Evaporated milk is a canned, shelf-stable, highly concentrated milk. It is usually made from 2% or skim milk from cows. This type of milk is often used in super sweet recipes, such as pumpkin pie or tres leches cake. Evaporated milk is actually quite versatile and can also be used to thicken and sweeten coffee, give body to smoothies, and increase richness in creamy soups. With many baking recipes calling for evaporated milk, is it safe for gluten-free followers?
Yes, evaporated milk is gluten-free. The gluten from the animal feed is broken down by the cow’s digestive system and is not transferred to the final milk product. If you are looking for other alternatives, the best gluten-free alternatives to evaporated milk are Horizon Organic Skim Milk, MALK Almond Milk, and Iberia Canned Evaporated Coconut Milk.
Throughout this article, we will discuss the nutritional information for popular brands of condensed milk and alternative milk options. Let’s dig in!
Contents
- How is Evaporated Milk Made?
- Is Evaporated Milk Healthy?
- Evaporated Milk vs. Condensed Milk
- Evaporated Milk Nutritional Facts
- Alternatives To Evaporated Milk
- Horizon Organic Skim Milk
- Non-Dairy Milk (Almond and Soy)
- MALK Unsweetened Almond Malk
- MALK Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Malk
- Almond Milk – Almond Breeze Unsweetened Original
- Soy Milk – Silk Organic Unsweetened Soy Milk
- Canned Evaporated Coconut Milk – Iberia Coconut Milk
- Half & Half – Land o Lakes
- Condensed Milk – Borden Eagle Brand
- Heavy Cream – Land O Lakes Rich and Creamy Heavy Whipping Cream
- Powdered Milk – Horizon Organic Dry Whole Milk
- Related Questions
How is Evaporated Milk Made?
To make evaporated milk, about 60 percent of the water is evaporated from cow’s milk, after which the liquid is canned, stabilized, and heat-sterilized at 245 F. The result of this high heat process leaves the milk with a slightly caramelized flavor, also known as the Maillard reaction.
This high heat process makes the milk shelf-stable for months, sometimes even years. The exact shelf life of canned, evaporated milk depends upon its added content and proportion of fat. It also ends up being a bit darker than fresh milk. Technically, when mixed with 1 ½ parts water, one part of evaporated milk can be reconstituted into the proportional equivalent of regular milk.
Is Evaporated Milk Healthy?
Since evaporated milk is highly concentrated, it has a higher nutrient concentration than fresh cow’s milk, thus resulting in more calories. Evaporated milk will generally have twice as many grams of carbs, protein, and fat – except for the reduced-fat or fat-free varieties. However, since the product is so concentrated, that means it also has higher vitamin and minerals concentrations. For instance, evaporated milk has over 50% of the daily value (DV) for calcium, 15% of the DV for magnesium, and 18% of the DV for zinc. This is compared to fresh milk, which contains 21%, 6%, and 8%, respectively.
Evaporated Milk vs. Condensed Milk
When looking through the grocery aisle, we see both canned evaporated milk and canned condensed milk. These products look almost identical, but they are very different. The biggest difference between the two is that condensed milk has much more added sugar, making it abundantly sweeter. Condensed milk is commonly found in desserts, such as ice cream, pudding, and pies.
Evaporated Milk Nutritional Facts
Below we explore the nutrition content of a handful of some of the most popular brands of canned, evaporated milk.
Nestle Carnation Evaporated Milk
Ingredients:
- Milk
- Dipotassium Phosphate
- Carrageenan
- Dextrose
- Vitamin D3
Nutritional Information (Per 2 Tbsp.):
- Calories: 40
- Total Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Cholesterol: 10mg
- Sodium: 30mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 3g
- Fiber: 0g
- Total Sugars: 3g
- Protein: 2g
Great Value Evaporated Milk
Ingredients:
- Milk
- Dipotassium Phosphate
- Carrageenan
- Vitamin D3
Nutritional Information (Per 2 Tbsp.):
- Calories: 40
- Total Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Cholesterol: 5mg
- Sodium: 25mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 3g
- Fiber: 0g
- Total Sugars: 0g
- Protein: 2g
Iberia Eagle Brand Evaporated Milk
Ingredients:
- Milk
- Dipotassium Phosphate
- Carrageenan
- Vitamin D3
Nutritional Information (Per 2 Tbsp.):
- Calories: 40
- Total Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Cholesterol: 5mg
- Sodium: 25mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 3g
- Fiber: 0g
- Total Sugars: 0g
- Protein: 2g
California Farms Evaporated Milk
Ingredients:
- Milk
- Dipotassium Phosphate
- Carrageenan
- Vitamin D3
Nutritional Information (Per 2 Tbsp):
- Calories: 40
- Total Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 30mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 3g
- Fiber: 0g
- Total Sugars: 3g
- Protein: 2g
Alternatives To Evaporated Milk
It seems as if the milk section of the grocery store is filled with more types and varieties of milk than ever before! Let’s explore the nutrition content of some of the most common types of milk. These can also all be substituted for evaporated milk in most recipes, with just a bit of tweaking.
Horizon Organic Skim Milk
In order to use this in a recipe instead of evaporated milk, just place 60% more milk than called for. Then, place milk over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, and reduce until the desired amount is reached. Allow the milk to cool before moving in on with the recipe.
