Is Creamer Just Evaporated Milk?

Last updated on September 27th, 2022 at 11:26 am

Starting your day with a nice warm cup of coffee with your favorite creamer is an excellent way to start your day. However, you did not have a chance to stop at the store yesterday and used up the last of your creamer yesterday. 

You do have some evaporated milk though, are creamer and evaporated milk the same thing? Can you consider creamer and evaporated milk to be interchangeable? 

Creamer and evaporated milk are very similar but are not the same thing. Creamer is made from water, vegetable oils, corn syrup, and sugar. Evaporated milk is made by removing water from milk and then heating it. 

Creamer has a water base and evaporated milk has a milk base and the water has been removed. You can use evaporated milk in your coffee like a creamer but they are certainly not the same thing. 

Can You Substitute Creamer For Evaporated Milk?

Evaporated milk is high in protein and used in many recipes and cups of coffee around the world. Some people do not like the taste of evaporated milk or are allergic. 

Since evaporated milk is just a concentrated form of milk, it is not great for non-dairy people. If you still want that creaminess in your coffee but don’t like the taste of evaporated milk, can you use creamer instead? 

What about baking? Can you substitute creamer for evaporated milk in baking? Are there any other substitutes you can use for evaporated milk? 

You can use creamer as a substitute for evaporated milk, especially in your coffee. However, if you planned on using evaporated milk for creamy potatoes, creamer may not be the best substitution. 

If you have plain creamer on hand, then it might be okay. If the only creamer you have available is hazelnut, that might not taste well mixed in with your mashed potatoes. 

Here are a few other substitutions that you can use if you don’t have evaporated milk. 

• Milk: You can use milk in place of evaporated milk. If you planned on using evaporated milk for your sauces, you may need to thicken the milk with flour. Milk is thinner and not as sweet as condensed milk. You will need to make some adjustments to your recipes when you replace evaporated milk with regular milk.

• Cream: Cream has a much higher fat content than evaporated milk, but is a great alternative to use in baking. You can use the cream as a 1:1 ratio since the cream is also thick. If you are trying to watch your weight, the cream may not be a great substitute as it is higher in both fat and calories. 

• Half and Half: The texture of half and half is a bit thicker than evaporated milk. Half and half is essentially a mixture of milk and cream and is commonly only used in coffee. However, you can still use half and half in recipes at a 1:1 ratio in place of evaporated milk.

• Nut Milk: Almond, cashew, and hazelnut milk can be used in place of evaporated milk. Nut milk is a great option if you are lactose intolerant or watching your weight. However, since it is made from nuts, if you have a nut allergy, then this option is not an ideal substitute for you. 

What Do You Do With Leftover Evaporated Milk? 

Evaporated milk is a great way to get a creamy, milky flavor in your coffee without all the extra sugar. It’s also an excellent ingredient to use in baking if you are avoiding unnecessary sugar as well. 

However, in both instances, you do not need to use that much of your evaporated milk. You now have quite a bit of evaporated milk leftover and just a few days to use it before it goes bad. 

What are you supposed to do with your leftover evaporated milk? How do you make the most of your milk? 

There are a few different options you can use when storing your leftover evaporated milk. 

• Store your leftover evaporated milk in the fridge. You can pour the rest of the evaporated milk into an air-tight container and use the rest at a later date. Evaporated milk should last in the fridge for about 5 days. Be sure that the container is airtight, otherwise, your milk will spoil much sooner than 5 days. 

• Store your leftover evaporated milk in the freezer. Pour the rest of your evaporated milk into an ice tray. Once the milk is frozen, you can remove the cubes and store them in a freezer-safe bag. If you freeze the evaporated milk altogether, you will need to use all the thawed milk at once. Once thawed, it needs to be used immediately. This is why it’s best to portion out the milk in ice cube trays rather than freeze it altogether. 

• Use your leftover evaporated milk in other dishes. You can use up the rest of your evaporated milk in your baking for that day. You can add it to your smoothie for some extra creaminess. You can add it to your potatoes, white sauces, and any other recipe that calls for milk. 

Is Evaporated Milk Bad For You? 

Evaporated milk is typically used in baking and can even be used as a drink. Since evaporated milk is only slightly altered from regular milk, is it bad for you? 

Do the alterations to evaporated milk remove the nutrients that you might get from drinking regular milk? Are there any benefits to your health for drinking or baking with evaporated milk? 

The only “nutrient” removed from evaporated milk, is water. Evaporated milk can have a higher nutrient content than drinking regular milk. If you get the sweetened version of evaporated/condensed milk you may be adding a few extra calories to your diet. 

Drinking evaporated milk can be a great way to gain weight for those who need to. Being underweight comes with some health risks such as infections, dementia, and other immune deficiencies. 

Evaporated milk can help you gain healthy weight since it has such a high concentration of nutrients and not much sugar. 

Final Thoughts

Creamer and evaporated milk are very similar and yet vastly different in ingredients. If you are in a pinch and need to use creamer instead of evaporated milk, you can. 

However, French vanilla creamer may not taste quite the same in your homemade Alfredo pasta as evaporated milk does.