Sweetened condensed milk substitutes, and the one closest to the can
For one 14 oz can, whisk dry milk, sugar and melted butter into boiling water. What works in key lime pie, fudge, ice cream and dairy free, compared on macros.
How they compare, per 100 g
Most substitute guides tell you what works and stop there. If you are choosing partly on macros, here are the numbers side by side.
Canned sweetened condensed milk carries about 54 g of carbohydrate per 100 g, most of it added sugar, and the dry milk version lands almost on it. The simmered versions look lighter because they hold more water, which is the same reason they set softer.
| Per 100 g | kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweetened condensed milk, canned | 321 | 7.9 g | 54.4 g | 8.7 g |
| Dry milk, sugar and butter | 326 | 7.6 g | 52.4 g | 10.3 g |
| Evaporated milk and sugar, simmered | 272 | 4.6 g | 46.7 g | 8.2 g |
| Whole milk and sugar, simmered | 217 | 4.1 g | 41.7 g | 4.2 g |
| Coconut milk and sugar, simmered | 347 | 2.1 g | 38.7 g | 22.4 g |
| Evaporated milk, no sugar | 135 | 6.8 g | 10 g | 7.6 g |
Typical values, rounded. Brands vary, so treat these as estimates for comparing options rather than exact figures.
Every option, and when to use it
Which one works depends on what the ingredient is doing in the recipe, so here is the full list, with where each one fails.
| Use | How much | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Dry milk, sugar and butter | 85 g instant nonfat dry milk, 165 g sugar, 50 g melted butter and 100 ml boiling water per 14 oz can | key lime pie, fudge, no-churn ice cream, and anything that needs to set Watch out: thin while hot, so let it cool before judging it |
| Evaporated milk and sugar | 1 cup evaporated milk, 3/4 cup sugar and 1 tbsp butter, simmered to 1 1/4 cups | tres leches, magic bars, pies, and using up an open can Watch out: fewer milk solids than the can, so fudge sets softer |
| Whole milk and sugar, simmered | 2 cups whole milk and 2/3 cup sugar, reduced to 1 1/4 cups | coffee, tea, drizzling, and baking where it is one ingredient of many Watch out: at least half an hour at the stove, and about half the milk protein of the can |
| Tinned coconut milk and sugar, simmered | one 400 ml tin full fat coconut milk and 2/3 cup sugar, reduced to 1 1/4 cups | dairy-free and vegan desserts Watch out: tastes of coconut, and carries more than twice the fat |
| Sweetened condensed coconut milk, in a tin | 1:1 | dairy free with no cooking Watch out: tastes of coconut, and not every supermarket stocks it |
| Cream of coconut | 1:1 | no-bake desserts and drinks Watch out: not the same as coconut cream, which is unsweetened and will not work |
| Soy or oat milk and sugar, simmered | as for whole milk | vegan cooking where coconut would clash Watch out: oat milk reduces thinner than soy, so the result is looser |
| Heavy cream and sugar, simmered | 1 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup sugar, reduced by about a third | caramel sauce and fudge Watch out: far richer than the can, and it can turn greasy if it boils hard |
For one 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk, whisk 85 g (1 1/4 cups) of instant nonfat dry milk, 165 g of sugar and 50 g of melted butter into 100 ml of boiling water until smooth. It takes five minutes, needs no simmering, thickens as it cools, and by our estimate comes closest of every substitute to the can.
With a can of evaporated milk in the cupboard instead, simmer 1 cup of it with 3/4 cup of sugar and a tablespoon of butter until it reduces to 1 1/4 cups. It is softer than the real thing, which matters in fudge and not in a tres leches soak.
What sweetened condensed milk actually is
Under US federal regulations, it is milk and sugar with some of the water removed, containing at least 8 percent milkfat and at least 28 percent total milk solids. The same rule says the sugar has to be enough to prevent spoilage (21 CFR 131.120), which is why an unopened can keeps in the cupboard.
That definition explains what a substitute has to do: carry a lot of sugar and a lot of milk solids in not much water. Anything that falls short on the solids still sweetens, but it sets softer.
A 14 oz can is measured by weight. Poured into a measuring jug it comes to 10 fluid ounces, about 1 1/4 cups (Eagle Brand), so every recipe below makes about 1 1/4 cups, one can’s worth.
