Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk

The toxic mess that is any brand of sweetened condensed dairy milk, and the solution for making a healthy version at home!

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. 

Beware of the many recipes and videos online for making sweetened condensed milk at home. Almost without exception, these methods are best avoided and result in a toxic result.

Here are the unsolvable problems with this heavily processed food, even when you do it yourself with dairy milk.

Strike #1:  Lengthy Heating Time

Extended high heat processing 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: Massive Amounts of Refined Sugar

The large amount of refined white sugar that is typically used to sweeten canned condensed milk is nothing short of obscene.

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!

Nontoxic Sweetened Condensed Milk

Hmmm.  How about this for an idea?

Whole coconut milk serves as a wonderful substitute for dairy milk in many recipes, does it not?

Coconut milk has very little protein (less than a single gram in a can of whole coconut milk), so the denaturing problem from extended heating 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!

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 350 °F/177 °C for only 15 minutes if using canned sweetened condensed milk.

By comparison, if you use sweetened condensed coconut milk, I’ve found that 30 minutes at 350 °F/177 °C is required for the pie to fully bake. It also helps firm up the pie to use 2 whole eggs plus 2 egg yolks instead of 4 egg yolks in conventional recipes.

As a result, be prepared to adjust your recipes with regard to baking time plus the possibility of tweaking ingredients 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 use and recommend. It saves a load of time if you prefer not to make it yourself.

Beware as some brands of sweetened condensed coconut milk contain preservatives and other undesirable additives. Only coconut milk and organic sugar should be the ingredients if you choose to buy it!

Preparation Tips

Sweetened condensed coconut milk 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 video clip of the sweetened condensed milk recipe as I make it. I chose sucanat as the sweetener, which is why it turned out dark. You can also use organic sugar, but this is a less nutritious choice.

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.

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 packaged in cartons as it is watered down. In addition, the packaging itself is a microplastics bomb.