How to substitute evaporated milk for sweetened condensed milk

Questions and Answers – Evaporated Milk vs. Sweetened Condensed Milk

Question:

Could you tell me the difference between condensed milk and sweetened condensed milk?  Alta Dena has a yogurt that has condensed milk as an ingredient but there is no listing of sugar.  Do all condensed milks have sugar added? – Heidi Rouda (10/27/99)

Answers:

(1)  The definition of sweetened condensed milk from

Food Lover’s Companion

by Sharon Tyler Herbst:

A mixture of whole milk and sugar, 40%-45% of which is sugar.  This mixture is heated until about 60% of the water evaporates.  The resulting condensed mixture is extremely sticky and sweet.

Store unopened sweetened condensed milk at room temperature for up to 6 months.  Once opened, transfer the unused milk to an airtight container, refrigerate and use within 5 days.  Sweetened condensed milk is used in baked goods and desserts such as candies, puddings, pies, etc.

(2) Unsweetened condensed milk is referred to as Evaporated Milk.  It is a shelf-stable canned milk product with about 60% of the water removed from fresh milk. In the United States it is not sweetened.


Question:

Can I substitute condensed milk for evaporated milk if I reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe? – Edwina (11/19/05)

Answers:

They are not interchangeable as condensed milk has lots of sugar added to it.  Following is a substitution for sweetened condensed milk:

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk – 3/4 cup white sugar mixed with 1/2 cup water and 1 1/8 cups dry powdered milk.

Bring to a boil, and cook, stirring frequently until thickened, about 20 minutes.

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If you do not look closely, you can miss the difference between sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk at the grocery store.

You can use one in sauces, mac and cheese, soup, whereas the other in candies, fudge, and pies. Now, it is essential to know the main difference between the two as you prepare desserts, dips, soups, cakes, and even coffee using them.

The main difference between sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk is the extra sugar in the sweetened condensed milk. However, there are other differences too that you would want to know, so read on!

Manufacturers produce sweetened condensed milk by removing 60% of the water content from cow’s milk and then adding sugar to it.

Sweetened condensed milk is thick, sweet, and is best for preparing desserts like cake, pie, candies, fudge, pudding, etc.

What is Evaporated Milk?

On the other hand, manufacturers remove 60% of the water content from cow’s milk to produce evaporated milk. 

Unlike sweetened condensed milk, no sugar is added to it afterward. You can use this milk to prepare ice cream, sauces, soup, and even coffee or tea.

Sweetened Condensed Milk vs Evaporated Milk: Comparison Table

Category  Sweetened Condensed Milk Evaporated Milk
Production By reducing water content and adding sugar By reducing water content only
Usage In desserts and other sweet dishes In relatively less sweet dishes
Shelf Life 10 to 14 days after opening, years if unopened 3 to 5 days after opening, up to fifteen months without opening
Substitutes Coconut cream, whipping cream, evaporated milk with added sugar Regular milk, cream, powdered milk
Health Factor Relatively less healthy Relatively healthier

Sweetened Condensed Milk vs Evaporated Milk

The main difference between sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk is the extra sugar. However, the two are distinct, and it is important to know why.

Apart from how companies create them, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk differ because of their usage, shelf life, substitutes, and health factors.

How to substitute evaporated milk for sweetened condensed milk

Usage

As sweetened condensed milk contains added sugar, it is suitable for making sweet foods and desserts. You can use sweetened condensed milk for making candies, biscuits, fudge, cake pops, cheesecake, brownies, caramel and lemon bars, etc.

Evaporated milk doesn’t contain any sweeteners. Also, you can only produce them by reducing the water content from regular milk. Moreover, people use it in relatively less sweet foods than those that require sweetened condensed milk.

You can also use evaporated milk to prepare dishes such as mac and cheese, spaghetti, dips and sauces, milkshake, ice cream, yogurt, tea, coffee, etc.

Shelf life

Sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk vary greatly when it comes to shelf life.

Sweetened condensed milk can last from 10 to 14 days after opening. On the other hand, evaporated milk can only last for 3 to 5 days after it is opened.

