Vegan Evaporated Milk ~
Super easy to make and perfect for all those holiday baking recipes, especially the always popular pumpkin pie.
The pumpkin pie recipe from the back of the Libby’s pumpkin can (plus a little extra spice) has been a Thanksgiving tradition in this family for years and as many of you know, evaporated milk is a key ingredient in the classic pie recipe.
However, while there are a few vegan brands out there now, I’ve found they’re not exactly widely available and tend to be made with coconut. Not a flavor I’m going for in my pumpkin pie.
Thankfully, homemade evaporated milk is not as complicated as it sounds.
There is literally only one ingredient and only one step. All you do is bring milk to a simmer until it reduces/evaporates to half the original amount. That’s it!
This recipe yields 12 ounces of evaporated milk; the equivalent of one can. Use it the same as you would with the canned version.
Ingredients for Vegan Evaporated Milk
- plant-based milk – I prefer oat milk or unsweetened almond milk.
How to Make Vegan Evaporated Milk
STEP ONE: Into a medium-size saucepan, add 3 cups unsweetened almond milk. Bring milk to a low simmer; do not boil.
STEP TWO: Allow to simmer until reduced by half, approximately 2 hours. Time may vary slightly due to differences in stovetops. Allow milk to cool completely prior to using in a recipe. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
FAQ
Can I use a different type of milk?
- Yes; whatever you have on hand will work fine. Just remember to take into account flavor differences and how that may affect your recipe.
More Recipes You’ll Love!
- Vegan Heavy Cream Substitute – Use in any recipe that calls for heavy cream.
- Vegan Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup – So easy and flavorful; you’ll never settle for the canned stuff again.
- Easy Vegan Hollandaise Sauce – Rich and creamy, this sauce is everything you remember of the egg-based version.
- Vegan Cream of Chicken Substitute – Quick, easy, and yields the equivalent of one can of soup.
- Brown Gravy – The classic gravy made with all plant-based ingredients!
Vegan Evaporated Milk
Ingredients
- 3 cups oat milk or unsweetened almond milk
Instructions
- Into a medium size saucepan, add milk. Bring to a simmer over low heat.
- Simmer, uncovered approximately 2 hours, until liquid is reduced by half. Remove from heat and allow to cool coompletely. Use right away or refrigerate in an airtight container.
Nutrition
me
Grateful for this recipe but why does it say ONE hour to simmer, then later TWO hours to simmer??
thiswifecooks
Thank you for catching that! The post has been updated to reflect the correct time of 2 hours. 🙂
Hannah
How much does this yield?
thiswifecooks
Hi Hannah – This recipe yields 12 ounces.
Michelle Eng
Super easy and a sure win recipe❤️
thiswifecooks
I’m so glad you love it! Thank you!
Kayla DiMaggio
What a great recipe! I tried this in my sweet potato pie and it turned out perfect! I have been spending way too much money on specialty vegan evaporated milk, I am so glad I know how to make it at home now!
Kaitlin
Hi Kayla–did you use a plant based egg for your pie? I have been trying to make a pumpkin pie or sweet potato pie with the homemade evaporated milk (with swapping out regular egg) and the end result is…strange. While it tastes great, there is almost a “skin” on top of it. It’s not a smooth top like a traditional sweet potato and pumpkin pie. Any tips or advice or recipe you used? Thanks!
Jasmin McElwee
How long can I keep this frozen?
thiswifecooks
Hi Jasmin ~ I have not tried freezing so I can’t say for sure. I imagine it would be similar to freezing a dairy-based evaporated milk, which is supposed to stay good for around 3 months.
KMac
Thanks for the recipe, Holly! I use this as a base for vegan donair sauce for Maritime garlic fingers, and it is absolutely perfect.
thiswifecooks
Oh, yum! I had to look up garlic fingers and donair sauce, lol. Sounds really good! Thanks for the update 🙂
Sonnie
Very excited to try this vegan evaporated milk! Can this be doubled? How long will it keep in the fridge? 😊
thiswifecooks
Hi Sonnie ~ I have not tried doubling this recipe but don’t see why it wouldn’t work! I have prepared the evaporated milk a day in advance and then brought it to room temperature before using in a recipe.
Kaitlin
Hello!
Would this work with homemade soy milk? I know that some say you can’t use homemade milk to make yogurt and was curious if that applied in this case? I make my own soy milk using a milk machine so I was really hoping it would work! Thank you.
thiswifecooks
Hi Kaitlin ~ I have not tested this recipe with any sort of homemade milk but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. If you decide to try it out, let me know!
Kaitlin
Hello! Has anyone used this with a pumpkin pie recipe AND swapped out the eggs? I LOVE the idea of being able to make my own evaporated milk to use in a pumpkin pie but so far I have tried it twice and my end result is…meh. It’s not smooth like a traditional pumpkin pie. It’s…odd. The taste is great but the texture, odd. I REALLY would love to nail this before Thanksgiving. Any advice from those who have been more successful than I have been? Thank you!
Merci
Instead of eggs try using Agar powder or arrowroot or cornstarch to stabilize it.
I use Agar for vegan flan
Scott
If I start out with 2 ¼ cups and reduce it down to 1 cup, does the total number of calories change? If so, how?
Thanks for the help.
thiswifecooks
Hi Scott ~ Thanks for your question! I am not aware of any significant change in the number of calories.
Christina Lidzbarski
Can you use this vegan evaporated milk to make a caramel sauce (Dulche De Leche)?
thiswifecooks
Hi Christina ~ Yes! Vegan evaporated milk can be used as a 1:1 replacement for dairy evaporated milk.
Debbie F.
Hello! Do you think this could be done in a 2-3 quart slow cooker/crock pot? Thanks!
thiswifecooks
Hi Debbie ~ I have not tried this in a crock pot. However, I think it might work although it will take longer than the stove-top method. Since slow cookers typically don’t simmer at a high enough temperature to reduce liquid quickly, you might need to extend the cooking time significantly, possibly 4-6 hours, on the low setting. I would also leave the lid slightly ajar to allow moisture to evaporate and check the milk’s consistency every hour or so. I would love to hear how this method goes if you decide to give it a try.:)