Evaporated Milk Substitutions

We've all been there. You're one step away from making decadent mac and cheese for dinner when you find that the recipe calls for evaporated milk. Your stomach sinks as you head to the pantry and see the inevitable: You're completely out. Rather than giving up on your recipe altogether or making a run for the grocery store, use a baking substitution by swapping in one of these evaporated milk substitutes.

Evaporated milk was invented in 1885 to preserve milk for trans-Atlantic voyages. This was a good substitute when home refrigeration was a luxury, but children still needed a healthy, calcium-filled beverage.

The process of making evaporated milk remains the same to this day—approximately 60 percent of the water is removed from fresh milk by slowly simmering it over low heat. The milk is then homogenized, which integrates all of the fat molecules so they don't separate over time. (This also allows evaporated milk to have a longer shelf life.) It's then packaged in cans and sterilized between 240 F and 250 F.

Transforming regular milk into evaporated milk by heating it creates a thicker, creamier product and a mild caramel flavor. Evaporated milk's consistency makes it a popular, low-fat substitute for half-and-half or heavy cream. Brands like Nestle sell several versions of evaporated milk, but the most common version contains only 1.5 percent fat, plus additives like vitamin D.

Homemade Evaporated Milk

You can make you're own evaporated milk at home.

Make evaporated milk by heating 2 1/4 cups of regular milk and gently boiling it down until it reduces to 1 cup.

Half-and-Half

If you're under a super tight deadline, you may substitute the same amount of half-and-half for evaporated milk (i.e., 1 cup of half-and-half for 1 cup of evaporated milk). While you won't get the same slightly caramelized flavor that evaporated milk has, the creamy consistency of half-and-half is a close mimic.

Heavy Cream

With its very similar consistency, 1 cup of heavy cream can replace 1 cup of evaporated milk in sweet and savory dishes. While the flavor will be blander than evaporated milk's unique caramelized tones, the texture will be noticeably richer. It's not the lowest fat option, but there are times when we'll do whatever it takes to avoid last-minute baking stress.

Powdered Milk

Powdered Milk is a preserved milk product that is made by evaporating and spray drying regular milk. The result is a long-lasting, nutritious milk substitute. You can create evaporated milk by mixing 1 cup of powdered milk with 1 ½ cups of warm water; stir until the powdered milk has dissolved completely. The water will thicken enough to resemble the same product as what's inside that classic 12-ounce can.