Best Powdered Milk | Taste-Tested & Reviewed
Powdered milk is a must-have for any long-term pantry. It gives us simple storage that can last decades, but how do you find the best one? The ideal milk powder tastes good, lasts a long time, and offers great value.
That’s why I personally taste-tested and thoroughly reviewed various options. I combed through their nutritional content, judged their taste and texture, and charted their value. I use powdered milk several times each week and store cans and pouches as part of my prepper food storage plan, so finding the best helped me out beyond this review.
My top recommendation is for Judee’s Whole Milk Powder, which tastes great reconstituted into milk or in baked goods.
If you want a powdered milk that lasts a long time in your pantry, Nutrient Survival Vitamin Milk lasts an enormous 25 years, but still tastes good and is chock-full of nutrients.
I also suggest a powder that works great for budgets, with the lowest cost per ounce, even in low volumes.
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Best Powdered Milk
Judee’s Whole Milk Powder
Size Assortment, Tasty, and Inexpensive
Great for baking or long-term storage, this one takes the cake and conquers the pantry.
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales.
Judee’s is a great option if you are baking or looking to grab a smaller size to store. They print a one-year shelf-life on the pouches but estimate that their spray-drying process, combined with the packaging and oxygen absorber, will help it keep longer when it is stored in a cool, dry space.
Specifications
- Weight: 11-ounce package shown, 1.5 lb, 2.5 lb, and 5 lb also available
- Servings: 9
- Ingredients: Whole milk
- Preserved: Industrial spray-dried
- Packaging: Resealable stand-up gusseted pouch with oxygen absorbers
- Shelf-Life: 1-year best-by date (est. 3-year shelf life)
- Manufactured: USA
It is easy to reconstitute by adding 1 part water to 1/3-1/4 parts milk powder. For our taste testing, we used the 1/4 cup of powder (4 tbsp) directions, and it mixed quickly, and we all agreed that it tasted great.
Pros
- Whole milk packs nutrients and calories
- Reconstituted quickly and tasted very similar to store-bought whole milk with no gritty texture
- The included oxygen absorbers and resealable mylar pouch are great for occasional use
- The range of size options is good for different pantry situations
Cons
- Fat content reduces shelf life
Taste & Texture
Judee’s powder tasted the closest to whole milk out of all of the options I tested, both out of a glass and when I baked muffins with it.
I kept this one personally and use it for dry protein shakes that I can make with just water on the go. Milk is always a nice upgrade for protein shakes, but this powder makes it much more mobile- fill it with water anyway and shake, and you don’t have to compromise. Using powdered milk
Pick up Judee’s Whole Milk Powder to expand your food storage on a budget.
Best Budget Milk Powder
NIDO Fortificada
Widely available, vitamin-fortified, and Inexpensive
The cheapest powdered whole milk is easy to grab at the store or stock up on in bulk, plus it has added vital nutrients.
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales.
Also available to buy at Walmart.
Nestle cranks out some milk powder for the masses around the world, making it easy to stock up on fortified powder with added nutrients. They have a whole suite of milk powders designed to support kids’ development, but this one is the cheapest and best option for everyone 4 and up.
Specs
- Weight: 28-ounce can shown, 12.6-ounce, 3.5 lb, and 4.8 lb also available (12.6-ounce taste-tested)
- Servings: 26
- Ingredients: Whole Milk with 5 added vitamins/minerals (Vitamin C, Iron, Zinc, Vitamin A, and Vitamin D3)
- Preservation: Industrial spray-dried
- Packaging: Resealable #10 can
- Shelf Life: 1-year best-by date
- Manufactured: Mexico
The can gives it a good shelf life. While it is printed with a best-by date about a year out, it claims at least a 5-year shelf life in cold and dry storage. Like anything stored in cans, once you open it, the clock starts ticking. You’ll want to use it up well before the best-by date if you open it.
Pros
- Widely available at traditional grocery stores and big box stores, like Walmart
- The affordable price point makes milk powder accessible, especially the 12.6-ounce can
Cons
- The sweet, buttery taste stands out
- Shelf life is lower than others, and it’s tough to reseal a can compared to mylar bags
Taste & Texture
The taste is great, especially for the price. It tastes sweeter than regular whole milk, where I would describe it as buttery. The texture is smooth but seems thicker due to the sweetness.
If you are looking to pick up some milk powder in bulk, grab NIDO Fortificada Dry Whole Milk Powder.
Best Shelf Life
Nutrient Survival Vitamin Milk
Nonfat, Long Shelf Life, and Nutrient-Dense
Massive shelf life and great taste make this the brand to beat when it comes to milk powder.
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales.
Also available to buy at Walmart and directly from Nutrient Survival.
Nutrient Survival has been cracking the code when it comes to freeze-dried food with their patented process and focus on nutrition (they are the upper-end pick from our best emergency food supplier review). Their milk powder has powered through into the everyday market, and you’ll see it selling just as often to people baking or making protein shakes with it as people stockpiling for emergencies.
Specs
- Weight: 37 ounces
- Servings: 50
- Ingredients: Nonfat Milk with 21 added vitamins/minerals
- Preservation: Freeze-dried (patented process)
- Packaging: Resealable #10 can (also available in mylar ‘pantry pack’ with a lower 15-year shelf life)
- Shelf Life: 25 years
- Manufactured: United States
The #10 can gives it a great shelf life. You can also get smaller mylar bag packs or pantry packs, but the shelf life will be reduced to 15 years (that’s still a lot!). In our taste test, we noticed that the reconstituted powder has more of a yellowish appearance than other brands and store-bought milk. This color difference wasn’t an issue because the milk tasted smooth and creamy, despite being nonfat.
