Condensed Milk: How to Use Sweetened Condensed Milk

Sweetened condensed milk is a concentrated milk product made by heating cow’s milk at reduced pressure. The milk is heated until the water content has reduced by half, then sugar is added to bring the sugar content up to 55 percent. The resulting product is shelf-stable and used in a variety of dessert recipes. Canned sweetened condensed milk was developed in 1861 in the United States, but the history of cooking fresh milk with sweetener to increase its stability goes back thousands of years to Indian milk sweets known as mithai.

There are two kinds of canned, concentrated milk products you'll find in most grocery stores: sweetened condensed milk (also known as just “condensed milk”) and evaporated milk. Both products start with cow's milk and have a much longer shelf life than regular milk, but there are differences in sugar content and color.

Evaporated milk is unsweetened, and sweetened condensed milk is sweetened with added sugar, which acts as a natural preservative. Evaporated milk is about 10 percent sugar by weight—that's because fresh dairy milk naturally contains about 5 percent sugar, mainly in the form of lactose. Sweetened condensed milk typically contains 55 percent sugar. Evaporated milk has a tan color due to the concentration of lactose and protein that occurs during cooking. Sweetened condensed milk is lighter in color due to the high concentration of sugar.

Although sweetened condensed milk was initially designed to be diluted with water and used as a milk replacement, it has become a popular ingredient in its own right. Here are just some of the recipes that benefit from sweetened condensed milk's syrupy texture.

1. 1. Tres leches cake: Tres leches cake is a popular sponge cake from to Latin America. The sponge cake featured in this dessert is soaked with syrup made from three types of milk: evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk. The cake is finished with a thick layer of whipped cream and a garnish of fresh berries or maraschino cherries.
2. 2. Flan: Flan is a creamy custard dessert made with condensed milk, eggs, sugar, occasionally flavored with vanilla, and topped with caramel sauce. Also known as crème caramel, the sweet custard is gently cooked inside a loose caramel base. Upon serving, the baker inverts the flan onto a plate, and the caramel drips down the sides of the set custard, creating a visually appealing dessert.
3. 3. Kakigōri: Kakigōri is a Japanese shaved ice dessert made by topping freshly shaved ice with flavored syrups and sometimes condensed milk. The best kakigōri is made from mineral water that has been tempered (rested at room temperature) to remove its frosty sheen. Unlike a snowcone, traditional Japanese kakigōri is light and fluffy due to hand-cranked machines that produce paper-thin shavings of ice.
4. 4. Arroz con leche: Arroz con leche (rice with milk) is rice pudding found throughout the Spanish-speaking world. Rice puddings, made with white rice and milk, come in many different variations throughout the world, seasoned with any number of spices and ingredients. In the Hispanic culinary canon, arroz con leche is served as a dessert, typically sweetened with condensed milk or granulated sugar.
5. 5. Dulce de leche: Heating an unopened can of condensed milk in boiling water is a popular way to approximate dulce de leche, the South American caramel sauce.
6. 6. Key lime pie: Key lime pie is an American dessert made with a creamy filling from Key lime juice, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk in a graham cracker pie crust. Key limes are used because they are considered more tart and fragrant than the Persian limes found in most grocery stores. The pie can be topped with a traditional meringue topping or whipped cream.
7. 7. Chocolate fudge: One of the fastest ways to make chocolate fudge is simply combining chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan until melted. Refrigerate the resulting mixture to solidify.
8. 8. Coconut macaroons: Macaroons are flourless cookies made from shredded coconut bound together with egg whites, sugar, and sometimes condensed milk or heavy cream. They’re chewy with a craggy texture. Gluten-free and unleavened, coconut macaroons are a popular choice for Passover.
9. 9. No-bake cheesecake: This easy alternative to the classic cheesecake involves a filling made from cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk. Instead of baking, this dessert is set in the fridge.