Vegan Evaporated Milk Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is there a vegan version of evaporated milk? ›

Almond, oat, soy, cashew, and any other alternative milk base you can think of, can all be reduced on the stovetop to make a plant-based equivalent of evaporated milk.

The evaporated milk you buy from the store is simply milk that has had 60% of its water evaporated. You can make your own by simmering it on the stove until reduced by 60%, or a bit more than half. It takes a bit of time and diligence, half hour or so of simmering, and remembering it's there so it doesn't boil dry.

You'll want to use about 3/4ths the amount of almond or soy milk as evaporated milk. Also, keep in mind that soy milk separates into liquids and solids under heat, so if you're using it in a sauce, try to add it after you're done heating!

Store Bought Vegan Evaporated Milk Products

We've encountered versions that are made from all different varieties of plant milks including evaporated coconut milk, evaporated oat milk, and evaporated almond milk.

But you can definitely try soy milk, oat milk, rice milk, cashew milk, almond milk, coconut milk, etc.! Keep in mind that if you are using this evaporated milk in a savory recipe, such as a creamy soup, casserole, or sauce, it is important to use plain, unsweetened milk!

While yogurt is typically not recommended as a substitute for evaporated milk in most recipes, some have success with Greek yogurt as it also has a thick consistency, similar to evaporated milk. Like with any substitution, most probably will have to slightly reformulate the recipe.

Sour cream is an acceptable replacement for whole milk, buttermilk or evaporated milk in baking. Regular and reduced-fat are preferred over nonfat in baking because the latter will separate.

While many recipes call for it, you can absolutely make an outstanding pumpkin pie without evaporated milk. If your recipe calls for one can of evaporated milk (as most do), you can substitute 1 ½ cups of cream or half and half, or a combination of the two. You can also use milk (any kind from whole to skim).

Soy milk can be heated, and the water content reduced to use it like evaporated milk. The taste is slightly different, but in most recipes you won't notice. It can be used in sweet and savory dishes alike. However, keep in mind that up to 14% of children with a dairy allergy are also allergic to soy.

Can I use regular milk in place of evaporated milk? ›

The milk you have in the refrigerator is the best substitute for evaporated milk because it can be concentrated, much like the product you find on grocery store shelves. To make your own evaporated milk, pour 2/3 more milk than called for in the recipe into a saucepan.

MILK, DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, CARRAGEENAN, DEXTROSE, VITAMIN D3.

Yes, you can generally substitute almond milk for evaporated milk in baking recipes, but keep in mind that the texture, flavor, and thickness of the final product may be slightly different due to the lower fat content and different flavor profile of almond milk.

Another alternative for evaporated milk is to substitute coconut milk 1:1 in the recipe. This will impart a coconut flavor to the recipe, so it works in some recipes but not all.

To make mac and cheese without milk, the best choice is to find something that has a similar texture and a milk flavor. Things like heavy cream, almond milk, oat milk, yogurt, cream cheese, and even pasta water all work very well in boxed mac and cheese.

Canned coconut milk is a perfect vegan evaporated milk substitute. The simplest way to make vegan evaporated milk is to just use canned coconut milk. It doesn't require any preparation and can be substituted at a ratio of 1:1.

According to Carnation, one tin of its regular condensed milk contains around 2.5 grams of saturates, while the vegan version contains 0.4 grams.

It's actually pretty simple. Take a can of full-fat coconut milk and some sugar (or a vegan sweetener of your choice). Simmer it down until it thickens up, and voila, vegan condensed milk. And if it's a dulce de leche flavor you're after, just keep that simmer going until the mix caramelizes.

Many vegan bakers agree that the easiest and tastiest dairy-free alternative to condensed milk is made with coconut milk. Since thickness is part of what you're looking for, it's helpful that full-fat coconut milk is already quite dense.