Out of Milk, one case
Milk substitute for hamburger helper
5 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Water + butter
1 cup water + 1 tbsp butter for every cup of milk
The box works without milk. Replace each cup of milk with 1 cup of water plus 1 tablespoon of butter, or with ½ cup evaporated milk plus ½ cup water. Plain water alone also cooks the pasta and makes the sauce; it comes out thinner and less creamy. Do not use a sweetened or vanilla plant milk.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- The tweak —
- Add the butter to the pan with the water. There is no need to melt it first, since everything simmers together.
- Best for —
- cheeseburger macaroni and other cheese flavors
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
One casethe full milk card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 cup milk | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Water + buttercheeseburger macaroni and other cheese flavors | 1 cup water + 1 tbsp butterTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Evaporated milk + watercheese and creamy flavors | ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup waterWorks | Works |
| 3 | Unsweetened soy or oat milkwhen plant milk is what is in the fridge | 1 cupWorks | Works |
| 4 | Plain waterwhen there is nothing else | 1 cupYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 5 | Low-sodium brothbeef pasta, stroganoff and chili flavors | 1 cupYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| Not a swap | Sweetened plant milk | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
Water + butter
a little less creamy; the seasoning still carries it
The pasta cooks in the liquid and the seasoning packet thickens it, so water does most of the job. Butter puts back the richness.
- Best for
- cheeseburger macaroni and other cheese flavors, stroganoff, any flavor of the box
- Prep
- Add the butter to the pan with the water. There is no need to melt it first, since everything simmers together.
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- The sauce is slightly thinner. Simmer it uncovered for the last 2 to 3 minutes and let it stand off the heat; it thickens as it cools.
For ½ cup milk: ½ cup water and 1 ½ tsp butter. For 1 ½ cups: 1 ½ cups water and 1 ½ tbsp butter.
Evaporated milk + water
the same as with milk
Canned milk with the water put back is the closest thing to fresh milk in the pantry, and it holds up to simmering.
- Best for
- cheese and creamy flavors, stroganoff
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Sweetened condensed milk is a different can and ruins the dish.
Unsweetened soy or oat milk
no real difference under the seasoning
Either one makes a sauce as creamy as milk does. Check the box if you are cooking dairy-free: many flavors have milk or cheese in the seasoning mix.
- Best for
- when plant milk is what is in the fridge
- Where it fails
- Sweetened and vanilla cartons. Read the label: a carton marked original is usually sweetened. The sugar tastes plainly wrong in a savory sauce and nothing corrects it.
Plain water
thinner and less rich
With no butter to add, water alone still cooks the pasta and dissolves the sauce mix.
- Best for
- when there is nothing else
- Prep
- Simmer uncovered at the end to thicken, and stir in a spoonful of sour cream, cream cheese or shredded cheese off the heat if you have any.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- The cheese flavors taste sharper and saltier without milk to round them out.
Low-sodium broth
meatier, not creamy
Beef or chicken broth adds savor where water adds nothing. It suits the beefy flavors more than the cheesy ones.
- Best for
- beef pasta, stroganoff and chili flavors, the rice and potato versions
- Where it fails
- Regular broth on top of the seasoning packet makes the dish too salty. Use low-sodium or unsalted, or use half broth and half water.
Sweetened plant milk
sweet, and plainly wrong with beef and cheese
Vanilla, original and other sweetened cartons carry several teaspoons of sugar per cup.
- Best for
- nothing savory
- Where it fails
- There is no adjustment that takes the sugar back out of the sauce.
How it behaves in this recipe
In a boxed skillet dinner the liquid has two jobs: the pasta cooks in it, and it dissolves the sauce mix. Water covers both. Milk only adds creaminess and rounds off the salt, and a tablespoon of butter or a spoonful of sour cream gives most of that back.
Tips for substituting milk
4 tips- Keep the total liquid the box lists. Replace only the milk; the hot water it also asks for stays the same.
- With water, simmer uncovered for the last 2 to 3 minutes, then let the pan stand 2 to 3 minutes off the heat. The sauce thickens as it sits.
- Heavy cream: 3 tbsp topped up to 1 cup with water equals 1 cup of milk. Half and half: 1/3 cup plus 2/3 cup water.
- For creaminess without milk, stir in a spoonful of sour cream or cream cheese at the end, off the heat so it does not split.
Questions
5 questionsCan I make Hamburger Helper with water instead of milk?
Yes. Use the same amount of water in place of the milk and add 1 tablespoon of butter per cup if you have it. The pasta cooks the same. The sauce is a little thinner and less creamy, and it thickens as it stands.
Can I use almond milk in Hamburger Helper?
Yes, if it is unsweetened and unflavored, in the same amount. Almond milk is thin, so the sauce is looser; simmer it uncovered a couple of minutes longer. Vanilla or sweetened almond milk is not a swap.
Can I use evaporated milk in Hamburger Helper?
Yes. Mix ½ cup evaporated milk with ½ cup water for each cup of milk. Used straight from the can it is twice as rich, which makes a thicker, heavier sauce that can catch on the bottom of the pan.
Can I use sour cream instead of milk?
Not as the cooking liquid: the pasta needs thin liquid to cook in, and sour cream splits when it boils. Cook the box with water in place of the milk, then stir in a spoonful or two of sour cream off the heat.
Can I use heavy cream or half and half?
Yes, thinned. Use 3 tablespoons of heavy cream topped up to 1 cup with water, or 1/3 cup half and half plus 2/3 cup water, for each cup of milk.