Although evaporated milk is a cow's milk product, not every cow's milk product works as a substitute. Since evaporated milk was originally made to serve as a replacement for fresh milk, only fresh milk products should replace it. Therefore, milk products such as yogurts, cheeses (such as cream cheese), or buttermilk are typically not suitable substitutes for evaporated milk, although you may see yogurt and buttermilk used as a substitute in specific recipes.