CONDENSED MILKS — CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE®

Information updated April 2024

CONDENSED MILK WAS CREATED IN THE EARLY 1800’s. Milk was once a very limited and scarce commodity >> milk could not be kept fresh with no refrigeration and it needed to be consumed within hours to be safe. Unless you were in close proximity to a lactating cow, milk was not readily available.

Enter: Condensed Milk. The naturally-occurring water is removed from milk to form Condensed Milk. Sugar was also added to improve the taste, so all Condensed Milks have historically contained added Sugar.

THE FIRST SAFE WAY TO SELL MILK: Given its ability to deliver milk which is safe to drink for long periods of time, Condensed Milk was originally positioned around Purity and Freshness as we see here in this old print advertisement for Nestlé’s Condensed Milk . . .

Nestlé's Condensed Milk Safe Milk Ad.jpg

TRUE TO ITS ORIGINS, HOMEMADE CONDENSED MILK IS JUST MILK + SUGAR: To make Condensed Milk at home requires the same two ingredients of Milk and Sugar.

SOME FAT FREE PRODUCTS CONTAIN COMMERCIAL INGREDIENTS WHICH ARE NOT IN KITCHEN™: Although numerous Closest To Homemade Condensed Milks contain simply Milk+ Sugar, some Fat Free Condensed Milks contain ingredients which we would never have in our home kitchens to make Condensed Milk from scratch such as these seen below with Vitamin A Palmitate. (Sources: Store and Brand Web sites 4/24)

THE #1 U.S. BRAND IS ALSO A CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE BRAND!! This is only the second time the #1 Brand in a category is also Closest To Homemade. Hurray!

Borden’s Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk is the #1 Condensed Milk in the U.S. and contains only Milk + Sugar. Other Closest To Homemade brands include Nestlé’s Carnation, Organic Whole Foods 365, Simple Truth Organic, Bandi, Nestlé La Lechera and California Farms Organic. (Sources: Brand Web sites and Kroger Web site 4/24; Statista 2024)

*Neither money nor products are ever accepted to appear on the Closest To Homemade list*

Discover more food + beverages whose ingredients are Closest To Homemade in 275+ categories. Neither money nor products are ever accepted to appear on the Closest To Homemade list.

Closest To Homemade® Master List

#1 BRAND BORDEN EAGLE BRAND CONDENSED MILK IS AVAILABLE IN A POUCH AND A CAN. The good news: it’s the same ingredients in both >> It is only Milk + Sugar in both the Eagle Brand Pouch and the Can. (Source: Borden Web site 4/24)

NESTLE LA LECHERA: The Squeeze Bottle and the Can have the same ingredients>> they are only Milk + Sugar. (Source: Nestlé goodNes Web site 4/24)

CALIFORNIA FARMS ORGANIC CONDENSED MILK IN A CAN IS CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE, BUT THE BOTTLE IS NOT. California Farms’ Bottle of Sweetened Condensed Milk — below left — contains Whole Milk Solids which is a commercial ingredient we don’t have in our home kitchens. (Source: Santini Foods Web site 4/24)

CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE CONDENSED COCONUT MILKS: In case you’re interested in a non-dairy option of Condensed Milk, here are a trio of Closest To Homemade Condensed Coconut Milks. Let’s Do . . . Organic, Native Forest which is unsweetened, and Nature’s Charm. (Sources: Brand Web sites 4/24)