The Best Evaporated Milk Substitutes

The first time I tried to modify my recipe for Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo and make it something you could cook in the slow cooker, I didn’t realize how important evaporated milk would be in the recipe. In fact, I hadn’t even considered using evaporated milk for a Crock Pot recipe until another food blogger suggested it.

Have you wondered about using evaporated milk in your recipes? Most cooks reach for it because of its creamy consistency. Also, it’s super versatile and can enhance both sweet and savory dishes. From half and half to almond milk, read on for several different substitutes for evaporated milk.

Evaporated Milk Explained

Evaporated milk is fresh milk that has been heated to remove about 60 percent of its water content. It is then homogenized, canned and goes through heat sterilization treatment. 

Leaving out evaporated milk can change a recipe completely. Here are a few reasons why you need it:

• It thickens smoothies.
• Evaporated milk adds sweetness to coffee.
• It adds richness and texture to soups, chowders, sauces and oatmeal.
• Evaporated milk adds more creaminess to recipes such as fudge and a Thanksgiving pumpkin pie, or ones that call for it specifically, such as tres leches cake.

Common evaporated milk substitutes

For someone making any of the aforementioned dishes on a regular basis, it’s a good idea to always keep evaporated milk on hand. However, sometimes you’ll go to reach for it and, dang it, you’re out. Don’t sweat it. There are a dozen everyday products that can step in as a substitute. Here are a few of them.

Half and half

I don’t know about you, but as a coffee lover, I always have half and half on hand in the refrigerator. Turns out it is a great evaporate milk alternative, because of the extra fat and its thick consistency.

Adding 1 cup of half and half replaces one cup of evaporated milk in sweet recipes like pumpkin pie but also in savory recipes like soup. Truth is, you can use half and half instead of heavy cream when making cream-based soups, too, for fewer calories and grams of fat.

“If I run out of evaporated milk, I just use cream or half and half, and it works out fine,” says Jere’ Cassidy, One Hot Oven. “For instance, when making creamy casseroles or mac and cheese, I just substitute in half and half, and the recipes turn out just as tasty.”

Heavy cream

Heavy cream has a richer taste than evaporated milk without the caramelized flavor but a similar consistency. You can use it as a substitute on a one-to-one ratio. So, adding one cup of heavy cream for one cup of evaporated milk works as a replacement in pie fillings, casseroles, soups, ice cream and sauces.

DIY evaporated milk

To make your own evaporated milk, you’re going to be cooking down milk from the refrigerator. You’ll start with regular milk and double what the recipe calls for.

For example, if you need one cup of evaporated milk, start with two cups of regular milk. Add the regular milk to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer until it thickens and reduces in volume by about half. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool. In the end, your one cup of DIY evaporated milk will replace one cup of evaporated milk you might have purchased at the store.

Powdered milk

To use powdered milk as a replacement for evaporated milk, add 60 percent of the water it calls for when reconstituting the milk. It can be used as a cup-for-cup substitute for evaporated milk. Powdered milk works well in both sweet and savory dishes.

Plant-based milks

There are a number of plant-based milks or milk-like beverages on the market these days. Many come in shelf-stable packaging, such as hemp milk. So you can buy it and keep it on hand in your pantry if you’re avoiding dairy milk for ethical, dietary or religious reasons — such as you keep a kosher house but want access to something daily-like when cooking.

Also, keep in mind that most plant milks have a higher water content than evaporated milk. So if you want to use it as a substitute, you’ll need to cook it down to get rid of that excess liquid.

One last point: many plant-based milks can come flavored. For example, vanilla is a popular option. If you’re looking to use one of these in a recipe that is not sweet, be sure to pick up the plain flavor or an unflavored version. Otherwise the sweet will ruin your savory dish.

Soy milk

Soy milk has the closest texture to regular milk. So if you want to try your hand at DIY evaporated milk but don’t drink cow’s milk, soy will be your go to.

If you’re using soy milk straight in your recipes, keep in mind that soy milk has a higher water content than dairy milk. So you may need to add a thickener like cornstarch when making soups or sauces.

Coconut milk

Canned coconut milk or coconut milk from a carton can be used as a substitute for evaporated milk. Adding one cup of coconut milk replaces one cup of evaporated milk.

Coconut milk from a carton has a higher water content and needs to be evaporated over heat like regular milk. It has a slight coconut flavor, so it’s best to use coconut milk in sweet and savory dishes where the flavor will compliment the dish you are making.

In other words, if you’re reaching for coconut milk as an evaporated milk, save it for sweet dishes. If you need a substitute for a savory dish, consider one of the other alternatives I’ve suggested here.

Almond milk

Almond milk needs to be evaporated over a heat source just like you would with regular milk. Then it can be used as a cup-for-cup replacement for evaporated milk. Almond milk tends to be sweet, so it is best for desserts.

Cashew milk

Cashew milk also needs to be evaporated over heat. One cup of evaporated cashew milk replaces one cup of evaporated milk. Cashew milk can be used in both sweet and savory dishes.

Oat milk

Oat milk can be used just like almond milk or cashew milk. It requires evaporation over heat as well. It can be used as a cup-for-cup replacement for evaporated milk. Oat milk works in baking, casseroles and sauces.

Hemp milk

Hemp milk also needs to be evaporated over heat. It is sweeter than the other milk, so it is best for baking. One cup of evaporated hemp milk replaces one cup of evaporated milk. Hemp milk can be used in both sweet and savory recipes.

Flaxseed milk

Flaxseed milk can be used in both sweet and savory dishes and can be used once the water content is reduced over in a heated pan like the other options above. It can be used as a cup-for-cup replacement for evaporated milk. 

Rice milk

Rice needs to be evaporated like the other options above. Adding one cup of rice milk replaces one cup of evaporated milk. Rice milk is thinner, so you may want to add cornstarch to thicken it. Because it is sweet, it is best for desserts and baking.

Final thoughts

Using the exact ingredients is ideal, but evaporated milk substitutes can also work well. Make sure to follow all of the directions above carefully, and keep in mind that texture and flavor may be slightly different than when using evaporated milk. 

Portions of this article originally appeared on Food Drink Life.