Homemade Condensed Milk using three simple ingredients. Its texture is supremely creamy and thick. This stuff tastes just like milky caramelized sugar!
Have you ever tried making sweetened condensed milk at home?
If you answered no, you are in for a treat!
If you answered no, you are in for a bigger treat. You'd ask why!
Coz
Recipe PROs:
- This recipe tastes so much better than that store bought can. (Heck did you ever notice the price tag on it?)
- You will be immensely surprised at how creamy this recipe turns out. A pinch of a secret ingredient makes it happen.
So stay tuned!!!
Recipe Ingredients:
Easy peasy! 3 ingredients you have right now in your kitchen. And I am 275% sure of this fact!
They are:
- Milk: Any milk works. I like to use full fat. But seriously, 2 percent, or evaporated milk, even coconut milk can be used to make dairy free condensed milk.
- Sugar: To sweeten the milk.
- And a tiny pinch of Baking soda: Believe me, it is the game changer of this recipe. We will add it after we switch off the flame. Baking soda will instantly make your milk frothy and supremely creamy!
How to make homemade condensed milk
You can make this recipe at home in 3 easy steps!
- Step 1: Add sugar to milk in a sauce pan.
- Step 2: Boil the mixture till it thickens. Stir frequently in between. We don't wan't it to form lumps.
- Step 3: Switch the flame off. Add a dash of baking soda and watch the magic happening in your pan!
- Step 4: This step is entirely optional! If you notice any traces of lumps in your condensed milk, run it through a sieve.
Is Sweetened Condensed Milk supposed to be thick?
Yes, it is fairly thick and creamy in texture.
Which is thicker Evaporated milk or condensed milk?
Short answer is condensed milk.
How do you thicken sweetened condensed milk?
Boil milk and sugar on medium-high heat (stirring continuously) for about 15-20 mins. It will thicken. Add a pinch of baking soda after turning the flame off.
Can evaporated milk be substituted for sweetened condensed milk?
I'd advice against it. As evaporated milk is thinner than condensed milk, so it will affect the texture of your final product.
How much sugar do you add to evaporated milk to make condensed milk?
¾ cup for 1 can of evaporated milk . Boil it till the mixture thickens!
More from Greedy Eats:
Mini Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream made with condensed milk and dark chocolate
Homemade Condensed Milk
Ingredients
- 2 Cups (500 ml) Full Fat Milk (even 2% works)
- ¾ Cup (150 gms) Granulated Sugar
- a pinch Baking Soda
Instructions
- 1. Pour milk to a thick bottomed sauce pan over medium heat. Add sugar to it.
- 2. Whisk or keep stirring with a spatula until it thickens. Take care to stir it continuously, so it doesn't stick to the botton of your pan. This will take about 15-25 minutes.
- 3. Switch flame off and add a pinch of baking soda to this mixture.
- 4. Keep stirring in intervals as the milk is cooling. This will prevent the condensed milk from forming a layer on top.
- 5. Allow to cool down to room temperature. Store in a clean jar!
I made this and it was litterarly still simmering for about 50 mins and it wasn't thickening up so I added about a half of cup of sugar plus more then it finally started to thicken up.
Do you remove the milk skins as they form? Why does it sometimes curdle? Is it because the heat is too high?
No you don't have to remove the skin. Keep stirring it in between to avoid it from forming. This should never curdle in the first place and no high heat would never cause milk and sugar to curdle. Make sure you are using a clean pan and no lemon or citrus ingredients are near the pan while its cooking.
I've tried several different sweetened condensed milk recipies and this is the only one that has worked out for me. Mine took about 50 mins to thicken up beautifully, but I have an electric stove so that could account for the longer time I would guess. Or maybe just our milk here in SA might be a little different. Love that it's so so simple and cheap to make. Suuuper tasty. Hubby LOVES condensed milk as a treat, so will be adding your recipie into my recipie box. Thank you very much!
Ps. I could spend hours looking through your recipies. Super excited to give several of them a go as well.
Thank you 🙂
Hey! Thank you for the recipe but since i cant measure do you mind giving me the cup measures?
Cup measures are listed in the recipe card.
Hi, can you please help me with this recipe. I cooked it for 40 minutes in a good metal pot whicking it often on medium heat. It never did boil and did not truly thicken up. I put the pinch of baking soda in. It has been in my refrigerator for 6 hours and still is not as thick as condensed milk should be. Perhaps I should try it on higher heat so it boils. I live in Florida and h maybe that makes a difference for elevation. Thanks for helping me out.
