You know that horrifying feeling when you’re halfway through a recipe that calls for milk and realize, uhh, there’s no milk in the fridge? Yeah, we’ve all been there. But there are dairy and non-dairy milk substitutes for baking that will do the trick without anyone knowing the difference. Be sure to keep some on hand at all times — you never know when you might need ’em.
Dairy Substitutes for Milk
If you’re just running low on milk and don’t want to head to the store, use these swaps to save your baking.
Cream or Half-and-Half
Cream is richer than milk, so to avoid heavier dough or batter use a ratio of about 60 percent cream to 40 percent water. With half-and-half, use the same amount that’s called for in the recipe.
Special Considerations
Cream or half-and-half that contain stabilizers can change the texture of your baked goods.
Evaporated or Powdered Milk
Evaporated milk has a caramelized flavor that can overpower other ingredients. For best results, mix it with equal amounts of water for a 50-50 ratio. For powdered milk, follow the instructions on the box.
Special Considerations
The beauty of these milk substitutes is they have a long shelf life, so they can hang out in your pantry for a really long time. Once you open a can of evaporated milk, stick it in the fridge and use it all in three to four days. Ditto for your powdered milk mixture.
Sour Cream or Plain Yogurt
Substitute for the milk in a recipe, in an equal amount. Or, if you prefer a more liquid batter, thin out with a bit of water.
Special Considerations
Sour cream and yogurt are thicker than milk, so they can affect the density of your baked goods. They’re also tangier, so if you’re worried about that, add a bit of vanilla to the recipe to balance any sourness.
Water (or Water and Butter)
Pie crust or cookie dough usually needs just a couple of tablespoons of milk, so the same amount of water will keep the dough from crumbling.
Special Considerations
If the the recipe calls for more milk, add a tablespoon of melted butter per cup of water so the fat content stays similar.
Non-Dairy Milk Substitutes
If you’re lactose-intolerant or going vegan, try one of these milk substitutes.
Nut Milk
Whether you prefer almond, pistachio or a different kind of nut, these substitutes can be swapped for equal quantities of milk in most recipes.
Special Considerations
Nut milks taste, well, nutty, so choose flavors that blend in well with whatever you’re baking (think hazelnut milk with brownies). Be sure the nut milk doesn’t have added sugar, as that could throw off the taste.
Soy Milk
Substitute an equal amount of soy milk for what’s called for in the recipe for practically identical results.
Special Considerations
Choose a soy milk that doesn’t contain added sugar or you’ll end up with sweetness overload.
Oat Milk
In small amounts — for instance, a few tablespoons in cookie dough or crust recipes — oat milk will do the job.
Special Considerations
Oat milk is starchier than cow’s milk, so using more than ½ cup may affect the texture of whatever you’re baking.
Rice Milk
Swap in an equal amount for the milk in the recipe and your end result will be fine.
Special Considerations
Stay away from the sweetened varieties because … you should know why by now. (See “Soy Milk” above.)
Non-Dairy Yogurt
Substitute an equal amount for the milk in the recipe.
Special Considerations
If you want batter with a more liquid consistency, thin out the yogurt with water.
Can you use non dairy creamer for substitutes?
Hi Linda,
Yes it can be used but it must be unsweetened.
A plant based milk would be a better alternative.
Happy Baking!
Colette
Thanks for the info, i can now finish baking!! :)
What about buttermilk?
Thank you for such informative information.
Can I use berry juice and coconut milk/cream as a substitute for milk ?
We need more information on this
Do you have a suggestion to make the yogurt taste less tangy if using in a savory recipe?
“Evaporated milk has a caramelized flavor…” Isn’t that condensed milk? Looks like it in the picture. If using condensed milk, how much do you water it down?
Yes although it might give a bit of a sweeter taste you should be good!
Evaporated milk and condensed milk are identical. Many countries use the terms interchangeably. What you may be talking about is sweetened condensed milk, which adds a lot of sugar during processing. The sugar would certainly change the recipe so I assume the article is referring to unsweetened condensed milk, aka evaporated milk. As for the caramelized flavor, the additional sugar would certainly add to it but even unsweetened milk would caramelize during pasteurization because of the lactose, a sugar naturally found in milk.
Evaporated milk and condensed milk are not the same they are usually referred to sweetened condensed milk.
https://greatist.com/eat/evaporated-milk-and-condensed-milk-what-is-the-difference#how-theyre-made
50/50 has always worked for me.
I’m interested in non dairy recipes since I’m allergic to all dairy products. And also Almonds.
