You might have believed you had just died and gone to heaven if you have ever enjoyed a sweet, cool ice cream cone drizzled with rich, creamy, evaporated milk. Just think about how fantastic evaporated milk can be.
But what if the grocery you go to only carries evaporated milk, and you’re trying to create a loaf of sweet bread or even your own homemade ice cream that calls for a generous drizzle of condensed milk on top? You can use condensed milk to replace it.
Can Condensed Milk Be Used In Place Of Evaporated Milk?
Condensed milk can be used in place of evaporated milk. One cup of evaporated milk and one cup of granulated sugar equal one ordinary can of condensed milk. Brown sugar is advised if you want a more caramel-like flavor.
If you do a short search, you’ll discover that condensed and evaporated milk are made from milk but only contain 40% of the familiar, watery component of milk. This could make you think that you can substitute one for the other.
Condensed milk can be replaced with evaporated milk even though they are not the same thing. It’ll be okay so far; you don’t forget to add sugar.
How Do Evaporated Milk And Condensed Milk Differ From One Another?
As indicated, 60% of the water in condensed and evaporated milk has been removed. Both are thus quite thick and creamy. The main distinction between the two is that evaporated milk is unsweetened, whereas condensed milk is lovely, with its sugar level making up to 45% of the entire liquid.
This means that the sweet treat you’ve been dreaming of may not be as sweet as you thought it would be if you don’t notice this significant difference and use evaporated milk instead of condensed milk. What else can you use if you can’t get evaporated milk instead of condensed milk? So, if you need a sweet ingredient comparable to condensed milk, look at the substitutes we have listed below.
What Can I Use as a Substitute for Evaporated Milk
Finding a replacement for such a unique ingredient can seem complicated, whether your neighborhood grocery store does not offer condensed milk or you have just run out at midnight before the company arrives for the holidays.
But don’t be alarmed! Choose your favorite, then start cooking! We’ve compiled a list of alternatives for you because of this.
Sugar and Evaporated Milk
You can substitute evaporated milk if you add a little sugar to it! Just make sure to taste it as you add the sugar to avoid having an overly sweet or bland plate of thickened milk.
Generally, 1 cup of sugar should be added for every 12 ounces of plain evaporated milk.
Boiling the mixture is another thing you need to be sure to keep in mind. The sugar will level out once it has been boiled down, and you will then have homemade condensed milk! Congrats! If you don’t, you’ll be left with a substitute for condensed milk that is quite gritty and crunchy and might ruin your sweet delight.
Coconut Cream
Grab a bottle or can of cream coconut if you aren’t sensitive to or repulsed by the taste of coconut. This choice is entirely risk-free, delicious, and requires no effort on your part. You can use coconut cream in place of condensed milk because it is so sweet and thick. There’s no need to change the amount from what the recipe specifies.
When purchasing coconut cream, the name is the only thing you need to remember. Do not mistake coconut cream for the cream of coconut. Even though they appear to be the same, cream of coconut is typically sweetened while coconut cream, comparable to evaporated milk, is not.
So, if you want to substitute coconut cream for the cream of coconut, simply remember to add some sugar to it to maintain the proper level of sweetness.
Create Your Own Non-dairy Alternative
Even though it takes a little more work, this is the best solution if you want to use non-dairy condensed milk instead! This choice is ideal for those who cannot consume lactose or want to avoid animal products for ethical or moral reasons.
Simply take your preferred non-dairy milk—coconut, rice, oat, almond, or cashew—reduce it to a 13 of what you first added, and then add some sugar to create your own dairy-free condensed milk substitute.
To avoid having crunchy sugar particles in every bite of your delicious dish, you’ll want to make sure you boil down the additional sugar a little bit, just like with the first alternative.
Powder Milk
Once more, this alternative will require some effort, but hey, it will be an interesting new experiment. For this one, you must substitute each can of condensed milk with 9 ounces of powdered milk mixed with hot water (exactly 13 cups). Then, when it combines, let it simmer for a little while. Add some butter and sugar last, and stir everything together until it melts.
You should have a rich, creamy, sweet, condensed milk substitute in a few minutes.
Regular Milk
Unsurprisingly, with a bit of fiddling, the milk you already have in the refrigerator will work just fine as a substitute for evaporated milk. Make your own evaporated milk for the most reliable replacement:
- Put around 60% more milk than was called for in the recipe into a saucepan.
- Bring it to a boil.
- Carefully decrease it until the appropriate amount is attained.
- After the mixture has cooled, continue with the process.
- For instance, you would need to use approximately 12–3 cups of conventional whole, 2 percent, or skim milk if a recipe called for one cup of evaporated milk.
Vegan Alternative Milk
Even though some specialty grocery stores sell vegan evaporated milk produced with coconut milk, you can also prepare your own dairy-free evaporated milk at home. Use non-dairy milk, soy, rice, oat, or almond milk.
Who will be offended by your final product, even if it is slightly decadent? The good news is that half-and-half can be used instead of evaporated milk. Due to its thicker consistency, half and half can be easily substituted in recipes for evaporated milk.
Heavy Cream
Similar reasoning applies to cream; while the recipe will come out more prosperous than if you had evaporated milk, it won’t be wrong. Use a mixture of cream and milk as an alternative if you have both cream and ordinary milk on hand. That’s also how you quickly and easily construct a half-and-half replacement.
Vegan Evaporated Milk Substitutes
On the market, there are a few brands of vegan evaporated milk. However, they could be more challenging to locate, depending on where you live. Take a look online or at a specialized health food store. If you come across vegan evaporated milk, simply replace it 1:1 in any recipe.
You can make your own vegan evaporated milk if you can’t locate any to buy.
DIY Non-dairy Evaporated Milk
By using the same method outlined above to lessen the water content of cow milk, many plant-based kinds of milk that you already like can be converted into vegan evaporated milk.
The fact that plant-based bowls of milk contain more water than cow’s milk should be taken into account when utilizing them. Thus, even after being heated and reduced, it might not be thick enough for some recipes.
To achieve the proper thickness when producing your dairy-free evaporated milk for a soup or sauce that you want to be thicker, think about adding a thickening agent like cornstarch (or a cornstarch replacement). A thickening agent is not necessary when using dairy-free evaporated milk in baking. It will do well to simply heat the water content down.
Soy Milk
The closest alternative to conventional milk in terms of texture is soy milk, which is the best choice when preparing non-dairy evaporated milk. Additionally, it has the blandest flavor.
Cashew or Almond Milk
Other plant-based milk must be used if you are allergic to soy. Compared to other nut pints of milk, almond milk and cashew milk both have milder flavors.
Therefore, they are the ideal choice for savory and sweet meals.
Oat Milk
Every minute, oat milk’s popularity grows. It is a delectable dairy substitute that functions similarly to plant and nut milk. Simply reduce it over heat according to the instructions before using it in your favorite dishes.
One thing to remember is that much non-dairy milk, including oat milk, includes additional sweeteners. As a result, be sure to choose an unsweetened type.
Choosing the best replacement
What you desire and what’s available will determine the ideal option for evaporated milk. The final dish will be the most similar to the original recipe if you don’t have a good reason to avoid dairy; otherwise, choose one of the other options.
Be aware of the recipe you are cooking if you prefer a non-dairy option. Since most non-dairy substitutes have distinct flavors, pick one whose flavor profile will go well with the food you’re creating.
Hiiii! My name is Ruth and I am an experienced chef with a passion for food and cooking. My love of baking began when I was nine, and I have since been refining my skills in the kitchen ever since.
