8 Best Evaporated Milk Substitutes In Pumpkin Pie You Should Try!

The fall season is incomplete without pumpkin pie. One of the key ingredients to making a rich and delicious pie is evaporated milk. 

But what do you do if you don’t have evaporated milk with you? Don’t abandon your baking project just yet. Find its substitutes!

Heavy cream, half-and-half, regular milk, plant-based milk, powdered milk, and coconut milk are all evaporated milk substitutes in pumpkin pie. 

Evaporated milk is cooked down to remove most of the water content. This process results in milk with a creamy and thick consistency. It has a slightly caramelized flavor.

Evaporated milk is commonly used in baking and cooking to add richness and creaminess to dishes like pumpkin pie, custards, and sauces. 

Evaporated milk is higher in protein, calcium, calories, and fat in comparison to regular milk. Let’s take a look at all the substitutes for evaporated milk. 

8 Best Evaporated Milk Substitutes In Pumpkin Pie

Here is a list of some amazing evaporated milk substitutes you can use when making pumpkin pie the next time!

1. Homemade Evaporated Milk

Homemade evaporated milk is the best substitute for evaporated milk. Evaporated milk is just regular milk slowly heated so the water in the milk evaporates. 

You can make it at home by simmering 3 ¼ cups of regular milk in a saucepan for 25 minutes. Stir the milk occasionally. 

After 25 minutes, you will notice the milk turning creamy in color. It will also reduce in quantity to one and a half cups as its water will evaporate.

2. Heavy Cream

If you don’t have evaporated milk to make pumpkin pie, you can use heavy cream in its place. 

Heavy cream’s creamy and rich consistency matches perfectly with that of evaporated milk. This substitute is also easily available in the market.

To substitute heavy cream for evaporated milk, you can use one cup of heavy cream instead of one cup of evaporated milk. 

If you find heavy cream too thick, you can use half a cup of cream mixed with half a cup of water to substitute for one cup of evaporated milk.

3. Half And Half

Half and half is a good alternative to evaporated milk to make pumpkin pie. While the texture of half and half is not as rich as heavy cream, it still works. 

You can use an equal amount of half and half as you would use evaporated milk. You can also use a combination of heavy cream and half-and-half to achieve a thicker consistency.

4. Regular Milk

A bottle of milk is a staple in every household. Whether it is whole, low-fat, or skim, you can use it as a substitute for evaporated milk. The consistency of these types of milk is thinner than evaporated milk.

To achieve the desired results, you can thicken them by adding cornstarch. You can use equal amounts of milk mixed with 3 to 4 cornstarch to substitute evaporated milk. 

5. Plant-Based Milk

Vegans can use plant-based milk as a substitute for evaporated milk. Almond, soy, and oat milk are all plant-based milk. However, their consistency is thinner than evaporated milk. 

Hence, to use them as a substitute for evaporated milk, you will have to add some cornstarch to thicken their consistency. One cup of plant-based milk mixed with 3 to 4 spoons of cornstarch can be used as a substitute for evaporated milk.

6. Coconut Milk

Coconut milk is also a great substitute for evaporated milk in pumpkin pie. In comparison to other milk, full-fat coconut milk contains about 50% water. This amount is just a little more than what is present in evaporated milk. 

This quality makes coconut milk a better substitute as compared to other milks. 

You can use a 12-ounce can of full-fat coconut milk to replace a 12-ounce can of evaporated milk. If you wish to thicken its consistency, you can add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. 

7. Sweetened Condensed Milk

Sweetened condensed milk is one of the best substitutes for evaporated milk. It has a similar caramelized taste to condensed milk. 

However, since it is already sweet, you can reduce and adjust the quantity of sugar asked in your pumpkin pie recipe. 

To use sweetened condensed milk as a substitute for evaporated milk, you can use one 14oz. can of sweetened condensed milk for one 12 oz. can of evaporated milk.

8. Powdered Milk

Powdered milk is also a good substitute for evaporated milk. It is easy to find, and you can manage its consistency to match evaporated milk. 

One and a half cups of warm water with one cup of powdered milk will make one 12oz. can of evaporated milk.

Short Recap Of The Best Feta Cheese Substitutes 

Here is a quick recap of the feta cheese substitutes 

Best Evaporated Milk Substitutes in Terms of Flavor and Texture –

• Sweetened Condensed Milk
• Homemade Evaporated Milk

Best Evaporated Milk Substitutes In Terms of Consistency –

• Heavy Cream
• Coconut Milk

Best Evaporated Milk Vegan Substitutes:

• Soy Milk
• Almond Milk
• Oat Milk

How To Use Evaporated Milk Substitutes In A Recipe?

8 Evaporated Milk Substitutes In Pumpkin Pie

Some of the best substitutes for evaporated milk are heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, powdered milk, half and half, coconut milk, soy milk, almond milk, and oat milk.

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Ingredients

  

• Homemade Evaporated Milk
• Regular Milk
• Plant-Based Milk
• Heavy Cream
• Coconut Milk
• Half and Half
• Powdered Milk
• Sweetened Condensed Milk

Instructions

 

• Go through the substitutes and see which one seems fit for the recipe.
• Collect your ingredients and use your preferred substitute.
• Use the substitute in the required amount and make the dish according to the recipe.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Conclusion

Pumpkin pie is a spectacular fall dessert. It has been a popular dessert in North America since the 17th century, with many variations and regional adaptations over the years. 

If your pumpkin pie recipe calls for evaporated milk and you don’t have it at hand, you don’t need to skip making the recipe. You can use the substitutes for evaporated milk mentioned above to achieve similar results. 

Try them out for yourself, and let me know your thoughts about them in the comments section below.

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