​​Vegan Condensed Milk (2024)

This Vegan Condensed Milk is a dairy free and delicious replacement for the real thing. Use it as a sweet and creamy drizzle on fruit, in baked goods, or anywhere else condensed milk is called for!

Cans of condensed milk were always a baking staple while I was growing up. So sweet and syrupy, this sweetened milk always took pudding, fudge, ice cream and other baked goods up a notch.

We can easily recreate those delicious and sweet memories with this hassle-free Vegan Condensed Milk recipe! It’s so easy to make using 4 simple ingredients:

• Coconut cream
• Sugar
• Vanilla
• Salt

Simply whisk them all together in a pot on the stove, let it simmer, and voila! A sweet, creamy, and syrupy dairy free sweetened condensed milk.

You can use it as a sweet glaze on desserts and breakfast pastries or add it to plenty of vegan baked goods. It’s especially perfect when you’re making Vegan Caramel Sauce, Chocolate Pudding, Vegan Ice Cream, or looking for a sweetener for coffee and tea. The options are practically endless!

What is condensed milk?

Condensed milk is made from cow’s milk that’s had more than half of the water content removed. The thick and creamy mixture is sweetened with sugar before being canned and sold. Sweetened condensed milk is a common ingredient when making non-vegan pudding and pies, and can also be used as a sweetener in coffee.

The vegan substitute for condensed milk is easy to make out of coconut cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt. It’s just as thick, creamy, and sweet as the original!

How to make vegan sweetened condensed milk

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Dairy free condensed milk is easy to make in one pot on the stove. Keep the finished batch in your fridge or freezer for weeks on end!

1. Mix the coconut cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt together in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Bring it up to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for up to 45 minutes.
3. You’ll know the condensed milk is done when the liquid has been reduced by half. It’ll seem thin but will thicken as it cools.
4. Transfer the vegan condensed milk to a glass container and store it in the fridge for at least 1 hour before using.

Tips and substitutions

• Coconut cream – This is just like coconut milk but higher in fat, making it the perfect dairy substitute for this vegan sweetened condensed milk recipe. If you can’t find it, you can use a can of full fat coconut milk instead. And no, the condensed milk does NOT end up tasting like coconut.
• Sugar – You can use coconut sugar instead of white granulated sugar but it will leave the milk with a golden color. Maple syrup and agave also work as sugar replacements but you’ll need to let the mixture simmer for longer (about 50 to 60 minutes total).
• Plant milk – Coconut cream or milk will give you the best results but soy, almond, or cashew milk will also work. Just use 1 ½ cups of plant milk and ¾ cup of sugar.

How can you use it?

Get excited because the uses for vegan condensed milk are practically endless! Make your day extra special by using it in these delicious sweets:

• Vegan Seven Layer Magic Bars
• Coffee, but especially iced coffee. Yum!
• Pour some over your morning oatmeal for added sweetness.
• Use it to make homemade Vegan Ice Cream, or Tres Leches Cake.
• In Vegan Caramel Sauce.
• As a sweet drizzle on a fruit salad.
• In Vegan Fudge.
• Drizzled on Peach Scones.
• Use it to make Coconut Macaroons.

How to store vegan condensed milk

Leftover vegan condensed milk can be stored in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

To freeze, store the condensed milk in a sealed jar. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight then add to a bowl and whisk until smooth (or throw it in a blender until smooth).

Looking for more vegan basics?

• Vegan Heavy Cream
• Vegan Feta Cheese
• Vegan Sour Cream
• Vegan Pastry Cream