Ingredients:
- Organic Grade A Nonfat Milk
- Vitamin A Palmitate
- Vitamin D3
Nutritional Information (Per 1 Cup):
- Calories: 90
- Total Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 5mg
- Sodium: 130mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 0g
- Total Sugars: 12g
- Protein: 8g
Non-Dairy Milk (Almond and Soy)
As for non-dairy milk, you can use the exact same method as previously mentioned. By placing 60% more milk than called for and then boiling and cooling.
MALK Unsweetened Almond Malk
Ingredients:
- Organic Almonds
- Himalayan salt
- Filtered water
Nutritional Information (per 8 oz.):
- Calories: 100
- Total Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Sodium: 75mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 2g
- Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Total Sugars: <1g
- Protein: 4g
MALK Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Malk
Ingredients:
- Organic Almonds
- Natural Vanilla Flavor Derived from Vanilla Beans
- Himalayan Salt
- Filtered Water
Nutritional Information (per 8 oz.):
- Calories: 110
- Total Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Sodium: 75mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 2g
- Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Total Sugars: <1g
- Protein: 4g
Almond Milk – Almond Breeze Unsweetened Original
Ingredients:
- Almondmilk (Filtered Water, Almonds)
- Calcium Carbonate
- Sea Salt
- Potassium Citrate
- Sunflower Lecithin
- Gellan Gum
- Natural Flavors
- Vitamin A Palmitate
- Vitamin D2
- D-Alpha-Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E)
Nutritional Information (Per 1 Cup):
- Calories: 30
- Total Fat: 2.5g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 170mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 1g
- Fiber: <1g
- Total Sugars: 0g
- Protein: 1g
Soy Milk – Silk Organic Unsweetened Soy Milk
Ingredients:
- Organic Soymilk (Filtered Water, Organic Soybeans)
- Vitamin And Mineral Blend (Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2, Riboflavin [B2], Vitamin B12)
- Sea Salt
- Gellan Gum
- Ascorbic Acid (To Protect Freshness)
- Natural Flavor
Nutritional Information (Per 1 Cup):
- Calories: 80
- Total Fat: 4g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 75mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 3g
- Fiber: 2g
- Total Sugars: 1g
- Protein: 7g
Canned Evaporated Coconut Milk – Iberia Coconut Milk
This would be the most similar and best alternative to regular evaporated cow’s milk. It is a bit thicker but can be substituted for evaporated milk in equal parts without having to simmer or boil. Canned coconut milk is also vegan, lactose-free, and cholesterol-free.
Ingredients:
- Water
- Coconut Cream 12%
- Cane Sugar
- Xanthan Gum
Nutritional Information (Per 2 Tbsp.):
- Calories: 30
- Total Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 35mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 3g
- Fiber: 0g
- Total Sugars: 3g
- Protein: 0g
Half & Half – Land o Lakes
Half & Half can be completely replaced with evaporated milk with no tweaks involved! It can be substituted as 1 for 1. It may be a bit richer, but that may not be so bad!
Ingredients:
- Milk
- Cream
Nutritional Information (Per 2 Tbsp.):
- Calories: 40
- Total Fat: 3g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Cholesterol: 10mg
- Sodium: 15mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 1g
- Fiber: 0g
- Total Sugars: 1g
- Protein: <1g
Condensed Milk – Borden Eagle Brand
Unfortunately, when baking, condensed milk cannot be used in place of evaporated milk. These two products are typically not interchangeable.
Ingredients:
- Milk
- Sugar
Nutritional Information (Per 2 Tbsp.)
- Calories: 130
- Total Fat: 3g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Cholesterol: 10mg
- Sodium: 35mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 0g
- Total Sugars: 21g
- Protein: 3g
Heavy Cream – Land O Lakes Rich and Creamy Heavy Whipping Cream
Heavy cream can be easily substituted as a 1 for 1 swap, just like half & half. Again, the finished product may be a bit richer.
Ingredients:
- Heavy Cream
- Skim Milk
- Mono And Diglycerides
- Polysorbate 80
- Carrageenan
Nutritional Information (Per 1 Tbsp.):
- Calories: 50
- Total Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
- Sodium: 5mg
- Total Carbohydrates: <1g
- Fiber: 0g
- Total Sugars: <1g
- Protein: 0g
Powdered Milk – Horizon Organic Dry Whole Milk
Powdered milk surprisingly provides a lot of benefits. It contains the same bone-building nutrient content as fresh milk and also has a much longer shelf-life.
As for substituting in recipes, you can add 60% of the amount of water called for to reconstitute the product into regular milk.
Ingredients:
- Organic Whole Milk
- Calcium Carbonate
- Organic Sunflower Lecithin
- Vitamin A Palmate
- Vitamin D3
Nutritional Information (Per ¼ Cup):
- Calories: 140
- Total Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
- Sodium: 105mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 11g
- Fiber: 0g
- Total Sugars: 10g
- Protein: 8g
Related Questions
Is Evaporated Milk lactose-free?
Evaporated milk does contain lactose. This concentrated milk is actually very high in both lactose and cow’s milk proteins. For someone with lactose intolerance, sticking to canned coconut milk, soy milk, or nut milk would be a more suitable option.
Is Evaporated Milk keto-friendly?
Evaporated and dry milk are not considered ketogenic foods. This is because they are very high in lactose – which is a type of carbohydrate.
Does Evaporated Milk need to be refrigerated?
Canned evaporated milk is highly shelf-stable and can last up to a year in the pantry when unopened. Once the can is opened, it must be refrigerated. The opened can will then be good for about 2-3 days in the fridge.