Difference between evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk

Try these easy swaps for evaporated milk—they may already be in your refrigerator.

Updated on October 14, 2022

Evaporated milk is often called for in custards, tres leches cake, silky sauces like this hot fudge sauce, and pie recipes such as a classic pumpkin pie. You can find it in the baking aisle next to other pantry staples. Because it's so readily available, it's possible you never considered just what evaporated milk is. If you pause for a minute to think about the name, you can pretty easily deduce what evaporated milk is and how it's made. Canned evaporated milk is cow's milk that has been cooked down to reduce its water content by 60%. After evaporation, the result is a thicker milk product with a slightly caramelized flavor that's hard to duplicate. That uniqueness can leave you asking, "what can I substitute for evaporated milk that will offer a similar result?" This list offers ideas of what you can substitute for evaporated milk in a pinch that will yield tasty results.

Substitutes for Evaporated Milk

These substitutions will work in most recipes (including the most asked about substitute for evaporated milk in pumpkin pie), though the flavor will differ using the straight one-to-one swaps at the top of the list.

For 1 cup of evaporated milk substitute:

• 1 cup whole milk or 2% milk
• 1 cup half-and-half or heavy cream
• 1 cup homemade evaporated milk
  • To make your own evaporated milk, heat 2¼ cups of whatever milk is in your fridge (2% is commonly used) over medium-high heat until just boiling and reduce heat to medium or medium-low. Continue to cook and stir about 25 minutes until it cooks down to 1 cup. Use as called for in your recipe.
  • Test Kitchen Tip: Stir your homemade evaporated milk frequently to avoid a skin forming on top. And if some milk gets cooked on your pan, soak it right away for the easiest cleanup.

Vegan Substitutes for Evaporated Milk

If you need a vegan or dairy-free substitute for evaporated milk, simply adjust the ideas mentioned above to use your favorite soymilk, nut milk, oat milk, or other nondairy milk.

Evaporated Milk Vs. Sweetened Condensed Milk

Evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk come in similar size cans and are usually found next to each other on grocery store shelves. These items are essentially the same with one big difference: no sugar is added to evaporated milk. Sweetened condensed milk also has 60% of the water removed, but contains 40% sugar. Due to the big flavor difference, they cannot be substituted for each other. Always double-check which can you grabbed off the grocery store shelf to be sure it's the ingredient you're looking for.

Find out if condensed milk and evaporated milk are really interchangeable.

It's a question many aspiring bakers want to know: What's the difference between condensed milk vs. evaporated milk? You may have both milk products in your pantry without realizing that each one is used in different contexts. Regardless of your milk mastery, we're here to clear up the confusion.

Evaporated Milk

Evaporated milk is unsweetened milk that has been preserved in cans. It was invented when refrigerators were a luxury and families had to find a way to preserve the calcium-loaded beverage for their children. Today it is a pantry staple for several sweet and savory recipes.

To make evaporated milk, fresh milk is slowly simmered over low heat until approximately 60% of the (naturally occurring) water is removed. The milk becomes creamier and thicker once the water has, well, evaporated. It is then homogenized, sterilized, and packaged for commercial sale.

How to Use

The unsweetened nature of evaporated milk makes it versatile for savory dishes like decadent mac and cheese and some sweeter recipes like sweet potato pie, which is a more savory dessert. Keep in mind that evaporated milk has some inherent sweetness from the milk, but it is not nearly as sweet as condensed milk.

Condensed Milk

Sweetened condensed milk starts with the same process as evaporated milk—regular milk is boiled down to about half the amount to create a decadent, creamy product. However, a generous amount of sugar is added to the evaporated milk to sweeten it, which turns it into condensed milk.

How to Use

Condensed milk is most commonly used in indulgent desserts like turtle bars, mocha latte fudge, and toasted coconut key lime pie. It's also the single ingredient used to make Dulce de Leche, which is simply caramelized condensed milk. Condensed milk is so beloved by bakers that dairy-free alternatives, like condensed coconut milk, now exist too.

Substitutions

While we don't recommend substituting condensed milk for evaporated milk or vice versa, you can make your own condensed milk when you're in a pinch. Simply heat together 1½ cups of sugar and one can of evaporated milk until the sugar has fully dissolved.

Shelf Life

Both evaporated milk and condensed milk typically have a shelf life of at least one year. After opening cans of evaporated and condensed milk, keep them refrigerated and use them within five days.