Homemade Condensed Milk recipe using three simple ingredients. Its texture is supremely creamy and thick. This stuff tastes just like milky caramelized sugar!
Do check out all the Recipes made with 7 ingredients or less.
This milk can be used in several ways. Make no churn Ice Creams with it, add it in your cakes, Pie and Tart Fillings and Fudges. Use it to sweeten your morning coffee, make Carrot Pudding or whisk Chocolate Buttercream with it. Uses are numerous!
Recipe PROs:
- This recipe tastes so much better than that store bought can. (Heck did you ever notice the price tag on it?)
- It stays good in the refrigerator for quite a while.
- It is made with clean ingredients that you can pronounce.
- You will be immensely surprised at how creamy this milk turns out. A pinch of one secret ingredient makes it happen.
So stay tuned!!!
Recipe Ingredients:
Easy peasy! 3 ingredients you have right now in your kitchen. And I am 2754% sure of it!
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.
- Granulated Sugar: To sweeten the milk.
- And a tiny pinch of Baking soda: Believe me, it is the game changer in 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 condensed milk?
You can make this recipe at home in 3 easy steps!
- Step 1: Add sugar and milk in a sauce pan.
- Step 2: Allow the milk to Boil continuously till it thickens. Stir frequently in between. We don't want it to form lumps or get scorched to the bottom of pan.
- Step 3: Switch the flame off. Add a dash of baking soda and watch the magic happen in your pan!
- Step 4: This step is entirely optional! If you notice any traces of lumps in your milk, run it through a sieve.
Tips for recipe success:
- Select a wide and heavy bottomed Pan: Wide Pan allows milk to thicken quickly. If the surface area of the pan is large, water in the milk will evaporate quicker than when using a narrow pan. Heavy bottom of the pan will promote even cooking and will prevent the milk from scorching at the bottom.
- Heat: We want the mixture to be bubbling continuously, but we don't want the milk to burn here. So never keep the flame too high while making this recipe. Simply allow the milk to keep bubbling constantly after the first boil and you will get there within a few minutes.
- Patience goes a long way here: Reducing the liquid and allowing the sugar to caramelize slightly isn't a process that you'd want to rush. So never leave the pan unattended and stir the mixture continuously.
- Never leave the side of your pan: Specially during the last 10 minutes of cooking. The milk will have start to thicken by that time. Not stirring it continuously can burn it and leave an after smell in the milk.
- To make this recipe Dairy Free: You can use any vegan milk such as coconut milk or any other nut milk like almond or cashew.
- Sugar Substitute: Any natural sugars that caramelize well can be used to make this recipe. You may opt for brown sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup or agave. Even honey works too!
Is condensed milk just like evaporated milk?
Short answer would be No! Evaporated milk contains no sugar and is just reduced milk. But the other milk is sweetened with sugar and has a more thick texture. Taste, texture and flavor of both these milks are very different too.
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!
What can I do with a can of condensed milk?
Use it to make ice creams, fudges, pie fillings, add it as a sweetener to your coffee. You can also convert it into dulce de leche!
If you liked this recipe give it a star review. Also, tell me in the comments below, how did this turn out for you! And don’t forget to share your creations with me on Instagram at #greedyeatsblog Also follow me on Pinterest and Facebook!
Recipe
Condensed Milk Recipe
Condensed Milk Recipe using three simple ingredients. It's texture is super creamy and thick. This stuff tastes just like milky caramelized sugar!
Print Pin RateServings 1 Cup
Calories: 62kcal
Equipment
- 1 Heavy bottomed Wide Sauce Pan (I opted for a Ceramic one. Both non stick and stainless steel will work too!)
Ingredients
- 2 Cups (500 ml) Full Fat Milk (even 2% works)
- ¾ Cup (150 gms) Granulated Sugar
- a pinch Baking Soda
Instructions
- Pour milk to a thick bottomed and wide sauce pan over medium-high heat. Wide sauce pan will help to reduce the milk faster. Add the sugar in.
- Allow milk to come to a boil. Whisk or keep stirring with a spatula at frequent intervals to avoid milk from sticking to the bottom of pan. After first boil, reduce the flame to medium for 2-3 minutes and stir continuously, so that the milk doesn't boil over.
- Now you can turn the flame to med-high again. But take care to stir this mix continuously, so it doesn't stick to the bottom of your pan or doesn't boil over at any point of time.Never walk away from the pan and if you notice the milk is boiling a bit too much or is starting to stick to the bottom of pan, reduce the flame and continue to stir.
- Idea is to allow the milk to boil continuously till it thickens. Milk should continuously be boiling and bubbling. This process will take about 15-25 minutes. Milk will be fairly thick after 15-17 minutes of time has passed (Mine takes about 20 minutes).
- Switch the flame off once milk has thickened and add a pinch of baking soda to it.
