Here's Exactly How Condensed Milk Is Made From Whole Milk

Sweetened condensed milk is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades in the kitchen. Whether you're whipping up a batch of fudge, making dulce de leche to pour over cake or fruit, or making a fantastic, super sweet iced coffee, the canned delicacy works with a wide range of dishes. If you've ever tasted it straight out of the can (no judgement), you might wonder exactly how milk is transformed into a super creamy and rich kitchen rock star.

The production of sweetened condensed milk begins with milk with less than 10% total fat content. Next, the milk is cooled and pasteurized. Large amounts of sugar are added to the milk, acting as both a sweetener and preservative. The mixture is heated to prevent crystallization, then sent to an evaporator that uses both heat and pressure to reduce the milk's water content by about 60%. The milk then undergoes the homogenization process to ensure its uniform texture before it's sealed in sterilized cans.

From making the easiest caramel of your life to creating seriously crowd-pleasing and fudgier brownies, sweetened condensed milk is a vital item in every home cook's pantry. Its long list of recipe hacks make sweetened condensed milk super versatile. If you'd prefer, you can make sweetened condensed milk on your own — but it takes a lot longer than grabbing a can at your local grocery store. That being said, if you find yourself in a pinch (like if you need a can to create super silky buttercream frosting when the grocery stores are closed), making sweetened condensed milk in your kitchen is totally doable.

There are a few different methods you can use to create sweetened condensed milk in your own kitchen. If you go with the whole milk method, it takes about an hour from start to finish: You need to combine sugar, butter, and vanilla extract, then reduce them together on the stove. Using evaporated milk instead of whole takes about the same amount of time but doesn't require the inclusion of butter. Combining powdered milk, water, butter, sugar, and blending them together is your quickest option and takes just a few minutes from start to finish.