Making my own sweetened condensed milk always fascinated me because I use it in a lot of my recipes. If you’re like me, you love making homemade ingredients just to be sure about what I’m putting in my food. So, today, we’re making a homemade version of this smooth, sweet, thick milk in THREE ways! Yes, not just one, but three simple methods. And once you master this, you won’t touch the store-bought condensed milk ever again. Perfect for all your holiday sweet treats and beverages. Condensed milk, on the other hand, has sugar to sweeten it. While simmered down just like evaporated milk, the added sugar makes it perfect for desserts and sweet drinks. Sweetened condensed milk is excellent for condensed milk cake and beverages, like Brazilian lemonade.
What You’ll Need
I’m giving you three ways to make sweetened condensed milk: the original method and a couple of shortcuts.
How to Make Condensed Milk
First: Whole Milk Method
Mix the whole milk and sugar in a medium saucepan. Boil: Place saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and let it simmer without stirring until it reduces and becomes thick and creamy (about 40 minutes). Whisk: Take the milk off the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract and butter. Chill: Let the mixture cool completely. Remove any sugar that crystallizes around the edges of the saucepan. Store: Transfer your sweetened condensed milk to a bowl or jar. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to a week.
Second: Evaporated Milk
Mix the evaporated milk and sugar in a medium saucepan. Boil: Place saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let it simmer until the sugar dissolves and becomes creamy. Add the vanilla extract if desired. Chill: Let the mixture cool completely. Remove any sugar that crystallizes around the edges of the saucepan. Store: Transfer it to a bowl or jar. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to a week.
Third: Powdered Milk Method
Combine butter and water in a medium bowl. (Photo 1) Melt Butter: Microwave for about a minute, remove, and mix until melted. (Photo 2) Combine powdered milk and granulated sugar. (Photo 3) Blend: Pour into a blender, then add vanilla extract (if desired) and powdered milk a cup at a time (pulse after each addition). Continue until all the powdered milk has been added and the mixture is creamy. Store: Transfer your sweetened condensed milk to a bowl or jar. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to a week.
Recipe Variations
Recipe Notes
Easy Recipes Using Condensed Milk
The sugar caramelizes pretty quickly, making it great for sweet desserts or drinks. The smooth and creamy texture also helps the overall feel of the treat.
More Homemade Milk Recipes to Try
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”zBvuuv51″ upload-date=”2021-05-13T12:01:56.000Z” name=”HOW TO MAKE CONDENSED MILK EDITED.mp4″ description=”Mastering how to make condensed milk is easier than it sounds and faster than you think. Achieving smooth homemade decadence is so easy breezy that you wouldn’t think about buying canned milk again. You’ll be making sweet desserts and beverages in no time at all using any of these THREE simple methods!” player-type=”static”] This blog post was originally published in May 2021 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
