Dry milk (milk powder or powdered milk) is a perfect ingredient for a wide range of savory and sweet dishes. It is also super convenient and easily stored, with a long shelf life compared to liquid milk.
So if you wondered, “What can be used as a substitute for dry milk?” check out the best dry milk substitutes below!
10 Best Ingredients To Use As Dry Milk Substitute
If you run out of powdered milk, don’t worry, these substitutes for dry milk powder can save your recipes.
Coconut Milk Powder
Coconut milk is a popular ingredient in many South Asian dishes. People tend to use it to add a creamy texture to their recipes because of its similar milk flavor profile, so coconut milk powder is a perfect powdered milk substitute.
Although it is named coconut milk, the milk doesn’t have a strong sense of coconut because it is not made of fresh coconut milk. Instead, it is spray-drying coconut milk or coconut cream.
When the powder is blended, the coconut milk has a creamy and thick consistency which is amazing for many baked goods, fish, and meat recipes.
With a cup of cold water and three tablespoons of powder, you can easily make yourself a nice cup milk. A bonus point for this powder is you can use the same ratio to substitute for milk powder in baking.
Soy Milk Powder
Maybe you’re looking for a substitute for non fat dry milk because you’re lactose intolerant? Then soy milk is a brilliant product for you.
As a part of the skim milk branch, soy milk powder is made by soybean milk drained out of the moisture content. As it contains a high vegetable protein content, soy milk powder is much more beneficial for your health than dairy products.
Soy milk powder has the same thick and powdery consistency. When it is mixed with liquid, the milk has a slight taste of soybean and a thin texture similar to milk. That’s why they are often used to substitute dairy products in vegan recipes like baked goods, sauces, gravies, and soups.
Rice Milk Powder
Another great dairy-free powdered milk substitute is rice milk powder. This product is popular among travelers as a source of an energy boost. When you look into the nutrient of this powder, you will find a great content of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and vitamins similar to brown rice.
Rice milk powder has similar outlook traits of dry milk. Off-white color with a dense consistency. When mixed, the milk is creamy and naturally sweet, like dry milk. That’s why it is most suitable for dessert recipes like tea, coffee, and smoothies. I tend to add this vegan dry milk substitute to my bowl of cereal for an extra energy breakfast.
Regular Dairy Milk
Dry milk’s purpose is to preserve milk longer. Therefore, it is understandable if you use regular milk to substitute for dry milk. However, you should only use it if the recipes ask for a liquid version.
Regular milk has all the flavor of a can of milk powder. However, their texture might not be the same. Regular raw milk can be thinner than liquid, powdered milk.
Therefore, if you use it as a substitution for powdered milk in baked goods, you need to modify the amount of liquid to maintain the consistency of the dough. If you put the same liquid content as powder, the dough is likely to be wet and sticky.
Skim Milk
Similar to regular milk, skim milk is one of the vegan substitutes for powdered milk in liquid-based recipes. If you want to have healthy and non-fat dishes, skim milk is your best option. Skim milk like oat milk and almond milk has a plain and nutty flavor that is amazing for baking recipes.
When you substitute milk for powdered milk, you need to mix it less than the recipe’s requirement. Normally, I would go for ½ cup of plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk for a cup of non dairy dry milk.
Whole Milk
Whole milk is another version of regular milk with a high source of fat. Although it might not be preferable in a healthy diet, whole milk can completely level up your cooking game. Full-fat milk has a creamy and thick consistency which is a perfect substitute for milk powder in bread.
When tasting whole milk, you can feel the taste of cream and dairy milk powder blooming inside your mouth. That’s why when adding them to your cookies, yogurts, custards, or savory dishes like risottos and soups, the flavor combination is top-notch.
Evaporated Milk
Evaporated milk is not the most popular milk product, but it is just as great as a milk substitute. If you don’t know about evaporated milk, it is condensed milk without the sweetness of added sugar. This condensed milk product only has 40% of the liquid content, making it a great substitute for dry milk in baking.
