Understanding What Are the Ingredients in Canned Evaporated Milk?

October 26, 2025 •

3 min read

According to the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, evaporated milk must contain a minimum of 6.5% milk fat and 16.5% non-fat milk solids. This concentrated dairy product is a pantry staple, and understanding what are the ingredients in canned evaporated milk helps decipher its versatility and nutritional profile for many recipes.

Quick Summary

Evaporated milk is a concentrated canned dairy product made by removing about 60% of the water from fresh milk. The primary ingredient is simply milk, with a few select additives like stabilizers and vitamins to ensure a consistent texture, nutritional content, and long shelf life.

Key Points

Core Ingredient is Milk: The fundamental ingredient is cow's milk, which is concentrated by removing about 60% of its water content.
Stabilizers Prevent Separation: Additives like dipotassium phosphate and carrageenan are used to keep the concentrated milk's fat and proteins from separating, ensuring a smooth, consistent texture.
Vitamins are Fortified: Most canned evaporated milk is fortified with vitamins D and sometimes A to restore nutrients and enhance health benefits.
No Added Sugar: Unlike sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk contains no added sugar, making it suitable for both sweet and savory recipes.
Heat Treatment is Key: A high-temperature heating process is used both to evaporate the water and to sterilize the final product, which provides its extended shelf life.
Variations Exist: Depending on the brand and product line, you can find full-fat, low-fat, and fat-free evaporated milk options.

The Core Ingredient: Concentrated Milk

At its heart, evaporated milk is just regular milk with a significant portion of its water content removed. The process involves heating fresh milk to a high temperature, causing about 60% of the water to evaporate. This concentration results in a thicker, creamier product with a slightly caramelized flavor due to the heat treatment. The type of milk used as a base can vary, including whole milk, reduced-fat (2%), and fat-free (skim) versions, affecting the final product's fat and calorie content.

The Role of Stabilizers and Fortifying Agents

Beyond the concentrated milk, most commercial brands of evaporated milk include a few additional ingredients to ensure quality, shelf stability, and nutritional value. These additives are included for very specific functional purposes.

Stabilizers

To prevent the milk solids and fat from separating during the high-temperature sterilization process and subsequent storage, manufacturers add stabilizers. These ingredients help maintain the product's smooth, uniform consistency. Common stabilizers include:

Dipotassium Phosphate (or Disodium Phosphate): A mineral salt that regulates acidity, preventing the milk proteins from curdling under heat.
Carrageenan: A thickening agent derived from seaweed that helps create a smoother, more stable emulsion.

Vitamins

Evaporated milk is also typically fortified with vitamins, a practice regulated in many countries. The most common fortification includes:

Vitamin D: Added to improve calcium absorption, as vitamin D is naturally present in only trace amounts in milk.
Vitamin A: Sometimes added, especially to reduced-fat and fat-free versions, to replace the vitamin lost when the milk fat is removed.

Comparison: Evaporated vs. Sweetened Condensed Milk

It's easy to confuse evaporated milk with its sweeter counterpart, sweetened condensed milk. While both are concentrated dairy products, their ingredients and uses are quite different.


Feature	Evaporated Milk	Sweetened Condensed Milk
Primary Ingredients	Milk, stabilizers (e.g., phosphates, carrageenan), vitamins (D, and sometimes A).	Milk and a large amount of added sugar.
Flavor Profile	Unsweetened, with a slightly toasted or caramelized flavor from the heating process.	Very sweet due to the high sugar content.
Consistency	Thinner and more liquid than condensed milk, easily pourable.	Thick, syrupy, and viscous due to the sugar.
Common Uses	Savory dishes (creamed soups, mac and cheese), custards, coffee, and desserts where controlled sweetness is desired.	Desserts like fudge, tres leches cake, and as a coffee or tea sweetener.
Substitution	Can be reconstituted with water to substitute fresh milk, or used as a cream substitute in savory dishes.	Not a suitable substitute for evaporated milk due to its intense sweetness.

The Manufacturing Process

The production of canned evaporated milk follows a precise, multi-step process to ensure a safe, shelf-stable product:

Standardization: The milk's fat and non-fat solid levels are adjusted to meet regulatory standards.
Concentration: The milk is heated, typically under a vacuum, to evaporate about 60% of the water.
Homogenization: The concentrated milk is forced through a small opening under high pressure to break down and uniformly disperse the fat globules, preventing separation.
Sterilization and Canning: The homogenized milk is canned and then sterilized using high-temperature heat treatment. This kills any bacteria and extends its shelf life for months or even years.

What to Look For on the Label

When purchasing canned evaporated milk, the ingredient list is typically short and straightforward. On a standard can, you can expect to see milk, dipotassium phosphate, and carrageenan, along with added vitamins like Vitamin D3. For fat-free or reduced-fat versions, the list might also include Vitamin A. Some brands may use a different stabilizing salt, such as disodium phosphate, depending on their formulation. Paying attention to these few key ingredients will give you confidence in the quality and composition of the product you choose for your cooking and baking needs.

Conclusion: Simple, Yet Purposeful Ingredients

Ultimately, the ingredients in canned evaporated milk are surprisingly simple, consisting primarily of concentrated milk. The small list of additional components—stabilizers like dipotassium phosphate and carrageenan, along with fortified vitamins A and D—serve to enhance the product's stability and nutritional value. This intentional composition is what makes evaporated milk a reliable, creamy, and long-lasting ingredient for a variety of culinary applications, from savory soups to decadent desserts.

For more in-depth information on food regulations and dairy products, consider exploring reputable sources like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website.

Frequently Asked Questions

The primary ingredient is milk, from which about 60% of the water has been removed through a heating process.

No, evaporated milk is unsweetened. The confusion with sweetened condensed milk often leads to this question, but evaporated milk's flavor is naturally rich from the heating process without any added sugars.

Stabilizers are added to prevent the milk proteins from curdling and separating, which can happen during the high-heat sterilization and storage processes. They ensure a smooth, stable product.

Yes, many brands fortify evaporated milk with vitamins, most commonly Vitamin D to aid in calcium absorption, and sometimes Vitamin A, especially in low-fat varieties.

No, you cannot use them interchangeably due to the significant difference in sweetness. If a recipe calls for sweetened condensed milk, substituting with unsweetened evaporated milk would change the flavor dramatically.

Evaporated milk can be made from whole, low-fat, or fat-free cow's milk. The type of milk used will affect the final product's fat and calorie content.

The heating process used to remove the water causes a slight caramelization of the milk's natural sugars, resulting in a distinct, slightly toasted flavor.