Sugar, water, powdered milk and a spoonful of butter, blended. Ten minutes of work, and it makes about a litre, which is roughly three tins.
Worth knowing because Colombian desserts run on condensed milk, and buying three tins at a time adds up.
It thickens as it cools
This is the part that makes people think they have done something wrong. Coming out of the blender it looks far too thin, closer to cream than to condensed milk.
Leave it alone. It thickens considerably over a few hours in the fridge, and the temptation to cook it further or add more powder while it is still warm is what ruins a batch. Judge it the next day.
Add the powder gradually
With the blender running, a little at a time. Tipping all 270 g in at once gives lumps of dry powder that the blender cannot break up afterwards, and straining them out means losing a good part of the mixture.
Whole milk powder
Skimmed milk powder works but gives a thinner, less rich result that tastes noticeably different from the tinned version. The fat in whole milk powder is doing real work here, and the tablespoon of butter is topping it up.
What it is for
Colombian sweets lean on condensed milk more than almost any other ingredient. It goes into tres leches, into coffee dessert, into cholado poured over shaved ice, and it is the base of arequipe if you cook it long enough.
It keeps about two weeks in the fridge in a sealed jar.
More things to make at home
- Arequipe — what happens if you keep cooking it.
- Homemade cheese — the other kitchen staple.
- Greek yogurt — two ingredients as well.
- Manjar blanco — the Valle version, with rice.
Condensed Milk FAQ
About a litre, which is roughly three 400 g tins. The recipe card says two servings, which was misleading: this is a preparation you keep and use across several desserts, not a portioned dish.
Because it is still warm. Condensed milk thickens a great deal as it cools, and it needs a few hours in the fridge to reach the consistency you expect. Do not cook it further or add more powder while it is warm.
It works but gives a thinner, less rich result. The fat in whole milk powder is doing real work, which is also why there is a spoonful of butter in the recipe.
Add the powdered milk gradually with the blender already running. Tipping it in all at once creates dry lumps that will not break down afterwards.
About two weeks in a sealed jar in the fridge. It thickens further over that time, and can be loosened with a spoonful of warm milk if it gets too stiff.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 480 g sugar
- 250 ml water
- 1 tablespoon butter (gives it the gloss and the mouthfeel of the tinned kind)
- 270 g powdered milk (whole milk powder; skimmed makes a thinner result)
Notas
Instructions
- Put the sugar and water in a pan over medium-low heat for 7 minutes, then take it off.
- Pour the syrup into the blender and add the butter. Blend.
- With the blender running, add the powdered milk a little at a time until it is all in and the mixture is smooth.
- Let it cool completely. It thickens a great deal as it cools, so do not judge the consistency while it is warm.
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