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If you need a dairy-free option for sweetened condensed milk, it’s surprisingly easy to make a coconut milk version at home. All you need are 2 ingredients!
That said, you will need some patience. You’ll need to wait for the liquid to reduce on the stovetop, and that takes time. But you can be productive around your kitchen while you wait. It’s the perfect time to meal prep!
Once you’ve made sweetened condensed coconut milk, you can use it in your favorite recipes to make them dairy-free. You can use it anywhere you’d use regular sweetened condensed milk, with a hint of coconut flavor. (Ideas below!)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“Once I did not have sweetened condensed milk but had coconut milk and made this recipe and then used it in the classic 7 layer bars to take to a reunion. They were really good.” – Rose
Coconut Sweetened Condensed Milk Ingredients
- Coconut Milk. Use full-fat canned coconut milk with guar gum for the best results. If you use light coconut milk, you’ll have to wait even longer for the liquid to reduce on the stovetop (because there’s more water in the can), and you’ll end up with less condensed milk. Don’t waste your time!
- Sweetener. I always use honey as the sweetener, because I think it pairs well with the coconut flavor. However, you can use maple syrup if you need a vegan recipe. (Increase the sweetener by 2 tablespoons in that case.) Or, use agave nectar as a 1:1 swap for honey.
How to Make Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk
Step 1:
Open the coconut milk can and pour the entire contents into a small saucepan. The coconut milk will likely look separated, but don’t worry about that! Just make sure you get every last drop out of the can.
Then pour in the honey and place the pan on the stovetop over high heat.
Step 2:
Bring the liquid to a vigorous boil; you’ll see the coconut milk solids melt into the liquid as it heats. Once the mixture is rapidly boiling, lower the heat.
Depending on your stove’s burner, you may need to turn the heat all the way down to low, or you can keep it at medium-low. You want the coconut milk to be simmering, with bubbles visible on top, but you don’t want it to rise in the pan, like a rapid boil.
Stir every 5 to 10 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the saucepan with a spatula. Every now and then, you’ll see a film stick to the spatula, but if you keep stirring, it will dissolve into the milk.
Continue cooking the coconut milk until it reduces by half, about 40 to 45 minutes. It will look almost like caramel sauce when it’s done! It will be noticeably thicker.
Serving & Storage Tips
Let the coconut milk cool, then pour it into a container with a lid so you can store it in the fridge. I usually get slightly less than 1 cup of condensed coconut milk from this recipe.
The coconut milk will have a darker, runny consistency when you first pour it into the jar. Don’t be surprised if it turns lighter in color after chilling overnight in the fridge. (See the photos below to compare.)
Storage Tip: You can store homemade condensed coconut milk in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
How to Make Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk
Ingredients
- 13.5 ounces full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup honey , or equivalent sweetener of choice
Instructions
- Pour the coconut milk and honey into a small saucepan. Place the pan on the stove top over high heat and bring the liquid to a boil. (It's okay if the coconut solids look separate at first; they will melt into the liquid as it warms up.)
- Once the coconut milk is rapidly boiling, lower the heat to a simmer. You should see bubbles on top of the milk still, but it shouldn't be rising up in the pan. Let it simmer for 45 minutes, or until it has reduced by half and looks caramel-like.
- Let the mixture cool, then pour it into a storage jar with a lid. It will look like caramel while it's hot, but it will lighten in color significantly when chilled in the fridge overnight. (It still won't look white, but like a very light tan.) Use it within a week and store it chilled.
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes to Try
- Coconut Macaroons
- Vegan Fudge
- Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream
- Coconut Curry
- Banana Bread with Coconut Flour
If you try this sweetened condensed coconut milk, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how you like it.
Fantastic recipe! We used it to make a vegan Brazilian Lemonade. THANK YOU!
Hi. I used amber agave nectar and Thai Kitchen unsweetened coconut milk. It turned out great. It was not overly sweet. Can increase the amount of sweetener. Mine came out amber in color but still delicious.