How To Use Condensed Milk In Apple Pie

Condensed milk is sugar sweetened milk that undergoes evaporation to remove about 60 percent of its water content. Before evaporation, the ratio of sugar to milk is about 3.6 oz. of sugar for every 1 cup of milk. After evaporation, the result is a thick, sticky sweet, fat and calorie-laden liquid. Although condensed milk is a necessary ingredient in apple pie when you want a creamy texture, you can reduce fat and calories --- and make it less unhealthy --- by using fat-free rather than whole condensed milk.

Step 1

Eliminate all other sweetening ingredients when using condensed milk in apple pie. This includes white sugar, brown sugar, honey or any other sweetening ingredient your recipe calls for.

Step 2

Combine two eggs or an equivalent amount of an egg substitute with each 14-oz. can of condensed milk to add structure during baking and prevent your apple pie from becoming runny.

Step 3

Mix seasonings such as cinnamon and nutmeg, the apples and condensed milk mixture in a large mixing bowl before adding the apples to the crust.

Step 4

Add a streusel or crumb topping rather than a top crust to your pie. This allows for better heat circulation and a firmer pie.

Step 5

Preheat your oven to 425 F and after 10 minutes of baking, reduce the oven temperature to 375 F for the remaining 40 minutes of baking. A higher initial oven temperature improves the texture of the pie and the streusel or crumb topping.

Tips and Warnings

Just as you do with traditional apple pie, select firm, slightly dry baking apples such as Cortland, Golden Delicious and/or Granny Smith apples rather than juicy eating apples. For each pie, you need about 4 cups of 1/2 inch thick apples, or 1 1/2 to 2 cups if you are adding other fruits in the pie.