With a can of Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk going for around $2.50-$3.50 nowadays, you might want to consider this money saving substitute! Here is an easy way to make your own sweetened condensed milk, so that you can stretch your grocery budget a little farther!
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/8 cup powdered milk
Combine all ingredients in saucepan and heat over medium heat until boiling, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and cook until thickened, approx. 15-20 min. Continue stirring to avoid burning. A double-boiler may also be used to avoid burning.
Here is a “no cook” recipe for Eagle Brand milk substitute that I found at Everyday Food Storage that you might like to try as well:
1/2 C. hot water
1 C. Powdered Milk
1 C. Sugar
1 T. Butter
Blend in blender very well. Can be stored in the refrigerator or frozen.
There are actually several recipes for this out there, some using evaporated milk instead of powdered. If none of mine work for you, keep looking! You’ll never have to buy one of those expensive little cans again!

A city girl learning to homestead on an acre of land in the country. Wife and homeschooling mother of four. Enjoying life, and everything that has to do with self sufficient living.
I’ve gone to the Everyday Food Storage web site for years. I learned how to make tortillas from scratch from them.
About midway through that if you are using instant powdered milk in their recipes, that you need to use about twice what they ask for. I make a soup that calls for evaporated milk…and tried their conversions….and it wasn’t as tasty. But in a pinch, it would work.
I was finally able to purchase non instant dry milk on the internet. The first shipment I got …. they sent instant. So they had to reship me the non instant.
Just a note that there are 2 kinds of powdered milk – instant and non-instant. The everyday food storage site uses non instant, which is not easy to find (every brand at our local store, except for the organic, was instant). The properties are different and so are the measurements if you are using instant. hth!
Oh, thanks Susan. I’ve never heard that before.
Though I don’t drink coffee, I do make my own sweetened condensed milk to use in recipes that call for it. My recipe is just a little different from yours:
In blender, place 1/2 c. boiling water. Add 1 c. powdered milk, 2/3 c. sugar, 3 Tbs. melted butter, and a couple of drops of vanilla. Blend on high for about 30 seconds or until smooth. Let cool before using. Store covered in fridge and use withing three or four days. It works as well as store-bought in desserts or whatever recipes you have that call for it.
i have had this recipe for s long time now but have never tried it, but since I need condensed milk today so I will make some.
Might need some more sugar in it, not sure.
Homemade Condensed Milk made with Raw Milk
Ingredients
• 6 cups whole milk
• 12 tablespoons sugar
Directions
Prepare condensed milk:
1.Pour the milk into a medium heavy saucepan and bring to a boil.
2.Reduce to a simmer and cook 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3.Stir in the sugar and continue simmering 10 to 15 minutes or until reduced to 3 cups.
4.Strain, Homemade condensed milk can be refrigerated up to a week
Sandra,
Thanks so much for this!!!!
I love that recipe! I use a lot of this stuff around Christmas when baking and such so this recipe will come in handy. Anyone tried canning this yet??
And as far as the recipe for the dishwasher powder- I use 1 cup borax, 1 cup baking soda and 1 cup Great Value dishwasher detergent. I have an old dishwasher (probably 25 years old) and the recipe with just the borax and baking soda didn’t work very well for me. Plus, even with using the one cup of dishwasher detergent, the box lasts me for a few months! And don’t forget to put white vinegar in for the rinse cycle! It’ll make your dishes sparkling without using the expensive Finish products.
First of all I wanted to let you know that I love your website. I love learning how to REALLY use my coupons in a better way. Just found it about 6 weeks ago. I probally saved $400 so far. I love to can my mom taught me. I wish she was still here to share the things I canned.
Was wondering if anyone has ever canned this milk for a later use???
I seen a recipe for homemade dishwasher soap that called for 1/2 baking soda and 1/2 something else but can’t remember what the other 1/2 was can anyone help me out?
Thanks, Barbara
Borax 🙂 Here’s the recipe…
https://www.newlifeonahomestead.com/extending-your-dishwasher-detergent/
Hope that helps!
I just made homemade condensed milk this past Christmas. A good one for my daughter to help with so she could do all that stirring!!
Evaporated milk is whole milk with half the water taken out, for those who want to try it with whole milk.
Hi! I just wanted to let you know I just found your blog and subscribed. I love it! 🙂
thanks again for another great post. This will be very useful in cutting corners around my house. Hugs>
Thank you veddy, veddy mush!! 😉
What I really want to figure out is if there’s a way to take whole milk and concentrate it and can it. We don’t use powdered milk here but sweetened condensed milk makes some great snow ice cream. Which we just enjoyed twice this last snow 🙂
Kim-
Great question! I can’t find a recipe using whole milk anywhere! I know sweetened condensed milk is made using raw milk, cream and all, cooked with raw cane sugar. That’s all I know about it though. Wish I could find are recipe too! Maybe somebody out there has experimented with this.
So glad to find this recipe! Is it o.k. if I post this and link to it on my kitchen blog?
Thanks,
Carmen 🙂
Carmen-
Sure 😉
Nifty! I always wondered what they made that stuff out of! Bet the recipe you posted is even better. Thanks for sharing.