Vegan Evaporated Milk Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What can I substitute for evaporated milk that is vegan? ›

But you can definitely try soy milk, oat milk, rice milk, cashew milk, almond milk, coconut milk, etc.!

As the name suggests, evaporated milk is not vegan. Here's our guide to making vegan evaporated milk for all your baking needs. Traditional evaporated milk that you can find canned in the supermarket is made by heating cow's milk at a high temperature to reduce the liquid concentration by about 60 percent.

Make evaporated milk by heating 2 ¼ cups of regular milk and gently boiling it down until it reduces to 1 cup. This exact method is used to make evaporated milk for commercial retail. Evaporated milk is most commonly made with 2 percent milk, but whole milk, 1 percent, or skim will also work.

There are a few brands of dairy-free evaporated milk that you can buy online and keep on hand. The most popular one is Nature's Charm. But they cost much more than my first suggestion, and are essentially the same thing. You can make my Instant Dairy-Free Evaporated Milk Recipe.

Substitute Heavy Cream for Evaporated Milk

Or, If you have both cream and regular milk on hand, thin the cream to make your own half-and-half. Whisk together equal parts of cream and milk and use the same amount called for in your recipe.

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.

In 2020, Nestlé's dairy brand Carnation launched a vegan version of its condensed milk—which is made with oats, rice flour, and sugar—for the first time. Just like the regular version, it can be used in cooking to add a little extra sweetness to desserts and treats like vegan cheesecake, cupcakes, and fudge.

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.

Why do vegans not drink milk? ›

The Reasons Vegans Don't Drink Milk

Like a Vegetarian, Vegans express animal rights concerns with all elements of farming. In short, it is not the cow's choice to provide milk for human consumption, so why should we drink it? Sometimes, within farming, there is poor treatment of animals.

In terms of nutritional value, evaporated milk has a higher nutrient concentration than fresh cow's milk and, therefore, more calories. It has over twice as many grams of carbohydrates, protein, and fat – except for the reduced fat and fat-free varieties – and higher mineral content.

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.

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.

When a can of coconut milk is labeled as "evaporated," it means that a portion of the water content has been removed through a process of evaporation. This results in a thicker and more concentrated coconut milk compared to regular coconut milk.

Coconut milk powder is generally a nondairy, vegan alternative to milk powder that can be used in equal amounts.