Evaporated milk and condensed milk are both canned, concentrated milks, but the key difference is that evaporated milk is unsweetened , while condensed milk has a lot of sugar added and is very sweet and thick.

What each one actually is

Evaporated milk

  • Regular milk with about 60% of its water removed by heating.
  • No sugar added, so the flavor is more like a creamier, slightly “cooked” regular milk (sometimes described as mild or slightly nutty).
  • Shelf-stable in a can for a long time (often around 1–2 years when unopened).

Condensed (sweetened condensed) milk

  • Also starts as milk with about 60% of the water removed.
  • A large amount of sugar is then added (around 40–45% of the can’s contents), making it thick, syrupy, and very sweet.
  • Also shelf-stable for a long time and used mainly for desserts and sweet drinks.

Quick memory trick:
Evaporated milk = no sugar.
Condensed milk = concentrated + sugar (the sweet one).

Side‑by‑side: key differences

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Feature Evaporated milk Condensed (sweetened) milk
Water removed About 60% of water removed.Also about 60% removed before sugar is added.
Sugar added? No sugar added (unsweetened).Yes, sugar is heavily added (around 40–45% of content).
Taste Creamy, mildly cooked or nutty, like richer milk.Very sweet, dessert-like, slightly caramelized flavor.
Texture Pourable, thicker than regular milk but still fluid.Very thick, sticky, syrupy.
Common label names “Evaporated Milk” (can be whole, low‑fat, or skim).“Sweetened Condensed Milk” on most modern cans.
Typical uses Soups, sauces, casseroles, coffee, some desserts where sweetness is added separately.Fudge, caramel, tres leches, no‑bake pies, ice cream, sweet drinks.
Can they be swapped? Can sub for condensed milk only if you add sugar and still may not match flavor exactly.Usually a bad idea in savory dishes because it will make them very sweet.

How this affects your cooking

When to use evaporated milk

Choose evaporated milk when you want creaminess without extra sweetness. It works well in:

  • Mac and cheese, creamy soups, and casseroles.
  • Coffee or tea as a richer alternative to regular milk.
  • Some custards, pumpkin pie, and baking recipes where sugar is measured separately.

Example:
If a pasta sauce recipe calls for cream but you only have evaporated milk, you can often use it to get a similar rich texture, then season to taste.

When to use condensed milk

Reach for condensed milk when you want sweetness and body in one ingredient. It’s ideal for:

  • No‑churn ice cream, fudge, and caramel‑style sauces.
  • Tres leches cake, key lime or other creamy pies.
  • Sweet coffee/tea drinks and some cultural desserts (like Vietnamese iced coffee or some Latin American candies).

Example:
In tres leches cake, condensed milk is what gives the soaking mixture its sweetness and thick, luxurious body.

Can you substitute one for the other?

Using evaporated milk instead of condensed milk

You can approximate sweetened condensed milk with evaporated milk plus sugar, but it’s not perfect. Common approach:

  1. Start with the same amount of evaporated milk as condensed milk the recipe calls for.
  1. Add sugar gradually (recipes often work out to roughly equal parts by volume of evaporated milk and sugar, cooked down until thick), tasting as you go.
  1. Simmer gently and stir until it thickens; cool before using.

Even then, the flavor may be slightly different because commercial condensed milk develops a particular caramelized sweetness during processing.

Using condensed milk instead of evaporated milk

This is where things usually go wrong:

  • In savory dishes (soups, sauces, mac and cheese), condensed milk will make everything extremely sweet and is usually unusable as a direct substitute.
  • In desserts that also add sugar, you would need to cut back or remove other sugar and sometimes still adjust liquids and baking times, which can get tricky.

If a recipe specifically says “evaporated milk,” assume it is unsweetened and do not swap in sweetened condensed milk unless the recipe’s comments or notes say you can.

A quick way to remember in the store

  • Same style of can, often next to each other.
  • Evaporated milk: usually a picture of milk, labeled simply “Evaporated Milk.”
  • Condensed milk: label typically says “Sweetened Condensed Milk,” and the contents move more slowly in the can if you tilt it because it is so thick.

If you’re ever unsure for a recipe you found in an older book or forum where it just says “condensed milk,” most modern sources treat that as sweetened condensed milk by default.

TL;DR:
Both are canned milks with water removed, but evaporated milk is unsweetened and best for creamy, sometimes savory recipes, while condensed milk has lots of sugar, is thick and syrupy, and is mainly for desserts.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.