Evaporated coconut milk substitutes
Evaporated coconut milk substitutes — 6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Full-fat coconut milk reduced by half
400ml tin full-fat coconut milk simmered down to about 200ml
Homemade evaporated coconut milk, made by driving off the water exactly as the factory does.
Make it yourself: simmer a 400ml tin of full-fat coconut milk gently, uncovered, until it reduces to about half its volume, then cool it. That is exactly what the product is and it takes fifteen minutes. If you are in a hurry, the solid cream from a chilled tin of full-fat coconut milk swaps 1:1 and is richer, or whisk 3 tablespoons of coconut milk powder into a cup of coconut milk. Its job in a recipe is concentrated fat and coconut solids with very little water, which is what lets a pumpkin pie or a vegan fudge set instead of staying sloppy.
- Verdict —
- Works
- Best for —
- vegan pumpkin pie
Updated 19 Aug 2026 · no sponsored swaps
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of evaporated coconut milk | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Full-fat coconut milk reduced by halfvegan pumpkin pie | 400ml tin full-fat coconut milk simmered down to about 200mlWorks | Works |
| 2 | Coconut cream, or the solid layer from a chilled tinvegan pumpkin pie | Same amountWorks | Works |
| 3 | Coconut milk powder whisked into coconut milk or watercurries and sauces | 3 tbsp coconut milk powder whisked into 1 cup coconut milk, or ½ cup powder into 1 cup warm waterWorks | Works |
| 4 | Cashew creamvegan pumpkin pie | ¾ cup raw cashews soaked and blended with ¾ cup waterTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Evaporated dairy milkpumpkin pie | Same amountTweak it | Tweak it |
| 6 | Full-fat coconut milk used straight, with a thickenercurries and soups | 1 cup coconut milk plus 1 tbsp cornflour per 1 cup evaporated coconut milkTweak it | Tweak it |
Full-fat coconut milk reduced by half
similar taste and texture
Homemade evaporated coconut milk, made by driving off the water exactly as the factory does.
- Best for
- vegan pumpkin pie, vegan flan and custards, fudge and caramel, curries and soups, coffee
The best answer by a wide margin, because it is the same thing. Simmer the tin uncovered in a wide pan over medium-low heat, stirring now and then, for twelve to twenty minutes until it looks visibly thicker and coats a spoon. Do not let it boil hard or it will split into oil and solids; if that happens, whisk it off the heat and it usually comes back. Cool it fully before measuring, since it thickens further as it cools, and expect a slightly toasted, sweeter flavour from the reduction, which suits pies and fudge well.
Coconut cream, or the solid layer from a chilled tin
similar taste, enhanced texture
The thick fatty portion of coconut milk, either sold on its own or scooped from a refrigerated tin.
- Best for
- vegan pumpkin pie, fudge and truffles, ganache, rich curries, puddings
The fastest swap and a good one, with the caveat that it is fattier and less water-reduced than evaporated coconut milk, so results are richer and can be slightly greasy in a fudge if you also add a lot of oil or vegan butter. Chill the tin overnight, open it upside down and lift off the solid layer, keeping the water for a smoothie. In a pie filling it sets firmly and tastes noticeably more of coconut than the evaporated version. Do not confuse it with cream of coconut, which is heavily sweetened.
Coconut milk powder whisked into coconut milk or water
similar taste and texture
Dried coconut solids used to concentrate a liquid without simmering it.
- Best for
- curries and sauces, baking, custards and pies, when you need it in two minutes
A genuinely useful shortcut, because it adds coconut solids and fat while adding almost no water, which is the exact effect evaporation has. Whisk it into warm liquid, not boiling, and let it stand five minutes to hydrate fully or it will be lumpy. It tastes a shade less fresh and a little more toasted than reduced coconut milk, and some brands include maltodextrin, which slightly dulls the flavour. Strain if any lumps remain rather than trying to whisk them out in the pan.
Cashew cream
different taste, similar texture
Thick blended cashews, a coconut-free dairy-free option with the same concentrated body.
- Best for
- vegan pumpkin pie, flan and custards, savoury sauces, when coconut flavour is unwanted
The right choice when the recipe needs a thick dairy-free liquid but the coconut flavour would be wrong, which is often true in a vanilla flan or a savoury sauce. Blend absolutely smooth in a good blender or the texture will be sandy. It is thicker and less sweet than evaporated coconut milk and sets a pie filling well because of the nut protein and fat, though a custard made with it is slightly denser and more opaque. Not an option for a nut allergy.
Evaporated dairy milk
different taste, similar texture
Ordinary tinned evaporated milk, the product evaporated coconut milk was created to replace.
