Did you grow up with those super nostalgic sweetened condensed milk cookies? Here's that recipe! Scaled up to use a whole can of condensed milk so there's no annoying leftovers, these condensed milk cookies are easy, can be made in bulk and easily frozen, and are just so good! This is a great egg-free cookie recipe too! The recipe makes 90 cookies!
Hi hi! I am just popping in to share the recipe for these easy sweetened condensed milk cookies! I grew up baking these with a friend - I think the original recipe came off the back of the condensed milk tin. There is also a version of them in my Grandma's recipe book that I have, and I know that a lot of you have grown up with something similar so I think it is a classic nostalgic recipe for a lot of us. I think it also goes by a few names - sante biscuits, highlander biscuits, kiwi crisps, etc. These cookies are crisp around the edges and soft and chewy on the inside - if you like yours crunchy you can bake them more.
My issue with those recipes? You have half a can of leftover condensed milk left. This is a very specific pet peeve of mine - I know that you can use it for other things, but to me, it's annoying. So, I scaled up and tweaked it and recipe tested this recipe to use a whole can. They are perfect for sharing, or the dough freezes super well for baking off as you need.
The result? A recipe which is the ultimate grandma-style recipe: super easy to make, and makes a ton of tiny cookies (the recipe makes 90).
Sweetened Condensed Milk = the perfect egg replacer in these cookies!
These condensed milk cookies are sort of somewhere between a classic shortbread recipe and a chocolate chip cookie recipe.
When I was recipe testing, I wanted to scale up the batch of cookies to use up the whole can of condensed milk. Because of how condensed milk behaves in some cookie dough it makes a great egg alternative, making these a perfect egg-free cookie.
Add the sweetened condensed milk in just after the butter and sugar have been creamed together.
The only time I ever use chocolate chips...
If you have been around for any amount of time, you will know that I am a die hard chocolate chunk girlie when it comes to cookies. They just are superior in almost every way.
However, for this recipe, I went out and bought chocolate chips. The cheap ones that you use for baking, that make things taste super nostalgic. The condensed milk cookies just didn't taste right without them.
If you do want to use chopped chocolate that will work fine too - just finely chop chocolate and add in to the cookie batter.
Massive batch of cookies = an epic freezer stash
This recipe makes a lot. As in, 90 cookies. A lot a lot. You'll be thinking to yourself 'what do I do with so many cookies?' just trust me on this one.
The cookie dough freezes super well - just scoop it, roll it into balls, then freeze in an airtight container. To bake, place frozen balls of dough directly onto a lined baking sheet and bake at the temperature given in the recipe - there is no need to drop the oven temperature for this specific recipe when you are baking from frozen as there is with other recipes which bake at a higher temperature.
To roll or not to roll?
Look, I had mad decision paralysis when I was making these - initially I was just scooping the dough onto the pans and baking in mounds, then switched halfway through to rolling them into balls.
They both come out great, but I prefer the look of the rolled ones. I use a 1 Tbsp (#60) scoop to scoop them out, but if you don't have one, you can either use a regular tbsp to measure, or weigh out 20g balls.
❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️
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Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Grandma-Style Condensed Milk Cookies (Massive Batch)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 90 servings 1x
- Category: cookies
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: american
Description
Did you grow up with those super nostalgic sweetened condensed milk cookies? Here's that recipe! Scaled up to use a whole can of condensed milk so there's no annoying leftovers, these condensed milk cookies are easy, can be made in bulk and easily frozen, and are just so good! This is a great egg-free cookie recipe too!
Ingredients
- 450g butter, at room temperature (I used salted)
- 200g granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- One 395g can sweetened condensed milk
- 520g all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 400g chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (I used chocolate chips)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 330°f / 165°c. Line 3-4 baking sheets with parchment paper - if you don’t have enough baking sheets you bake these in batches and transfer the cookies as they are baked.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the condensed milk and mix to incorporate. Sift in the flour and baking powder, and mix briefly to just combine - a few flour streaks are fine.
- Add the chocolate chips and mix to incorporate by hand with a spatula.
- Using a 1 Tbsp (#60) scoop, scoop 20g balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets - I can fit 20 per baking sheet. Roll each into a ball between your hands and arrange evenly on the baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 14-15 minutes, until set and starting to lightly brown around the edges. I prefer to bake one pan at a time but do what you are comfortable with with your oven. Remove from the oven, and if desired, use a cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookies to 'scoot' them into a perfectly round shape.
