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

FAQs

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

Here's the difference between evaporated milk vs. condensed milk. 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 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.

Substitutions. 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.

Evaporated milk is often used in much the same way that half-and-half is, in custards, cakes, shakes and candies like fudge. When you have a recipe that calls for milk and you don't have fresh milk, you'll be glad you've got that can of evaporated milk in the pantry. Grab it, shake it, open it and make a choice.

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. It is more about neutralizing the coffee bitterness than making it acquire sweet taste.

Switch to low-fat dairy.

Many dairy products used in cooking and baking are high in fat. You can lower the fat content without compromising taste. Instead of whole milk or half-and-half, use 1% or skim milk or evaporated skim milk.

As for whether you can drink evaporated milk right out of the can, it's safe to do so. Because the only real difference is the water content, evaporated milk is pretty similar when it comes to nutritional value. However, the taste and texture of evaporated milk can be somewhat off-putting to many people.

In a pinch, you can make sweetened condensed milk from evaporated milk. Mix 1 cup evaporated milk with 1 1/4 cups sugar. Heat until the sugar is dissolved, then cool. For a better substitute for sweetened condensed milk, use powdered milk.

The sweetened condended milk is needed as no extra sugar is added to the fudge. If evaporated milk were used then the fudge would not be sweet enough and also would still be too soft unless the fudge is frozen.

How do I store unused sweetened condensed milk? We recommend you store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

What are the cons of evaporated milk? ›

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 ).

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. If you don't have much of a sweet tooth, you can also use it in place of sweetened condensed milk in plenty of desserts.

There could be gas, cramps, and stomach discomfort. Because condensed milk is more concentrated than the same volume of regular milk, it contains more lactose. Sweetened condensed milk includes a lot of calories, but it also has a lot of saturated fat, which is dangerous for people with diabetes and heart issues.

These items are essentially the same with one big difference: no sugar is added to evaporated milk. Sweetened condensed milk also has 60% of the water removed, but contains 40% sugar. Due to the big flavor difference, they cannot be substituted for each other.

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.

In fact, each fluid ounce of evaporated milk contains less than half the amount of calories and about one-fourth the amount of fat as heavy cream. “It works best in a 1:1 substitution in recipes like casseroles, soups and sauces, offering a similar texture but lighter consistency,” explains Brigham.

The "Our PET" trademark is registered and becomes the official name for the company's leading brand. 1898—"Our PET" helps supply Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders and other American fighting troops with a safe and convenient source of milk in Spanish-American War.

Unfortunately, there is no substitute for it in a fudge recipe. While you can use evaporated milk in place of regular milk in many circ*mstances, the same is not true in reverse. Also, be sure you do not confuse evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk, as they are two entirely different products.

Thus, heavy cream can easily be substituted for recipes that call for evaporated milk. How to Substitute: For 12 ounces of evaporated milk, combine 3 ounces of whole milk and 9 ounces of heavy cream.