Get all of the flavours with less of the fuss with my recipe for Sweetened Condensed Milk Shortbread Cookies. Made using just 4 ingredients to create bakery-style cookies that are melt in your mouth deliciousness.
If you love quick and easy bakes, then this is a great recipe for you. Buttery and delicious, this delicately textured shortbread is mixed in one bowl and baked in under 15 minutes. So skip the store-bought cookies and give these a try. I promise this is about to become one of your new favourite bakes too.
INGREDIENTS USED IN THE RECIPE
BUTTER: The butter for this recipe should be at room temperature. Take the butter out of the refrigerator at least an hour before baking.
CONDENSED MILK: This amazing ingredient contributes to the texture, flavour and golden brown colour of these cookies.
FLOUR: Use all-purpose or cake flour for this recipe
BAKING POWDER: Used to create a lighter bake.
ADD STUFF TO YOUR BAKE
As much as I love these cookies as they are, there are times when a little variation adds a bit more to this bake.
• Flavour with different extract, give vanilla, lemon or orange extract a try.
• Fold chocolate chips or cranberries into the batter.
• Sprinkle the shaped dough with desiccated coconut before baking.
• Make a dent in the dough and add a little jam.
• Drizzle with melted chocolate after baking.
TIPS FOR THE PERFECT BAKE
This is an easy recipe, but the following tips ensure perfect deliciousness always 🙂
• Avoid overhandling the dough. Overhandling will result in a densely textured bake.
• Use butter for the best flavour.
• If you have a cookie scoop, then use it to portion out the cookies into even sizes.
• Place the shaped cookies at least 2 inches ( 5cm) apart on the baking sheet. This will allow it enough space to spread.
MAKING THE CONDENSED MILK SHORTBREAD COOKIES
Beat the butter well for about 3 minutes until light and creamy. Add the condensed milk and beat for a further 2 minutes until combined.
Sift in the flour and baking powder. Mix until just combined.
Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop out the dough into even portions onto a lined baking sheet.
Gently press the tops, to flatten slightly.
Bake at 320°F ( 160°C) for between 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown and baked.
Remove from the oven and leave on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy ♥
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out my other amazing cookie and slice recipes
Still hungry for more?
Follow on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram or Subscribe for the latest recipe updates.
Condensed Milk Shortbread Cookies
- 1 cup butter softened.
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 2 cups all-purpose or cake flour
- ½ Tablespoon baking powder
- Beat the butter well for about 3 minutes until light and creamy. Add the condensed milk and beat for a further 2 minutes until combined. SEE NOTE 1
- Sift in the flour and baking powder. Mix until just combined. SEE NOTE 2
- Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop out the dough into even portions onto a lined baking sheet. Place the shaped cookies at least 2 inches ( 5cm) apart on the baking sheet. This will allow it enough space to spread.
- Gently press the tops, to flatten slightly.
- Bake at 320°F ( 160°C) for between 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown and baked.
- Remove from the oven and leave on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Add in any extract you prefer at this step.
- Fold in any additions, like chocolate chips or cranberries at this step.
Emma @ Bake Then Eat says
I love how quickly these cookies come together, perfect for the festive season. Merry Christmas!
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Emma, thank you...and a Merry Christmas to you too 🙂
Mrs e Keating says
How many. Should you get please x
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Mrs Keating, the recipe makes between 12 to 15 cookies. The amount it makes is also going to depend on the size which you roll or shape it.
I hope that this answers your question 🙂
Ashutosh Gupta says
It's written 1 cup butter which equals to 225 gm but 2 cups of flour which equals 240 gm. I don't get this calculation.
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Ashutosh. Butter is denser than flour. This is why 1 cup of butter weighs 225g on a scale compared to 2 cup of flour which is lighter and weighs 240g.
I hope that this helps answer your question 🙂
Rosa says
Can I make this recipe for me wth almond flour because I can't eat gluten
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Rosa, I have not tried this recipe with almond flour but yes it can be done. However, when almond flour is substituted in any recipe you are going to require more of the binding ingredient. In this recipe, the sweetened condensed milk serves as a binding ingredient. You may need to adjust it accordingly. I would say use approximately 1/4 cup extra condensed milk. Feel the dough as you roll it into the shape to determine how much more condensed milk you require.
I hope this helps answer your question 🙂
Lorraine says
Hi Ashika
Is it soft enough to pipe?
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Lorraine, Sorry but I have not piped these cookies. You could give it a try, and this will depend on the softness of your butter. I find that very soft butter beaten in a stand mixer for about 5 minutes creates the best-piped cookies. You could also add a few teaspoons of milk to to make the dough softer for piping.
I hope that this helps answer your question 🙂
Shrushti says
Hello, definitely gonna try your recipe, looks easy to follow. Quick question: Do we need to preheat the oven before baking these cookies or we can just bake them directly? Would love a reply, thank you. 🙂
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Shrushti, thank you, thats great, I hope that you love these cookies too.
To answer your question: Depending on your oven,yes you should preheat. I have a thermofan oven which heats up pretty quickly, so preheating takes under 4 minutes.
I hope this helps answer your question
Happy baking 🙂
keshav says
Nice recipe!!
The Gardening Foodie says
Thank you 🙂
The Gardening Foodie says
hello
Jenny says
Hi
I want to make these for Christmas because they look delicious, but how long will they keep and how should I store them please?
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Jenny, thank you 🙂 Here are the options of storing the baked and cooled cookies:
At room temperature: These cookies, once cooled, can be stored in an airtight jar on the countertop for up to 5 days
In the refrigerator: Once cooled, store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
In the freezer: Let the baked cookies cool then pop them into a Ziploc bag or airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature. Or defrost in the microwave on medium setting for 35 to 40 seconds.
I hope this helps answer your question.
Happy baking 🙂
Nancy E All says
These are really good. I did feel the temperature was a little low. So I cooked them a little longer after the first batch. I also added a little peppermint extract. These are grandson approved so I will make again .
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Nancy, thank you for giving my recipe a try 🙂 Peppermint extract sounds like a delicious addition to the recipe too. Plus I am so happy to hear that the cookies got your grandsons stamp of approval 🙂
Happy baking 🙂
Robyn says
Can you double this recipe and it works out well?
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi there, yes sure you can definitely double this recipe, and it will still turn out great.
Happy baking 😊
EL says
Can I use corn flour? if I don't have enough all purpose flour? if i used a combination of both, how much should I use?
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi there! Yes, you can use a combination of corn flour and all-purpose flour if you don’t have enough all-purpose flour. I recommend replacing up to 1/4 cup (30 g) of the all-purpose flour with corn flour, using 1 3/4 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup (30 g) corn flour.
Just a heads-up about potential issues:
Using too much corn flour can make the cookies fragile and prone to crumbling since corn flour lacks gluten.
The cookies might spread more or have a softer texture, which could affect how they hold up during baking.
If you stick to this proportion, your cookies should turn out beautifully tender without losing their structure
I hope this helps 😊
Happy baking