Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk
A simple and delicious recipe for making your own sweetened condensed milk from scratch, perfect for all your favorite desserts.
Equipment
- medium-sized saucepan
- Whisk
- Airtight container for storage
- glass jar for storage
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 2 cups full-fat milk or 2% milk Full-fat milk will give you a richer, creamier result, but 2% works wonderfully too!
- 0.75 cup sugar This is what gives our condensed milk its signature sweetness and helps it thicken.
- 0.125 teaspoon baking soda Optional: This little secret helps prevent any scorching and makes the milk a bit smoother. Don't skip it if you can help it!
Instructions
- Grab a medium-sized saucepan. Pour in your milk and add the sugar. Give it a good whisk to start dissolving that sugar.
- Place the saucepan over medium-high heat. You want to bring this mixture up to a simmer, but not a rolling boil just yet. Stir it often so the sugar doesn't stick to the bottom.
- Once you see it starting to bubble a little, reduce the heat to medium. This is where the magic happens! You'll need to stir frequently – I like to set a timer for every 5 minutes or so. Keep stirring until the mixture has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, which usually takes about 20-25 minutes. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Once it's thickened, carefully remove the saucepan from the heat. If you're using baking soda, now's the time to stir in that tiny pinch. It might fizz a little – that's totally normal!
- Now, you'll want to stir it occasionally as it cools down. This is important because it helps prevent a skin from forming on top. Trust me, nobody wants a skin on their condensed milk!
- Once your beautiful condensed milk has cooled completely, pour it into an airtight container. It’s ready to be used in your favorite recipes or stored for later!
Notes
This homemade sweetened condensed milk can be stored in the refrigerator for about 2 to 3 weeks in an airtight container. Give it a good stir before using as it might separate slightly. It works as a 1:1 substitute for store-bought condensed milk. For a vegan option, full-fat coconut milk can be used. Add vanilla extract or spices for extra flavor.