Evaporated milk is a perfect substitute for fresh milk or cream, making it an ideal pantry staple to keep on hand at all times. There are so many great uses for evaporated milk and what’s leftover in a can, from pumpkin pie to cheese sauce to rice pudding, so don’t let those unopened cans in the cupboard go to waste!
Be sure to stir up a batch of our Fantasy Fudge for a fun gift or amaze your family with this easy Crockpot Chocolate Fondue – two of our most delicious recipes for evaporated milk. It’s a great substitute for fresh milk in our easy Bechamel Sauce and adds a creamy texture to the gravy for Easy Swedish Meatballs.
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No milk? You can easily save dinner (or dessert!) when you prep your favorite recipes calling for regular milk with this handy substitute: canned evaporated milk! It works well in both sweet recipes and savory recipes as a versatile ingredient to replace whole milk or heavy cream.
Not to be confused with sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk is a canned dairy product. It is sold as whole, low-fat, and skim milk from which 60% of the water has been removed.
As shelf-stable dairy products go, it’s a super versatile replacement for cream or fresh milk. Less expensive than fresh milk, this concentrated form of milk can be used in all kinds of recipes that call for dairy.
It’s one of those simple ingredients that often goes on sale, so stock up at the grocery store next time you see a special. The best part is that a can lasts for several months in the pantry, so it’s a great grocery staple to keep on hand.
FAQs
With a shelf life of years, canned evaporated milk is a great substitute for fresh milk in recipes and tends not to curdle as fresh milk can in cooked recipes, especially slow cooker recipes. It’s perfect in creamy soups and southern baked mac and cheese as well as creamy desserts. You can even make a homemade Irish Cream liqueur with it!
Yes, use it as a substitute for milk. The main difference is that canned evaporated milk has had some of the water removed. Since it has a reduced water content, you can dilute it with water when you use it to make it more like fresh milk. Leave it at full strength for a cream substitute.
Evaporated milk is good for up to a week, tightly covered and refrigerated. Freeze it for longer storage.
It is good in delicious desserts, comfort food dinners, and other savory dishes. You can even use it as creamer in a hot cup of coffee. When slightly frozen, you can whip it and use it as a substitute for whipping cream.
How to Store Evaporated Milk
If you can’t use a full can in your recipe, store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. Freeze it for longer storage.
How to Freeze Leftover Evaporated Milk
Depending on how much leftover you have, you’ll want to freeze leftover evaporated milk in small portions to use in future milk recipes. Freezing in ice cube trays is a perfect way to save just a few tablespoons of this versatile product.
You can add the frozen cubes to chicken broth or hot cocoa to cool it down without diluting the flavor like ice cubes or thaw the frozen milk and use as a substitute for all types of milk.
- Divide the milk into ice cube trays or small containers.
- Place in the freezer until firm.
- Store in a ziptop bag in the freezer until ready to use.
If you’re freezing evaporated milk to whip it for your favorite desserts, pour it into a small mixing bowl and place the beaters in the bowl. Set in the freezer until ice crystals appear at the edges of the liquid, about half an hour. Beat the cold milk with a hand beater on high just until frothy. Add sugar and seasonings, then continue beating until it’s stiff.
Recipes that Use Evaporated Milk
The following recipes either call for evaporated milk specifically or are good easy recipes where you can substitute canned milk for fresh. Your taste buds won’t know the difference!
Tell us what you think!
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Cheri A
Thank you for this post that was linked in the GCE newsletter. I recently tried a new soup recipe that called evaporated milk, so I bought a can. We’re really not drinking much milk or using much in cooking now that we’re empty nesters. I end up throwing it away. I’m going to get a few cans to see if that helps us bridge the gap instead and is more economical.
Jessica Fisher
Glad it was helpful!