Evaporated and Sweetened Condensed Milk Are Not the Same—Here's How They Differ and When to Use Each (2024)

FAQs

Evaporated and Sweetened Condensed Milk Are Not the Same—Here's How They Differ and When to Use Each? ›

Both are concentrated, shelf-stable milk products that have been heated until at least 60 percent of their water content has evaporated. The main difference between evaporated milk and condensed milk is that evaporated milk is unsweetened while condensed milk is sweetened.

Evaporated milk is milk that has been heated so that about 60% of the water evaporates. It is then canned and can be used as you would half-and-half, since it is extra creamy! Condensed milk is made in a similar way, but sugar is added to it so that about 45% of its content is sugar.

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.

It's thicker and sweeter than evaporated milk, which means the two cannot be used interchangeably. It's typically used to make rich desserts, such as magic cookie bars, tres leches cakes or an easy caramel sauce. Just two tablespoons of condensed milk contain 18 grams of added sugar.

However, condensed milk has much more sugar in it. This is the reason why you get a sweet coffee when you add condensed milk to it. Evaporated milk does not make your coffee this sweet. It is more about neutralizing the coffee bitterness than making it acquire sweet taste.

Evaporated milk may also be added to coffee or tea, or used as a substitute for heavy cream or half-and-half. You may even decide to drink it on its own, use it to prepare smoothies, or enjoy it with your favorite cereal, especially if you're trying to gain weight.

Almond Milk and Sugar

For a substitute, simmer 2 cups of almond milk over low heat until the liquid reduces to 1 cup. (This is not a one-to-one alternative. You do need 2 cups of almond milk to make one cup of sweetened condensed milk.) To sweeten this up, you can add 2/3 cup of any type of sugar and mix.

Don't Substitute One for the Other

Thus, using condensed milk in a recipe that requires evaporated milk will yield an overly sweet dish.

While almost all of the variations I've tried have been worth eating (mac and cheese is like pizza in that even bad versions are at least edible), my favorite mac and cheese recipes use evaporated milk instead of regular milk or even cream.

We recommend regular or powdered milk, but with a few tweaks, you can also use half-and-half, heavy cream, or non-dairy milk. While evaporated milk lacks the syrupy sweetness of the condensed version, you can use it as a substitute for condensed milk in a pinch.

Can you turn evaporated milk into sweetened condensed milk? ›

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.

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.

With its very similar consistency, 1 cup of heavy cream can replace 1 cup of evaporated milk in sweet and savory dishes. While the flavor will be blander than evaporated milk's unique caramelized tones, the texture will be noticeably richer.

Even after refrigeration became readily available, sweetened condensed milk remained the traditional way to lighten and sweeten your coffee in many places, particularly Vietnam. It has a uniquely rich taste and smooth texture.

In summary, evaporated milk is unsweetened and has a similar nutritional value to regular milk, while sweetened condensed milk is very sweet and has a higher calorie count due to the added sugar.

Ever had Vietnamese iced coffee? If so, you know that the sweet, syrupy taste of condensed milk serves as the perfect counterpoint to the smokiness of dark-roast robusta coffee, creating a bold beverage that packs as much of a punch with flavor as it does with caffeine.

Evaporated milk doesn't have sugar added. The sweetened condended milk is needed as no extra sugar is added to the fudge. If evaporated milk were used then the fudge would not be sweet enough and also would still be too soft unless the fudge is frozen.

Evaporated milk is often used in much the same way that half-and-half is, in custards, cakes, shakes and candies like fudge. When you have a recipe that calls for milk and you don't have fresh milk, you'll be glad you've got that can of evaporated milk in the pantry. Grab it, shake it, open it and make a choice.

Sweetened-condensed milk is the perfect addition to all kinds of treats and recipes, from pies to fudge to tres leches cake. But in Vietnamese coffee culture, it has a much more important purpose – it's mixed into strong coffee to make delicious, traditional Vietnamese brew.

Evaporated Milk – With a similar consistency, you can use a 1-to-1 swap of evaporated milk for heavy cream in most sweet and savory dishes. Its flavor is richer with unique caramelized tones and is not a lower-fat option, but evaporated milk makes do in a pinch.