5 Best Evaporated Milk Substitutes

Evaporated milk is exactly what its name says—milk that has been heated to evaporate some of the original water content. It was developed in the 19^th century, before the age of refrigerators in every home, to provide home cooks with a ready supply of usable milk. Shelf-stable and economical, evaporated milk is still a common pantry item, even though fresh dairy is readily available.

What is evaporated milk?

To make evaporated milk, fresh homogenized milk is heated until 60% of the water has been removed. The result is a thicker, richer liquid with a slightly caramelized taste. It does not have added sugar, so it’s not to be confused with its fellow canned dairy standby, sweetened condensed milk.

Evaporated milk surges in popularity every November for one reason: It’s the default dairy in pumpkin pies on Thanksgiving tables across the country. It’s also used in many side dishes, soups, sauces and casseroles, and is often suggested as a substitute for fresh milk or heavy cream.

How do you make evaporated milk?

overhead view of a hand stirring milk in a saucepan to make evaporated milk Taste Recipes

You simply apply a little heat to regular milk to evaporate some of the liquid.

Start by pouring 60% more milk than the recipe calls for into a saucepan and bringing it to a boil over medium heat. Lower the heat and let it simmer, stirring occasionally until it’s reduced to the amount that you need.

This method works with any kind of cow milk—like fresh milk, canned evaporated milk comes in whole, low-fat and skim. You can also use the same method to reduce non-dairy milk. (If you’re using a sweeter milk, such as almond milk, you may want to reduce the sugar in your recipe slightly.)

5 Substitutes for Evaporated Milk

Here’s what to use instead of evaporated milk. There’s even a vegan evaporated milk substitute, too!

Cream

Cream in a glass jar on a kitchen counter with jar of vanilla extract and measuring spoon nearby Taste Recipes

If you have half-and-half on hand, use it as a substitute for evaporated milk. One of the experts in the Taste Recipes Test Kitchen even uses heavy cream instead of evaporated milk in her own pumpkin pies because she prefers the flavor. The consistency of both types of cream is similar enough to evaporated milk that it won’t make a huge difference in your batter.

The wrinkle, however, is fat content—even whole milk evaporated milk contains only around 8% percent milk fat, while light cream contains 20.6% and heavy cream tops out at 37.6%. Be prepared for your end result to be richer. You can also mix milk and cream to create a balanced evaporated milk substitute.

What cream will not have is the toasty, caramelized flavor that’s distinct to evaporated milk. If that’s a flavor you’ll miss, compensate with a dash of vanilla extract.

Powdered milk

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Many home cooks keep powdered milk in the pantry. Like evaporated milk, it’s a way to ensure you always have dairy on hand. To make evaporated milk from powdered milk, rehydrate it as you would to make regular milk—only use less water. Specifically, use 60% of the water called for.

Coconut milk

Coconut milk in a glass on a kitchen counter Taste Recipes

Coconut milk has a thickness that makes it an effective evaporated milk substitute. You can also use thicker coconut cream, which is more similar in texture to evaporated milk. Either way, the distinct coconut flavor will show up in your finished recipe so only use coconut milk if you’re baking something with a tropical bent, like Coconut Chiffon Cake.

Almond or cashew milk

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To make vegan evaporated milk, choose a higher-fat vegan milk alternative, such as cashew or almond milk. Avoid flavored milk, which can develop a strange taste when it’s reduced.

Pour 60% more milk than the recipe calls for into a saucepan and simmer, stirring often, until it reduces to your desired amount, about 20-30 minutes. Strain the milk to remove any grit or “skin.” Now your vegan evaporated milk is ready to use! If you’re using naturally sweet milk, such as almond milk, reduce the sugar in your recipe slightly.

Homemade oat milk

supplies for homemade oat milk on a kitchen counter; oats in a measuring cup near a measuring cup of water in front of a blender Taste Recipes

Prepare a slightly tweaked batch of homemade oat milk by whirring oats and water in a blender until smooth. You’ll need a top-rated blender here; as much as we love our immersion blender, it’s not strong enough to blitz the oats to smoothness. The ratio for regular oat milk is 1 part oats to 4 parts water. To make oat milk with an evaporated milk-like thickness, reduce the water and use a ratio of 1 part oats to 2 parts water. No boiling needed.

What Not to Use as an Evaporated Milk Substitute

Skip any fermented or soured dairy—buttermilk and yogurt are nonstarters. Remember that evaporated milk was created as a replacement for fresh milk, so use fresh milk products when creating your evaporated milk substitute.

Recipes Using Evaporated Milk

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