Best sweetened condensed milk, according to chefs
Three picks, each tied to a named taster and a public source — from Joe Sevier, Chris Morocco, Inés Anguiano, Bill Leung and 2 more. Recommendations come from bonappetit.com, seriouseats.com, thewoksoflife.com and americastestkitchen.com and 2 other sources.
Baking · The ranking
- 1Top pick
Longevity Sweetened Condensed Milk
Chosen by- Chris MoroccoFood director, Bon Appétit
- Joe SevierWriter, Epicurious
- Inés AnguianoBon Appétit
Also chosen by- Serious Eats blind panel source ↗
- Bill Leung · The Woks of Life source ↗
Won Bon Appétit’s blind test of 13 brands, tasted on its own, in hot tea and in no-churn ice cream. Just milk and sugar. Morocco: “It’s got that, you just opened up a fresh carton of milk and gave it a sniff.” Anguiano: “the standard classic.” Also first in Serious Eats’ blind tasting of six, for its “buttery” and “caramel” flavors. The Vietnamese coffee staple. It’s the can Vietnamese kitchens use: The Woks of Life got their coffee setup from a Vietnamese restaurant whose owner had used Longevity “for years,” and they use it in their own recipe.
- 2
Borden Eagle Brand
Chosen by- Cook’s Country tasting panel (Jack Bishop)
Also chosen by- Cook’s Country source ↗
- Serious Eats blind panel source ↗
Won Cook’s Country’s tasting of four brands: plain on its own, but it gave flan a “consistently smooth, velvety finish.” Tied for second in Serious Eats’ blind tasting for a rich, custardy texture. Just milk and sugar, and the most widely stocked can.
- 3
Borden Magnolia
Chosen by- Sara KlimekWriter, Tasting Table
Also chosen by- Serious Eats blind panel source ↗
#1 of six in Tasting Table’s pound-cake and Thai-tea test: it poured easily, mixed in without streaks and baked into a “light, airy” crumb with “a deeply milky aroma.” Tied with Eagle Brand for second in Serious Eats’ blind tasting, with a slight edge in sweetness.
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Questions, answered
- What is the best sweetened condensed milk, according to chefs?
- MyTastr’s top pick is Longevity Sweetened Condensed Milk, chosen by Chris Morocco, Joe Sevier, Inés Anguiano (Bon Appétit). Won Bon Appétit’s blind test of 13 brands, tasted on its own, in hot tea and in no-churn ice cream. Just milk and sugar. Morocco: “It’s got that, you just opened up a fresh carton of milk and gave it a sniff.” Anguiano: “the standard classic.” Also first in Serious Eats’ blind tasting of six, for its “buttery” and “caramel” flavors. The Vietnamese coffee staple. It’s the can Vietnamese kitchens use: The Woks of Life got their coffee setup from a Vietnamese restaurant whose owner had used Longevity “for years,” and they use it in their own recipe. Source: bonappetit.com ↗
- What are the other top picks for sweetened condensed milk?
- No. 2 is Borden Eagle Brand, chosen by Cook’s Country tasting panel (Jack Bishop). No. 3 is Borden Magnolia, chosen by Sara Klimek (Tasting Table). Each card above links to the original source.
- How does MyTastr choose these picks?
- Every pick is tied to a named chef, cookbook author or food expert and links to the public interview, panel or article it came from. We survey dozens, often hundreds, of top chefs, food writers and critics, and order reflects how often and how strongly a brand is recommended. Only organic recommendations count — paid endorsements don’t — and brands can’t buy a spot. Read how we pick.