Evaporated milk is a rich, creamy canned milk that may be sitting in the back of your pantry right now. It is more concentrated than regular milk because it is heated to remove much of its water content. This process also makes it wonderfully shelf-stable, meaning it can last for more than a year.
It’s always a good idea to keep some on hand for those occasional (okay, frequent) moments when you realize you’ve run out of milk but can’t imagine drinking your coffee black or eating your morning oats without something creamy. It is also useful for sweet and savory recipes that call for it. But even if you ignored our advice and don’t have a single can in your kitchen, we’ve got you covered. Here are 6 substitutes for evaporated milk that you can use whenever you’re in a pinch.
What Is Evaporated Milk?
Evaporated milk is fresh milk, which can be whole, 2% or skim, that is heated to remove much of its water content. After around 60% of the water evaporates, the milk is homogenized, canned and sterilized. Evaporated milk can stay stable for up to two years. Because it contains less water, it has a rich, milky flavor and a thick texture that is almost similar to its distant cousin, half and half. The heating process also gives the milk a slightly caramelized flavor. It is usually sold in 12-ounce cans, although smaller sizes are also available.
What's in Evaporated Milk?
Evaporated milk is made from fresh milk that is slowly heated to remove much of its water content. It can be made using whole, 2% or skim milk.
Can I Use Evaporated Milk Instead of Regular Milk, Half and Half or Heavy Cream?
Yes! One of the best things about evaporated milk is that it offers a long-lasting alternative to perishable foods like milk, cream and half and half. When you mix it with water, it works well as a regular milk substitute. You can also use it directly from the can as a replacement for half-and-half. In recipes, it can replace heavy cream at a 1:1 ratio if you want to reduce fat and calories.
To substitute evaporated milk for fresh milk, mix a shaken 12-ounce can of evaporated milk with 18 ounces of water. You can drink this diluted milk on its own, but it is especially good in coffee, tea or hot chocolate, or poured over a bowl of hot cereal. When used without dilution, evaporated milk has a taste and texture that is more similar to half and half.
What's the Difference Between Evaporated Milk and Sweetened Condensed Milk?
Although they are sometimes confused with each other, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk are very different. Both are “condensed” or “concentrated” milks that are heated to remove water. However, sweetened condensed milk, as the name suggests, is very sweet and contains around 40 to 45 percent sugar, or about 6 ounces of sugar per can. Sweetened condensed milk is a common kitchen ingredient in many parts of the world, including Asia. It is generally a little more common as a pantry staple than evaporated milk. Along with its high sugar content, sweetened condensed milk also has a stronger caramelized flavor than evaporated milk.
Evaporated Milk Substitutes
Here are 5 different options you can use as evaporated milk substitutions.
Regular Milk (whole, 2% or skim)
Why It Works: Evaporated milk is simply fresh milk with much of its water removed through cooking. Because of this, you can make your own evaporated milk by slowly heating regular milk on the stovetop.
How to Substitute: Pour the milk into a saucepan and simmer it on the stovetop for about 30 minutes, or until it has reduced by around 60%. To make the equivalent of a 12 ounce can of evaporated milk, simmer a quart of milk, or 32 ounces, until it reduces to about 12 ounces.
Heavy Cream
Why It Works: Like evaporated milk, heavy cream has a thick and rich texture. Because of this, it can easily be used in recipes that call for evaporated milk.
How to Substitute: For 12 ounces of evaporated milk, mix 3 ounces of whole milk with 9 ounces of heavy cream.
Half-and-Half
Why It Works: Half and half and evaporated milk have similar textures and fairly similar fat levels, although half and half contains more fat. This makes it one of the best and slightly richer substitutes for evaporated milk.
How to Substitute: You can replace evaporated milk with half and half using a 1:1 ratio.
Powdered Milk
Why It Works: Powdered milk is regular milk that has been dehydrated, or dried. When you add some, but not all, of the water back into it, powdered milk becomes an excellent substitute for evaporated milk.
How to Substitute: When reconstituting the powdered milk, use only 60% of the water called for in the instructions. This creates a thicker and richer milk that is similar to evaporated milk.
Regular Non-Dairy Milk (almond, oat, etc)
Why It Works: Non-dairy milk can be reduced in the same way as regular fresh milk. Heating it allows some of its water content to evaporate, creating a thicker milk.
How to Substitute: Just like regular fresh milk, cook the dairy-free milk on the stovetop until it has reduced by about 60%. To make the equivalent of a 12 ounce can of evaporated milk, simmer a quart of non-dairy milk, or 32 ounces, until it reduces to about 12 ounces.
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