out good, however putting the sweet milk in before baking caused it to bubble up and ooze out all over. For the rest of the dough I used a small muffin tin and added just a little sweet milk before and after the bake. Then I sprinkled some halloween colored sprinkles(my 10 yr olds idea, she helped), they were yummy😋
sushma iyer says
Glad to see the substitutions worked for you. Yes as mentioned do not overfill it as it will ooze out.. have shared it in the video.. good to see that you corrected it.. thank you for sharing your feedback with us.. 🙂
Alicia says
They turned out pretty good. Very easy to throw together. I tried blackberry jam on a few, sweetened condensed milk on a few and then a few plain. The blackberry was our favorite. I followed the recipe but did cook them an extra 2 minutes. Overall, I’ll make again when I need something not overly sweet and quick.
sushma iyer says
Hi Alicia.. that sounds perfect.. good to see how you incorporated your own flavours into it.. blackberry jam sounds delicious.. thank you for sharing your feedback with us.. 🙂
Amber says
Got told they taste like flour like they didn't bake long enough??
sushma iyer says
Hi Amber.. I think the temperature was not right.. Anything baked even for 5 mins at the right temperature won't feel like flour.
Kay Wood says
The recipe says bake at 180C but some may mistakenly bake at180F.
sushma iyer says
Thank you Kay Wood going forward I will try to include the temperature in both 🙂
Cortney says
This was disappointing tastes like flour and that's it.
sushma iyer says
Hi Cortney.. Sorry to learn this.. How long did you bake it for and at what temperature? Hope the temperature was set right?
Kay Wood says
Courtney I think you may have used 180F. If so … her suggested 180C is 356F.
Marsha Cousino says
In the ingredient, plain apf flour, if there is a wheat allergy, for a substitute that would provide the correct consistency, have you ever subbed almond, coconut, rice or cassava flour? Thank you!
sushma iyer says
Hi Marsha.. Sorry but I haven't tried this with any other substitutes for this recipe..
Mathi says
How long can store it if I want to sell to customer?
sushma iyer says
Hi Mathi.. up to 7 days.. additional detailed information is already shared on the blog.. please have a look 🙂 thank you
Erinn says
These look awesome, can't wait to try this recipe! I bet they would be good with some Nutella or some lemon curd, too.
sushma iyer says
Yes. I have tried Nutella as you can see in the picture. It is good. Lemon Curd is also a great idea