- Keep stirring in intervals as the milk is cooling. This will prevent the prepared milk from forming a layer on top.
- Allow it to cool down to room temperature. Milk will thicken a bit more as it cools. Store in a clean jar!
Video
Notes
This recipe yields around 8 oz milk. You can easily double it if you wish to make 15 oz, that equals a can of condensed milk. Storing and Freezing Instructions: This milk will stay good for about two weeks in refrigerator and up to 3 months when frozen. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or on counter top before using. Will this milk Harden? It will thicken a lot in the refrigerator, but will come back to it's thick and creamy texture at room temperature. QUICK FIXES: Grainy Texture: If you notice milk solids have separated from the milk, give it a quick whirl in your blender and this problem will be fixed! Consistency: 1. Too Thick- If you notice that your end product has gone too thick, you can stir a tablespoon of milk in it at a time to reach desired consistency. 2. Too Thin- If it's too thin for your liking, heat and cook it a little more to thicken it.
Nutrition
Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 62kcal | Carbohydrates: 12.5g | Protein: 1.1g | Fat: 1.1g | Sodium: 12mg | Sugar: 12.6g
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Kiki
Just made it and my life long condensed milk user husband rated it “equal to or better than” his favorite store bought brand. And he’s a difficult customer! Had to let it evaporate for about 40 minutes though and refrigerating it for 24 hours made all the difference. Thanks!
Michelle
Just perfect! Thanks for the recipe ♥️
Colleen
Could I halve the sugar content? I have a few food intolerances & am so sick of everything I can eat being overloaded with sweetness. Would it still work in a baked recipe? (3 ingredients Yoghurt Cake.) I don't want it to ruin the consistency? BTW Thankyou for this simple recipe, hoping I can lower the sugar content & enjoy flavours instead😘🍋😋
GreedyEats
Hi Colleen! Halving the sugar would lead to a super creamy condensed milk (Not in a good way) and the texture would definitely not be the same. You can still reduce sugar by 2-3 tablespoons, I wouldn't take anymore out.
Becky Darcy
Am I able to can this recipe?
Elon Klein
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I loved it.
Jean
Hello! Thanks for the recipe. Do you happen to have one using non-fat dry/powdered milk to make sweetened condensed milk?
Amy Coverett
I am curious if you have tried making sweetened condensed milk with a sugar substitute? I am diabetic and would like to make it with either stevia or xylitol.
GreedyEats
Sorry Amy! I have never made condensed milk using a sugar substitute.
Cassandra
Mine cooked down pretty far after 15 min but my toddler needed something so I took it off the heat for a bit before I came back to it. In total I probably cooked it for 25-30 min and mightve taken it too far lol, it's almost into dulce de leche territory 😆 looking forward to putting this in my coffee in the morning
Emily
I am using allulose. I will let you know how it turns out.
Val
What does the baking soda do for it/in it?
GreedyEats
Hi Val! It fluffs the condensed milk and gives the milk its signature creamy texture. You can avoid baking soda entirely if you do not wish to add it though.
GreedyEats
Hi Jean! No sorry I don't. But this recipe here uses dry milk powder to make condensed milk, you can check it out here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjRaOh-PoUY
Jennifer Du Plessis
Haven't made the recipe yet but can't wait. I made my own ice cream last night. But its expensive. So was looking the morning for homemade condensed milk. I was so thrilled to find it. Thank you will try it asap.
Anonymous
Finally, a recipe that works! I'm not in my home country and I couldn't find condensed milk here. I tried making it twice and it was a fail. So it should be boiling and bubbling with constant stirring! Thank you. My condensed milk now looks legit! 👌
Anonymous
Can u use ugar alternative like swerve? Id likw to make a sugar free version
Iris
Can you use whole milk for this recipe? Or maybe even semi-skimmed milk?
Phyllis
I didn't see anything that said I could bake this. Can I use this recipe to make things like magic cookie bars where you pour the sweetened condensed milk over other ingredients and then bake it?
Carol
My condensed milk did not become thick. What did I do wrong. Still taste good for coffee.
Anonymous
I made it with 1% milk but added about a tablespoon of butter. I stirred for 35 min and there was no way it was going to thicken. I added 2 Tablespoons of cold milk and 1tablespoon of cornstarch. It finally thickened. Taste was good
Anonymous
So you're saying you made an entirely different recipe than the one posted and then gave it 3 stars. Maybe next time try the one that you're evaluating before making a judgment
Kim
Can you make the caramel in Millionaires shortbread with this recipe?
Barb
I’m bummed maybe I didn’t boil long enough? It never got creamy tried twice is it a full boil for how many minutes? Can I fix this?
GreedyEats
Hi Barb! It will take 10-15 minutes after a full boil to get it thicken. Just make sure you keep stirring it and the milk is simmering constantly. Hope this helps.
Theresa Braley
Have you ever tried it with vegan brands of milk such as oat or almond milk or silk?
