This Vegan condensed milk uses canned coconut milk as a dairy-free alternative to sweetened condensed milk in desserts.

If you grew up in an Indian household, or have Indian friends you’d know how indispensable condensed milk is in the creation of a multitude of desserts – the country basically runs on dairy! And once you’ve transitioned to a vegan/ dairy-free diet, you’d start striking off recipes that require condensed milk – somehow it seems easier to just do away with it rather than figuring out the alternative.

That’s how I’ve been rolling thus far – you know how I’ve been converting my favorite recipes to vegan versions, but whenever I see something with condensed milk, I just hop and skip to the next recipe on the list, albeit with a twinge of sadness.

But sometimes, the heart wants what the heart wants – you do crave some vermicelli kheer/milk pudding or simply to slather the concentrated, sickly-sweet substance on a piece of toast (don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!).

So if you’ve turned dairy-free, but still have that off-craving or even a necessity to use condensed milk in a recipe, here’s the answer:  a ( sweetened ) vegan condensed milk made from *drum-roll please* Coconut milk!

It has the same texture and consistency of regular condensed milk, but there’s an unmistakable hint of coconut flavor. So if your dessert uses coconut milk, the flavors pair seamlessly.

And if you thought that it is a painstaking process, think again: you don’t even have to stand near the stove stirring the concoction as it simmers away. In fact, I’d ask you to respectfully step away and let it do its thing. You’d just be in its way otherwise.

Use either unrefined cane sugar or even coconut sugar for that triple coconut punch – but if using coconut sugar, expect a darker shade of the final product. Photographed here is condensed milk made with unrefined cane sugar, although the image above depicts the use of coconut sugar.

Transfer to a clean, dry container and let it cool completely before refrigeration. Use as you would use sweetened condensed milk in your recipes.

And if you don’t have a particular recipe in mind, then slather a generous spoonful on a crisp slice of toasted bread. Seriously, don’t knock it till you try it, my sweet-toothed compadre!

Then go shout it out from the roof-tops – delicious things like these must never be kept a secret.

When you make this VEGAN Condensed Milk (which I really think you SHOULD!), be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to see what you cook from here!