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Milk (ingredient)

Eggs & dairy · Milk & cream

Milk

Cow's milk, usually whole (full-fat), used for drinking, sauces, batters, puddings, tea and baking.

Also called: whole milk, cow's milk, full-fat milk

Around the world: süt (tr) · doodh (hi) · leche (es) · lait (fr)

317 recipes with it

Photo: NIAID, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-2.0)

What it is

Liquid milk from cows, sold pasteurised and often homogenised so the cream does not separate. Whole milk has roughly 3.5% fat; semi-skimmed and skimmed have less and make thinner sauces and less creamy puddings. Recipes in this catalogue assume whole milk unless they say otherwise.

Bos taurus (milk)

How it’s used

  • White sauce (béchamel) and cheese sauce
  • Pancake, Yorkshire pudding and crêpe batters
  • Rice pudding, kheer and custard
  • Tea, coffee and chai
  • Making paneer, ricotta and yogurt at home

Characteristics

Taste
Mildly sweet and creamy.
Texture
Thin liquid; whole milk feels fuller than skimmed.
When cooked
Forms a skin and scorches easily on the bottom of the pan; heat gently and stir. Acid (lemon, vinegar, tomato) or prolonged boiling with salt can curdle it, which is deliberate when making paneer.
Sold as
fresh, liquid, powder, canned
Cooking uses
Usually eaten raw, Commonly cooked, Suitable for baking, Suitable for boiling

Kinds in our pantry

Storage

Refrigerated. Keep cold in the fridge (not the door) and follow the use-by date; once opened, use within a few days. Sour smell or lumps mean it has turned.

Diet, allergens and safety

Contains Milk.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Contains milk (allergen). Lactose intolerance is different from milk allergy; lactose-free milk still contains milk protein.
  • Raw (unpasteurised) milk can carry Listeria, E. coli and other bacteria; it is not advised for pregnant people, children, older adults or the immunocompromised.

Nutrition per 100 g

Energy
61 kcal
Protein
3.15 g
Carbohydrate
4.8 g
Fat
3.25 g
Fibre
0 g
Sugars
5.05 g

USDA FoodData Central: Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D.

Substitutes

Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.

  • Evaporated milk — Mix half and half with water to replace milk in cooking and baking.
  • Unsweetened plant milk (soy, oat) — Works in most batters and sauces; soy is closest in protein. Flavour and browning differ slightly.

Related ingredients

Recipes with milk

See all 317

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