Use berry juice with a teaspoon of vegan butter or coconut milk
I’ve used sweetened condensed coconut milk in the pumpkin pie recipe on the McCormick’s Pumpkin Pie Spice bottle. Use either a Graham cracker or walnut pie crust! Makes a great pie!
I’m interested in non dairy recipes since I’m allergic to all dairy products.
an i substitute almond milk for milk in waffles
I just need to do simple pancakes so I’m honestly kinda scared to do any of these suggestions XD
Go to dollar tree purchase pancake mix for $1 add water n alittle milk n mix well until chunks of dough blend in to look like soup but not too soupy 1cup water should be good. Then use a pan pour mix and spread using a spoon to get the round look and evenly
Most pancake mixes that I’ve used call for water–not milk.
I make my pancakes using Martha Stewart’s recipe and I swap out the milk with a combo of Oat and Rice milks….comes out fine!
I use water should I be short of milk with pancakes and/or waffles. I really can not tell the difference.
Is creme cheese an alternative for milk?
Can i use milk beverage to bake a cake, bread or cookies when I’m out of milk?
Will it still give me the same texture i want
No. Your end result will be heavy as lead.
I find that nut milk does not work for puddings but if I use mostly yogurt with just enough almond milk to thin it out it works well, I am going to try the vanilla since I am using yogurt.
I ran out of some milk called in a espresso pudding. So I used half coconut-drink milk and half milk in my espresso steamed pudding and it worked out very well. No impact in taste & consistency. Espresso was overpowering it👍🏽
Soy milk will not work when making puddings according to package directions. If you need to use soy, try cutting back to 1.5 cups of the soy milk heated to just under boiling. Then add your instant pudding mix.
Soy and nut milks lack the protein and starch content of cow’s milk. That’s why they don’t work. If you have vegan protein powder, you can mix it into your nut milk to create the right balance. Also, oat milk works better than soy/nut milks in puddings and mousse because of its high starch content. You are still going to want add a little vegan protein. 1 cup of cow’s milk has 8g of protein. Check your vegan protein powder to know how much you should add for your recipe.
You cannot use soy for chocolate mousse either, it does not stiffen. I do remember growing up my mother used to use mayonaise as a substitute for milk, oil or eggs and it worked!
Yep, just made chocolate frosting last nights with almond milk and Miyoko’s vegan butter, it comes out great every time.
I learned the hard way that soy milk cannot be used in chocolate icing.
Good tiis
Almond milk is great!
Oat milk, which I use does change my baking. I can not use any other. Is there another way to change it, (like adding 50-50 water?
Is unsweetened applesauce a substitute for milk in a recipe?
Yes, you can use applesauce to substitute for milk. It is also a good substitute for eggs aim a recipe and I have read that it can be used in place of oil as well although I have never tried it. Another dairy free substitute for milk is coconut milk.
Yes, you can use unsweetened applesauce in place of oil in baking, also baby food pureed prunes works well. I have heard of using ripe mashed bananas, or pumpkin puree, even cooked unseasoned and mashed cauliflower and mashed avocado. They may change the flavors a little, but I did not notice any significant change in flavor or texture using pureed prunes in bread machine breads, and have used it several times in different recipes. You can use nut butters in cookies in place of oils. Mayonnaise in cakes works well, or Greek yogurt works in place of butter, sour cream, oil, or buttermilk.
I use Applesauce in all my cakes and cupcakes instead of oil-less fattening, healthier and makes everything more moist
I can’t find mill nut milk is there any substitute?
I guess any Vegan milk will do. Coconut-drink-milk, Oats-milk, Almond-milk, Hasselnut-milk.
You can also google on YouTube on how to make your own homemade Almond or Hadelnut milk. It’s very easy once you have a blender & nuts at home. Good luck
What can I substitute for 1/2 cup buttermilk/heavy cream? Thanks
for buttermilk to be used in baked goods-add one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to 1/2to1/cup of milk and let it sit for 10 minutes before using. I have read that this works with non-dairy milks also. For cream, add 3 tablespoons of melted butter or oil to a cup of milk or non-dairy milk for light cream, 4-5 tablespoons of oil or melted butter for heavy cream substitute. Note: this will only work in baked goods or cooked pudding or custard, and you will need to reduce the amount of liquid by the amount of fat used. For example, to make a custard requiring 1 cup of light cream ( American half and half), put 3 tablespoons of butter into a one cup measure, then fill the cup with milk. Using non-dairy milk (I prefer soy or oat for custards!) put 3 tablespoons of neutral oil like coconut or avocado, or a vegan butter substitute into the one cup measure then fill the cup with non-dairy milk. Proceed with your recipe!