- Leave to cool on the pan for 10-15 minutes to set up before transferring to a wire rack. Repeat the baking process with the rest of the cookies.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Notes
I used salted butter. If you want to use unsalted butter, you can add about ½ tsp table salt or 1 tsp kosher salt.
I used chocolate chips in the cookies - the ones in NZ look like this. The brand is Pam's.
I made these with a one teaspoon cookie scoop and it made about 250. I followed the recipe as written, but scooped them out smaller - they baked for 11 minutes.
Comments
Frieda says
Great and easy recipe! I ended up halving the ingredients because I had half a tin of condensed milk left over from another recipe, and adjusting it this way worked great. I also added preserved ginger and walnuts instead of chocolate chips. They turned out great! I'll be returning to this recipe and experimenting with many different mix ins!
Laura Vega says
Hi! What brand of chocolate chips is that on the picture? Ive never seen that shape of chip looks great
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! It's in the recipe notes, the brand is pam's!
Kelly says
These were very easy to make. I didn’t even roll them, just cookie scooped and dropped. I think they’re delicious. Small cookie. A lot of chocolate chips in each bite. I might try a combination of milk & semisweet chips next time. Made 1/2 the batch & put the other half in the freezer. Thank you. These are a new favorite.
Jozzlin Rebello says
I made this recipe today using my kitchen scale I always use. The dough came out extremely crumbly and dry. The cookies themselves just didn’t taste good. I’m not really sure what went wrong as I’ve seen all the positive comments so I was really excited. Wasted a lot of ingredients though 🙁
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! So sorry they didn't work out - it sounds like something hasn't been measured properly. The mixture definitely isn't dry!
Emily says
These were to die for! Glad it made so many because people loved them and I was able to send them home with a dish full. I used half choc chips half walnuts. Perfect sweetness and crunchy round the edges. Will definitely make again.
John Adams says
Bro same but opposite, I preheated the oven then waited 14-16 minutes to figure out the oven has no heat. This recipe broke the only oven.
Erin Clarkson says
I think you broke the only oven haha
Dani says
These were amazing! Given the price of butter in NZ I subbed half the butter for oil, they still turned out sooo good.
Marna says
Hey Dani, what oil did you use please?
Kathryn says
So delicious, easy and fun. I made them before houseguests and they were great to have on the counter for snacking. My scoop was slightly smaller, 15 grams, so I had sooo many cookies (not a problem lol). I used mini chocolate chips which worked great. I loved the milky/tender/vanilla cookie base so much, in my mind I think it would make a great holiday cookie with like toasted nuts or spices. I will be making these again!
Sierra says
I have been trying to make a decent chocolate chip cookie for literally years. I have tried an uncountable number of recipes, adjusted recipes, changed butter brands, baking temp and times. None of them were what I was looking for. They were either too flat or too cakey. This recipe is PERFECT! It is exactly what I have been searching for. Bonus, hubby loves them!
I did find chilling the dough to let the flavors develop then baking at 320° for about 20 minutes produced a slightly better, more flavorful cookie. But even the baking immediately at 330° for 15 minutes made an excellent cookie! Also, I lightly sprinkled the tops with flakes vanilla salt, and OMG delicious!
Lucy Allison says
I’ve made these four times now and they work every time - have played around with adding dark chips, white chips and cranberries, and white chips and macadamia nuts which have all worked beautifully. Great recipe with a big yield to fill your freezer for lunchboxes and my cuppa tea before bed. Our family like a slightly less sweet cookie so I only put in 100g and they’re perfect.
Mary S says
This recipe was so quick and easy. I was able to share with people at work along with my partner would loves them.
Will definitely make again!
LZ says
Has anyone tried using half granulated sugar half brown sugar just curious if this would work thank you
Erin Clarkson says
No they are best made with granulated sugar as brown sugar causes them to spread differently
Lynne Fields says
US measurements?
Erin Clarkson says
You seem to have forgotten your manners, Lynne. And no, I don't have them sorry.
Mary Lou says
Great cookie I altered by adding wattle seed powder and when that passed the taste test I also added pecans and white chocolate chips. Delish. 1 inch scoop 60 cookies.
Erin Clarkson says
Yum they look delicious!
Anna G says
I made this with a can of ube condensed milk (it’s what I had, but honestly it was a great idea) and my coworkers won’t stop raving. They’re deep purple so a bit hard to tell when they’re done, but came out yummy. Thank you!
