The best homemade condensed milk, creamy and sweet, with only 4 ingredients, and it takes less than 5 minutes to make.
Growing up, my mom would use condensed milk to make fudge or something delicious in the kitchen. With tablespoons, we’d scrape the tin clean of thick, sweet milk. It’s so nostalgic!
I’ve been making homemade vanilla ice cream that uses condensed milk, but I was going through tins of the stuff, so I started making my own.
It’s so simple, it’s almost too simple. It also tastes so much better than store-bought…but doesn’t everything homemade taste better? And it’s a lot cheaper to make yourself.
This recipe is quick to make, only requiring 5 minutes or so to blend the ingredients into creamy condensed milk. No stovetop or hours are needed to make this!
Condensed milk is great for no-churn ice creams, fudge, caramel, condensed milk cookies and even bread!
When you make your own condensed milk, you get that satisfying feeling of being able to make food from scratch.
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What Is Condensed Milk?
Condensed milk or sweetened condensed milk is cow’s milk that’s been concentrated by removing the water. Sugar is added to create delightfully thick, sweet, and creamy condensed milk.
Is Condensed Milk and Evaporated Milk the Same Thing?
They’re different because condensed milk has sugar, but evaporated milk doesn’t. Hence, the common name is sweetened condensed milk. Due to the sugar content, I wouldn’t recommend substituting condensed milk for evaporated milk, but you can use evaporated milk instead of fresh milk with some water.
How To Thicken Homemade Condensed Milk?
With heat or hot water, milk and sugar start to thicken into condensed milk. This recipe is the best because it doesn’t require hours over the stovetop. Instead, you use hot water in a food processor, and it’s done in a matter of minutes.
Can I Freeze Condensed Milk?
Yes, you can freeze it in an airtight container. Due to the sugar content, the mixture won’t freeze solid. Put it in the fridge overnight and whisk gently if it’s separated.
How Long Does Homemade Condensed Milk Last?
In the fridge, you can store this in a glass container or jar for 6 months. Super handy for spontaneous late-night baking.
Why You Will Love Making Your Own Condensed Milk
- It’s cheaper than a can from the store
- No skills needed – easy to make
- Tastes great and can be used in lots of recipes
- Quicker than other recipes that require stovetops
Condensed Milk Ingredients
White Granulated Sugar – what makes the condensed milk sweet.
Butter – adding butter to the sugar syrup will give the condensed milk a creamier texture.
Milk Powder or Dry Milk – milk powder is the secret ingredient to making condensed milk quickly, without a stovetop. This product has a few names, but it’s just the powdered form of milk that is shelf-stable. For this recipe, keep it as a powder, this means you need to measure of 1 cup of powdered milk.
Hot Water – is used to melt the butter and dissolve the sugar into a sweet syrup.
Makyla’s Baking Tips
1. Make sure the water is hot enough to dissolve the sugar. Don’t rush this step because the finished texture will be grainy with sugar. If you find the hot water hasn’t worked pour the liquid into a small saucepan and heat it up to dissolve the sugar.
2. Milk powder is important. Don’t swap this out for fresh milk because it won’t work without heat. The milk powder has already had the liquid taken out and will thicken into condensed milk when added to the sugar syrup.
3. If you don’t own a food processor, use a whisk or hand beater.
How To Make Homemade Condensed Milk
- Add the sugar, butter, and hot water into a food processor and whisk together until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has turned to liquid. This should look like a clear sugar syrup.
- Add the milk powder and pulse until combined, thickened, and creamy like condensed milk from a can. This can take a few minutes.
- Store in a jar or use it to make insanely good condensed milk ice cream.
No-Churn Ice Cream Recipes that Use Condensed Milk
If you made and enjoyed this condensed milk recipe, I would appreciate it if you gave it 5 stars! Don’t forget to save this recipe to Pinterest for later!
5 Minute Homemade Condensed Milk
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk powder or dry milk keep powdered, not made into milk!
- 2/3 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup hot water
- 3 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Add the sugar, butter, and hot water into a food processor and whisk together until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has turned to liquid. This should look like a clear sugar syrup.
