Does your recipe call for sweetened condensed milk? Are you confused about what this ingredient, if it can be substituted and of course, what is the difference between sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk? We’ve got the answers!
What is sweetened condensed milk?
It really isn’t that mysterious. It is sweetened cow’s milk that has been reduced (condensed) so that most of the water has been removed from the milk. Sugar is added which gives it the thick syrupy consistency.
What is sweetened condensed milk used for?
It is generally used in baking. Many no churn (no ice cream maker) recipes use it as well as hack caramel sauce. It can also be basted onto cakes and pastries to keep them moist and simply drizzled on breads.
What is the Difference Between Condensed Milk and Evaporated Milk?
Sugar. The big difference is sugar. Sweetened condensed milk has sugar while evaporated milk is basically the same thing, but without sugar.
What can I substitute for the sugar?
I have not personally tried using sugar substitutes, but from what I have heard, truvia and other sweeteners do work. So do honey, agave, molasses, brown sugar and maple syrup. Depending on which one you use, the flavor will change slightly.
Can I use a non-dairy milk?
Again, I have no tried this personally, but seen other post that they have successfully made sweetened condensed milk using nut milks and other non-dairy milks like almond milk and oat milk.
How Many Cups is in A Can of Evaporated Milk?
Most cans are about 14 ounces, which is 1.75 cups.
What can I substitute for sweetened condensed milk?
Many of the substitutes are quite complicated and you are better off just making your own. Word to the wise, allow it to cool before you try to add it to the desired recipe.
The closest substitute would be heavy cream with 2 tablespoons of white sugar.
How do I Make Sweetened Condensed Milk?
Making it is actually quite easy. You only need milk, sugar and time. I prefer to use whole milk, but skim or 2% work as well.
It takes about 45 minutes. Here are the full instructions on how to make sweetened condensed milk with photos.
Two cups of milk will reduced by half to about 1 cup, so use double the amount of milk your recipe calls for. A 14-ounce can would be about 4 cups of milk. Here is our homemade sweetened condensed milk recipe!