Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk -- Sugar Free & Low Carb

I spent this afternoon baking and planning some recipes. One of the recipes I am trying out tomorrow requires sweetened condensed milk. I first created my recipe for sugar free Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk back in March when I made my Absolutely Magical Cookie Bars and have also used it to make Seedy Power Bars, Key Lime Pie w/ Almond Coconut Crust, Grainless-ola Bars, Lemon Coconut Chiffon Fluff w/ Toasted Coconut Chips (no bake), and Chocolate Hazelnut Cookie Bars. I realized that my recipe for sugar free Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk might be very helpful to many of you to substitute in some of your older recipes that use regular (sugar laden) sweetened condensed milk. This recipe can open up a wide variety of possibilities for your holiday baking, along with a few other tweaks that might be necessary in your older favorites. As written, the recipe makes 2-1/2 to 3 cups (depending on how long you reduce it). You can easily cut it in half for most recipes, but I like making the larger batch to use to make other recipes, too, since it takes a little while to make (about 45 minutes). If a slightly thicker condensed milk is desired, you can add a pinch of xanthum gum (literally, just a pinch using your thumb and forefinger) and whisk that in during the last 5 minutes of cooking. With this recipe, the possibilities of low carb, wheat free, sugar free desserts you can recreate are endless. It uses very few ingredients and is super easy to make. The recipe for the Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk and a couple photos are below. Enjoy!

Rich and thick Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk (makes 2-1/2 to 3 cups)

Sweetened Condensed Coconut Milk - Sugar Free & Low Carb
Makes approximately 2-1/2 cups

Ingredients:

2 (14-ounce) cans unsweetened coconut milk (like Native Forest organic)

3/4 cup Swerve Sweetener (confectioners) or powdered erythritol

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stevia drops, optional (if additional sweetness desired)

Directions:

Add coconut milk to a small heavy saucepan and stir in Swerve (or sweetener of choice), butter and vanilla.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  After milk comes to a boil, reduce heat to low-medium and simmer, stirring and whisking frequently for about 45 minutes until reduced by almost half. Taste for sweetness.  If additional sweetness is desired, add liquid stevia drops, additional Swerve, (or other sweetener of choice) until desired sweetness is achieved. Makes approximately 2-1/2 cups of sweetened condensed coconut milk.  Cool before using in recipes. Refrigerate any unused portion.

*Note - For a dairy free version, substitute coconut oil in place of butter. If additional thickening is desired, whisk in a pinch or two of xanthum gum; cook on low an additional 5 minutes, whisking frequently.