K
I use evaporated milk to make this recipe, & follow the directions- & it’s perfect every time. 🎵Delicious 🎶
Note to person who had it stick to everything - you do not try to stir it until it’s as thick as commercial Sweetened Condensed Milk, just about 1/2 as thick, and watch the temperature. After it comes to a boil turn it down to simmer or you’ll be making hard milk candy.
(I chuckle and say to myself, “Stir until you almost grow old.”
Justin
Are you able to use a 1% milk in substitution?
GreedyEats
So sorry, I haven't tried using 1% milk in this recipe ever. Let me know how it turned out, if you give it a go.
kerry lattimore
Have you tried sweetening with honey? How do you substitute honey for sugar? what about stevia?
GreedyEats
No, I have not Kerry! I have never sweetened this milk with anything else other than sugar. Sugar is what you need to give that condensed milk texture to this recipe.
Evelyn
It did not thicken for me at all. I even reheated it for another 20 minutes. It only gets darker & reduces but not thick. What am I doing wrong?
GreedyEats
It should never get darker Evelyn, that means the milk is burning. Boil the milk and allow it to simmer while constantly stirring.
Jill
Greedy Eats, I followed the recipe exactly. It stuck to the plastic wrap and then the cutting utensil, me, anything it touched, I even tried freezing it but 6 hours later, still not set up It wanted to spread everywhere!
What happened?
Wendy
Can a sugar substitute be used, like stevia?
Heather
My milk appears to have seperated or curdled while stirring it and the sugar. Is this normal? If it's not what did I do wrong?
GreedyEats
Hi Heather! No that's not normal. Milk should never curdle when sugar is added to it. Make sure to use a clean pot to boil milk and the pot has no traces of lemon or vinegar in it. As the milk is boiling also take care to keep any citric foods/juices (orange, lemon, vinegar etc.) away from it. Hope this helps!
April
Mine curdled as soon as I went to use it. My standard coffee, cup and boiling water. Only difference was the home made condensed milk. No acid or acid type ingredients.
It was delicious by itself when I made the batch.
Doctor Grandma Jeannie
If milk SEEMS fresh, but is getting older, it may curdle when heated.
Christopher
Sugar is an acid. Maybe replace some milk with cream or add some butter. You need to up the fat content. Happened to me now also.
CJJ
HELLO CAN I USE LACTOSE FREE MILK - THANK YOU
GreedyEats
Hey! I haven't tried using lactose free milk for this recipe. But since lactose is sugar in the milk and we are adding more to the recipe, I think it will turn out ok. Let me know how it turns out, if you give this a go!
Kathy
I am a bit confused...what is a "pinch" to the author of the recipe? For me it is less than an eighth of a teaspoon. It's an amount that can't be measured. A pinch. That's just me. I'm sure a "pinch" is different to everybody. I've made this twice and added way more than my definition of a pinch both times. I even added corn starch each time and my condensed milk was never as thick as the recipe. (I didn't go crazy with cornstarch.) So would everybody tell me what their definition of a "pinch" is? I also would be very interested in the author's definition of a pinch. Thanks y'all! I do like the recipe, I just have to figure out what a pinch is.
GreedyEats
Hi Kathy! I am glad you liked this recipe. So, lets get you out of your confusion. Definition of Pinch as per Google- "An amount of an ingredient that can be held between a finger and thumb." This is exactly what I meant by a pinch of baking soda. This amount would more or less be similar for most people (just like we say a pinch of salt!). You understood it right too! It will be just shy of 1/8th of a teaspoon. If you follow my recipe as written, your milk would already be quite thick even before adding any baking soda to it. So you would not need much and you will definitely not need any thickeners like cornstarch to thicken this condensed milk! Also, adding thickners can alter the final texture of the product and make it look like custard. Tweaking a recipe as you wish and expecting it to work as written, that unfortunately doesn't happen! However I hope I made a "pinch" clear for you now.
Bunny
One can of Sweetened Condensed Milk is 14 oz, not 16 oz.
Dalila
Thanks for adding 8+8 and commenting on this recipe with the answer. I’m sure no one else knew that…. Good job!
Kimberly
Just tried this recipe and it didn't thicken, what can I do to help thicken it
GreedyEats
Hi Kimberly! You need to boil this milk, patiently keep simmering it and the milk will start to thicken in a few minutes. Hope this helps.
meena
can this be a sub for heavy cream in ice cream?
thanks
GreedyEats
Hi Meena! I have never used it as a substitute for heavy cream. So I can't comment on it, sorry! Let me know how it turned out if you try though.
Tammy
Does this set firm to lay in a tart case once chilled please xxx
GreedyEats
Hi Tammy! No it does not. This is just like the condensed milk you get in the market. It can't set firm in a tart on its own. You will need a custard recipe for that. Hope this helps.