You might have seen evaporated milk and condensed milk on the same shelf at the supermarket and rightly felt confused about which one to get. The canned milk products look similar, but their differences can greatly affect your recipe’s result. So, what exactly is the difference between evaporated milk and condensed milk? And can they be used interchangeably? Here, we distill the differences between these two types of milk in a can and share our favourite recipes highlighting these powerhouse pantry staples.
Evaporated Milk vs Condensed Milk
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.
Evaporated milk is simply fresh milk that’s been heated until about 60 percent of its water content has evaporated. From here, the evaporated milk is homogenised, canned and heat sterilised. There are three different kinds of evaporated milk depending on the milk’s fat content: whole milk, low-fat and skim. Unopened cans of evaporated milk can keep for more than a year. But if you open a can and it’s dark yellow or brown (a light brown colour is normal), smells bad or appears curdled, don’t use it. Evaporated milk can be subbed in for milk or half-and-half in savoury and sweet recipes.
Condensed milk is evaporated milk that typically has sweetener added, so much so that the terms ‘condensed milk’ and ‘sweetened condensed milk’ are used interchangeably. Sugar is added before canning; condensed milk is very sweet and contains about 40 to 45 percent sugar. Condensed milk is a kitchen staple around the world, including in Asia, where it’s used to sweeten drinks, in Latin America, where it stars in confections such as tres leches cake, and in desserts across Europe and the US, such as fudge and no-churn ice cream. The thick, creamy and caramel-coloured liquid adds sweetness and richness to all manner of desserts without the moisture content of regular milk. Think pie filling, cake batter, bars, milkshakes and caramel sauces.
Can I Use Evaporated Milk Instead of Condensed Milk?
Yes and no. 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 flavour profile or to suit your personal preference. Take note, however, that since the sugar in condensed milk concentrates during the canning process, it inherently has a more caramelised taste. So, for recipes that lean toward more of a caramel flavour profile, such as tres leches cake, you’re better off using what the recipe calls for.
