Recipes abound to use sweetened condensed milk: in beverages, brownies and other bars, cakes, candy, cookies, pies and puddings. Check out the Eagle Brand website, for starters.

When we have leftover sweetened condensed milk after baking, we use it:

Homemade sweetened condensed milk. Photo courtesy GrowingNaturals.com.

 
Lactose intolerant? Here’s a non-dairy version of sweetened condensed milk from GrowingNaturals.com.
 
RECIPE: SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK SUBSTITUTE

If you find yourself stuck without a can of sweetened condensed milk, here’s a substitute recipe from Cooks.com.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. MIX all ingredients thoroughly and use in bars, cookies, cakes, etc.
 
RECIPE: HOMEMADE SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK

This homemade version isn’t as thick as canned sweetened condensed milk, but it does have the same sweet, milky flavor.

Ingredients For Scant 1 Cup

 
Preparation

1. MIX in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, mix together the milk and sugar. Take note of where the milk reaches on the side of the pan.

2. HEAT the milk and sugar mixture over medium heat until it’s just steaming, then lower the heat and simmer for about 2 hours, or until the mixture has thickened slightly. When the mixture has reduced by about half, stir in the vanilla extract.

3. COOL completely. As it cools, the milk with thicken. Pour into a clean, dry airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Keep a can in the pantry. Photo courtesy
Nestlé.

 
Tips and caramelizing instructions courtesy Eagle Brand.

First, do not cook it in a regular pan on the stove; it will scorch. Instead, use one of these methods.