150 Years of Magic

It’s been called "magic", a can of Eagle Brand® plus a few select ingredients and the results are, well, like magic! Light and luscious cheesecakes, rich chocolate candies, moist cookie bars, perfect pies and flans, are just a few of the enduring favourites made with Eagle Brand® sweetened condensed milk.

150 years ago in 1856, Gail Borden invented the stable milk product to address infant malnutrition and lack of refrigeration. He later began selling his product from the back of a pushcart in New York City for 25¢ a quart, mainly for use in coffee, tea and cocoa. Throughout the Civil War and both World Wars "Eagle Brand" became a precious source of milk and sugar, both in short supply.

Post WWI prosperity brought refrigeration to most kitchens and desserts to many tables! Eagle Brand® was then re-invented as "the dessert-maker", with ice cream, pumpkin pie and fudge being the earliest created recipes. A decade later, in 1931 when the Borden kitchens offered homemakers $25 for their original recipes, over 80,000 were received! In 1939, the image of the original eagle on the can gave way to "Elsie" the famous dairy cow, who ushered in more easy, convenient desserts. There was "Lemon Icebox Pie" (1940s), "Creamy Caramel Custard" (1950s) and the "Magic Cookie Bar" or "Hello Dolly" (1960s).

It was 1899 when Eagle Brand® came to Canada, produced at the famed Ingersoll Dairy, and later in Montreal, Quebec where a Low Fat version was launched in 1996. New traditions were born in Canadian kitchens, including "[Maple] Sugar Pie" and "Saskatoon Berry Crumble". With different cultures adding their flavours to Canada, Eagle Brand® has shown up in Caribbean smoothies, Chai Spice tea, and South American "Tres Leches" cake.

The magic continues, in 2007 Eagle Brand® joined the J.M. Smucker company, making this trusted brand an exciting addition to their product line.