About Us
150 Years of Magic
A Modern Product for the Modern Traditionalist
It's been called "magic"...a can of Eagle Brand® plus a few select ingredients and the results are, well, like magic! Light textured 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.
The Magic of Eagle Brand® is that it is not only a product, but a method of baking. Since it has been pre-cooked and blended, preparation time is dramatically shortened, and consistent texture guaranteed. That is why even the most novice of bakers can turn out elegant pastry-chef quality creations in under 15 minutes.
Eagle Brand in the beginning however, had little to do with baking! 150 years ago in 1856, Gail Borden invented the stable milk product to address the 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 sweetened condensed milk has shown up in Caribbean smoothies and Chai Spice tea.
The magic continues...
In 1998, when The Borden Company sold its founding brand, a group of Borden employees bought their beloved brand. They called their company Eagle Family Foods Inc., and chose as their company symbol the original eagle that appeared on the first Eagle Brand label, to honour Gail Borden's original vision of quality, a standard which has remained unchallenged even to today.
In 1999 Eagle Brand celebrated 100 years in Canada. At the time, a poll showed our famous Magic Cookie Bar was your favourite recipe, followed closely by Fudge No-bake Cherry Cheese Pie and Irish Creme Liqueur.
Eagle Brand has stayed current by staying connected. We launched this web site in 1999 and an online Recipe Club, sending recipes and holiday ideas to bakers across Canada. In 2002, we created the Magic Circle™. Each year a new group of select bakers from across Canada, is chosen to lead multi-generational baking circles, to test new recipes and to share their inspirational stories with the Recipe Club.
In 2004 Eagle Brand was asked to become a participating sponsor of Culinary Team Canada, an elite team of chefs who compete for Canada at the international level. Serving the decadent Eagle Brand Chocolate Stout Pie, the Team returned from the Culinary Olympics in Germany with a Gold Medal in Pastry!
2004 also saw the introduction of our exciting new Eagle Brand Signature Premium Dessert Kits®. These "all-in-one-box" kits, featuring three rich and indulgent recipes ready in 3 steps, have been flying off grocery shelves ever since.
150 Years of Magic
In 2006, Eagle Brand® celebrated a landmark 150 years of bringing magic and memories to families and friends at holiday time and year round, with the publication of a 128-page anniversary recipe collection.
In May of 2007, Smucker Foods of Canada Corp. welcomed Eagle Brand® into their family of fine baking and family products, including Smucker's® jams, jellies and ice cream toppings; Robin Hood® flours and baking mixes; Five Roses® flour; Bick's® Pickles.
In 2012, we launched Eagle Brand Dulce de Leche Caramel Flavoured Sauce, our first new product innovation since 1996. Cooks used to heat up regular Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk to produce a thick Dulce de Leche caramel sauce. This new product combines the creamy taste of caramel with sweetened condensed milk. You can use it the same way you use your favourite Eagle Brand products to give your baking treats a delicious touch of caramel.
Eagle Brand has endured to this day because of its dedicated community of bakers. Countless stories have been shared via the Eagle Brand Recipe Club – touching and inspirational stories of real life from ordinary people who find strength and hope in good times and bad – through love of family, community, tradition and a love of baking. Eagle Brand, considered one of the oldest food product brands name still in use, is like a family member or trusted old friend lending familiarity and comfort to such important occasions as birthdays, anniversaries, fall bake sales, community fundraisers, pot luck suppers, and especially holiday dinners. Through it all, Gail Borden's original vision of quality, convenience and his passion for improving daily life has endured... and what greater measure of success could a magic ingredient wish for?
We are very proud to have been such an important part of Canadians' lives for generations. If you have a story or memory of Eagle Brand, we'd love to hear it – please send it to us by completing our Contact Form.