With food storage, there are TONS of options on how to use different powdered dairy products. Read these pros and cons of how to use powdered diary products to help you decide which product is best for your family.
How to Use Powdered Dairy Products
A quick side note: Powdered milk is one of the cheapest powdered dairy products (sometimes even cheaper than regular store bought milk). Other powdered dairy products will be more expensive.
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Powdered Milk
Powdered milk (not instant milk)
- Pros: easy to substitute into your cooking with fresh milk. Add dry powder (typically 3 Tbsp per cup water, but check with each package to be sure) with dry ingredients and add water with the wet ones.
- Cons: Most people do not enjoy the taste of powdered milk… so it’s not good to count on for drinking, or for cold cereal. But, to pouring some into your oatmeal isn’t too bad.
If you are interested in Instant milk- to drink, then you’ll want to try a few brands to be sure your family enjoys it.
For food storage purposes, storing powdered milk is the best. Be sure to read the ingredients that it ONLY has milk listed, not something weird like diary whey, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, or corn syrup solids in it.
Read here the difference between Instant and Non-Instant Milk and 22 recipes for powdered milk.
Where to buy: The Home Storage Center is the cheapest place to buy good tasting non instant powdered milk (also known ad nonfat dry milk)
Powdered Eggs
- Pros: These are super easy to use, and you have no risk of salmonella! Be sure to buy “whole egg powder” for your baking and cooking, unless you use a ton of egg whites only, in that case, you can buy powdered egg whites too. Typically it’s 2 tbsp of whole egg powder per one egg (but you’ll want to check with the package to be sure).
- Cons: When you can find a dozen of eggs at the store for under a $1, then powdered eggs can be very expensive. Also, some companies like to trick you and add “fillers” to the egg powder. Be sure to read the ingredients to make sure it’s ONLY eggs, not other stuff.
Read here on how to cook with powdered eggs
I LOVE Honeyville powdered eggs. Currently they have Ova Easy Egg Crystals (which are good for making scrambled eggs with) and powdered egg whites. Be Prepared also has some good egg powder, buying eggs on sale will always get you the best deal, because they can be pricey.
Butter
Powdered
- Pros: This can be used in baking and cooking. It works best for sauces. When used for baking you’ll want to add 1 1/2 times what it calls for (something calls for 1 cup butter, you’ll want to add 1 1/2 cups powder). Also, you’ll want to use LESS water than needed (Courtney recommend 1 Tbsp water per 1 cup powder, you can read more of her tips here).
- Cons: Your recipes will turn out different, but it might not be a bad thing.
Honeyville has great butter powder as well.
- Pros: this butter is BEST when you want to use it for frying, or as a spread on breads.
- Cons: It is more expensive, but will store for 2-10 years in your pantry. So, it’s nice to have if you just “gottta have some homemade bread with butter”.
Cheese
Freeze Dried
- Pros: You have a large variety of types of cheese to choose from. It melts like typical shredded cheese and looks like shredded cheese. When using freeze dried cheese, you want to slowly add cold water to it until it just covers the cheese to re-hydrate it. THEN use it in your soups and stuff to melt. If you just put it into your soup, it’ll hydrate but not melt.
- Cons: definitely on the more expensive side of cheese, and takes time to learn how to use it.
Powdered- also known as cheese sauce
- Pros: This is what I prefer… since it’s nicer on my budget. Cheese powder is MUCH cheaper per 1/4 cup serving than freeze dried. This comes out as a cheese sauce and is great for macaroni and cheese. The powdered should mix well in casseroles where some cheese is needed, but if your casserole is mostly cheese, then it’s probably not best. The freeze dried cheese is great if you want to add the extra toppings to your tacos.
- Cons: Powdered cheese will be in liquid form once mixed with water. I do use this in my food storage with bean burritos… I just make it a little thicker to put on the burritos, and roll it up. It doesn’t work as good if you want to make quesadillas.
Read more about how to cook with freeze dried cheese. Honeyville has an awesome selection of freeze dried cheeses!
Sour Cream and Cream Cheese 
Powdered
- Pros: Has a great taste and can be used in recipes well. It’s good for soups, casseroles and other meals you mix the sour cream in.
- Cons: Has an “off” taste, and won’t do the trick if you want a dollop of sour cream on top of your tacos.
Read more here about how to cook with and use powdered sour cream. Again, I refer to Honeyville on their great powdered and freeze dried products. They have a TON of options and shipping is always under $5.
In conclusion
There are a few things to remember when learning how to use powdered dairy products, but over all, it’s pretty simple. If you are looking for some great recipes using specific food storage ingredients (such as beans, wheat, powdered milk, ect.) check out the book I Can’t Believe It’s Food Storage!
Do you have a tip for cooking with powdered dairy products? Comment below.
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