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There is absolutely nothing healthy or beneficial about sweetened condensed milk. Sadly, this is true even if it is made from grass-fed organic milk. Watch out for the many recipes and videos on how to make sweetened condensed milk at home. Without exception, these methods are best avoided.
Here are the unsolvable problems with this heavily processed food:
Strike #1: Lengthy heating time is necessary to reduce the milk down to a condensed state. This totally and thoroughly denatures the fragile milk proteins. Denatured milk proteins do not digest well and are allergenic. Even those with a healthy gut suffer damage to intestinal balance. The enzymes produced by the body to perform the task no longer fit together properly with the altered milk protein molecules.
Any of these undigested food molecules are prime goodies for any pathogens in the gut. There are always at least some (about 20% in a healthy gut). These unfriendly microbes are more than happy to take over control from your friendly and beneficial bacteria friends if given the chance.
Strike #2 is the large amount of refined white sugar that is typically used to sweeten the final product.
Even if you make the considerable effort to make your own sweetened condensed milk at home with unrefined sweeteners, the very serious digestive problem with the denatured milk proteins still exists. I find that eating anything made with sweetened condensed milk is asking for a stuffed up nose. How? This overly processed food is so incredibly mucous forming.
Strike #3. You’re outta here!
No wonder Dr. Weston A. Price derided sweetened condensed milk as one of three primary “displacing foods of modern commerce” in his seminal work Nutrition and Physical Degeneration.
Have we really struck out with sweetened condensed milk for good? It is so delicious, so decadent. There simply has to be a way to make this stuff healthy!
Hmmm. How about this for an idea?
Whole coconut milk serves as a wonderful substitute for milk in many recipes, does it not?
Solution: Make healthy sweetened condensed milk with coconut milk
Coconut milk has very little protein (less than a single gram in a can of whole coconut milk) so the denaturing problem is no longer an issue like it is with dairy milk. In addition, making a healthy sweetened condensed milk with coconut milk affords you the freedom to choose a whole, unrefined sweetener instead of white sugar and the natural sweetness of coconut milk permits less sweetener to be used!
So bring on those recipes using sweetened condensed milk! You will love the taste of this sweetened condensed milk recipe and how you don’t feel tired and congested after eating it!
One Word of Caution
In my experience, substituting sweetened condensed coconut milk for dairy sweetened condensed milk at a 1:1 ratio does not appreciably change the flavor of the recipe. However, it will probably extend the baking time a bit. For example, most key lime pie recipes say to bake at 350F for only 15 minutes if using canned sweetened condensed milk. But, if you use sweetened condensed coconut milk, I’ve found that 30 minutes at 350F is required for the pie to fully bake. As a result, be prepared to adjust your recipes with regard to baking time when using sweetened condensed coconut milk.
Note: If you prefer, brands of dairy-free sweetened condensed milk are available for purchase! This is the brand of organic sweetened condensed milk I now use and recommend. It saves a load of time if you prefer not to make it yourself.
Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk
Note that the healthy sweetened condensed milk recipe below freezes nicely. This allows you to make it ahead for holidays and special occasions to have on hand as needed. Very convenient!
I’ve included a brief 15-second video of the sweetened condensed milk recipe being made. I chose sucanat as the sweetener which is why it turned out dark. This wholesome sugar is mixed with some egg yolks as I make my family’s favorite key lime pie recipe. Notice the mineral-rich color and consistency of the end result.
Healthy Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe
Easy non-dairy sweetened condensed milk recipe that is perfect for all your dessert-making needs in place of commercial brands.
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole coconut milk preferably organic with no additives
- 2/3 cup evaporated cane sugar preferably organic
Instructions
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Bring whole coconut milk to a boil in a medium sized pan.
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When the coconut milk starts to bubble, reduce the heat to a simmer and whisk in your sweetener, mixing thoroughly.
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Continue to simmer for about 2 hours until the liquid is reduced by at least half or as much as two-thirds. You can be doing other things around the house and check and stir occasionally as it is reducing down.
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This sweetened condensed milk recipe is thickened once you reduce it down. Have a taste .. you will be amazed! If you used sucanat or coconut sugar, it will be quite dark as shown in the picture.
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Allow to cool and use this sweetened condensed milk recipe in any of your favorite desserts. Refrigerate the unused portion. It will keep for several days.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Coconut sugar or sucanat may be substituted for evaporated cane sugar. Only do this if a richly flavored sweetened condensed milk will not alter the recipe that it will be used in.
Feel free to use homemade coconut milk instead of canned if you prefer.
I don't recommend coconut milk in cartons as it is watered down.
YOU are my new favorite person. The three strikes were fantastic and I can’t believe I found your site from a google search! Hooray for Weston A. Price! I am making fudge this Christmas! 🙂
Would I be able to use this in a no bake recipe like cheesecake please? Do you think it would turn the cheesecake brown?
Thanks!
I was looking for an alternative to condensed milk yesterday and today found this via your newsletter! 😉
FYI – the coconut milk linked to in the article (via ‘sources’) contains maltodextrin (from corn). Since it’s not labelled organic, would we assume it’s non-organic and possibly GMO? For those avoiding dairy, it also has ‘a trace of casein’ in it.
It’s nonGMO … I’ve talked to the owner of Wilderness Family Naturals about it. There is also an organic version (which I didn’t know about at the time of this posting) if you want that one instead.
Coconut milk has virtually no protein in it.
Hi Sarah,
I have stopped using coconut oil due to my adult acne flare ups. Is there any evidence/research etc. that coconut milk is okay?
Thanks for all you do!
Robyn
Hi Robyn, the amount of coconut oil in coconut milk is obviously much lower than what would be in the straight oil. I don’t know if it would be enough to aggravate your condition or not. Worth a try perhaps?
I’m grateful for this. I’ve been passing up recipes that call for the canned stuff, not thinking that there may be a way to make it myself. Duh!
I just ordered some organic coconut sugar and can’t wait to try making the condensed coconut milk. I have key limes in my fridge right now awaiting the shipment
Can powdered coconut milk be used in the sweetned condensed milk recipe??
Can liquid stevia be substitued for the coconut sugar in the sweetened condensed milk receipe?
Kathy, Did you find out if liquid stevia would work? I see no reply to your question. Thanks! WK
I found a quick and easy recipe online awhile back and changed it to make it healthy. If one doesn’t have the time for all the cooking, they might like to try this as the ingredients are just whipped in a blender and it is done. I use it all the time to make my home made “Nutella”.
So here is the recipe that I worked out from the one I found:
1 cup dried coconut milk powder
2/3 cups coconut palm sugar
1/3 cup boiling water
3 Tbl. melted butter
Put all in a blender and whip till smooth.
Hope you all enjoy. 🙂
I forgot to mention that this also works using that trick for canned sweetened condensed milk to make a caramel sauce. I just put this in a pint mason jar. Put a canning lid on it and simmered it covered in a water bath for 3-4 hours.(keep lid on pan and do check that the water stays over the jar) The result was a great caramel sauce for topping ice cream etc. Also, as it cools, it seals so it can be kept for awhile if you make more than one batch. 🙂
Thanks so much…I just went to amazon.com and ordered the powdered coconut milk…didn’t even know that existed…