Hi Tina! 40 min is a pretty good time for milk to boil. Keep your gas at a mark on which you regularly boil milk. Stir it often and you should be good. 🙂
Really appreciate your recipe!simple and helpful.be blessed
could i use this to make caramel?
I have not ever made caramel with this, sorry! But I think sugar needs to be caramelized before you can add milk/butter to it. I doubt, it would work.
Hi, there is a recipe to make caramel with condensed milk, you need to two jars of condensed milk for it though. https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/dulce-de-leche/78aece93-9693-484d-85e9-e2fee238c6f0
yes u can
How long does this condensed milk stays out of the fridge( room temperature)
I like to store it in refrigerator at all times for best taste. I'd say it should be okay for a day or so out of fridge.
Hi,
Thanks for the recipe.
For the granulated sugar, can I use either white or raw?
Any white sugar will work David, not raw it will change the color of the final product!
Just made this because we are in lockdown and cannot leave our house. So we have to get creative!!! My husband loves condense milk in his coffee. So just had to try this recipe. It was great!!! Worked really well. Thanks for sharing your awesome recipe.
Hi, lovely recipe, the condensed milk came out wonderful and thick, only problem is stirring it caused the condensed milk to crystallize...is there a way to prevent this or not?
It never crystalizes while cooking (if it did, you might have ended up cooking it for too long). If it crystalized when stored in refrigerator, try reheating it in microwave, in small increments and it should be perfect to use again.
Tried it and LOVE it. 1 question......Fudge is basically condensed milk and sugar, so if I just add the extra sugar and cook longer do you think it would work?
Hi.. Glad you liked this recipe! I don't think that would work. Fudge has chocolate chips in it and it is made from more ingredients (stabilizers) such as cocoa butter than just milk and sugar.
Yes u can use it in fudge and any dessert that calls for condensed milk. If you want to add a little cornstarch to the mixture to ensure it still maintains a thick consistency.
Hi thanks for the recipe, but what is the quantities of each thing to use pls .
Ingredients and amount are mentioned in the recipe card.
Have you ever tried making this recipe with a low/non-calorie sugar substitute like Stevia? (Trying to making a weight watchers friendly recipes that calls for sweetened condensed milk).
I am sorry Heather but I haven't used stevia to make sweetened condensed milk ever. But you might find this link helpful! https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/sugar-free-condensed-milk/
Can one make condensed milk without sugar?
I have not tried it without sugar ever but I am afraid no!
Thank you for the recipe!
What can I do if it needs to be further reduced *after* I added the baking soda?
(After a night in the fridge it is still extremely runny so I must’ve took it off the stove too early....)
However since the baking soda is already in it i’m not sure if there’s any way to thicken it?? Ir any kind of heat will make it foam?
Thank you 🙏
Hi Tami! So that baking soda you added has done it's work when it got dropped in hot milk. You can reheat it once again and thicken to your liking. It should be fine.
How long can the milk last if it is not in a fridge?
I believe it should be okay for a day if it isn't too hot. I recommend storing condensed milk in refrigerator if not using right away!
I’m having a bit of an issue, you say to put it on the stove on medium heat.. is it supposed to come to boil first as nothing is happening to my mixture
I think you need to adjust the recipe so it says to bring to a boil first as I’m reading the comments of others here
Thanks
It will eventually come to a boil and will still be needed to reduced further down. Point is to keep stirring the milk and reducing it. You don't want it to come to a boil over high heat and a thick layer of cream forming over it. So I say, reduce it over medium heat. Hope it helps.
What sort of coconut milk? From a can or the drinking kind?
Hi Fiona! Canned one will do, just use full fat for better texture. 🙂
How much milk, sugar and baking soda??
It is all there in the recipe card above this comments section.
This is so helpful and straight to the point. Thank you
It's 1am and I ran out of condensed milk for my cassava cake. Didn't have any full fat milk, just a can of evap and I was on my wits end coz most condensed recipes use the full fat until I came across this one. You're a life-saver! I'll give this a ten if I can.
This is marvelous intact it's so perfect I rate by five stars
Can you substitute molasses instead of sugar, wholly or in part?
Hi! I have never made condensed milk using molasses, sorry can't comment on that!
Hi,
Thanks for the recipe.
For the granulated sugar, can I use either white or raw?
This is one of those good recipes to know by heart so I don't panic when I run out of condensed milk and can't stop by the store to get some. 🙂