Can I use evaporated milk + water instead of whole milk?

1 cup whole milk = 1/2 cup evaporated milk + 1/2 cup water. Evaporated milk is milk with about 60% of its water removed, so rehydrating it one-to-one puts it back where it started. Carries a faint cooked, caramelised note from the heat used to concentrate it. Harmless in most baking, detectable in a plain glass.

Ingredients · Dairy & milks

Substitutions

What can I use instead of whole milk?

Q: Can I use skim or low-fat milk + butter instead of whole milk?

1 cup whole milk = 1 cup skim milk + 1 tbsp melted butter. Adding back roughly the fat that was skimmed out returns the richness and mouthfeel a recipe was written around. Essentially indistinguishable in baking. In a drink, the texture is still thinner.

Q: Can I use half-and-half + water instead of whole milk?

1 cup whole milk = 3/4 cup half-and-half + 1/4 cup water. Half-and-half sits at roughly 12% fat, so diluting it by a quarter lands close to whole milk's 3-4%.

Q: Can I use unsweetened soy or oat milk instead of whole milk?

1 cup whole milk = 1 cup unsweetened soy or oat milk. Soy milk is the closest plant milk by protein content, which is what governs browning and structure; oat milk is closest by mouthfeel and sugar. Use unsweetened and unflavoured, or a savoury sauce turns oddly sweet. Plant milks brown a little less in a custard or a bake.

Cow's milk at roughly 3.25% fat — the default liquid dairy in most recipes and the baseline everything else is measured against.

What it does in a recipe: Liquid, fat, protein for browning, and sugar (lactose) that helps crusts colour. Pick the swap that covers that job — the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.

Also called: Full-fat milk, Regular milk

4substitutes

2close matches

Dairy & milkscategory

Quick answer

Skim or low-fat milk + butter

1 cup whole milk = 1 cup skim milk + 1 tbsp melted butter

All substitutes, best first

4 ways to replace whole milk

Skim or low-fat milk + butter

Closest match

1 cup whole milk = 1 cup skim milk + 1 tbsp melted butter

Adding back roughly the fat that was skimmed out returns the richness and mouthfeel a recipe was written around.

Trade-offEssentially indistinguishable in baking. In a drink, the texture is still thinner.

BakingCookingSaucesVegetarianGluten-freeNut-freeEgg-freeSoy-free

Evaporated milk + water

Closest match

1 cup whole milk = 1/2 cup evaporated milk + 1/2 cup water

Evaporated milk is milk with about 60% of its water removed, so rehydrating it one-to-one puts it back where it started.

Trade-offCarries a faint cooked, caramelised note from the heat used to concentrate it. Harmless in most baking, detectable in a plain glass.

BakingCookingSaucesDrinksVegetarianGluten-freeNut-freeEgg-freeSoy-free

Half-and-half + water

Reliable

1 cup whole milk = 3/4 cup half-and-half + 1/4 cup water

Half-and-half sits at roughly 12% fat, so diluting it by a quarter lands close to whole milk's 3-4%.

BakingCookingDrinksVegetarianGluten-freeNut-freeEgg-freeSoy-free

Unsweetened soy or oat milk

Reliable

1 cup whole milk = 1 cup unsweetened soy or oat milk

Soy milk is the closest plant milk by protein content, which is what governs browning and structure; oat milk is closest by mouthfeel and sugar.

Trade-offUse unsweetened and unflavoured, or a savoury sauce turns oddly sweet. Plant milks brown a little less in a custard or a bake.

BakingCookingDrinksVeganVegetarianDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-free

Allergen checkSoy is a top allergen and most oat milks are not certified gluten-free. Read the carton every time — formulations change. A severe allergy warrants confirming with the manufacturer.

At a glance

Whole milk in summary

Category	Dairy & milks
Job in a recipe	Liquid, fat, protein for browning, and sugar (lactose) that helps crusts colour
Suits	Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Nut-free, Egg-free, Soy-free
Swaps available for	Dairy-free Egg-free Gluten-free Nut-free Soy-free Vegan Vegetarian
Number of substitutes	4

More dairy & milks

Almond milk3 substitutes Buttermilk5 substitutes Cheddar3 substitutes Coconut milk (canned)3 substitutes Cottage cheese3 substitutes Cream cheese3 substitutes

Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter — confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.