Substitutes for Evaporated Milk
These substitutions will work in most recipes (including the most asked about substitute for evaporated milk in pumpkin pie), though the flavor will differ using the straight one-to-one swaps at the top of the list. For 1 cup of evaporated milk substitute:
1 cup whole milk or 2% milk1 cup half-and-half or heavy cream1 cup homemade evaporated milkTo make your own evaporated milk, heat 2¼ cups of whatever milk is in your fridge (2% is commonly used) over medium-high heat until just boiling and reduce heat to medium or medium-low. Continue to cook and stir about 25 minutes until it cooks down to 1 cup. Use as called for in your recipe.Test Kitchen Tip: Stir your homemade evaporated milk frequently to avoid a skin forming on top. And if some milk gets cooked on your pan, soak it right away for the easiest cleanup.
Vegan Substitutes for Evaporated Milk
If you need a vegan or dairy-free substitute for evaporated milk, simply adjust the ideas mentioned above to use your favorite soymilk, nut milk, oat milk, or other nondairy milk.
Evaporated Milk Vs. Sweetened Condensed Milk
Evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk come in similar size cans and are usually found next to each other on grocery store shelves. These items are essentially the same with one big difference: no sugar is added to evaporated milk. Sweetened condensed milk also has 60% of the water removed, but contains 40% sugar. Due to the big flavor difference, they cannot be substituted for each other. Always double-check which can you grabbed off the grocery store shelf to be sure it’s the ingredient you’re looking for.
