How to Make Emergency Baby Formula
This is an updated guide on emergency baby formula that we first wrote several years ago. We are not medical providers and none of the below is professional medical advice. Many medical professionals and the FDA advise against making homemade baby formula, so keep that in mind and do not use homemade formula if you have store-bought formula available.
An emergency can be a stressful time, especially with a newborn. Running out of baby formula or breast milk can make it even more stressful. Luckily, there is an easy way to make emergency baby formula with pantry items that have a long shelf life.
As a dad, having my infant prepared for emergencies was a priority. Luckily, Mom was around and provided breast milk whenever he was hungry. That is not always the case for everyone and some moms are forced to rely on formula. If there is a disruption in our food supply and the supermarket cannot stock enough formula, or if parents cannot reach the supermarket to get formula- what happens to the hungry babies? There may be some hope in the pantry…
Contents (Jump to a Section)
Evaporated Milk Baby Formula Recipe
Baby formula is made in high-tech labs and can’t be reproduced, right? Wrong.
Widely available baby formula was not available until the 1950s. Baby formula has been used since the 1920s. So what did everyone do for those 30 years in between? They made their own emergency baby formula.
The baby formula has a basic three-ingredient recipe:
- 12 OZ evaporated milk
- 18 OZ boiled water
- 2 TBSP corn syrup (or sugar)
The ingredients are widely available, and you can even stock up on evaporated milk online. Both evaporated milk and sugar can last in the pantry for at least six months, which should carry you through all but the worst-case emergencies.
The corn syrup was meant to stave off constipation. These days, health services suggest using sugar instead (Alaska DHSS) in homemade baby formulas. You can also tweak the amount of sugar based on your child’s needs.
To follow the recipe, you simply combine the ingredients and thoroughly mix. If your infant is larger, you will want to proportionally increase the ingredients, making sure the ratios stay the same. This recipe helps babies gain weight but does miss out on some of the vitamins and nutrients store-bought formula provides. Vitamin supplements can always be added to the recipe to make up for any deficits.
Because of the vitamin deficiencies in the homemade formula, some professionals advise that homemade formula should not be given to babies at all. This is an absurd blanket statement since you will obviously need to feed your baby if there are no other options. The concern about vitamin deficiencies should be emphasized that homemade baby formula is only a temporary solution for when it is absolutely needed.
What Can I Substitute For Baby Formula?
If find yourself really in a bind without formula or evaporated milk, a few other options could help you out. Breast milk, whole milk, and even goat’s milk can get the job done if life depends on it.
Breast Milk – You may be thinking, “Well if I could provide breast milk I would”- but that is not the only source. Sure, you should consider inducing lactation if you are not completely sure that you cannot provide milk. If you are pregnant or have breastfed before, it can take between one and six weeks for milk to start producing. If it doesn’t work for Mom, you don’t necessarily need to give up.
Any woman with mammary glands could make breast milk. It is, after all, what the glands are meant to do. If a woman has been pregnant in the past it is much easier, but almost any woman can create milk with some work. Having an infant nurse in regular intervals (even if it is not producing) can help draw the milk in.
Whole Milk – Whole milk alone can cause some digestion issues, but for older babies, you can start phasing it in. Diluting whole milk with equal parts of water allows it to be substituted for the evaporated milk in the emergency baby formula recipe. Once your baby hits one year old, it is generally safe to switch them to undiluted whole milk anyway.
Goat Milk – Goats have been a homesteading favorite due to their versatility and ruggedness. Milk from a goat can be used in an emergency. It isn’t recommended for long-term use (it is low in vitamins B12 and folic acid), but it can get your baby much-needed sustenance if there is a disaster.
These options may be tougher to come across during an emergency or disaster. Milk and formula are usually a few of the first things to sell out at a grocery store, goats are not exactly found everywhere, and it may be difficult to talk somebody into breastfeeding your baby. Stashing some evaporated milk in the pantry is definitely a good route to go when it comes to being prepared with your little one.
Don’t Substitute These for Baby Formula
When professionals talk about NOT using homemade baby formula, they often refer to other solutions- some of which aren’t even homemade. Either way, you should avoid using:
- Expired Baby Formula – Baby formula has a shelf life, and you should not keep or use formula past its shelf life since it can become dangerous to babies.
- Goat’s Milk w/ Honey – Adding honey to goat’s milk is a common recipe, but this can actually cause botulism poisoning.
- Diluted Formula – It can be tempting to cut the formula with water to make it last longer, but it’s not a good idea. Babies need milk and/or formula for a reason, and substituting this with too much water can quickly cause problems.
- Counterfeit Baby Formula – Yes, this is actually a thing. It is more common overseas, where the FDA does not have oversight. Make sure your baby formula is from a reputable manufacturer.
There are plenty of other things you shouldn’t give your baby- but the ones above are the more common mistakes.
Here are The Doctors talking about a lot of these alternatives and their risks, the FDA warnings, and what people should try to do in shortages:
Can I Stock Up On Baby Formula?
Of course you can, and that’s your best thought of the day!
As we mentioned before, baby formula has a shelf life, but this shelf life can be up to 18 months- which should be more than enough to make it to the solid food stage. It is an excellent idea to have an emergency supply of baby food as a part of your emergency food supply. Even if the baby is being breastfed and you have extra breastmilk supply in the freezer you will want a shelf-stable option for an emergency.