The substitutes, and how close each one gets
By our estimate from typical ingredient values:
| Substitute, per 14 oz can | Milk solids | Milkfat | Clears the 8% fat and 28% solids minimums? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry milk, sugar and butter | about 31% | about 10% | Yes, on paper |
| Evaporated milk and sugar, simmered | about 21% | about 8% | Fat only |
| Whole milk and sugar, simmered | about 16% | about 4% | No |
| Coconut milk and sugar, simmered | none | none | Dairy free, so not comparable |
That table is most of the answer. The dry milk version is the only one with the milk solids of the can, which is what helps a key lime pie or fudge set. The other two are perfectly good where the condensed milk is mostly there to sweeten.
Dry milk, sugar and butter
- 85 g (1 1/4 cups) instant nonfat dry milk
- 165 g (a generous 3/4 cup) sugar
- 50 g (3 1/2 tablespoons) butter, melted
- 100 ml (a scant 1/2 cup) boiling water
Put the water and butter in a bowl, add the sugar and whisk until it dissolves, then whisk in the dry milk a little at a time so it does not clump. A blender does it in seconds. It looks thin while hot and thickens as it cools.
Evaporated milk and sugar
Warm 1 cup of evaporated milk with 3/4 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of butter, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Then keep it at a gentle simmer, stirring often, until it reduces to about 1 1/4 cups. Skip the simmer for a tres leches soak, where thinner is fine.
Whole milk and sugar, simmered
Simmer 2 cups of whole milk with 2/3 cup of sugar, stirring often, until it reduces to about 1 1/4 cups. This takes at least half an hour, and milk with sugar in it catches on the bottom of the pan quickly, so stay close to it.
Which substitute for which job
| You are making | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Key lime pie | Dry milk, sugar and butter | The filling relies on the milk protein thickening |
| No-bake cheesecake | Dry milk, sugar and butter | The lemon juice sets it the same way |
| Fudge | Dry milk, sugar and butter | Extra water stops it setting firm |
| No-churn ice cream | Dry milk, sugar and butter | Extra water freezes into ice |
| Magic bars, seven-layer bars | Any of them | Baked long enough to set |
| Tres leches cake | Evaporated milk and sugar | It is a soak, so thinner is fine |
| Vietnamese coffee, Thai iced tea | Any, even milk and sugar | It is only sweetening a drink |
| Dairy free or vegan | Coconut milk and sugar, or a tin of condensed coconut milk | Closest texture without dairy |
Key lime pie
The filling thickens when the lime juice meets the concentrated milk protein, and most recipes also bake it briefly with egg yolks. The dry milk version carries nearly as much protein as the can by our estimate. The simmered milk version carries about half, so it is the one more likely to set soft.
No-bake cheesecake
A no-bake cheesecake made with condensed milk sets the way a key lime pie does: the lemon juice thickens the concentrated milk protein, and the cream cheese holds the shape. Use the dry milk version, the only one close enough to the can to set. The simmered versions carry more water, and a no-bake filling has no oven to drive it off.
A baked cheesecake needs no condensed milk at all, because eggs set it in the oven. The cottage cheese cheesecake on this site is one, sweetened with ordinary sugar.
Fudge
Fudge sets because the sugar is concentrated enough to firm up as it cools. Every spoonful of extra water works against that. Use the dry milk version, or simmer the evaporated milk version until it is noticeably thick.
No-churn ice cream
The sugar in condensed milk is what keeps no-churn ice cream soft enough to scoop, and its low water content is what keeps it smooth. The dry milk version keeps both. The simmered versions carry more water, which freezes into ice crystals, so the result is harder and icier.
Drinks and tres leches
Here the condensed milk is mainly sweetening, so any version works, and so does sugar stirred into half and half or whole milk.
Can you use evaporated milk instead of sweetened condensed milk?
Only with sugar. The tins sit side by side and look alike, but evaporated milk has no added sugar: about 10 g of carbohydrate per 100 g against roughly 54 for sweetened condensed milk. Poured straight into a condensed milk recipe, it makes a bland dessert that does not set. The evaporated milk method above fixes that.
