Let’s be honest – most of us keep powdered milk in our pantry for emergencies, but rarely think to use it.
But what if this simple ingredient could replace multiple canned goods, save you money on breakfast, and even help you make fresh yogurt at home?
Today, I want to share five overlooked ways to use powdered milk that will help you meal prep and cook from scratch.
Everyone knows you can add water to make milk – so we’re going beyond the obvious to show you how incredibly versatile this pantry staple can be!
1. Create Your Own Cream of Soup Base
Raise your hand if you ever cook with cream of chicken, mushroom, or celery soup! We certainly do in our house. The only problem? I don’t love the questionable ingredients in those canned versions, plus they take up so much precious pantry space.
This master mix powder serves as a base for ALL those cream soups, and I have used it for years. It saves space (goodbye, towers of cans!), saves money, and you have complete control over what goes into it.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 2 cups whole milk powder
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/4 cup chicken broth powder (or your preferred substitute)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Mix all the dry ingredients together and store in a quart jar until ready to use.
To make the equivalent of one can of cream of chicken soup:
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a pot
- Add 1/3 cup of your master mix and heat for 1 minute until it forms a paste
- Add 1 1/4 cups water
- Whisk well and bring to a boil
- Lower to a simmer and cook until thickened (about 5-7 minutes)
For different variations:
- Cream of mushroom: Add 1 tablespoon of dehydrated or freeze-dried mushrooms
- Cream of celery: Add 1 tablespoon of dehydrated or freeze-dried celery
You can make practically any cream soup with this base mix plus a few dehydrated veggies. This simple swap replaces all those canned soups, saves significant pantry space, and gives you the peace of mind of knowing exactly what’s in your food.
2. Make Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets
Store-bought instant oatmeal packets are convenient but often loaded with questionable ingredients and cost WAY more than making your own. Using powdered milk, you can prep multiple breakfast jars that are ready whenever you need them.
First, you’ll need to make instant oats from whole rolled oats (or use store-bought instant oats if you prefer). To make instant oats:
- Run whole rolled oats through a food processor until you get that instant oatmeal consistency – broken down but not powdery
- Process in small batches for even results
For the base recipe:
- 5 cups processed instant oats
- 1 cup coconut sugar (or your preferred sweetener)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup powdered milk
Mix everything together, then divide into pint jars, adding about one cup of base mix per jar. You’ll want extra room in each jar for flavorings.
Now for the fun part – creating different flavors! Here are some ideas:
Blueberries and Cream:
- Add 1/4 cup dehydrated blueberries
- Add 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder
Other variations:
- Strawberries and cream
- Pumpkin pie spice with pumpkin powder
- Berry blend with different dried fruits
- Cranberries and raisins
To cook, dump one jar into a pot, add about 1 1/2 cups water, bring to a boil, then turn off the heat. Put the lid on to trap the steam and let sit for 5 minutes. Done!
These homemade packets are more nutritious, completely customizable, and a fraction of the cost of store-bought varieties.
3. Make-Ahead Dinner Roll Mix
One of our family’s favorite dinner rolls includes potatoes, but to make a shelf-stable dry mix, we use instant potato flakes instead of mashed potatoes.
Layer these ingredients carefully in a jar:
- 1 teaspoon salt (bottom layer)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons powdered milk
- 3 cups flour (helps keep yeast separated from other ingredients)
- 1/3 cup instant potato flakes
- 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast (top layer)
Seal these up, and you have grab-and-go dinner roll mix ready whenever you need it!
To make the rolls:
- Using a bread machine: Add 1 1/4 cups water, one egg, and 3 tablespoons butter to the machine first, then dump in your jar of mix. Use the dough cycle.
- By hand: Mix all ingredients together and knead until nice and pliable, with 1-2 ten-minute rises.
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Once the dough is ready, shape into 10-12 balls and let rise until doubled. Bake at 375°F for about 25 minutes or until done.
These taste just like fresh homemade rolls but come together with minimal hands-on work when you have this pre-made mix on hand.
4. Make Yogurt From Scratch
Making yogurt from powdered milk is perfect if you’re storing it for food storage or if you just want to make yogurt without having fresh milk on hand.
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For approximately 3/4 to 1 gallon of yogurt:
- 4 cups powdered milk
- 14 cups water
Whisk together to reconstitute. (You can make a smaller batch by adjusting the ratios accordingly.)
- Bring the reconstituted milk to a boil
- Remove from heat and let cool to 85-100°F (important – if too hot, it will kill the beneficial bacteria)
- Add 1/4 cup yogurt with live cultures (store-bought or from a previous batch)
- Mix starter in well and let sit overnight
I love using a thermal cooker for this because it maintains temperature without electricity and gives consistent results. You can also use your oven with just the light on for warmth.
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By morning, you’ll have thick, creamy yogurt! Transfer to the refrigerator and chill for several hours before eating – it definitely tastes better cold.
Once you save starter from each batch, you won’t have to buy yogurt again. Just be sure to make a new batch within about two weeks to keep your starter going.
5. Cornbread Muffin Mix
This is one of our favorite quick side dishes, and prepping it in jars makes it even easier. I like to line up 5-6 jars assembly-line style and prep multiple batches at once.
To each pint jar, layer:
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (bottom)
- 2/3 cup flour
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons powdered milk
- 1 tablespoon baking powder (top)
When ready to make muffins:
- Dump one jar into a bowl
- Add one egg, 1/3 cup water, and 2 tablespoons melted butter
- Mix and bake in muffin tins at 400°F for 15-20 minutes
This makes about six muffins and tastes very similar to Jiffy mix, but you control the ingredients. You can customize by adding shredded cheese, jalapeños, chives, or other add-ins.
There you have it – five incredible ways to use powdered milk beyond just making regular milk. These methods help you save money, reduce dependence on processed foods, and build your self-sufficiency skills.
That’s why powdered milk is one of the items we included in our FREE 1-Year Food Storage Plan. This plan helps you gather a year’s worth of shelf-stable food by grocery shopping normally with just a few extra items added each week.
Want your free copy? Comment “food storage” below and we’ll send it straight to you!
What’s your favorite way to use powdered milk? Share in the comments!
