Evaporated Milk Substitutes

Out of evaporated milk? These are the swaps that actually work, with conversion ratios for any recipe size and notes on how each one changes the result.

Need to convert evaporated milk between cups, grams, or ounces first? Open the evaporated milk converter.

What to use instead of evaporated milk

  • Coconut Milk

    Ingredient swap

    1 cup evaporated milk = 1 cup coconut milk

    Coconut milk swaps 1:1 by volume for evaporated milk and is dairy-free, a touch lighter per cup (240 g vs 265 g). Full-fat tinned coconut milk matches the richness for fudge and pie fillings, with a coconut flavour; use it where that taste suits the bake or a vegan result is wanted.

    See coconut milk substitutes →

  • Milk reduced by half

    DIY mix

    2 cups milk simmered down to 1 cup

    Gently simmer regular milk until it reduces by half to make a close stand-in for evaporated milk, concentrating the milk solids the same way. Stir often and keep the heat low so it does not scorch, then cool before adding it to custards or sauces.

  • Powdered Milk

    Ingredient swap

    1 cup powdered milk + 1 1/2 cups water

    Reconstitute powdered milk thicker than usual to mimic evaporated milk's concentration, mixing about 1 cup of powder with 1 1/2 cups of water. Whisk until smooth and lump-free; it matches the richness for sauces and bakes without opening a tin.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I substitute for evaporated milk?
There are 3 workable substitutes for evaporated milk, depending on what you have on hand and which property of evaporated milk matters most for your recipe. The closest swap is usually 1 cup evaporated milk = 1 cup coconut milk. Each option below lists the conversion ratio for any recipe size, plus notes on how the swap changes the texture, flavour, rise, or browning.
Will substituting evaporated milk change how my recipe turns out?
Yes, every swap trades one property for another: fat content, moisture, acidity, or protein. The notes on each substitute describe what changes in texture, flavour, rise, or browning, so you can choose the swap that matters least for your recipe. Open the evaporated milk converter
How do I measure evaporated milk accurately?
Weighing in grams is more reliable than scooping cups, especially when a substitute has a different density from what the recipe expects. The evaporated milk converter on this site converts between cups, grams, ounces, millilitres, fluid ounces, tablespoons, and teaspoons, so you can scale a recipe up or down without losing the ratio. Open the evaporated milk converter

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