You know you love the stuff. We all do. The sticky-sweet taste of sweetened condensed milk makes just about everything better. But what happens when you just don't have any on-hand? Make your own using our simple substitutes. We're even sharing a sweetened condensed milk recipe so you can DIY your own!
There are so many delicious baked recipes to enjoy this time of year! And so many of them call for the ooey, gooey, yummy ingredient known as sweetened condensed milk.
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So, what is sweetened, condensed milk? Furthermore, what do you do when you run out of the good stuff? Never fear! You can swap in these handy dandy substitutes OR go the DIY direction to make your own with our recipe below!
WHAT IS SWEETENED, CONDENSED MILK?
Sweetened condensed milk is really pretty simple when you break it down. It's “condensed cow's milk” that has had most of the water removed from it. Then, it's “sweetened” using added sugar to make it extra delicious. No wonder it's so good.
Sweetened condensed milk is used for everything from making candy to brownies, frostings, and more. People even use it to sweeten tea and coffee!
It's important to note that sweetened condensed milk is not like evaporated milk (which is essentially unsweetened condensed milk).
NEED A SUBSTITUTE FOR SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK?
So, knowing what makes sweetened condensed milk so unique, it makes sense why you'll need some unique options! That way, you can substitute as needed with any of these tried-and-true substitutions:
- Cream of Coconut – Don't confuse this with coconut cream. Cream of coconut comes in cans and is much sweeter. You can substitute it in at a 1:1 ratio for a great sweetened condensed milk option.
- Evaporated Milk – Combine one 12-ounce can of evaporated milk with 3/4 cup sugar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Then let cool slightly before using it in a recipe.
- Coconut Milk – Allow a can of coconut milk to sit for 30 minutes and then skim the fat off the top. Then you can use the thinned liquid combined with 3/4 cup sugar to make a sweetened condensed milk alternative.
We love the cream of coconut option personally because it has the same effect in a dish as sweetened condensed milk with a tropical flair. (We're definitely in favor of any quick trip to the tropics!)
GOT LEFTOVER SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK?
Have half a can leftover of sweetened condensed milk? Don't dump it out! There are lots of things that you can do to use it up:
- Pour Over Ice Cream – Mmmmm…. Doesn't this sound amazing? The combination of cold, creamy ice cream and sweet and amazing sweetened condensed milk. Excuse us while we wipe the drool.
- Improve a Soda – Add a little splash to your Diet Coke or Dr. Pepper for a creamy delicious extra.
- Add It to a Sweet Treat – Make up a quick box of brownies and then drizzle your leftover condensed milk to take them to next level UH-MAZING.
- Top a Shaved Ice – Sweetened condensed milk is something shaved ice aficionados use all the time in Hawaii. Simply drizzle it over the top of your shaved ice and enjoy your very own Hawaiian-style shaved ice.
- Overnight Oats – Make our yummy overnight oats and add your sweetened condensed milk as the sweetener.
Pro Tip: If you don't want to use up that leftover can just yet, good news! You can store sweetened condensed milk in the fridge for up to a month if you transfer it to a sealed container.
MAKE YOUR OWN DIY SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK
If you want to try your hand at making your own batch of sweetened condensed milk, you can use this super simple recipe that keeps for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- ¾ cup sugar
Instructions
- Add milk and sugar to a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat to dissolve the sugar.
- Once the mixture boils, reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Let it simmer uncovered for 45 minutes or until the mixture reduces to 1 ⅓ cup.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Use immediately or transfer to an air-tight storage container to chill for up to 1 week.
This is a super easy and cost-effective way to avoid paying the high prices at the grocery store for sweetened condensed milk. Man, that stuff is spendy, especially during the baking season (if you can even find it)!
Can you think of other ways to use up sweetened condensed milk? Leave a comment below and share with us your suggestions.
Looking for other ways to substitute common ingredients?
- Find an easy cream substitute with lots of different types.
- 10 smart suggestions for egg substitutes.
- The very best fake-out take-out honey sesame chicken.
Stay sweet!
The top part of the recipe says cook time is 30 minutes plus 5 minutes prep for a total time of 35 minutes, but down in the cooking instructions below that says to bring to a boil then reduce to medium low heat and let simmer for 45 minutes. Im confused , not sure if thats a typo or what im just trying to make sure so i dont mess it up , im actually on the simmering step as im typeing this comment. Thanks
So sorry about that! The cook time can vary a little, depending on how long it takes for the mixture to reduce. But it’s usually around 45 minutes simmering. Hope it worked out for you! 🙂
Is the whole milk in liquid form? I came across a recipe that uses powdered milk and is done in the blender, the results was amazing I must say.
Powdered milk would probably be a great Shelf Cooking substitution if you were out of regular milk. This recipe uses liquid whole milk.
Made this last minute when I discovered I was out of SCM on Christmas Eve. Mixed and simmered in 35 minutes and it was PERFECT! Never buying canned again!!
Right?! SO GOOD!!! Glad you enjoyed!