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Are you out of evaporated milk? If you are, and you’re looking for the best ways to substitute for evaporated milk, then you’re in luck. Here, you can find 9 easy items that can work in place of evaporated milk with good results.
Evaporated milk also referred to as unsweetened condensed milk is made with fresh milk that has been gently heated so half the water is removed. The milk thus becomes concentrated, rich, and creamy and has a nice golden color that only evaporated milk has.
Evaporated milk is used to make your favorite recipes like pancakes, mac, and cheese, pies, etc richer, creamier, and more full flavored.
But, what if you’re making a recipe like fudge or even pumpkin pie but you have just run out of evaporated milk? You may be thinking of how you can use ingredients in your kitchen to replace these ingredients. Thankfully, there are a few good ways to do so!
Best substitutes for evaporated milk
Regular milk
The best substitute for evaporated milk is a homemade version of evaporated milk made with fresh milk. To make this, you will need to simmer some fresh milk in a saucepan on medium-low heat for about 30 -40 minutes or until it has reduced to half.
2 cups of fresh milk will make 1 cup of DIY evaporated milk. Use this homemade milk in any recipe that calls for evaporated milk. You can learn how to make homemade evaporated milk here.
Substitution: 1 cup of homemade evaporated milk = 1 cup of store-bought evaporated milk
Dry milk
Dry milk can also be used as a substitute for evaporated milk. It first needs to be reconstituted to a liquid then boiled down until it is reduced by half and a creamy, rich liquid is left behind.
To reconstitute, add 1 part powdered milk and 4 parts water to a bowl and mix well until the dry milk is completely dissolved. Then, place the liquid milk into a saucepan and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the liquid is reduced. Use this DIY evaporated milk made with powdered milk in any recipe that calls for evaporated milk.
Substitution: 1 cup DIY evaporated milk with dry milk = 1 cup canned evaporated milk
Heavy cream
If you have heavy cream on hand, you can also use it instead of evaporated milk. Heavy cream is richer, thicker, and creamier compared with evaporated milk and it also contains more fat and calories. Nonetheless, if you are out of evaporated milk, you can use heavy cream to replace it in coffee drinks, soups, sauces, desserts, pie fillings, baked goods, frozen treats, and more at a 1:1 substitute ratio.
Substitution: 1 cup of heavy cream = 1 cup of evaporated milk
Half-and-half
Half and half is also an ideal dairy product to use in place of evaporated milk. Half and half is a dairy item made with 50% milk and 50% cream, and, while it has a higher fat content, it is great for adding to most recipes that call for unsweetened condensed milk at a 1:1 ratio.
Substitution: 1 cup of half-and-half = 1 cup of unsweetened condensed milk
Full-fat coconut milk
Full-fat coconut milk is a good nondairy substitute for evaporated milk. As it stands, full-fat coconut milk has more fat and is thicker than evaporated milk, but, if you don’t mind the distinct coconut flavor this milk is famous for, then it can work! Use it to make recipes like fully coconut milk pancakes, pies, pasta sauces, etc.
Substitution: 1 cup full-fat coconut milk = 1 cup evaporated milk
Almond milk
Almond milk can also work in place of evaporated milk as a nondairy alternative. Compared to evaporated milk, almond milk is very thin, especially the original almond milk. It will not add the richness and creaminess you’ve come to expect with unsweetened condensed milk. But, if you just want a dairy-free milk option and you don’t mind a less rich and creamy recipe, then almond milk is great!
If you don’t have evaporated milk, or you just don’t want to use the stuff anymore, you don’t have to worry. It’s quite easy to make all sorts of delicious recipes with almond milk including these fluffy almond milk pancakes.
Also, feel free to reduce almond milk so it becomes condensed almond milk.
Substitution: 1 cup almond milk = 1 cup evaporated milk
Soy milk
A plant-based milk like original soy milk can also be used to make an ideal replacement for evaporated milk. To make it, pour regular soy milk into a saucepan and simmer on medium-low heat for 30-40 minutes or until the milk has reduced to half. Strain and use just like you would use store-bought evaporated milk.
Note, soy milk tastes different than evaporated milk so keep this in mind. Otherwise, it can be used for baked goods, sauces, and more.
Substitution: 1 cup evaporated soy milk = 1 cup canned evaporated milk
Rice milk
Rice milk also makes a fine dairy free alternative to evaporated milk. Like all the other nondairy milk options, rice milk can be reduced over gentle heat to form a type of evaporated milk that can be used in most recipes that call for regular evaporated milk.
Substitution: 1 cup evaporated rice milk = 1 cup store-bought evaporated milk
Oat milk
Oat milk can also be used to make homemade evaporated oat milk for a good replacement. To make it, just follow the above instructions for the other dairy-free kinds of milk. You can also purchase evaporated oat milk if you’re looking for a store-bought dairy-free substitute for evaporated milk. Use this item in the same way you would use regular unsweetened condensed milk, in savory dishes, sweet dishes, and drinks.
Substitution: 1 cup evaporated oat milk = 1 cup evaporated milk
There you have it! 9 effective ways to replace evaporated milk with items you are likely to have in your kitchen right now!
