Saturday, November 9, 2013

Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk -- Sugar Free & Low Carb

I spent this afternoon baking and planning some recipes. One of the recipes I am trying out tomorrow requires sweetened condensed milk. I first created my recipe for sugar free Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk back in March when I made my Absolutely Magical Cookie Bars and have also used it to make Seedy Power Bars, Key Lime Pie w/ Almond Coconut Crust, Grainless-ola Bars, Lemon Coconut Chiffon Fluff w/ Toasted Coconut Chips (no bake), and Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie Bars. I realized that my recipe for sugar free Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk might be very helpful to many of you to substitute in some of your older recipes that use regular (sugar laden) sweetened condensed milk. This recipe can open up a wide variety of possibilities for your holiday baking, along with a few other tweaks that might be necessary in your older favorites. As written, the recipe makes 2-1/2 to 3 cups (depending on how long you reduce it). You can easily cut it in half for most recipes, but I like making the larger batch to use to make other recipes, too, since it takes a little while to make (about 45 minutes). If a slightly thicker condensed milk is desired, you can add a pinch of xanthum gum (literally, just a pinch using your thumb and forefinger) and whisk that in during the last 5 minutes of cooking. With this recipe, the possibilities of low carb, wheat free, sugar free desserts you can recreate are endless. It uses very few ingredients and is super easy to make. The recipe for the Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk and a couple photos are below. Enjoy!

Rich and thick Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk (makes 2-1/2 to 3 cups)




Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk - Sugar Free & Low Carb
Makes approximately 2-1/2 cups

Ingredients:

2 (14-ounce) cans unsweetened coconut milk (like Native Forest organic)
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Stevia drops, optional (if additional sweetness desired)

Directions:

Add coconut milk to a small heavy saucepan and stir in Swerve (or sweetener of choice), butter and vanilla.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  After milk comes to a boil, reduce heat to low-medium and simmer, stirring and whisking frequently for about 45 minutes until reduced by almost half. Taste for sweetness.  If additional sweetness is desired, add liquid stevia drops, additional Swerve, (or other sweetener of choice) until desired sweetness is achieved. Makes approximately 2-1/2 cups of sweetened condensed coconut milk.  Cool before using in recipes. Refrigerate any unused portion.

*Note - For a dairy free version, substitute coconut oil in place of butter. If additional thickening is desired, whisk in a pinch or two of xanthum gum; cook on low an additional 5 minutes, whisking frequently. 

        

12 comments:

Unknown said...

I have just discovered your site. Thank you for your generosity is sharing all of your recipes! They all look delicious.

Anonymous said...

How long will a batch last? Can it be frozen?

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Darla -- Thanks so much -- hope you find some recipes you like here! :-)

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Anonymous -- I have safely kept it a week in the refrigerator. I have never tried freezing it before. ;-)

Sami said...

This will certainly come in handy for some of my Christmas desserts. Thanks

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Thanks, Sami -- hope you enjoy using it! :-)

Sonshine Strong said...

As always, you make everything so easy for the rest of us. Thanks so much for this! I was looking at some recipes recently that called for sweetened condensed milk. I am so glad that I have a healthy option.

~CindyLu

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi CindyLu -- Thank you -- I hope you enjoy using it! It's a great time of year to use it, too! :-)

Regina said...

What is the carb count for this recipe?

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Regina,

Just add the net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) for the type of coconut milk you use (should be on the back of the can). If you use the same type sweetener I use (basically erythritol and stevia), there are no absorbable carbs from that and butter doesn't have carbs....so that is pretty much your carb count. You just need to divide it by the number of servings based on what you make with it. :-)

Suzanne from Mulhurst Bay, Canada said...

I have just found your website and am very pleased. When you use the coconut milk do you use only the solid part, discarding the liquid. Or do you mix it well before putting in the pot? Thanks for your help.

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Fred,

Thanks. I mix it up before putting in the pot and use the entire can. Hope that helps and hope you enjoy it.