Proof That Sweetened Condensed Milk Is The Best Stuff On Earth

It might be the unsung hero of the dessert world. We're here to sing its praises.

There are certain foods we love so much that we unashamedly eat them straight from the container with a spoon. Sweetened condensed milk is one of those foods.

We know what you're thinking -- it's sugar overload, it's thick and sticky, it's syrupy and it is definitely not to be consumed on its own by the spoonful. We're not advocating that you eat a whole can or even more than one teaspoon; we're merely confessing our guilty pleasure to explain how strongly we feel about sweetened condensed milk. A little goes a long way with this super sweet substance, and it's all you need to understand how dreamy it is. Whether it's on its own, in a coffee or in a pie, sweetened condensed milk can completely transform a dish, and might even transform you.

Sweetened condensed milk is milk from which the water has been removed and to which sugar has been added. Some people find it off-putting, but those people probably haven't tried it the right way. People all over the world eat it. It's common in coffee in parts of Asia, in pies like Key Lime in the United States, and in cakes and pudding in Latin America. Whether you make your own, or buy it in a can, you should give sweetened condensed milk a try if you aren't a fan already. It's definitely decadent, but there's always a time and place for that. Whether you choose to indulge every day or less frequently is up to you -- but whenever you're ready, sweetened condensed milk will be there for you.

Here are 31 recipes that will convince you sweetened condensed milk is some of the best stuff on earth. It might be the unsung hero of the dessert world. We're here to sing its praises.

1
French Toast Crunch
Food52
Get the French Toast Crunch by Genius Recipes from Food52
2
Chocolate-Coconut Bars
Martha Stewart
Get the Chocolate-Coconut Bars recipe by Martha Stewart
3
Peach Sherbet
Martha Stewart
Get the Peach Sherbet recipe from Martha Stewart
4
Vietnamese Coffee Shake
Martha Stewart
Get the Vietnamese Coffee Shake recipe from Martha Stewart
5
Key Lime Cream Cheese Crumble Cake
Cooking With Sugar
Get the Key Lime Cream Cheese Crumble Cake recipe from Cooking With Sugar
6
Caramel Snickers 7 Layer Bars
Sally's Baking Addiction
Get the Caramel Snickers 7 Layer Bars recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction
7
Coconut Tres Leches
Food52
Get the Coconut Tres Leches recipe by aargersi from Food52
8
Date, Coconut & Walnut Truffles
Brown Eyed Baker
Get the Date, Coconut & Walnut Truffles recipe from Brown Eyed Baker
9
Mint Cookies and Cream Magic Bars
Becca Bakes
Get the Mint Cookies and Cream Magic Bars recipe from Becca Bakes
10
Twix [Candy Bar] Tart
Brown Eyed Baker
Get the Twix [Candy Bar] Tart recipe from Brown Eyed Baker
11
Better Than "Anything" Cake
Brown Eyed Baker
Get the Better Than "Anything" Cake recipe from Brown Eyed Baker
12
No-Bake Coconut Cream Goat Cheese Cheesecake
How Sweet It Is
Get the No-Bake Coconut Cream Goat Cheese Cheesecake recipe from How Sweet It Is
13
Simply Key Lime Pie
Food52
Get the Simply Key Lime Pie recipe by First Time Foods from Food52
14
Magic Cherry Bars
Macheesmo
Get the Magic Cherry Bars recipe from Macheesmo
15
Homemade Iced Coffee With Spices and Sweetened Condensed Milk
A Beautiful Mess
Get this Homemade Iced Coffee recipe from A Beautiful Mess
16
Dulce de Leche S'mores
Adventures In Cooking
Get the Dulce de Leche S'mores recipe from Adventures In Cooking
17
Milk and Cookie Cupcakes
Lemon Sugar
Get the Milk and Cookie Cupcakes recipe from Lemon Sugar
18
Peanutty Buckeye Bars
Two Peas And Their Pod
Get the Peanutty Buckeye Bars recipe from Two Peas And Their Pod
19
Condensed Milk Coconut Pound Cake
Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body
Get the Condensed Milk Coconut Pound Cake from Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body
20
Key Lime Pie Bar
Brown Eyed Baker
Get the Key Lime Pie Bar recipe from Brown Eyed Baker
21
Thai Tea Cake with Creamed Coconut Frosting
Adventures In Cooking
Get the Thai Tea Cake with Creamed Coconut Frosting recipe from Adventures In Cooking
22
Caramel Pretzel Butterscotch Fudge
Something Swanky
Get the Caramel Pretzel Butterscotch Fudge recipe from Something Swanky
23
Ice Coffee With Sweetened Condensed Milk
Brown Eyed Baker
Get the Iced Coffee With Sweetened Condensed Milk recipe from Brown Eyed Baker
24
Red Velvet Poke Cake
Brown Eyed Baker
Get the Red Velvet Poke Cake recipe from Brown Eyed Baker
25
Guinness Brownies
The Chic Table
Get the Guinbess Brownies recipe from The Chic Table
26
Homemade Dulce de Leche
TheTexanerin
Get the Homemade Dulce de Leche recipe from TheTexanerin
27
White Chocolate Lemon Streusel Bars
Something Swanky
Get the White Chocolate Lemon Streusel Bars recipe from Something Swanky
28
Monster Magic Cookie Bars
Something Swanky
Get the Monster Magic Cookie Bars recipe from Something Swanky
29
Salted Caramel Toffee Macaroons
Two Peas And Their Pod
Get the Salted Caramel Macaroons recipe from Two Peas And Their Pod
30
Vietnamese Coffee Popsicles
Baking The Book
Get the Vietnamese Coffee Popsicles from Baking The Book
31
Oatmeal Creme Pie Magic Bars
The Domestic Rebel
Get the Oatmeal Creme Pie Magic Bars recipe from The Domestic Rebel

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