There a many reasons why people look for substitutes of evaporated milk when making mac and cheese and some of the reasons emanate from the fact that evaporated milk is a dairy product so it is not suitable for people who are lactose intolerant. The article below highlights some of the dairy-free substitutes of evaporated milk that you can use when making mac and cheese. It also moves a step further to highlight some of the dairy substitutes of evaporated milk when making mac and chees so that those who don’t mind consuming dairy products can also benefit.
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Dairy-free substitutes for evaporated milk in mac and cheese
Coconut milk
NB: coconut milk is a substitute for evaporated milk in mac and cheese but it tastes nothing like evaporated milk, so only use it as a substitute when you are not concerned about mimicking the flavour of evaporated milk.
Coconut milk is a plant based type of milk meaning it is a dairy free substitute. It is high in potassium, magnesium, zinc as well as iron, which shows that it is a healthier alternative. It works as a great substitute in mac and cheese because it provides a creamy texture to the mac and cheese and also it adds a coconut flavour to it. So if you are not worried about having a coconut taste in your mac and cheese then this is the perfect substitute to use.
Hemp milk
NB: hemp milk is creamy so it will work as a good substitute by providing the mac and cheese with a creamier texture.
When you do not have evaporated milk, substitute it with hemp milk, this is a vegan friendly alternative since it is made from the seeds of the hemp plant. Hemp milk is creamy so it will really give the mac and cheese a really good creamy taste and appearance. However, the downside of using hemp milk is that it has a nutty flavour to it which can be a bit overpowering and it tastes nothing like evaporated milk.
Soy milk
NB: soy milk contains a lot of water as compared to evaporated milk thus, when using it you should first heat it up to reduce the water content.
Soy milk is a healthier alternative to evaporated milk especially if you are lactose intolerant, this is because it is made from soya beans and it doesn’t have any milk additives to it. However, if you have soy allergies you shouldn’t consume it. Soy milk tastes different from evaporated milk so if you are not concerned about finding a substitute which mimics the flavour of the evaporated milk then this is a decent substitute.
Almond milk
NB: contains a lot of water as compared to evaporated milk so before using it to make mac and chees you need to heat it up until it reduces its water content.
Almond milk is a vegan friendly substitute of evaporated milk in mac and cheese. Almond milk is thinner and less creamy than evaporated milk so if you do not want to heat it up you can use it in combination with a thickener like flour. Due to the fact that almond milk is a plant based type of milk it doesn’t necessarily have the same flavour as evaporated milk so if you are not worried about completely substituting the flavour of evaporated milk then this is a good substitute to use.
Dairy substitutes for evaporated milk in mac and cheese
Milk
The best dairy substitute for evaporated milk in mac and cheese is milk and it is actually a lighter alternative. Regular milk contains a lot of water as compared to evaporated milk that is why it is thinner than evaporated milk and not as sweet. When using regular milk to substitute evaporated milk in mac and cheese start by placing 2 ¼ cups of milk on a stove until it simmers to form 1 cup, it will achieve a thickness which is similar to evaporated milk. Alternatively you can use the regular milk in combination with a thickener like flour or corn flour so that it can achieve that creamy texture that is similar to evaporated milk and also so that it can really make a great mac and cheese dish.
Cream
NB: cream contains more fat than evaporated milk so if you are trying to watch your weight this is not a good substitute for you.
Cream is a substitute for evaporated milk in mac and cheese because it is thicker than evaporated milk so it will really produce a creamier mac and cheese. If the cream is too thick for your liking you can use it in combination with regular milk when making mac and cheese.
Half and half
If evaporated milk is not available then you can use half and half to substitute evaporated milk in mac and cheese. Half and half is a combination of cream and milk that are blended together and the texture is thicker as compared to evaporated milk. However, the advantage of using half and half is that you are guaranteed of a creamy mac and cheese which is very rich. The downside is that half and half is very high in fat, so if you are trying to reduce weight this is not a healthy alternative. When using half and half as a substitute for evaporated milk in mac and cheese it is advisable to use a ratio of 1:1.
Conclusion
Mac and cheese is commonly made using evaporated milk as it provides a creamy texture and a nice flavour to it. However, because evaporated milk is not dairy free some people tend to get allergies from it especially those who are lactose intolerant. The article above has highlighted some dairy-free substitutes of evaporated milk when making mac and cheese and some of the substitutes highlighted include coconut milk, hemp milk, soy milk and also almond milk. The dairy substitutes of evaporated milk were also noted down just in case you might be interested in trying them and these include; regular milk, cream and half and half.