Cans of powder formula typically are the easiest to store with your long-term food storage. My kids are now both grown out of the breastmilk stage, but we stored Similac 30 oz cans in addition to keeping our freezer fully stocked with breastmilk.
Baby Formula Shortages
Baby formula shortages are not uncommon and have been an issue recently. The FDA is actively working with manufacturers to solve and prevent shortages in the formula supply chain.
When we specify the recipe for emergencies, a temporary shortage isn’t what we have in mind. The emergency formula recipe should be your last resort when your baby is hungry and there are no other options, not just a choice of convenience.
Even during widespread baby formulas, dialing 2-1-1 (in the US) can connect you to a community resource specialist to get you what you need. They are liaisons to:
- Food pantries
- Charities
- Food banks
Many of these options supply infant formula and baby food specifically for these events and should be sought out well ahead of a homemade recipe.
Sources and References
Here are the sources I relied on while researching emergency baby formula for my kids and updates since then.
- Anderson, E., et al. (2022). Special Edition – Homemade Infant Formula. Michigan State University; Center for Research on Ingredient Safety. (Source)
- American Academy of Pediatrics. (2023). Why Do Infants Need Baby Formula Instead of Cow’s Milk? Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5. (Source)
- Chen, A. (2024). Comparison of Human Breast Milk Nutrition to Goat’s Milk & Cow’s Milk. LiveStrong. (Source)
The Final Word
Prepping by storing evaporated milk for emergency baby formula is not a topic I thought I would cover when I created this blog, but fatherhood and understanding risks can change things. Other parents should be able to relate to how you want to protect and provide for your children- no matter the situation or disaster.
It took some research for me to understand the importance of emergency baby formula, but I appreciated the chance to keep learning about prepping while improving my sons’ preparedness.
You may also want to check out how prepared you are for other emergencies with your baby in tow:
- Kids’ Bug Out Bag | Gear List with Pro Tips
- How Being a New Father Shaped Me as a Prepper
- Survival Food List | Pantry Stockpile Plan and Checklist
Keep exploring, stay prepared, and be safe.
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I recieved this in a news group that I belong to that is not shareable…I would like to share this with my granddaughter who has a 5 mont old baby girl who does not like a lot of the store bought formula… Could you please email me a shareable link of this formula article that I could then share with her? ty…
I had six babies and all of them were on the carnation and boiled water with the syrup. As they got older I added less water till about six months or so then whole milk. They all were chunky babies. I know I started with the rice cereal a little early the last feeding at bedtime,but she slept all night,some moms are told the baby can’t have any food for the first year! My babies all were eating everything by then. But it’s a new generation and you should go by what your doctor says. God bless you all…… grandma 👵
Me, too. First three on evaporated milk formula. Last two on pre made formula. All healthy adults .
Go “Grandma”! Having a difficult time with many of the younger generation beIng so closed minded to help aids that can get them through emergency situations without harm to their babies. This is only a TEMPORARY solution.
Thank you for your comment Karen. We share similar thoughts on this. Millions of babies were raised based on the formula presented in this article and I mean, millions! There is nothing wrong with this formula but…..one must understand that there is more to this formula than just the first three ingredients. Proper sanitation of water, bottles and nipples is a must! One must also know when to add supplements and how much. That is where a pediatrician comes into play. I do wonder if there are any pediatricians around that still teach this method? I and my two children were raised on this formula and thankfully so, we remain happy and healthy.
Don’t panic, look to the past for answers and work from there.
A 70+ year old mom and grandma.
Hi Karen I agree with you 100%. God bless!!
You’re on the link. Heres the link posted in this comment. Copy it, open an email to your granddaughter, then paste it.
Link is here-
https://trueprepper.com/emergency-baby-formula/
The person who wrote this article likely, does not sit and monitor who is, has, or will comment on it.
Right click the link I posted and it’ll allow you to copy it. Or if your on a smartphone, just click and hold the link and it’ll give the option to “copy link.” Then open your email to your granddaughter and paste it in there. Best of luck.
Used with all four of my kids, but added divesol vitamins. Oldest is now 24 and youngest is 16!!! Went through medical condition and all and it got us through all kids are now strong and healthy.
I was raised on the evaporated milk recipe because everything else including breast milk, I’m told, made me projectile vomit curdled milk almost immediately.. eeewwwww.
I am 67 and very healthy. I was a chunky baby once I stated the formula, but have been my perfect weight and zero health problems without exercising or dieting ever since. It will NOT KILL YOUR BABIES!
I am 37 and I was raised on the evaporate milk formula and I’m very healthy. My son is 20 and that’s the only thing I gave him and he was chunky and healthy! He’s still healthy and thriving!!!
I was one of those babies on the evaporated milk corn syrup formulas in the 1950’s. 6 months of colic. I’m in my 70’s and became extrmely sensitive to anything produced with (meat,milk, eggs) or made from, corn years ago. One of my babies had relentless colic with a popular formula (pediatritions solution was phenobarbytal) and another couldn’t digest any kind of milk. Including mine. So regardless of what you plan for, try to have more than one solution just in case. Hours of screaming colic is no fun.