- Best for
- pumpkin pie, flan and custards, fudge, baking
The straight functional equivalent if dairy is not the issue, and it performs slightly better in custards because milk protein sets more firmly than coconut fat does. It tastes of cooked milk rather than coconut, which in a pumpkin pie is the classic flavour and in a Thai-inspired dessert is wrong. Obviously not an option in a vegan or dairy-free recipe, which is the usual reason for reaching for the coconut version, but worth stating for anyone who simply cannot find the coconut tin.
Full-fat coconut milk used straight, with a thickener
similar taste, different texture
Unreduced coconut milk with starch standing in for the missing concentration.
- Best for
- curries and soups, sauces, puddings that are cooked on the stove
The least-bad option when you have no time to reduce anything, and it comes with an honest warning: it adds back the water you were meant to remove, so a baked custard or a fudge may not set properly no matter how much cornflour you use. It works well in a stovetop sauce or pudding, where the starch has heat and time to do its job. For pumpkin pie or fudge, spend the fifteen minutes reducing the tin instead; there is no shortcut that behaves the same.
Questions
5 questionsHow do I make evaporated coconut milk at home?
Pour a 400ml tin of full-fat coconut milk into a wide pan and simmer it gently, uncovered, for twelve to twenty minutes until it has reduced to roughly half its volume and coats the back of a spoon. Stir now and then and keep the heat low, since a hard boil splits it. Cool it completely before measuring, because it thickens noticeably as it cools. This gives you the same thing as the tinned product with a slightly deeper, more toasted flavour.
Can I use coconut cream instead of evaporated coconut milk?
Yes, one for one, and it is the quickest swap. Coconut cream is fattier and thicker, so the result is richer and tastes more strongly of coconut, which is welcome in fudge, ganache or a pumpkin pie and slightly heavy in a delicate custard. Either buy coconut cream or chill a tin of full-fat coconut milk overnight and scoop the solid layer off the top. Do not use cream of coconut, which is a sweetened cocktail ingredient and contains a great deal of sugar.
Can I use regular coconut milk instead of evaporated coconut milk?
Only with adjustment, because the extra water is the whole difference. In a stovetop sauce, curry or pudding, use coconut milk plus a tablespoon of cornflour per cup and it will work. In a baked custard, a pumpkin pie or fudge, the extra water often prevents a proper set and can make the filling weep, so it is worth spending fifteen minutes simmering the tin down by half instead. That is the only substitute that behaves identically.
Is evaporated coconut milk the same as condensed coconut milk?
No, and confusing them is the most common mistake here. Evaporated coconut milk is unsweetened concentrated coconut milk. Sweetened condensed coconut milk is concentrated and then loaded with sugar, so it is thick, syrupy and intensely sweet. They are not interchangeable: using condensed in place of evaporated will make a dish cloying and may stop it setting, and using evaporated in place of condensed will leave a dessert flat and unsweetened.
Can I just leave the evaporated coconut milk out?
No, in the recipes that call for it, because it is providing the liquid, the fat and the structure at the same time. A pumpkin pie or flan filling without it is just spiced puree and will not set; a vegan fudge without it has nothing to carry the sugar. If you have no coconut product at all, thick cashew cream is the closest substitute, and evaporated dairy milk works well if the recipe does not need to be dairy-free.
Tips for substituting evaporated coconut milk
5 tips- Evaporated coconut milk is unsweetened, and the tin that sits next to it on the shelf, sweetened condensed coconut milk, is roughly half sugar. Swapping one for the other will wreck a recipe in either direction. If condensed is all you have, cut the recipe's sugar by about three quarters and expect a much sweeter, softer result anyway.
- When reducing coconut milk yourself, use a wide pan and low heat and stir occasionally. Wide means faster evaporation; low means it will not catch on the bottom or split. If it does split into oil and grainy solids, take it off the heat and whisk hard, or blitz it briefly with a stick blender, and it will re-emulsify.
- Measure after cooling. Reduced coconut milk thickens substantially as it cools because the fat firms up, so a batch that looks correct in a hot pan can be far too thick once cold. Reduce to a little less than you think, cool, then thin with a spoonful of water if needed.
- In a pumpkin pie or flan, the reason the recipe wants an evaporated milk rather than a plain one is that the extra water in ordinary coconut milk prevents the custard setting and can make the filling weep. If you substitute anything watery, add a tablespoon of cornflour per cup and expect a softer set.
- For savoury cooking, evaporated coconut milk behaves like a very rich coconut milk, so use it where you want a curry to cling to the food. It is more prone to splitting in a hard boil than the unreduced version, since the fat is already concentrated, so keep curries at a gentle simmer once it goes in.