Condensed vs. Evaporated Milk: What's the Difference? (2024)

FAQs

Condensed vs. Evaporated Milk: What's the Difference? ›

Both are concentrated, shelf-stable milk products that have been heated until at least 60 percent of their water content has evaporated. The main difference between evaporated milk and condensed milk is that evaporated milk is unsweetened while condensed milk is sweetened.

While we don't recommend substituting condensed milk for evaporated milk or vice versa, you can make your own condensed milk when you're in a pinch. Simply heat together 1½ cups of sugar and one can of evaporated milk until the sugar has fully dissolved.

As concentrated milk products, whole, reduced fat, and fat-free varieties of evaporated milk have a higher nutrient content than fresh cow's milk. Sweetened condensed milk has an even higher calorie concentration.

Evaporated milk and condensed milk are both shelf-stable canned milks that are easily found at most grocery stores. The main difference is that condensed milk is very sweet, and evaporated milk is unsweetened.

Both of them have less water content. However, condensed milk has much more sugar in it. This is the reason why you get a sweet coffee when you add condensed milk to it. Evaporated milk does not make your coffee this sweet.

Sweetened-condensed milk is the perfect addition to all kinds of treats and recipes, from pies to fudge to tres leches cake. But in Vietnamese coffee culture, it has a much more important purpose – it's mixed into strong coffee to make delicious, traditional Vietnamese brew.

Evaporated milk starts out as fresh milk and is heated to drive off more than half of the water. Add water and use it as milk or pour it straight out of the can and use it as half-and-half. Creamy, rich and perfect for baking, custards, soups and even ice cream.

The evaporation process concentrates the nutrients and the food energy (kcal); unreconstituted evaporated milk contains more nutrients and calories than does fresh milk per unit volume.

Evaporated Milk – With a similar consistency, you can use a 1-to-1 swap of evaporated milk for heavy cream in most sweet and savory dishes. Its flavor is richer with unique caramelized tones and is not a lower-fat option, but evaporated milk makes do in a pinch.

One of the first concerns about evaporated milk is whether it's safe to drink straight from the bottle. Although you definitely can, and it is entirely safe to do it, you could find it dense and less enjoyable than drinking the traditional milk you're familiar with.

Does evaporated milk go bad? ›

And while milk might only last a week in the refrigerator, unopened evaporated milk that is properly stored can last up to two years. But how can you tell when it's gone bad? In short, by looking at it. If your milk has turned dark yellow or brown, don't use it.

Typically, factory-sealed cans of sweetened condensed milk have a shelf life of one year past the printed expiration date. Both the sugar content and the hermetic sealing of cans are crucial for this extended shelf life. Once opened, the shelf life diminishes significantly, and it should be used within a few days.

On its own, evaporated milk is thick and creamy, making it an excellent replacement for half and half or creamer in your coffee or tea. You can also experiment with adding it to smoothies, milkshakes, soup, or pasta sauces, although you'll want to use less than you would with regular milk.

Evaporated milk is shelf-stable cow's milk with 60% of its water content removed. Sweetened condensed milk, on the other hand, has been modified in a process similar to evaporated milk, with the addition of sugar. In both cases, stabilizers and preservatives are added to enhance the products' shelf life.

Can you replace condensed milk with evaporated milk + sugar (or evaporated Milk + syrup) in no-churn ice cream recipes? No but you can make your own condensed milk. Add 3/4 cup of sugar to a can of evaporated milk and boil until it thickens, remove from heat and stir in a pinch of baking soda.

If this has happened to you, and you've suddenly find yourself with a can or evaporated milk when your pumpkin pie recipe calls for condensed—or vice versa—do not panic, my friend: You can make pumpkin pie with either one. Either milk can be used to add rich, creamy body to your pie.

Evaporated milk can be used as a substitute in recipes in which heavy cream is used as a liquid ingredient, such as in baked goods, but it doesn't whip well. Substitute the heavy cream in your recipes with an equal amount of evaporated milk.