Sweetened Condensed Milk Frosting is a simple and easy way to make a creamy sweet frosting for all your favorite desserts! Whether you are making chocolate or vanilla frosting, it only takes 3 ingredients!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Two Flavors: This delicious frosting can be made in both Chocolate and Vanilla flavors.
- 3 Ingredients: It only takes a handful of ingredients to make.
- Delicious Flavor: If you are the kind of person that wants to lick the can when it comes to sweetened condensed milk, this will be a favorite!
Frosting—making the world a lovelier place, one cookie, cupcake, or pastry at a time. This recipe calls for sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and butter. That’s it! Three ingredients to make a delicious frosting for any treat that dares! This frosting is rich and creamy and so, so easy to make. There’s even a chocolate version!
Skip the store-bought can of frosting and whip up some yumminess using this super handy and versatile ingredient: sweetened condensed milk. Use this frosting to make our famous chocolate cupcakes or try our vanilla cupcakes.
Recipe Yield
This recipe for vanilla sweetened condensed milk frosting makes about 3 cups of frosting, while the chocolate version produces about 2 cups.
Depending on how thick you like your frosting, you can easily frost 12 cupcakes or one 9” x 13” pan cake with this recipe.
Storage Instructions
Refrigeration: Both the vanilla and chocolate versions of this frosting should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Typically, they can be stored like this for up to a week. Before you plan to use them, let the frosting sit at room temperature for about an hour to soften, making it easier to spread.
Room Temperature: These frostings can be left out at room temperature for a few hours. However, it’s important to note that the stability of the frosting at room temperature is highly dependent on the weather. On a cooler day, the frosting will hold up well, but on a warm day, it might become too soft or even start to melt. If you find yourself in a warm environment, it’s best to minimize the time the frosting spends out of the fridge.
Freezing: Both frostings freeze beautifully. Scoop the frosting into a freezer-safe bag or container. When you’re ready to use it, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, then let it come to room temperature on the counter to soften before use. This way, it can be stored for up to 3 months without losing its texture or flavor.
More Frosting Recipes
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
Can I use cocoa powder instead of a chocolate bar? TIA!
Using cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate in sweetened condensed milk frosting can lead to a grainy texture and less rich flavor. Cocoa powder is dry and doesn’t dissolve as smoothly in the condensed milk, often resulting in a chalky consistency unless extra fat is added. Melted chocolate, on the other hand, blends easily and adds both creaminess and structure, creating a smooth, glossy frosting. It also brings a deeper, more balanced chocolate flavor thanks to the cocoa butter content, making it the better choice for this type of frosting.
Can the chocolate frosting be whipped?
This frosting can be whipped, but it won’t get super fluffy like a buttercream since it’s based on sweetened condensed milk and melted chocolate. If you still want to try, let the frosting cool and thicken slightly, then beat it with a hand mixer for a minute or two.
This chocolate frosting is actually called Brigadeiro! It’s a staple sweet in Brazil and it comes in many shapes, textures and flavors! Makes me happy to see people love it so much ❤️
Why does vanilla use butter and chocolate does not?
Butter is the fat source and structure builder in the vanilla frosting, since there’s no cooking involved.
Chocolate + heat provide both fat and thickening in the chocolate version, making butter unnecessary.
I didn’t have the unsweetened chocolate, so had to use Hersheys Cocoa & about a 1/2 TB butter. I did everything else by the recipe. It came out Very Sticky… suggestions on how to fix please?
Unfortunately, it’s the substitutions you made that caused it to turn out sticky. The unsweetened chocolate is crucial to this recipe.
Love this recipe .
My mother made this icing for the Hershey chocolate cake. I have loved it all my life!!!
I made the chocolate frosting with unsweetened cocoa since I didn’t have baking chocolate. I cooked it a little longer until it reached the thickness I wanted. I just finished it so it’s still too hot to put on the cake, but I tasted a little and it is just the right sweetness and very fudgy!! I’ll be using this often. Thanks!!
Hi Jan. How much cocoa did use?
Thank you,
Donna
Perfect addition to my strawberry compote cake! Light fluffy not too sweet! I hate buttercreams because it’s too heavy and this is a great alternative without needing a ton of ingredients
Hello! I only have unsalted butter. Would half a teaspoon salt make up for that? Thank you!!