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Prepared with a base of almonds and cashews, this vegan sweetened condensed milk is rich, creamy, and coconut-free. It works as a 1:1 substitute for canned condensed milk in drinks, desserts, and baking. Just 5 ingredients required!
If you like Vietnamese coffee as much as we do, you probably know that one of the key ingredients is condensed milk. The thing is, vegan versions are usually made with coconut milk, and while I enjoy coconut coffee once in a while, it’s not something I want all the time.
Introducing vegan condensed milk made with almond and cashew milk for a subtle flavor that won’t overpower or alter your coffee and desserts! Perfect for making truffles, puddings, cakes, iced tea, and more!
Wait, what’s condensed milk? Condensed milk, or sweetened condensed milk, is milk that is simmered down with sugar until thick. During the simmering process, about 50% of the water is removed from the milk, resulting in a dense and thick texture. Traditionally, condensed milk is prepared from cow’s milk. Here, we will make a dairy-free version using homemade nut milk!
⭐️ What Makes It So Good
- Perfectly sweet and creamy. My version starts with homemade nut milk, resulting in a richer, creamier condensed milk than recipes made with those diluted store-bought alternatives. It has the same thick, sticky consistency as traditional dairy condensed milk.
- Quick and simple. With just five ingredients and a simple process, this recipe starts by blending nuts into homemade milk before simmering it until thick. It can be done in under one hour!
- Coconut-free. While condensed coconut milk is delicious, sometimes you want a neutral flavor without any coconut taste. This recipe relies only on two nuts – almonds and cashews – to create a mild flavor.
A reader, Casey, says: “I made this recipe using coconut sugar, and it was fantastic. ★★★★★”
Another reader, Abigail, says: “I used this in a Thai tea recipe, it was absolutely amazing! Thanks so much.”
Another reader, Lynn, says: “So I made this and used it for a caramel slice using the highlander condensed milk recipe. It tastes exactly like what I remembered caramel slice used to taste like ★★★★★”
📔 Pro Tips
- Don’t skip soaking the nuts. Soaking the almonds and cashews softens them and allows them to blend into a smoother milk. It also helps make them easier to digest.
- Use a large, deep saucepan. The milk foams as it heats and can overflow quickly in a small pan. To prevent that, use a large saucepan and lay a wooden spoon across the top. It will prevent the foam from rising over the edge.
- Do not over-reduce. It’s important not to boil the milk for too long. It will appear a bit too thin in the pan, but it will thicken as it cools. Remove from the heat when it coats the back of a spoon.
- Blend or whisk after chilling. After a few hours in the fridge, the condensed milk thickens considerably. If it becomes too thick to pour, transfer it to a blender and blend for a few seconds (you can add a tablespoon of water if needed). It will become pourable again and stay that way for a few days in the fridge.
🥣 What You’ll Need
Making sweetened condensed almond milk requires just 5 ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Raw almonds – They keep the flavor of the milk light and neutral. I used raw unblanched almonds here, but you can also use blanched almonds.
- Raw cashews – Cashews bring the fat and make this condensed milk extra creamy! Ensure you use raw cashews, not roasted ones.
- Sugar – White sugar works best here as it is the most neutral option. If you want a refined sugar-free version, take a look at the note below.
- Salt – To balance the sweetness.
- Vanilla extract – Optional, but it adds a fresh and delicate aroma.
Can you use maple syrup instead of white sugar? I tried both versions, one with maple syrup and one with white sugar. Both thickened perfectly and were delicious, but I preferred the one made with white sugar, as it had a milder flavor. The one made with maple syrup had a strong maple flavor, which tends to be a bit overpowering in drinks and desserts.
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
- Soak the nuts. Add the raw almonds and cashews to a small bowl.
- Cover with water and let the nuts soak overnight or for at least 6 hours. Then, drain them well.
- Make the nut milk. Transfer the drained nuts to a blender.
- Add the water and blend on high-speed for about 30 seconds.
- Strain. Use a nut milk bag to strain the nut milk.
- Squeeze well using your hands to get as much liquid as possible. Discard the pulp or save it for another use.
- Combine with the sugar. Transfer the milk to a saucepan and add the sugar and salt.
- Reduce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let the milk simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring from time to time. The milk should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
☕️ How to Use It
You can use this condensed milk in so many ways. Here are some ideas:
- Coffee and drinks: It’s perfect for sweetening and adding creaminess to drinks. Add 1-3 tbsp to hot or iced coffee, chai tea, or Thai iced tea!
- Puddings: Substitute some of the sugar with condensed milk for a richer pudding. You can also use it to prepare caramel flan!
- Cakes: Condensed milk will act not only as a sweetener but also as a binder.
- Cookies and bars: Millionaire’s shortbread, magic cookie bars, seven-layer bars, or basically any recipe that uses sweetened condensed milk as a binder and sweetener.
- As a drizzle: Use it as a sweet drizzle over fresh berries, pancakes, or even waffles.
- Truffles, fudge, ganache, and more!
❄️ Storing
- To store: You can store this condensed milk for up to 7 days in the refrigerator. Give it a quick stir before using.
💬 FAQs & Troubleshooting
Yes, but the result won’t be as rich. Store-bought brands are often very diluted and contain fewer nuts than homemade. They also often contain stabilizers, which might affect the texture of your condensed milk.
Yes. Instead of white granulated sugar, use light brown sugar.
The flavor is slightly less rich than dairy condensed milk due to the lower fat content of nut milk. It’s also a bit nuttier in flavor.
You can use just almond milk, but your condensed milk will be lacking some fat. Regarding using only cashew milk, I do not recommend it. I’ve tried, and the milk was thickening too quickly.
No. I’ve tried, and unfortunately, it doesn’t transform into dulce de leche.
It was most probably over-reduced. You can try blending it again with 1-2 tbsp of water to thin it out.
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Vegan Sweetened Condensed Milk (From Almond Milk)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (75 g) raw almonds (soaked overnight)
- 1/4 cup (37 g) raw cashews (soaked overnight)
- 2 cups (480 ml) water
- 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the milk. Drain the soaked almonds and cashews and transfer them to a high-speed blender. Add the water and blend for about 30 seconds.
- Strain. Use a nut milk bag to strain the nut milk. Squeeze well using your hands to get as much liquid as possible. You can save the pulp for other uses (cookies, bread, etc.).
- Combine with the sugar. Transfer the milk to a large saucepan and add the sugar and salt.
- Reduce it. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low-medium, and let simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the milk has reduced by about half and has started to thicken. Once thickened, you can stir in the vanilla extract if using.
- Let it cool. Transfer the condensed milk to a clean jar, and let it cool completely before storing in the refrigerator. Use it in coffee, tea, desserts, or drizzle over fresh berries, pancakes, etc.
- This sweetened condensed almond milk will keep for up to 7 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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