Homemade Vanilla-Infused Sweetened Condensed Milk

1. Gather Ingredients

Gather your ingredients: the milk, heavy cream, sugar, salt, and vanilla bean. Pour the milk and cream into a 5-quart stainless steel saucier, then add the sugar, salt, and vanilla bean.

2. Heat Mixture

Place the saucier over medium heat. Stir occasionally with a heat-resistant spatula to ensure the sugar dissolves and the mixture heats evenly. It takes around 12 minutes for the mixture to come to a gentle simmer.

3. Simmer and Stir

Keep the mixture at a gentle simmer and continue stirring for approximately 30 minutes. Scraping the bottom and sides of the pan continuously is crucial to prevent any milky buildup and to ensure even reduction. The mixture will gradually thicken and turn into a syrup.

4. Reduce and Finalize

Continue cooking and stirring until the foam subsides and the mixture has reduced to about two cups or 19 ounces. If reduced too much, add a little milk to bring it back to the right consistency, then remove the vanilla bean and blend it smooth with an immersion blender.

5. Store the Condensed Milk

Pour the homemade vanilla-infused sweetened condensed milk into an airtight container and seal it. Store it in the refrigerator, where it will keep for up to a month. Bring it to room temperature before use to mimic the consistency of canned sweetened condensed milk.