Plant Milks
Vegetable Condensed Milk in gelato
Vegetable condensed milk is a fully plant-based, dairy-free analogue of sweetened condensed milk, built from sugar, vegetable (usually coconut) fat and starch-derived solids. In gelato it acts as a concentrated sugar-plus-fat base for vegan recipes, supplying sweetness, body and creaminess in one ingredient.
Balancing parameters
Per 100 g of product, verified against independent food-science sources (listed below).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Solids | 71.52% |
| Water | 28.48% |
| Sugars | 46.69% |
| Fat | 15.31% |
| MSNF | 0% |
| Protein | 0% |
| POD (sweetening power) | 46.69 |
| PAC (anti-freezing power) | 46.69 |
Typical use: Typically 5-15% of the total mix in vegan/dairy-free gelato bases.
Balance vegetable condensed milk in a real recipe
Free balancer · no signup wall · watch PAC, POD and Total Solids update live as you add it.
Open the balancerHow to use it in gelato
Use it as the sweet, fatty backbone of dairy-free or vegan gelato, replacing traditional condensed milk. Roughly 47% of its weight is sugar (predominantly sucrose), so it contributes POD and PAC at about 46.7 per 100 g of product (sucrose basis 100/100), meaningfully lowering the freezing point and softening the scoop. Its ~15% vegetable fat adds richness and a smooth, non-icy texture without dairy. Because it is sugar-dense, count it toward your total-sugar and PAC targets and reduce added sucrose to compensate. It carries no milk solids-not-fat, so a vegan base may still need stabiliser or plant protein/fibre to rebuild body.
Origin & background
Sweetened condensed milk itself was patented by American inventor Gail Borden in 1856, creating the shelf-stable sugar-preserved concentrate the world now knows. Plant-based versions appeared much later, driven by the vegan and lactose-free movements of the 2000s-2010s, replacing cow's milk solids with vegetable fat, maltodextrin/starch and sugar. Coconut-based condensed milks (e.g. Nature's Charm) became the most widely distributed commercial format.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- https://www.carbmanager.com/food-detail/md:4afe080553f8d70983ec3725c1f48f71/sweetened-condensed-coconut-milk
- https://www.eatthismuch.com/calories/sweetened-condensed-coconut-milk-454393
- https://www.easygreen.pt/produto/leite-condensado-de-coco/
- https://saboreiaavida.nestle.pt/produtos/culinarios/leite-condensado-tradicional
- https://tools.myfooddata.com/nutrition-facts/171275/wt1