Out of Evaporated milk, one case
Evaporated milk substitute for fudge
5 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Whole milk, simmered down
2 ¼ cups for every cup of evaporated milk
For fudge, replace evaporated milk with whole milk you have simmered down: 2 ¼ cups reduced to 1 cup, which is the same ingredient made at home. Half-and-half also works cup for cup, and heavy cream works at ¾ cup plus ¼ cup water per cup. Plain milk or almond milk poured straight in does not: the batch has too much water and stays soft.
- Verdict —
- Works
- The tweak —
- Simmer 2 ¼ cups whole milk in a wide pan at a gentle bubble, stirring every few minutes, for about 25 to 35 minutes, until it measures 1 cup.
- Best for —
- marshmallow creme fudge
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
One casethe full evaporated milk card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 cup evaporated milk | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whole milk, simmered downmarshmallow creme fudge | 2 ¼ cupsWorks | Works |
| 2 | Half-and-halfmarshmallow creme fudge | 1 cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Heavy cream + waterold-fashioned cooked fudge | ¾ cup cream + ¼ cup waterTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Dry milk powder + watermarshmallow creme fudge | 2/3 cup powder + 1 cup waterTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Full-fat canned coconut milkdairy-free chocolate fudge with marshmallow creme or chocolate chips | 1 cupYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| Not a swap | Plain milk or almond milk, not reduced | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
Whole milk, simmered down
fresher than canned, otherwise the same
Evaporated milk is milk with about 60% of the water boiled off. Reducing your own gives the concentrated milk sugar and protein that fudge needs to set and to take on color.
- Best for
- marshmallow creme fudge, old-fashioned cooked chocolate fudge, peanut butter fudge
- Prep
- Simmer 2 ¼ cups whole milk in a wide pan at a gentle bubble, stirring every few minutes, for about 25 to 35 minutes, until it measures 1 cup.
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Under-reducing. If you judge by eye and stop early, the fudge gets extra water and sets soft. Pour it into a measuring cup to check.
Most fudge recipes use a 5 oz can, which is a scant 2/3 cup: simmer 1 ½ cups of milk down to 2/3 cup.
Half-and-half
a little richer and creamier
Close to evaporated milk in thickness, unsweetened and ready to pour. It carries more fat, 10 to 12% against 6 to 7%, which makes a slightly richer fudge.
- Best for
- marshmallow creme fudge, when you want no extra step
- Prep
- Stir constantly once it boils and cook to 234°F on a thermometer. The extra fat makes it catch on the pan sooner.
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- A recipe timed by the clock alone. Half-and-half has a little more water than evaporated milk, so the syrup can take a minute or two longer to reach temperature.
Heavy cream + water
richer and softer on the tongue
Cream thinned with water lands nearer the richness of evaporated milk. Many old-fashioned fudge recipes are made with cream, so it holds up to the boil.
- Best for
- old-fashioned cooked fudge, chocolate and penuche fudge
- Prep
- Stir the cream and water together, then use as the recipe directs and cook to 234°F.
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Undiluted cream in the full amount makes a greasy fudge that can leak butterfat as it cools.
Dry milk powder + water
flatter, without the faint caramel note of canned
Milk powder mixed at double strength is close to what evaporated milk is. It brings the milk solids that fudge needs.
- Best for
- marshmallow creme fudge, when there is no fresh dairy in the house
- Prep
- Whisk 2/3 cup instant dry milk into 1 cup warm water, let it stand 10 minutes, whisk again, then measure out what the recipe calls for. With non-fat powder, add 1 tbsp butter per cup.
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Undissolved powder leaves fine grains in the fudge. Let it hydrate fully before it goes in the pan.
Full-fat canned coconut milk
clearly coconut
The dairy-free option. It has the thickness but almost no milk protein, so the fudge browns less and sets softer. It suits recipes where chocolate and marshmallow creme do much of the setting.
- Best for
- dairy-free chocolate fudge with marshmallow creme or chocolate chips
- Prep
- Whisk the can smooth before measuring, cook to 234°F on a thermometer and chill the fudge to set.
- Suits
- vegan, dairy-free
- Where it fails
- Old-fashioned fudge, penuche and any batch that relies on the milk itself to brown and set. Keep the finished fudge in the fridge; it softens at room temperature.
Plain milk or almond milk, not reduced
Milk straight from the carton has more than twice the water of evaporated milk for the same solids. In a fudge recipe written for the can, that water is still in the pan when the timer goes.
- Best for
- nothing in fudge until it has been simmered down
- Where it fails
- A timed 5-minute boil ends before the syrup reaches 234°F, and the fudge stays a thick sauce. Almond milk also lacks the milk sugar and protein, so reducing it does not rescue it.
Simmer dairy milk down first, as in the first row.
How it behaves in this recipe
In fudge, evaporated milk is boiled with sugar and butter to the soft-ball stage, 234 to 240°F. It is chosen because it is concentrated: less water to boil off, and plenty of milk sugar and protein to brown and give the fudge its flavor. A swap has to be about as concentrated, or the syrup takes longer to reach temperature and a recipe timed by the clock fails.
Tips for substituting evaporated milk
5 tips- Use a candy thermometer with any swap and cook to 234°F, not to the minutes in the recipe. The timing was worked out for canned evaporated milk.
- For a 5 oz can, a scant 2/3 cup, simmer 1 ½ cups whole milk down to 2/3 cup. For a 12 oz can, 1 ½ cups, simmer about 3 1/3 cups down to 1 ½ cups.
- Use a heavy pan with room to spare. Fresh dairy foams up higher than canned when it boils with sugar.
- Stir constantly and scrape the bottom once it boils. Half-and-half and cream scorch faster than evaporated milk.
- If the fudge has not set after 3 hours in the fridge, scrape it back into the pan with 2 tbsp water, bring it back to 234°F, then beat and pour again.
Questions
5 questionsCan I use sweetened condensed milk in place of evaporated milk in fudge?
Not in the same recipe. Sweetened condensed milk is roughly 40 to 45% sugar, and a cooked fudge already contains a measured amount of sugar, so the swap gives a soft, cloying batch. Condensed milk makes its own kind of fudge with no boiling: one 14 oz can melted with 3 cups of chocolate chips. Follow a recipe written for it.
Can I use regular milk in fudge that calls for evaporated milk?
Only after reducing it. Simmer 2 ¼ cups of whole milk down to 1 cup, or 1 ½ cups down to 2/3 cup for a 5 oz can, and use that. Poured in as is, regular milk adds water the recipe did not plan for, and a fudge boiled for the stated time comes out soft.
Can I substitute almond milk for evaporated milk in fudge?
No. Almond milk has very little protein and almost no sugar of its own, and fudge depends on both. The batch tends to stay a sauce or turn grainy. For a dairy-free fudge, full-fat canned coconut milk is the option that sets, and the result tastes of coconut.
Can I use heavy cream in place of evaporated milk in fudge?
Yes. Use ¾ cup heavy cream plus ¼ cup water for each cup of evaporated milk. For a 5 oz can, that is ½ cup cream plus about 2 ½ tablespoons water. Cook to 234°F on a thermometer and stir constantly, because cream catches on the pan faster.
Why did my fudge not set after I swapped the evaporated milk?
Almost always because the syrup did not get hot enough. A thinner liquid takes longer to reach the soft-ball stage, so a boil timed for evaporated milk stops short. Return the fudge to the pan with 2 tablespoons of water, cook it to 234°F, cool it slightly, beat it and pour it again.