Kept unopened, sweetened condensed milk has a shelf life of up to 2 years, even without refrigeration. On the other hand, evaporated milk can only last up to 15 months without being opened.

Usage of different substitutes

Sweetened condensed milk is thick and sweet. Therefore, you can easily substitute it using the following ingredients.

Coconut cream

It shares a similar, thick consistency as sweetened condensed milk. Coconut cream is less sweet than condensed milk, which is why you might want to add extra sugar to it. Similarly, you can also use coconut milk as a substitute for sweetened condensed milk.

Whipping cream

Whipping cream is thicker and more creamy-sweetened condensed milk. However, it acts as a good substitute for condensed milk. You can add more sugar to whipped cream as per your requirement and taste.

Evaporated milk

You can use evaporated milk as a substitute for sweetened condensed milk by adding sugar to it.

Sweetened condensed milk has sugar added to it during its production process. Thus, you cannot substitute the two the other way around. However, you can use the next products as substitutes.

Regular milk

You can replace regular milk with evaporated milk by boiling it to reduce its water content by around 60%. This would look like reducing two cups of milk to around ¾ of a cup of milk.

Cream

Substituting cream for evaporated milk can be slightly more difficult than substituting regular milk. To do so, you need to add a large amount of water to the cream to dilute it. Then, boil this mixture to reduce its water content and create evaporated milk.

Powdered milk

Similar to cream, you need to add water to powdered milk and then boil the mixture to reduce its water content to create evaporated milk.

Health factor

Sweetened condensed milk is less healthy than evaporated milk.

Sweetened condensed milk contains 40-45% sugar, while evaporated milk has no added sugar. Evaporated milk also has fewer calories and fat than sweetened condensed milk.

Can I Substitute Sweetened Condensed Milk for Evaporated Milk?

No, you cannot substitute sweetened condensed milk for evaporated milk. Evaporated milk is used to thicken less sweet foods like mac and cheese, sauce, ice cream, milkshakes, or coffee.

Sweetened condensed milk has a large amount of added sugar. Thus, you cannot use it in bland foods. It works better in desserts like fudge, candies, caramel slices, pie, or pudding, etc.

Can I Add Sugar to Evaporated Milk to Make Condensed Milk?

Yes, you can add sugar to evaporated milk to make sweetened condensed milk. However, it can become tricky to substitute evaporated milk with sweetened condensed milk.

They have different consistencies. Therefore, evaporated milk with added sugar may not be a suitable replacement for sweetened condensed milk in every recipe.

Can I Use Evaporated Milk Instead of Condensed Milk for Fudge?

You can use evaporated milk instead of sweetened condensed milk for fudge. Simply add some sugar to it since sweetened condensed milk has a larger amount of added sugar.

To use evaporated milk for fudge, you also have to see how well the sugar melts and candies. Of course, you can always add more sugar to the evaporated milk according to your taste.

Is evaporated milk the same as condensed milk?

Yes, evaporated milk is the same as condensed milk. The only difference between sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk is added sugar. Therefore, unsweetened condensed milk is the same as evaporated milk.

How to make evaporated milk into condensed milk?

Evaporated milk can be made into sweetened condensed milk by adding sugar to it.

Evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk have different textures, so you cannot directly substitute the same amount of evaporated milk in your recipe.

The amount of sweetened condensed milk that you need to add depends upon the recipe that you are preparing.

Can I use condensed milk instead of evaporated milk?

There is no such thing as unsweetened condensed milk.

The only difference between sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk is that the former is sweetened by adding a lot of sugar. The procedure for making sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk is otherwise the same.

If you wish to replace evaporated milk with sweetened condensed milk, you can add sugar to it. Otherwise, ‘unsweetened’ condensed milk is the same as evaporated milk.

Are evaporated milk and condensed milk interchangeable?

Even though these are both shelf-stable, concentrated forms of milk and have some similarities, evaporated and condensed milk cannot be used interchangeably.

What can I use if I don't have sweetened condensed milk?

If you run out of sweetened condensed milk, simply substitute the same amount of evaporated milk for a one-to-one alternative. The consistency in the dish will be near the same, but the flavor will not taste as sweet. You can add sugar to the evaporated milk if you prefer to up the sweetness.