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! Ohhhh cute! I bet they came out so good! So happy you loved
Sierra Sugar says
Commenting again because I've made these cookies multiple times and experimented with a few tweaks/changes.
1. The recipe still works perfectly with using all light or all dark brown sugar in place of white sugar. I didn't notice any significant increased spread.
2. Use browned butter! Seriously. I browned my butter and let it chill for a while to solidify but still be soft to the touch.
3. Add a Tablespoon of light corn syrup or molasses (if using white or light brown sugar) to help keep the cookies softer for longer.
4. This recipe is great for making cookie cakes!
5. If you have the time, chill the dough covered in the fridge at least a couple of hours before baking. It helps the flavors develop. You can chill it up to 3 days.
Erin Clarkson says
Amazing thank you for this! 🙂
Emily says
Brilliant recipe!
Enough cookies to feed my family for the week.
I have made double and frozen the dough. Cooks perfectly.
Thank you for the recipe.
Franziska says
Hi,
the cookies are super delicious. Will bake them definitely again.
Greetings from Germany
Franziska
Alison Morgan says
Made these yesterday and used a combination of tsp & tbsp scoop. These are such a nostalgic hit. Quick, easy and lovely. Personally I like that it makes a mahoosive batch, cos now I have plenty stashed in the freezer for the days I fancy something sweet, but cba to actually make anything. Another perfect recipe, thanks Erin!
Alexandra Alberti says
What if we only want to make twelve? Can we freeze the dough in a ziplock back?
Erin Clarkson says
Hi, yes there's notes in the blog post on this
Sarah Ronchetti says
I have made these weekly for the past month, my family love them! They are the perfect texture and taste and I easily freeze half to bake later in the week - fresh cookies.
Jane says
These biscuits turned out great, thank you. I did actually brown my butter but wish I hadn't, as I feel like it detracted from the flavour of the condensed milk biscuits that I remember as a kid. I made mine with raw sugar and used a 1.5T scoop. My daughter has 50 packed up to go to school tomorrow for a bake sale so I was really grateful to find such a great bulk recipe. By the time I used Whittakers chocolate and 450g of butter she can afford to sell them for a pretty penny!
Jo says
Hi! What is the texture of this cookie? Crunchy, chewy, chewy with crisp edges, cakey?
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! It's similar to a shortbread in its base. it's a soft and chewy cookie
Jenny says
These were great, I made them for a fund-raiser and got 7 x 12 packets to sell. They looked great in cellophane bags tied with ribbon and sold well.
Ginny says
Hi. In one of the photos, the chocolate chips appear to have been chopped. They don't have the typical shape of a chip. Is this correct? I ask because you went to some length to explain why you use chips rather than chopped chocolate. Just curious. I'm planning on making these soon. They sound pretty good.
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! No, these are chocolate chips, that is just the shape of them in NZ!
mish says
on the off chance anyone sees this in time to be able to help....i just opened my solitary, last can of condensed milk to find its spoiled </3 yet i have 650g of whipped butter and sugar behind me....pls help me save it and myself lol do you have a similar cookie recipe i can make from here? any help or recs are so appreciated lol this is crazy i was so excited to make these cookies and this was not the comment i wanted to leave here ;-;
Erin Clarkson says
Hi, oh no! Hmmmm you could make a double batch of my vanilla cookies on my site but you would have to adjust the quantities you have and add an extra 400g sugar (so a double batch would be 450g butter and 600g sugar and you have 200g sugar in there at the moment). My sugar cookie bars or my snickerdoodles are the same ratio of sugar to butter as the vanilla cookies so you could split it in two and make two things, just adjust the sugar!
Mercentta Brumfield says
You need to to put accurate measurements instead of grams ok
Erin Clarkson says
Grams are accurate measurements.
Courtney says
Hahaha omg 😲 🤣 I dont think you can get more accurate than grams. I specifically look for recipes with weights rather than using cups ect because its so much more accurate and makes a much more consistent product.
Wendy says
Time to grow up and get a scale, they’re readily available and inexpensive. Not only is it the most accurate way to bake, but you’ll save yourself from washing a bunch of dishes.
TC Brown says
Grams are far more accurate than cups/tsp/tbsp. Like, by a lot.
Diana Juarez says
This is my 4th time making this recipe! My family absolutely loves it! Thank you for all the hard work you put into each recipe ❤️
Jordan says
These were excellent. I tried to see if a 2 tbsp cookie was good, but frankly the 1 tbsp cookies were perfect as is. It made about 60 cookies for me, but my cookie scoop is bigger than 20g as well as the couple of big cookies.