The other direction does not work at all, because there is no way to take the sugar back out. For that swap, see evaporated milk substitutes.
Dairy-free and vegan sweetened condensed milk
Tinned full fat coconut milk simmered with sugar is the closest homemade version. Use one 400 ml tin with 2/3 cup of sugar and reduce it to about 1 1/4 cups. Use the tin, not the carton, which is a drink and far too thin.
Sweetened condensed coconut milk is sold in tins and works 1:1 with no cooking.
Cream of coconut, the sweetened syrup sold for cocktails, works 1:1 in no-bake desserts and drinks. Do not confuse it with coconut cream, which is unsweetened.
Soy or oat milk simmered with sugar, as for whole milk, where coconut would clash. Soy reduces to a thicker result than oat.
All of these taste less of milk and more of their base. None of them sets a key lime pie as firmly as the can, because none has the milk protein.
Is there a healthy substitute for sweetened condensed milk?
Not really, and it helps to know why. The sugar is not only sweetness: it is what sets the fudge, keeps the ice cream scoopable and keeps the can from spoiling. Take it out and the recipe stops working rather than getting lighter.
What the numbers show, per can’s worth and by our estimate:
- The dry milk version carries almost exactly the sugar of the can. It is the best match, not a lighter one.
- The evaporated milk version carries about a fifth less carbohydrate, and the simmered whole milk version about a quarter less. Both set softer for the same reason.
- Fat-free sweetened condensed milk is sold in the US and cuts the fat, not the sugar.
If you want less sugar, the place to cut it is a drink or a tres leches soak, where the condensed milk is only sweetening. Use the simmered milk version with less sugar, or plain milk sweetened to taste. In fudge, caramel and no-churn ice cream, use the real amount or make something else.
Condensed milk in Britain
A British tin labelled condensed milk is the sweetened kind, so it is the same ingredient as the American can. Check the label for sugar if in doubt.
To make the dry milk version, instant nonfat dry milk is sold as skimmed milk powder. Weigh it rather than using cups, because powder that is not the instant kind packs more densely. Caster sugar dissolves faster than granulated in the boiling water, and the metric quantities above work unchanged.
What the swap does to the macros
The dry milk version matches the can closely on calories, protein and carbohydrate, with a little more fat from the butter. The simmered versions are lighter per 100 g because they hold more water, not because they are healthier recipes. Coconut milk carries more than twice the fat of the can and about a quarter of the protein.
Macro figures are estimates per 100 g from typical ingredient values, not measurements. The simmered versions assume about 375 g once reduced to 1 1/4 cups, and the evaporated milk version includes its tablespoon of butter.
Dishes to make next
- Cottage cheese cheesecake that still tastes like cheesecakeA baked cheesecake that needs no condensed milk: eggs set it in the oven, and ordinary sugar sweetens it.
Common questions
For one 14 oz can, whisk 85 g (1 1/4 cups) of instant nonfat dry milk, 165 g of sugar and 50 g of melted butter into 100 ml of boiling water until smooth. It thickens as it cools and is the closest match to the can. With a can of evaporated milk instead, simmer 1 cup of it with 3/4 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of butter down to 1 1/4 cups.
Yes. The quickest way is dry milk, sugar and melted butter whisked into boiling water, which needs no simmering. The traditional way is 2 cups of whole milk simmered with 2/3 cup of sugar until it reduces to about 1 1/4 cups, which takes at least half an hour. The homemade versions carry less sugar than a can, so keep them covered in the fridge and use them within a few days.
Dry milk, sugar and butter for anything that has to set, such as key lime pie, fudge, no-churn ice cream or a no-bake cheesecake. Evaporated milk simmered with sugar for tres leches, magic bars and pies. Whole milk simmered with sugar for drinks. For dairy free, tinned coconut milk simmered with sugar, a tin of sweetened condensed coconut milk, or cream of coconut.
Only with sugar added. Evaporated milk has no added sugar, about 10 g of carbohydrate per 100 g against roughly 54 for sweetened condensed milk, so used straight a dessert comes out bland and never sets. Simmer 1 cup of evaporated milk with 3/4 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of butter until it reduces to about 1 1/4 cups, which replaces one 14 oz can.