The evaporated milk is available in a can with a long-life shelf similar to non-fat milk powder. You can use them for many types of dishes like pumpkin pie and soups, but they are mostly used in beverages like coffee and tea.
Unlike normal milk, evaporated milk can fluff your drink up with its thick consistency making a creamy result.
Whipping Cream Powder
Dry milk has its hand in many dessert and bread recipes. It is also used as the main ingredient to make whipping cream for your cupcakes. So, it makes sense that you can use whipping cream powder as a dry milk replacement for making the fluffy cream.
The plus point is you can save more time making it with whipping cream powder. Basically, you only need to add some water with the powder and mix them slowly for 4-5 minutes until the cream is whipped. Then you can stabilize it by refrigerating the whipped cream mixture.
Dry Buttermilk
Dry buttermilk or buttermilk powder is a buttermilk substitute with a long shelf life to avoid sour liquid buttermilk. When it is mixed with cold or warm water, the mix becomes somewhat similar to dry milk liquid.
Normally, buttermilk is used for cooking and soaking meat and poultry, so it is not a good substitute for drinking. Powdered buttermilk has a creamy and thick texture that you can find in dry milk. They work best when you substitute cups of milk in sauces, soups, cakes, and biscuits.
Whey Protein
Another healthy substitution for dry milk is whey protein. Whey protein is derived from milk and dried out all the liquid to have this powdered version. Whey powder has an off-white color and powdery texture that can blend well in smoothies and shakes.
The flavor of whey protein is bland and milk-like to use for other dishes as well. You can use it in a wide range of dry milk recipes with the same proportion of dry milk to make a healthy and energetic version. Normally, I like to use this ingredient in my oatmeal or pancake for breakfast to give a nice boost.
Coffee Creamer
Many recipes ask for dry milk in beverages like coffee and tea for a creamy layer. If you’re out of dry milk, coffee creamer can be a delicious milk powder replacement in your favorite drink.
Coffee creamer consists of sugar, thickener, and oil. It tastes sweeter than a regular drink with a higher fat content to make your coffee creamer.
Because of its main purpose, you can use coffee creamer to fluff up many dry milk-based recipes like soups, salad dressing, and sauces. As the flavor is mainly sweet, you need to lower the added amount in savory dishes.
How To Use Dry Milk In A Recipe?
Dry milk is a popular ingredient that can be used in both savory and sweet dishes in many Asian recipes. Sometimes people can use it as the main ingredient, but it can also be used as a flavor or texture enhancer for your dishes. So, how to use dry milk in a recipe?
Regarding beverages, dry milk is added for a creamier version, so I tend to add 1 – 2 tablespoons of dry milk in milkshakes, coffee, and tea.
For a good dry milk-based cereal, I would like to have a milky taste, so three tablespoons of dry milk with ½ cup of water is my go-to ratio.
Savory dishes like condensed soup and mashed potatoes, I would go for ½ cup of milk powder for a cup of water, so the texture is creamy but not fluid-y. A similar approach to broth, sauces, gravies, and puddings, so the consistency is thicker.
Lastly, desserts and baked goods need a wet ingredient to balance out the dry ingredients in a fluffy dough, so I would follow a ratio of ¼ cup of milk powder for 1 cup of water.
FAQs
1. How Long Is The Dry Milk Shelf Life?
Bakers dry milk powder is made to reserve milk for a long time. So, there is no doubt that milk’s shelf life can last from 2 to 10 years when it is stored properly.
2. Powdered Milk Vs Fresh Milk: Which One Is Better?
Fresh milk and powdered milk are both dairy products with similar flavors. Fresh milk might have an advantage in tastier and sharper flavor, but it doesn’t have a shelf life as long as powdered milk.
When making powdered milk to liquid milk conversion, you save more with powdered milk as the dry milk to milk ratio is ¼ cup: 1 cup. So if you tend to use milk a lot, the dry milk to milk conversion shows that powdered milk is better. If you like the flavor of milk, then fresh milk is preferable.
