31 Recipes Using Evaporated Milk

Tons of savory and sweet recipes using evaporated milk.

I love cooking with evaporated milk because it’s an excellent substitute for whole milk. Plus, a few tablespoons of this type of milk can add depths of flavor to any dish. If you’ve got an opened can of leftover evaporated milk in your fridge and don’t know what to do with it, you’ve come to the right place.

Trust me, evaporated milk can make anything from a luscious dessert to a hearty casserole. Below you’ll find 31 recipes using evaporated milk to wow your guests and family. 

What is evaporated milk?

Evaporated milk is fresh whole milk heated that is heated until about 60 percent of its water content evaporates. The resulting milk product is then homogenized and pasteurized to ensure its free of bacteria and other microorganisms. Evaporated milk can be found canned in most supermarkets and is typically considered a pantry staple.

In short, evaporated milk is not powdered milk. They are both made by leveraging the same process. But unlike evaporated milk, in powdered milk, all of the water is removed.

There is one other thing to know about evaporated milk. Unlike other types of milk, like condensed milk, evaporated milk doesn’t contain added sugar. But because of this, evaporated milk can be used to prepare both sweet and savory dishes.

Lastly, if you’re using evaporated milk, you need to add water. The general rule of thumb is to follow the instructions on the package. Once you’ve reconstituted evaporated milk, you can use it as a 1:1 ratio.

Finally, how much does it cost? Prepared to be pleased!

Is evaporated milk cheaper?

I love substituting evaporated milk for fresh milk. It’s not complicated. And let’s be honest, with inflation what it is, this is an ideal food substitute. In general, the cost of evaporated milk and condensed milk is less than fresh milk.

Depending on where you live in the country, the cost of a gallon of milk varies. It can run you as little as 93 cents (we see you Illinois) or as much as nearly $5 (hello, Hawaii!)

If you’re paying five bucks for a gallon of milk, you can get as much from powdered milk for $2. And, of course, all those dollars add up!

Recipes Using Evaporated Milk: Savory

Now to the good stuff. Leftover evaporated milk is great in a ton of dishes. From slow cooker soups to a wide variety of desserts. Below are 29 recipes. They either call specifically for this type of milk, or they’re recipes where swapping out fresh milk for evaporated milk is super easy.

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Crack Chicken Noodle Soup

This creamy chicken noodle soup is a fancier (and tastier!) version of a classic comfort food.

Swedish Meatballs

The taste of these slow-cooker Swedish meatballs is so good you won’t believe they’re made with store-bought ingredients such as frozen meatballs, beef broth, and canned mushroom soup.

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Zuppa Toscana

This simple Zuppa Toscana is not only delicious but healthy too.

Farmer’s Casserole

This simple farmer’s casserole calls for very few ingredients, including eggs, cheese, ham, green onions, garlic, and evaporated milk.

Also Try: 37 Summer Casseroles

Alfredo Sauce

This easy Alfredo sauce is perfect for any kind of pasta. From Rigatoni to linguini to leftover spaghetti.

Tuna Pasta Bake

This tuna pasta bake is the perfect dish for busy weeknights. The creaminess of the filling comes from a mix of evaporated milk, cream of mushroom soup, and two different types of cheese.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

This broccoli cheddar soup is the easiest way to make kids (and adults) eat their veggies!

Corn Chowder

This New England corn chowder is made with only six ingredients, including evaporated milk, potatoes, onion, corn, and spices.

Baked Mac and Cheese

This baked macaroni and cheese casserole is so tasty no one will guess the secret ingredient is evaporated milk.

Also try: Copycat Chick-fil-A Mac and Cheese

Mushroom Sauce

Pair this homemade mushroom sauce with a juicy steak for a filling and delicious meal.

Also try: Olive Garden Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Queso Sauce

This delicious queso dip is the perfect treat for football season. It’s perfect for nachos or a bowl of crispy waffle fries.

Also try: Garlic Butter Pasta Sauce

Potato and Bacon Casserole

If you have hash brown leftovers, try making this delicious potato bacon casserole.

Also try: 22 Russet Potato Recipes

Recipes Using Evaporated Milk: Sweet

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Sweet Potato Pie

If you want to surprise all your friends and family next Thanksgiving, you should make this classic sweet potato pie.

Caramel Sauce

This homemade caramel sauce is the perfect addition to any dessert, like this mouth-watering banana split ice cream cake.

Also try: 28 Easy Microwave Desserts

Fresas Con Crema 

This delicious Mexican strawberries and cream milkshake is a simple and delicious way to cool off in the summer!

Chocolate Pie

With a buttery graham cracker crust and a silky chocolate filling, this evaporated milk chocolate pie is what dessert dreams are made of!

Peppermint Mocha Fudge

With a crunchy peppermint candy layer on top and a soft interior, this peppermint mocha fudge is the perfect treat for the holidays.

Snow Ice Cream

This delicious snow ice cream only calls for four ingredients: evaporated milk, sugar, vanilla, and fresh snow.

Slow-Cooker Rice Pudding

This slow-cooker rice pudding is the perfect comfort food for a chilly day. It’s so delicious and easy to make too.

Milk Chocolate Cake

If you’re still new to baking, you’ll love this old-fashioned milk chocolate cake recipe. It’s so simple, anyone can make it. Also try this delicious dark chocolate pound cake.

Chunky Monkey Bread 

If you’re looking for a delicious but simple recipe for dinner, this homemade monkey bread is perfect for you.

Evaporated Milk Frosting

This simple evaporated milk frosting is the perfect addition to this 4-ingredient banana bread.

Hot Chocolate

This evaporated milk hot chocolate is smooth and rich. It’s the perfect drink to warm you up in the colder months.

Mexican Oatmeal

This delicious traditional Mexican oats dish is made with oatmeal, honey, vanilla extract, evaporated milk, and a dash of cinnamon.

Chocolate Pudding

This rich chocolate pudding calls for simple ingredients, such as cocoa powder, brown sugar, evaporated milk, and cornstarch, and can be made in under 45 minutes.

Blueberry Muffins

If you’re tired of old-fashioned vanilla muffins, spice things up with these bakery-style blueberry muffins.

German Chocolate Chip Cookies

These German chocolate chip cookies combine a variety of textures to make the ultimate dessert. You’ll get a soft and chewy cookie covered with a crunchy pecan-coconut glaze.

Classic Flan

If you like vanilla custard and caramel sauce, you should give this classic flan recipe a try.

Tres Leches Cake

This pastel de tres leches (three milks cake) is the perfect sheet pan cake for birthdays or large gatherings.

Caramel Turtle Brownies

These caramel turtle brownies combine two of everyone’s favorite desserts: chocolate brownies and pecan turtles. They’re so good you’ll want to eat them all in one sitting.

Have questions or suggestions about these recipes using evaporated milk? Leave them in the comments below.