Heavy cream and evaporated milk are totally different dairy products. Heavy cream is manufactured from cream that is produced by separating it from milk during processing, whereas evaporated milk is milk that has had 50-60% of its water evaporated.
Due to this, the two items’ nutritional profiles and intended applications are significantly different, even though you can sometimes interchange them.
In summary, evaporated milk is thinner but slightly sweeter and has a caramel-like flavor that you won’t find in heavy cream. Whereas heavy cream is significantly richer due to its high-fat content.
Additionally, evaporated milk is offered in cans that are shelf-stable, but heavy cream is sold chilled and only keeps for a few weeks.
When And How To Substitute
Contrary to what you may read on certain websites, heavy cream cannot often be substituted with evaporated milk, and vice versa. Needless to say, you can substitute one for the other without significantly changing the food you’re making.
In most soups and sauces, evaporated milk can be used in place of heavy cream in an equal ratio. You should consider how the dish will change for other purposes, given its thinner consistency and sweeter flavor.
Additionally, if there will be any whipping, do not attempt this exchange. For one thing, evaporated milk doesn’t whip, so heavy cream cannot be used.
Next, you’ll see that the only things that are frequently made with evaporated milk and heavy cream are soups, sauces, and baked products, as well as adding them to coffee or tea. I only advise substituting evaporated milk in those.
The final dish will have a slightly different flavor and texture, but that shouldn’t be a major concern. The differences between the two are typically too significant to overlook in other applications without changing other ingredients.
For instance, a salad dressing made using evaporated milk would probably turn out watery and sweeter than you prefer. While the flavor should be acceptable in baked items, the outcome would suffer from the lack of richness.
Is Heavy Cream A Good Substitute For Evaporated Milk?
In cooked and baked dishes, you can replace evaporated milk with heavy cream with a 1:1 ratio, but be aware that the dish doesn’t become thicker and richer as a result.
For an alternative with a comparable level of richness, you can also thin heavy cream with milk at a ratio of 1:1 to 1:3.
In any instance, the taste will be different because evaporated milk has a caramel-like flavor, whereas heavy cream does not, but the combination should work in a pinch.
As always, the likelihood that the substitution of one another will work well increases the more ingredients you combine into the evaporated milk in your recipe.
You can produce homemade evaporated milk in about 30 minutes if you have some milk on hand.
Once more, if utilizing a different recipe is an option, I advise visiting Uncle Google. You want to create fudge. If you search for “fudge heavy cream” on Google, you should be able to find at least a few respectable recipes that substitute heavy cream for evaporated milk (or condensed milk, in the case of fudge recipes).
Heavy Cream vs. Evaporated Milk: Differences and Similarities
After discussing replacing evaporated milk with heavy cream and vice versa, let’s discuss their differences and similarities.
Nutrition
| Category | Evaporated milk | Heavy Cream |
| Energy | 134kcal | 340kcal |
| Protein | 6.81g | 2.84g |
| Fat | 7.56g | 36g |
| Carbohydrates | 10g | 2.84g |
Compared to evaporated milk, heavy cream has more than four times as much fat. Due to this distinction, it has significantly more calories than evaporated milk—more than twice as many.
So, if you’ve ever wondered why heavy cream is so much richer, the explanation is in its fat content.
Because evaporated milk has fewer calories than heavy cream, it is suggested by a number of websites as a healthy substitute.
The concept is good, but as I explained in the section on substitutions, it only makes sense in certain circumstances.
Taste and Texture
As told earlier, heavy cream is significantly richer than evaporated milk, while both are notably thicker than ordinary milk. That’s why I advise diluting both with milk before substituting it.
Evaporated milk tastes more powerful than regular milk (which is what it is), although heavy cream is only somewhat sweet. Aside from the richness, the flavor of the evaporated milk that has been caramelized is what distinguishes the two.
Uses
Both ingredients are utilized in both sweet and savory meals and have a wide range of potential applications.
Evaporated milk naturally compliments sweet dishes like sweets, pies, cakes, etc because it has a little sweeter flavor than milk.
However, it isn’t excessively sweet, so it still works well in soups, casseroles, and sauces. In addition to being used to make whipped cream, heavy cream is frequently used to thicken and flavor salad dressings, pan sauces, and soups.
In a nutshell, there is some, but not much, overlap in how both are utilized.
| Evaporated milk | Heavy Cream |
|---|---|
| can be added to almost anything (think pasta, casseroles, etc.) | to make whipped cream for desserts and such |
| added to soups, including veggie soups, but also chowders | coffee creamer |
| cake toppings | soups |
| desserts, puddings | salad dressings |
| pies, cakes, etc. | pan sauces |
| as tea or coffee whitener | pancakes, egg scrambles |
| smoothies | baked goods like muffins, pies, etc. |
Production
Evaporated milk can be made in a relatively simple manner. Even at home, it’s possible to manufacture! The milk is first pasteurized by heating it to a temperature between 185 and 194 degrees Fahrenheit (85 and 90 degrees Celsius).
The remaining water is then mostly evaporated to produce a very thick and dense liquid. The manufacturer determines the precise proportion.
Finally, a mixture of 9 parts sugar and 11 parts dense liquid from evaporated milk is prepared. When the sugar is melted into the liquid, an emulsion known as condensed milk is created.
Canning is the process’ last step, and as we’ve already mentioned, it helps preserve and extend the shelf life.
While some heavy cream products are bulk-produced using specialized machinery, others are prepared by hand.
In the production of heavy cream industrially, separators are employed. They aid in the separation of unhomogenized milk from the fat, which subsequently floats to the top. When the fat is removed, skim milk is left behind (which is sold separately).
The cream then undergoes another process. Some manufacturers may include sweeteners, stabilizers, preservatives, vitamins, and minerals.
Therefore, always check your packing if you don’t want any of this.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can you replace heavy cream with evaporated milk?
Evaporated milk can be used as a substitute in recipes in which heavy cream is used as a liquid ingredient, such as in baked goods. However, it does not whip well.
Remember to substitute the heavy cream in your recipes with an equal amount of evaporated milk.
Which is better heavy cream or evaporated milk?
The bottom line is that heavy cream has more than twice the calories and five times the fat content of evaporated milk. This makes evaporated milk better for your health.
Can I use evaporated milk instead of heavy cream for coffee?
Yes, evaporated milk makes a good substitute for milk, cream, or coffee creamer. It has a very similar taste profile. The only difference is that evaporated milk doesn’t contain sugar or flavoring, so you’ll still have to add sugar and/or flavored syrup if you want.
Conclusion
- In a nutshell, you must remember that heavy cream and evaporated milk are used for different purposes in different foods. For instance, you would not want to whip the cake with the evaporated milk due to its thin consistency.
- However, they are used as replacements in dishes like soups, casseroles, etc.
- Evaporated milk can be made in a relatively simple manner. Even at home, it’s possible to manufacture! The milk is first pasteurized by heating it to a temperature between 185 and 194 degrees Fahrenheit (85 and 90 degrees Celsius).
- While some heavy cream products are bulk-produced using specialized machinery, others are prepared by hand.
- Both ingredients are utilized in both sweet and savory meals and have a wide range of potential applications.
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