What Is Condensed Milk?

What is condensed milk?

Condensed milk is evaporated milk with a sweetener added.

And evaporated milk is milk without sweetener that’s gone through a cooking process to vaporize and remove (evaporate) over half of the water content. 

Are evaporated milk and condensed milk the same thing?

How is condensed milk made if evaporated milk and condensed milk differ?

Unlike evaporated or regular milk, condensed milk is very sweet and contains about 40-45% sugar.

So the terms “condensed milk” and “sweetened condensed milk” are used interchangeably.

What is the purpose of condensed milk?

Condensed milk is used primarily in sweet and dessert recipes. 

It adds a concentrated creaminess and sweet, milky flavor to recipes without the excess moisture from regular milk. 

That makes condensed milk perfect for creamy recipes and dishes you want to set to a near-solid. Like key lime pie, fudge, caramel, banana pudding, or a sweet potato pie recipe with condensed milk.

What is a substitute for condensed milk?

Evaporated milk. 

But if a recipe calls for condensed milk and you substitute with evaporated, the evaporated milk will not give the sweeter caramelized flavor and texture of condensed milk. 

You can add sugar to an evaporated milk substitute to get up to the sweetness of condensed milk.

What can you use if I don’t have condensed milk?

Can you use regular milk for condensed milk? 

Any milk will work. From evaporated milk, whole milk, or 2 percent milk. 

Even almond milk or coconut milk can be used to make dairy-free condensed milk. 

But no matter the type of milk substitute, you’ll need to add sugar to create sweetened condensed milk.

Can you turn evaporated milk into condensed milk?

Yes, with the addition of a sweetener like sugar.

Can condensed milk be prepared at home?

Yes, follow the easy recipe instructions below.

How to make condensed milk

Kitchen equipment

• Instant Pot electric pressure cooker (optional)
• Or a small stovetop pot (saucepan)

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Ingredients for homemade condensed milk

• 1 cup of evaporated milk (unsweetened condensed milk)
• ¼ cup of granulated sugar

Instructions for homemade condensed milk

If you’re starting with regular milk, begin here to make evaporated milk.

1. You’ll need 2 ¼ cups of 2 percent milk. (You can use any milk if you don’t have 2 percent).
2. Place a small pot on the stovetop and turn the stove on to medium-high heat. Or, if using an Instant Pot, open the lid and turn on the ‘Sauté’ setting for 15 minutes.
3. Pour the 2 percent milk into the pot.
4. Keep an eye on the milk, occasionally stirring, so the milk doesn’t burn and stick to the bottom of the pot. 
5. Allow the milk to boil until it reduces to what you can see is about 1 cup of milk.
6. Remove the pot with the milk from the stovetop. Or remove the stainless steel inner pot from the Instant Pot burner.
7. Allow the milk to cool, and measure out 1 cup of unsweetened evaporated milk.

If you already have evaporated milk, begin here:

1. Pour the evaporated milk into a small pot (saucepan) over medium heat (I used my Instant Pot with the lid off on the sauté setting).
2. Add the sugar to the milk.
3. Keep whisking the mixture, so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of your pot or saucepan.
4. Whisk the mixture until the sugar completely dissolves and the milk starts to thicken. This can take up to 15 minutes.
5. Remove the pot from the stovetop (or remove the stainless steel inner pot from the Instant Pot burner) to allow the milk to cool and thicken more.
6. As the milk is cooling, continue to whisk or stir the condensed milk with a small rubber spatula. This will prevent a crystalized layer from forming on top.
7. Once the sweetened condensed milk has cooled, use it in your desired recipe!

How much evaporated milk does this recipe make?

1 cup.

Is sweetened condensed milk supposed to be thick?

Yes, it’s thicker, creamier, and caramelized-like in texture compared to regular milk or unsweetened evaporated milk.

How long does homemade condensed milk last?

You can store homemade condensed milk in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week. 

Can you freeze condensed milk?

You can also freeze sweetened condensed milk for up to 3 months, stored in an airtight container. 

When ready to use it, thaw the milk to room temperature and whisk it back to a smooth consistency.

What is condensed milk used for?

Check out these favorite Southern soul food recipes that use condensed milk.

Or these recipes call for condensed milk as a substitute ingredient when there’s no heavy cream, half-and-half, or evaporated milk on hand.

Southern soul food sweetened condensed milk recipes

• Southern Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
• Black Folks Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
• Black Folks Purple Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
• Southern Chicken And Dumplings The Black Way
• Soul Food Southern Mac And Cheese
• Black Folks Soul Food Baked Macaroni And Cheese
• Black Folks Hennessy & Puerto Rican Eggnog (Hennessy Coquito)
• Black Folks Soul Food Homemade Eggnog
• Black Folks Southern Banana Pudding Recipe
• Instant Pot Banana Pudding From Scratch

Did you enjoy this condensed milk recipe guide?

Have you used it?

Would you make it? 

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