Homemade Condensed Milk (Easy Recipe)

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Using a homemade condensed milk recipe is a simple and cheap way to make sweetened condensed milk at home. It has a great taste and only requires pantry staples - two simple ingredients, which you have probably already had in the kitchen.

Homemade condensed milk with a spoon in a jar

If you are looking for a sweet and creamy treat made at home, this is it! Just imagine: condensed milk can be made with just milk and sugar.

Who would have thought that the invention of Gail Borden could be made at home?

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Why you should try this recipe
Ingredient list
Recipe variations
How to make condensed milk
Expert Tips
Equipment
Storage instructions
Recipe FAQ
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Comments

Homemade condensed milk has an incredible taste - sweet without being overpowering. Surprisingly, you don't need any special tools or appliances; all of these things are usually found right around the house.

And who doesn't love good cookies? Condensed milk cookies are so easy to make and taste delicious.

Sweetened condensed milk in a glass jar: Overhead view

Why you should try this recipe

You can enjoy condensed milk on its own or as a sweet accompaniment for your favorite treats such as crepes, cakes, French brioche toast casserole, or other baked goods, or add it to your black tea drinks, morning coffee, or hot chocolate.

Also, you can make variously-shaped cookies, including coconut macaroons, cornstarch cookies, sweetened condensed milk cookies, homemade churn ice creams, coconut flan, and dulce de leche, which is popular in South America.

You will love how it tastes just out of the jar - very smooth and creamy. And you won't be limited by serving size, either.

Due to its rich dairy flavor, you will never find any difference from the canned condensed milk sold in the baking aisle of your local grocery store.

The homemade version is a real thing; it is more natural, and tastes better than anything Eagle Brand could ever produce.

The only downside of the homemade sweetened condensed milk recipe is that you need time. It doesn't take 2-3 hours of constant stirring as many recipes suggest - it takes about an hour from start to finish.

Ingredient list

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

Milk is an essential ingredient to make this homemade recipe. Use regular milk with high-fat content - at least 2.5%, better - 3.2%, but try to avoid low fat milk.

You can make your sweetened condensed richer by using a cream with 10-35% fat content (even heavy cream works for the recipe).

The best way to make homemade condensed milk is by using fresh milk or cream or a combination of milk with cream.

You can also use milk powder mixed with whole milk (not water), but then there will be much less valuable properties in the delicacy.

Do you know that you could even make sweetened condensed milk using goat milk? It is possible too. But I haven't tried to make it with milk substitutes, such as almond milk, oat milk, etc.

Sugar: The recipe calls for granulated sugar or caster sugar. Condensed milk will thicken faster if you increase the amount of sugar, but it will be much sweeter.

It is not recommended to use brown sugar instead of white sugar. It can result in curdling due to its molasses.

Recipe variations

This classic recipe for homemade condensed milk is a must if you have a sweet tooth. You can add one sachet of vanilla sugar if desired.

Have you ever wondered if adding vanilla extract while making condensed milk is possible? The answer is yes.

Just ½ teaspoon will do, and the end product has a much more interesting flavor than without. To make this addition, simply mix in the finished product. Then, give a quick whisk and pass through a fine-mesh sieve.

There are other condensed milk recipes to make at home. For example, you can use homemade sour cream, but it requires a water bath.

You can make this delicious treat in the oven, but it takes 2-3 hours. So, finally, some recipes use a slow cooker.

These methods demand a time investment on your part, but you will be rewarded with an incredible caramel color and taste of the sweet dairy richness. You will be pleased with the end result.

Some recipes call for cornstarch as a thickener; others require adding baking soda.

Sodium bicarbonate (aka baking soda) is usually added to prevent the milk from curdling if it is not fresh. The milk from your own cow is always fresher than store-bought.

So, milk might start curdling during prolonged cooking. So, to prevent it, add baking soda once the milk starts boiling, in the ratio of ½ dessert spoon per liter of milk.

