Best Vegan Substitute For Evaporated Milk

The introduction of veganism was a big bang for a healthy diet and lifestyle. Vegan Diet has revolutionized the global diet pattern. In every corner of the world, People are embarking on a veganism journey for health goals and environmental concerns. As fancy as it may sound, keeping up with a vegan lifestyle is strictly hard because dairy is a core ingredient in many food items.

Being a vegan begins your quest to find daily substitutes for simple to complicated dairy products. Evaporated milk, also commonly known as “Unsweetened condensed milk,” is a popular milk-made ingredient prepared from dehydrating milk by 60 percent of its water content.

Finding a perfect evaporated milk substitute for your cream-rich coffee and delicious soups? Wait no more; you have reached your destination! In this article, we have explored and assembled most environmentally-friendly vegan milk substitutes that can be used in the place of evaporated milk. Scroll down!

What Is Evaporated Milk?

Evaporated Milk is a thick and creamy consistency dairy product made from cow’s milk. Fresh milk is stripped of its water content below 40% by boiling on uniform heat, which gives a rich, dense texture.

It is packed in cans for longer shelf life and stability. Evaporated milk is poured into many savory dishes to thicken soups, curries, and gravy and even enhance coffee variations.

8 Best Vegan Evaporated Milk Substitute

Evaporated milk is essential in a variety of savories and desserts. It can also be transformed into sweetened condensed milk by adding sugar, a staple ingredient in bakery desserts.

Vegans cannot use this evaporated milk. Luckily, many non-dairy substitutes for evaporated milk can be used for cooking purposes. Below is a list of all vegan evaporated milk products you can choose for your next delicious meal.

1. Coconut Milk

Coconut Milk is derived from the pulp of coconut. The thick coconut flesh is grated and soaked in water. Next, it is churned in the blender to make a homogenous mixture. Then, the mixture is strained and squeezed into a cheesecloth which releases a creamy white liquid, which is called coconut milk.

You can use canned coconut milk directly in place of evaporated milk as it is dense. Else, you can place it in a flat bottom vessel and stir it on a burner for some mins. There you are, with your fresh coconut evaporated milk. Just make sure the canned coconut milk which you have opened has not gone bad. Since coconut milk can go bad when exposed to humidity.

2. Soy Milk

The origination of soy milk goes to China in the early 2000s. Soy milk is considered the supreme substitute for milk in terms of nutrition and taste. It is produced from dried soybeans. Further, the soybeans are pureed with water. To obtain the milk, it is refined with a gauze filter to separate residue and milky liquid.

The consistency of soy milk can be adjusted by reducing its water content on flame. After some mins, you will have vegan evaporated milk. The taste might differ from classic dairy milk

3. Oat Milk

Oat milk is the most sustainable plant-based milk among the vegan alternatives for plant-based milk. It is fiber-rich and packed with nutrients. It has zero cholesterol levels. It is prepared from healthy whole oats. As of start, oats grain is submerged in water till it’s soft. It is ground into a semi-liquid mixture.

Lastly, oat milk is extracted by filtering the compound. You can reduce homemade or store-bought oat milk to achieve evaporated milk and whip up most of the dishes.

4. Almond Milk

It is a popular nut-based milk with a rich nutritional profile. It is good for high diet maintenance people as it contains minimum calories and protein. The process is the ritualistic soak grind sieve process which gives a non-dairy milky liquid.

I would recommend to use homemade almond milk as a substitute for evaporated milk. Since store bought almond milk causes digestive problems because of the carrageenan content in them.

You can easily freeze homemade almond milk and later, you can heat it up to gain the desired consistency. Almond Milk is ideal for dessert recipes as a vegan evaporated milk substitute. Check your nut allergies beforehand.

5. Rice Milk

Rice Milk is made from soaked rice, blended, and squeezed to produce non-vegan milk liquid. It is widely consumed by lactose and soy-intolerant people. But it comes with high sugar levels and carbs.

