Substituting with Evaporated Milk | Cook's Illustrated (2024)

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Substituting with Evaporated Milk | Cook's Illustrated? ›

Evaporated milk is made by slowly heating milk to remove about half of its water—a process that develops a light golden color and mildly sweet flavor. Nestlé states that Carnation evaporated milk can be substituted in a 1:1 ratio for regular whole milk.

Use evaporated milk instead of fresh milk in recipes. Add an equal amount of water. For example, if a recipe lists 1 cup (250 mL) milk, add ½ cup water to ½ cup evaporated milk.

Bakers often use it as a substitute for cream to help reduce fat content. To substitute for a cup of regular milk, add in one part evaporated milk and one part water. For a more fresh-milk taste, add half the called for milk with evaporated milk, and the rest with water.

Powdered Milk vs Evaporated Milk

Powdered milk can be mixed with an equal amount of water to create a substitute for evaporated milk, but evaporated milk cannot be used in place of milk powder.

So for example, if a recipe calls for one cup of evaporated milk, you'd need to use about 1⅔ cups of regular whole, 2 percent, or skim milk.

Carnation Evaporated Milk is the best for mashed potatoes. I learned this from my mother-in-law in the '70s. She made hers with this, and they were the best I ever tasted. The Carnation Evaporated Milk just gives them a sweetness and great flavor that you can't get from just regular milk or even cream.

To make an easy mac and cheese with evaporated milk, cook eight ounces of pasta a minute shy of al dente in well-salted water, then drain. Return the drained pasta to the pot, and add a 12-ounce can of evaporated milk and all your cheese (you'll want 12 ounces of cheese for this amount of pasta) and seasonings.

Evaporated milk comes in three varieties based on the amount of fat: whole milk, low-fat and skim. The benefit of evaporated milk is shelf-life: canned milk can remain stable for up to two years for peak flavor, and maybe longer. If you open a can of evaporated milk and it is dark yellow or brown, don't use it.

Potential downsides

Evaporated milk may be problematic for people with lactose intolerance or cow's milk allergy (CMA), as it contains more lactose and milk proteins per volume, compared with regular milk. Lactose is the main type of carb found in milk and dairy products ( 20 ).

But when left in its thickened, low-moisture canned state, it can also stand in for milk or heavy cream as an enriching agent. Evaporated milk gives body to smoothies, thickens up and sweetens coffee, and adds nuance and richness to creamy soups and chowders, not to mention savory sauces and even oatmeal.

What is the best milk substitute for cooking? ›

The best milk for cooking really depends on the flavor you're looking for. For example, if you're cooking a savory dish, you can try soy milk or hemp milk. If you're cooking a sweeter dish, try alternatives such as oat milk. This option lends a sweet flavor to everything from soups to curries and beyond.

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).

For the most part, if you find yourself without condensed milk on hand, you can substitute an equal amount of evaporated milk. The consistency will be the same, but since evaporated milk is unsweetened, you'll need to add sweetener to match the recipe's intended flavor profile or to suit your personal preference.

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.

If opting for evaporated milk in this hack, dilute 50:50 with water—1/4 cup evaporated milk and 1/4 cup water to make 1/2 cup milk.

I've made mozzarella from scratch using dried milk (using rennet) in the past and I've made ricotta cheese using evaporated milk. (And yes, I also have freeze dried mozzarella cheese in my storage.)

Another suitable swap for half-and-half is evaporated milk. All you need is to substitute an equal amount of evaporated milk for half-and-half; so if your recipe calls for ½ cup of half-and-half, just use ½ cup of evaporated milk in its place.

Condensed milk can be substituted for whole milk in some recipes. Since condensed milk contains a lot of added sugar it may not always be the best choice. Evaporated milk and water are another option. This is a guide about substituting condensed milk for whole milk.