- Add the milk powder and pulse until combined, thickened, and creamy like condensed milk from a can. This can take a few minutes.
- Store in a jar or airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 months. This recipe makes 1 cup of condensed milk.
Notes
- Make sure the water is hot enough to dissolve the sugar. Don’t rush this step because the finished texture will be grainy with sugar. If you find the hot water hasn’t worked pour the liquid into a small saucepan and heat it up to dissolve the sugar.
- Milk powder is important. Don’t swap this out for fresh milk because it won’t work without heat, you will need to use another recipe like this one. The milk powder has already had the liquid taken out and will thicken into condensed milk when added to the sugar syrup.
- Use a whisk or hand beater if you don’t own a food processor.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I just finished making this recipe for condensed milk. It was delicious and so easy. Thank you for this recipe. I am going to make the ice cream too with this recipe
Hi Marilyn, I’m so glad you loved this recipe. Let me know how the ice cream goes for you – it’s so yummy!
Until I read your recipe I didn’t know you could make it at home with pantry staples, thankyou so much as it will save me buying it and now will save me a fortune.
Hi! I’m very excited overall this recipe! I did everything up until the milk powder, when I got distracted and left for a few minutes. Then I came back and adding the powder. But I’m finding it tastes very powdery. Is it because it cooled down? If I put it on the stove would that help? I also used beaters, but I could put it in a blender too if that might help?
Hi Zoe, yes the liquid needs to be warm so the milk powder mixes in well otherwise it will be powdery. Thanks, Makyla
Is the 1c milk powder meaning the amount of milk powder used to make 1c of milk, or 1 measuring cup of powder?
Hi there, it is 1 cup of milk powder only – not mixed into milk. Thanks!
I’m a little confused on the milk powder. I’ve seen and bought powdered milk or technically “non fat dry milk”. I can’t say I’ve ever seen milk powder.
Hi Vickie, Sorry for the confusion in New Zealand its called milk powder. Non Fat Dry Milk or powdered milk is what you need. Thanks, Makyla
Five star, recepies
Hi! Thank you for the recipe. If using a non sugar product like Equal how much should I substitute for the sugar?
Thank you Becky
How much sweetened condensed milk does a single recipe of this yield?
Thank you for sharing this recipe
Love, love, love this for all the reasons you sited. Thank you for this and the lovely ice cream recipes! So very appreciated. Many blessings.
Can u use condensed milk instead of milk powder (milk powder is expensive and is cheaper to buy a can of sweet evaporated milk)
Thanks
My first attempt at making sweetened condensed milk was to use evaporated milk, sugar and butter. However, it does require standing at the stove for a long time whisking all the time until it is a light golden color and reduced significantly. You do need to keep the flame/heat at med low to avoid scorching the mixture. Mine took about 30 minutes to make.
That’s a somewhat crazy question, the recipe is to make condensed milk… so if you already have condensed milk just use that for the original purpose.
Thank, thank you!!! I really appreciate this recipe and will give it a try in the next few days. I have made sweetened condensed milk before using evaporated milk, allulose and butter but it required standing at the stove for a good half hour stirring constantly. I “can” purchase sweetened condensed milk that has no cane sugar – uses sucralose, but I really dislike sucralose!! So making my own is the way to go. I like allulose because it doesn’t re-crystallize after dissolving like other non-sugar sweeteners do. AND it works great in the no-churn ice cream because it doesn’t crystallize!
My greatest achievements in life are to have milk and buttermilk powders on hand. This recipe saved me a trip to the store as I had time to let my pre-made homemade pie crust thaw. So easy and so delish!
Hi Amy, I’m so happy to hear that!
I let mine sit until I was ready to use it and it got solid. Is this normal? It is a very easy recipe.
Thank you.
Can I use maple syrup as the sweetener or will that be too runny? Thanks!
Hi Amber, I haven’t tested this recipe with maple syrup but I don’t think it would work. I’d suggest searching to see if theres a recipe that uses maple syrup instead. Thanks, Makyla