Vegan Evaporated Milk Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is there a vegan version of evaporated milk? ›

Almond, oat, soy, cashew, and any other alternative milk base you can think of, can all be reduced on the stovetop to make a plant-based equivalent of evaporated milk.

Evaporated milk is most commonly made with 2 percent milk, but whole milk, 1 percent, or skim will also work. You can also follow this process using dairy-free milk like soy, almond, or oat milk.

Can almond milk be cooked down as a substitute for evaporated milk?? You can simmer almond milk to reduce and concentrate the flavor and texture: when reduced by half, it is approximately the thickness of heavy cream.

Soy milk is nutritionally the closest to dairy milk and makes a good substitute when reduced by simmering on the stove in the same way. Nut milk can also be reduced and used, but may be more suitable for sweet dishes depending on the flavor of the milk.

Canned coconut milk is a perfect vegan evaporated milk substitute. The simplest way to make vegan evaporated milk is to just use canned coconut milk. It doesn't require any preparation and can be substituted at a ratio of 1:1.

It's actually pretty simple. Take a can of full-fat coconut milk and some sugar (or a vegan sweetener of your choice). Simmer it down until it thickens up, and voila, vegan condensed milk. And if it's a dulce de leche flavor you're after, just keep that simmer going until the mix caramelizes.

While many recipes call for it, you can absolutely make an outstanding pumpkin pie without evaporated milk. If your recipe calls for one can of evaporated milk (as most do), you can substitute 1 ½ cups of cream or half and half, or a combination of the two. You can also use milk (any kind from whole to skim).

Sour cream is an acceptable replacement for whole milk, buttermilk or evaporated milk in baking. Regular and reduced-fat are preferred over nonfat in baking because the latter will separate.

The evaporated milk you buy from the store is simply milk that has had 60% of its water evaporated. You can make your own by simmering it on the stove until reduced by 60%, or a bit more than half. It takes a bit of time and diligence, half hour or so of simmering, and remembering it's there so it doesn't boil dry.

Can I use coconut milk instead of evaporated milk? ›

Another alternative for evaporated milk is to substitute coconut milk 1:1 in the recipe. This will impart a coconut flavor to the recipe, so it works in some recipes but not all.

And while milk might only last a week in the refrigerator, unopened evaporated milk that is properly stored can last up to two years. But how can you tell when it's gone bad? In short, by looking at it. If your milk has turned dark yellow or brown, don't use it.

You'll want to use about 3/4ths the amount of almond or soy milk as evaporated milk. Also, keep in mind that soy milk separates into liquids and solids under heat, so if you're using it in a sauce, try to add it after you're done heating!

How do you make 1 cup of evaporated milk? To make a cup of evaporated milk, place 2 cups of the milk of your choice in a pot over medium-low heat, and simmer, occasionally whisking, until the amount of milk has been reduced in half, about 30 – 40 minutes.

In recipes, evaporated milk can also be replaced by combining whole milk and regular cream. For 1 cup of evaporated milk, use 3/4 cup whole milk and 1/4 cup of cream.

According to Carnation, one tin of its regular condensed milk contains around 2.5 grams of saturates, while the vegan version contains 0.4 grams.

Many vegan bakers agree that the easiest and tastiest dairy-free alternative to condensed milk is made with coconut milk. Since thickness is part of what you're looking for, it's helpful that full-fat coconut milk is already quite dense.

However, these substitutes come in handy in so many ways. With many people going vegan or vegetarian, it would help to have a good knowledge about plant-based milks that you can use to replace evaporated milk in your recipes. Also, while evaporated milk is gluten-free, it isn't dairy-free.

Approved by the Vegan Society, our Vegan Condensed Milk Alternative can make all your favourite Carnation® recipes vegan, including Banoffee Pie, Fudge, Cheesecake, Millionaire's Shortbread and so much more.