It can be thickened to evaporated milk by heating. However, it will remain thinner than dairy-evaporated milk. Rice Evaporated milk can be used for sweets and savory preparations.

6. Flax Milk

Flax milk is prepared in two methods. Store-bought flax milk cans are manufactured by infusing water with flaxseed oil. However, you can make it in your kitchen by churning flaxseeds with water. Commercial flax milk has a nutrient deficiency.

Flaxseed milk is the most proximate replica of regular dairy milk. It has a bland taste to other vegan milk. Just heat it for some mins to convert it to vegan evaporated milk.

7. Quinoa Milk

Quinoa milk is a promising, novelty, non-dairy, vegan milk. It is gaining popularity due to its fewer calories and fat content. At home, quinoa milk is made using water-soaked quinoa, blended in a jar, and squeezed into milk-type liquid. It is thick and can be used directly as evaporated milk without boiling.

8. Hemp Milk

Hemp is a cannabis plant. Its seeds are merged with water to produce hemp milk. It has no marijuana association, neither it contains any THC- a drug compound. It is legal for production and consumption. Hemp contains various essential amino acids along with omega-3 and omega-6 fats.

Hemp milk contains, 200% more per cup daily intake requirement of an adult. It needs to be stirred on high heat for a thick consistency. You may also add some thickening agent, as hemp milk is more watery.

Vegan Evaporated Milk Recipe

What To Consider When Choosing A Non-Dairy Substitute For Evaporated Milk?

Dairy evaporated milk contains 13 essential vitamins and minerals. It is a primary source of protein, calcium, and phosphorous. Often, Vegan Milk substitutes fall short in all-rounder nutritional value. Choosing a nutrient-rich vegan substitute for evaporated milk is important based on your body’s needs.

Here is a checklist to consider before choosing a vegan evaporated milk substitute.

1. Protein And Calorie Content

Protein is found primarily in dairy milk. Amongst vegan milk substitutes, soy milk is renowned for its protein content. It has approx. 8 gms of plant-based protein. You can also go for fortified soy milk for more protein content. For calorie-conscious people, almond milk and quinoa milk are impeccable non-dairy substitutes.

2. Allergies

Some people might have a soy allergy, while some people may be intolerant to specific nuts. Consult your dietician and narrow down your suitable options. If you are allergic to some vegan milk types, it’s better to go for coconut milk or rice milk, as it suits most people.

3. Sugar

Sugar acts as a host for many heart diseases. Many vegan alternatives of evaporated milk have high sugar content or are artificially sweetened in cans. Try to choose unsweetened condensed milk or evaporated milk. You can additionally make it sweet later as per your need.

4. Taste

All vegan evaporated milk substitutes do not taste equal to dairy evaporated milk. Some have a weird or pungent taste as well. It’s recommended to go for vegan milk with a neutral taste. Your best options for flavorless vegan evaporated milk are quinoa milk and flaxseed milk. They are closer to cow milk’s taste.

5. Nutrient

Dairy-based evaporated milk is loaded with all important nutrients for the growth and development of the body. Vegan Milk is also rich in some nutrients, but it’s difficult to get a sufficient intake of vital compounds from homemade vegan evaporated milk. Vegan canned evaporated milk is fortified with vitamins and minerals externally.

Conclusion

Evaporated milk is a widely used dairy enhancer in savory and sweet dishes. Primarily it is derived from fresh cow milk. Given its dairy product, it’s out of the vegan menu. Many vegan substitutes for evaporated milk can be made at home at less cost and time.

Store-bought vegan cans cost you an extra penny, so it’s better to pull up some sleeves and make your own pure vegan evaporated milk. Always remember to check decisive factors like macros percentage, flavor, price, allergy, medical history, and accessibility before switching to non-dairy evaporated milk. All these tips are enough to get your cooking rail back on track.

Frequently Asked Questions