I really recommend this recipe, this is the best my cookies have ever turned out.
Emily says
Finally tried these yesterday with ube sweetened condensed milk, since I already had some on hand. I thought they turned out great, and my guests agreed! Will definitely make these again.
Pippa says
I’ve been trying to find a harder biscuit recipe for ages- as I don’t always want the soft chewy version. These are sooo yum , and the easiest recipe to follow. Don’t know how you could stuff it up! Will try them with some nuts or something next time. Thanks Erin!
Vic says
Thanks for this! For me, these are Auntie Judith's choc chip cookies. We made them in preference to my own (Australian) grandma's as NZ Auntie's recipe was just the best. Love using the whole can of condensed milk and am set with a bunch of ready to eat cookies and balls in the freezer. Delici
Violet says
I really liked this recipe, I used coconut condensed milk instead instead of normal condensed milk which still worked great. I had to add extra flour at the end because it was a bit sticky and after cooked tasted more scone like than cookie but still delicious : )
GLENNDA R ANDERSON says
Those look amazing!!
I've never seen chocolate chips like that. They look almost like jimmies, or sprinkles. Can you share where you get them them? I can't wait to make these! Thanks for the recipe!!
Erin Clarkson says
Hi, mine are from the brand called Pam's. I just got them from the supermarket!
Marian Vincent says
Can you freeze these once cooked or should you freeze them uncooked ? Thanks
Erin Clarkson says
I prefer to freeze them before baking! they will freeze fine cooked too but they are nicest fresh.
Shelly says
Question. What is the finished texture of the cookies like?
Crispy? Cakey? Chewy?
Don’t really want to make 90+ cookies without knowing. Lol
Erin Clarkson says
Hi it's in the post, they are crispy round the edges and chewy in the middle!
Starla Lane says
Hi! Wondering where i can find these chocolate “chips” !?
Erin Clarkson says
The brand is Pam's, I just get mine from the grocery store!
Sara says
Hii i have a question
Is creaming the butter and sugar necessary? I wanted chewier cookies so i was wondering if i could melt the butter and then mix in the sugar but that cant be 'creamed'. So im gonna try melting half the butter and let the other half stay solid. Lets see how they'll turn out!
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! Yes for this recipe it is needed as there is no egg in the recipe which usually helps to provide structure. You're very welcome to try it but I don't know how it would work! Please let me know how you go!
Johanna says
Looking forward to making these, and thank you for a bulk cookie recipe! I'm in Canada where the cans of condensed milk are all 300g vs 395g, and it's an ingredient I use so infrequently. Can I use regular milk, or evaporated milk, to top up the amount? Having the cookies be less sweet wouldn't be a problem, I just want to make sure I have the right amount of moisture/liquid in the dough. Thanks!
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! You could just scale the recipe - it doesn't have egg in it so it scales really well! I haven't tested using anything else in the place of it sorry!
Clare Kendrew says
Can these be frozen before baking, and if so, what are the cooking instructions from frozen, please?
Erin Clarkson says
Hi Clare! This is in the post - the title of that section is 'a massive batch of cookies = an epic freezer stash'. they are so good from the freezer! x
Gbemi says
This came out absolutely 💯 amazing 10/10
My first time making cookies ever and it was just the right taste and softness
I baked for 13 minutes exactly 👍 and that was the best timing for me. Also added some chopped walnuts and they were very yum.
Spitfire says
Hi Erin! When I make this recipe my dough always comes out really cakey? What do I do to fix this?
Erin Clarkson says
Hi, are you making the recipe by weight? Do the cookies come out cakey?
Kristin W says
Is there an option to convert recipe to US measurements instead of grams automatically? Otherwise I can do it.
Erin Clarkson says
No sorry! You will need to convert yourself or a scale is super affordable and a great investment!
S Misa says
250 cookies!! Idk what happened to my mix but it only made about 70 haha 😜 delicious however and i LOVE that you use the whole can of condensed milk because that’s such a pet peeve when making these types of biscuits and it only uses part of it. Will definitely be making again. Perhaps smaller cookies next time! 🙂
Glennda Anderson says
I just made these, and, OMG!! They are so good! I used mini chips, and they turned out perfectly.
Some of the best chocolate chip cookies ever. Thanks for the recipe!!