Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk

Condensed Coconut Milk is thick, sweet and perfect for anything you might need a hit of sweetness for. Its gluten free and vegan too, with a delicate floral flavour. 

One of the things my mom loves more than anything else is key lime pie. If she had a choice for anything on her birthday, Mother's Day, any day... she would pick it hands down, particularly if it came attached to a trip to Florida. While it took me a while to become accustomed to the flavour, I have to admit I enjoy a good slice of the confection too, and I will occasionally make it (or a version of it, seeing as key limes are rare here).

One of the main ingredients in key lime pie is condensed milk - thick, gooey and quite possibly the best substance outside of peanut butter and Nutella. Unfortunately for so many people, condensed milk is simply not an option due to dairy allergies or other dietary restrictions. Now, non-dairy sweetened condensed products do exist - including soy and coconut varieties like this one - but they are pricey and can contain additives and thickeners. My homemade version takes time, no question, but it's simple and the taste is amazing. I've used this condensed milk to make fudge, and Meyer lemon pie (similar to key lime) and it definitely holds its own texture wise. The taste is unmistakably coconutty, but not really overwhelming according to those who tasted it (I would but I'm allergic!).
 
Whether you need it because you're dairy free, or you're just looking for an extra layer of flavour, I highly recommend giving this a try. Who knows, maybe your key lime pie will be next level this Summer! Oh Summer, where art thou?

Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk

Makes ~3/4 cup, 12 (tbsp) servings
1 cup full fat coconut milk (canned if you can find one without gums / stabilizers), I found a tetra pak one that worked well
1 cup sugar (you can use coconut sugar if you want extra flavour)
½ tsp Kosher salt

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small, oven-safe pot and bring to a simmer.
2. Cook, stirring almost constantly, for 30 minutes.
3. Heat the oven to 250F.
4. Transfer the pot to the oven and bake another 1 ½ - 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is thick and reduced. The colour may be slightly tan at this point but won’t turn dark like a caramel.
5. Transfer to a jar and store in the fridge.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 98.8
Total Fat: 3.5 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 101.9 mg
Total Carbs: 17.4 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.0 g
Protein: 0.3 g