The good news is that you will never taste the baking soda in the finished product.

To make condensed milk with cocoa powder, simply add two teaspoons of cocoa powder through a fine-mesh sieve at the end and stir for one minute.

There are also some recipes to make condensed milk with maple syrup, but the sugar-free version is a challenge. Different sweeteners such as Stevia, xylitol, and Splenda don't work for the recipe.

How to make condensed milk

Pour fresh milk into a pot bowl with a thickened bottom and bring over low to medium heat. Once the liquid is slightly warm, combine milk with sugar. Mix until sugar dissolves.

Pro tip: if the milk isn't fresh (it usually takes longer than 24 hours to reach the supermarket shelf), add baking soda at this moment to prevent milk from curdling.

Bring the mixture to a boil. During cooking, the foam will form; remove it from the walls bringing it back to the pot.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and, constantly stirring with a hand whisk or a heat-resistant spatula, low simmer the mixture for 1-1.5 hours.

The water content of the milk will slowly evaporate. As a result, the milk will thicken, going from a syrupy consistency to a creamy texture. Its volume will decrease by at least half, better one-third.

The final product has a creamy yellow tint. Pass it through a fine-mesh sieve to remove possible lumps.

Pro tip: Determine the readiness of the condensed milk by appearance and flavor. You will feel a slight caramel flavor. Also, the longer you cook the milk, the thicker, darker, and sweeter it will be.

Let it cool to room temperature. To prevent condensed milk from forming a layer on top, allow it to cool while stirring occasionally.

Refrigerate for 12 hours to thicken the product. If necessary, remove the milk foam with a teaspoon.

If the cooled, condensed milk seems still liquid, add 2 oz. or 60 g of sugar and bring to cook again.

Stir constantly until the milk begins to thicken. Turn it off immediately once it reaches the right consistency, and remove it from the heat.

A teaspoon with sweet condensed milk over the lid

Expert Tips

Stir the milk constantly while cooking to prevent extensive foaming and the mixture from burning.
To make the finished condensed milk more homogeneous, beat it with a blender or whisk.
Use an ice bath (if desired) to cool the finished product faster.

Equipment

All you need is a wide, heavy-bottomed pot with high walls and a hand whisk or heat-resistant spatula.

Using a deep pot or saucepan is advisable because the boiling milk will rise during cooking. Let's say that for a half-liter of liquid, use 2.5-liter cookware.

Storage instructions

Homemade condensed milk is a shelf-stable product. Store it in a clean glass jar such as a mason jar, boiled beforehand, covered, in the refrigerator, for a month.

To enjoy, don't remove the entire jar from the fridge for a long time, and take the milk only with a clean and dry spoon.

Can you freeze sweetened condensed milk? You can freeze it for up to 3 months. To thaw, bring it to room temperature for a couple of hours.

Recipe FAQ

How big is a can of sweetened condensed milk?

The most popular type of sweetened condensed milk is the can-sized variety. This product comes in different sizes, ranging from 396 g size or 14 ounces to small cans of 100 g or 3.5 ounces.

Are sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk the same?

Sweetened condensed milk is not the same as evaporated milk. The main difference is the sugar content: condensed dairy contains added sugars.

Is sweetened condensed milk the same as condensed milk?

Yes, sweetened condensed milk and condensed milk are the same things.

Can you make condensed milk with coconut milk?

You can make a dairy-free option of condensed milk. Just use canned coconut milk instead of cow's milk and follow the recipe.

Is there a sweetened condensed milk substitute?

To substitute for condensed milk, use cream of coconut or whipped cream. You can also add some powdered milk to water if needed, and it might work for certain recipes, but this combination may ruin others.

What to do if you don't have sweetened condensed milk

There are substitutes for sweetened condensed milk, but not all of them can work in a particular recipe. It is always best to make it yourself using two pantry ingredients: milk and sugar.

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