Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe
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Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk recipe makes a delicious, made from scratch version of sweetened condensed milk that you can use in coffee, baking, ice cream and more!
This homemade sweetened condensed milk is a recipe that I hope you love as much as I do. It isn’t an ingredient that we use a lot in cooking, but when I do, I like to turn to this homemade version. It is perfect for making homemade ice cream, fudge, pies, and so much more!
Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk
What is Sweetened Condensed Milk?
Sweetened condensed milk is a milk that has been heated to remove any water from the milk. This reduces the milk by at least half and thickens the consistency of the milk into a thick liquid.
How to Make Sweetened Condensed Milk
This homemade version is made with just four ingredients that you most likely already have on hand.
milk – Use your favorite milk. You can use dairy or dairy-free milk options based on your personal preferences. I have tested and loved using almond, cashew and even oat milk for a dairy-free recipe. The flavor will change based on the milk that you use.
sweetener – Use your favorite sweetener. You can use granulated sugar, honey, maple syrup or any other favorite. I have even tested it with Splenda to make a sugar-free version. The sweetener that you use will change the flavor. For example, if you use maple syrup, it will have maple undertones to it (which is delicious, by the way!).
butter – I use salted butter when I make this recipe but you can use whichever butter you prefer or have on hand. It adds a silkiness and so much richness to the recipe and enhances it in my personal opinion. If you prefer not to use it, you can omit it from the recipe.
vanilla extract – the vanilla extract adds so much depth to the condensed milk.
Can I Use this Recipe in Place of Store-Bought?
Absolutely! I’ve tested the recipe time and again to make sure that it yields just the right amount to use for recipes that call for a can of store-bought.
That way, it removes any guesswork from using this homemade recipe in place of the standard can from the grocery store. It is equal to just a bit over a cup, 1 1/4 cups each time I’ve made it. Once you make your own, I think you’ll be so surprised at how easy it is!
How Long Does it Last?
Once made, store in a clean jar with a tight fitting lid in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to three months. If frozen, just thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then shake vigorously in an airtight container with lid on or pour into a larger container and whisk until smooth and consistent throughout.
Favorite Recipes Using Sweetened Condensed Milk
+ more recipes using sweetened condensed milk
Here’s my Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups (454 g) whole milk, dairy, almond, cashew, oat, etc.
- 3/4 cup (148.5 g) sugar, granulated or cane, honey, or maple syrup
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) salted butter
- 1 teaspoon (4.7 g) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Whisk together milk and sweetener in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisking often, bring to a low simmer. Continue to simmer, whisking often, until milk has reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Once reduced, remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Allow to cool completely and store in a mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
I made tonight for use in a recipe tomorrow the Stevia. It smells amazing…it looks about right (waiting for it to cool), and if it works, THIS will be a game changer. THANKS!
Hope you enjoy this recipe, Billie. Thanks.
To facilitate knowing how far to reduce the mixture, I used a toothpick.
After mixing the milk (I used coconut milk to make dairy free) and sweetener, I placed this in a my large ScanPan[coated] skillet and used a toothpick to dip into the mixture and marked where the level of the liquid was on the toothpick. Toward the end of estimated reducing time, I dipped the toothpick into the liquid to check if the mixture was reduced halfway from the initial mark. I cooked a bit longer, retested until just right. I then added the butter and vanilla and when lukewarm, I poured the mixture into my stick blender container and whirled it with my stick blender to insure the sweetened condensed milk would stay homogenized when chilled. Perfect. Thank you for this great recipe.
Thank you so much for that tip, Beverly. That is a good one to use whenever you are reducing a liquid in other recipes. xo
Can i get á recipe with the measurements in it for the sugarfree sweetened milk. Thank You
Dianne, you would use the amount that your favorite sugar-free sweetener, such as Splenda, equals 3/4 cups of sugar. Thanks.
The flan turned out to be the best I have made and he loved it. It take a little longer to cook all the way through, but that’s okay. I will be making my own from here on out.
I just made this recipe and it tastes way better than store bought. My husband has been wanting flan and when I checked to see if I had all of the ingredients, guess what I was missing? I didn’t even know you could make your own. It did take quite a lot of time to get it to simmer. Once that started, it took about 30 minutes to reduce. It looks and tastes amazing. I am waiting for it to cool so I make my flan custard. I’ll let you know how it goes. Thank you for a great recipe.
Thanks, Sue. I like it so much better than the canned one, too. Hope your husband enjoys the flan.
This is the best recipe I’ve tried. I used whole milk, tasty butter, and vanilla…pure yumminess. It’s the original dulce de leche! I might never buy canned again. As others have said, it’s a ittle thinner and doesn’t quite reduce by half, but I was able to use it in a recipe in place of a can with delicious results.
Thanks, Katherine, glad you liked this. You should have 1 1/4 cups sweetened condensed milk after it has reduced.
It makes 1 1/4 cups, Tammy. Hope you enjoy!
Worked perfectly. Who knew? I used all white sugar for the first try. Made my pumpkin pie without having to run to the grocery store. Thanks!
I’m so glad this recipe worked for you and saved you a trip to the store, Marie.
I am for the most part dairy free with the exception of butter. I made this recipe with my banana pudding recipe and it was a winner!!!! I used almond milk, granulated sugar as the sweetener, vanilla paste and the butter and man oh man was it heavenly!!!!! Thank you so much for saving the day with this recIpe!!!
I’m so glad you could make this dairy free as you needed, Ericka.
Can you use margarine or does it have to be real butter?
I don’t use margarine, Roxanne, so I’m not sure how it will turn out. Margarine usually contains more water than butter.
Has anyone ever tried to make this using A2 milk?
If so, how were the results?
I used A2 raw milk and it was delicious!! Turned out perfect.
Thanks, Sherry.