Pros
- Silky and creamy taste for a nonfat milk powder (not sweet, like other fortified milk powders)
- Reconstituted the fastest in our tests
- Twice the servings compared to whole milk powders of the same weight (less powder used to reconstitute)
- Enormous 25-year shelf life
Cons
- Slight yellow appearance (does not affect taste)
Taste & Texture
The powder itself is very fine and doesn’t clump as easily as other milk powders I tried. This makes it reconstitute into a liquid very quickly and gives it a smooth and silky texture. It tastes richer and creamier than traditional non-fat milk, which was surprising.
If you are looking to pick up some nonfat milk powder that’ll taste great today or 25 years from now, grab Nutrient Survival Powdered Vitamin Milk.
Comparison Table
| Powdered Milk | Recommendation | Price* | Size | Milk Type | Shelf Life (Months) | Calories † | Protein † | Fat † | Carbs† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Judee’s | Best Overall | $15 | 11oz | Whole | 12 | 680 | 36g | 36g | 52g |
| NIDO Fortificada | Best for Budgets | $15 | 28oz | Fortified Whole | 12 | 600 | 32g | 32g | 44g |
| Nutrient Survival | Best Shelf Life | $24 | 37oz | Fortified Nonfat | 300 | 480 | 48g | 0g | 72g |
| Z Natural Foods | $13 | 16oz | Whole | 9 | 640 | 28g | 36g | 48g | |
| Hoosier Hill Farm | $14 | 16oz | Whole | 12 | 560 | 48g | 48g | 48g | |
| Augason Farms Morning Moos | $16 | 56oz | Alternative | 240 | 560 | 24g | 20g | 80g | |
| Augason Farms Country Fresh | $17 | 16oz | Nonfat | 240 | 210 | 24g | 0g | 33g | |
| Valley Food Storage | $18 | 18oz | Whole | 300 | 400 | 40g | 0g | 60g | |
| Legacy Food Storage | $23 | 40oz | Nonfat | 120 | 500 | 50g | 0g | 75g | |
| Simple Kitchen Whey Milk | $32 | 55oz | Alternative | 300 | 320 | 16g | 0g | 88g | |
| Nestle Carnation | $32 | 23oz | Nonfat | 12 | 560 | 32g | 0g | 48g |
How I Tested
Taste-testing was how I got most of it done- I bought and tried a wide variety of powdered milk. I shared them with my kids and my wife for a wider range of opinions and to help me hone my descriptions of their taste and flavor.
Here is everything I tested for this review:
- Taste Testing – I reconstituted each of the powders and judged them on taste and texture. I used store-bought pasteurized skim, 2%, and whole milk as the controls to compare the milk powder against.
- Bake Test – I added the milk powder to Martha White muffin mix to test how well it baked, and its taste and texture in the final product.
- Packaging Inspection – I put my industrial engineer hat on and checked the package quality.
- Shelf Life Comparison – I reviewed the actual stamped date on the products to see the shelf life, which sometimes differed from the manufacturer’s listing.
I also collated quite a bit of nutrition data and converted it to the same measurements and units to be able to compare calories and macronutrients.
Why Trust TruePrepper
I’m Sean Gold, and I’ve been reviewing powdered milk since 2023. I’ve been storing various food powder as part of my long-term food storage plan for a decade now, and use them regularly to rotate my stock.
I use powdered milk nearly every day as part of my routine with a protein shake. I put a scoop in with the protein powder, add cold water, and shake away to reconstitute it all at once. This lets me be mobile with my shake, since I can carry it around in powder form and just add water.
While that shows I have a lot of experience with powdered milk, it’s more to show that impartially reviewing these helps me out, too. I like to continuously improve my routine, my gear, my skills, and keep learning. Beyond the practical taste-testing, I collated the nutritional data and plotted value graphs to support my picks with real data.
Analysis & Test Results
The best milk powder has several important features to look for:
- Value
- Taste & Texture
- Nutrition
- Preservation & Packaging
- Shelf-Life
When you get the right blend of these, you can find powdered milk that will give you reliable long-term protein and a great way to mix drinks or bake goods without worrying about traditional milk’s shelf life. Below, we break down what each of these features means for the different brands of milk powders that truly set themselves apart.
What is the Best Value?
The amount of money you spend on something like powdered milk shouldn’t blow out your entire budget. Milk isn’t costly, and our budget pick isn’t either. In many parts of the world, powdered milk is relied on due to logistical constraints that prevent dairy from reaching the entire globe. Powdered milk is less expensive in these regions because it is shelf-stable.
On the flip side, you don’t want to go too cheap or just plain get the wrong thing. Dairy blends and milk alternatives are typically not as good to rely on for consistent calories in your pantry. We did test one milk alternative (Morning Moos), just to check the taste and give it a shot, but it ended up not making our suggestion list.
Taste & Texture
Taste can be subjective, so we always have more than one taste-tester on tap for these types of reviews. We reconstituted all of the different types of milk, tried them, and then ranked our favorites. Those rankings were averaged to come up with our top picks.
We did not try any baking with the milk powder- just the drink test. In the future, we may try a larger variety of taste-testing, but we felt that our consensus on the best taste holds true for all applications, just through our experience baking with powdered milk outside of the drink tests.
Nutritional Content
Milk powder inherently has plenty of nutrients and nutritional value, but not all milk powder is created equal. Some powders lose nutrients (and taste) through the drying process. Others have nutrients added for specific applications, like fortified supplements for kids.
Milk powder contains all 21 amino acids (the building blocks of protein), giving it massive amounts of protein by weight. The macro nutrients are typically balanced as well.
Non-fat vs whole milk content can have pros and cons, with the non-fat being even higher in protein by weight but with lower calories.
Preservation & Packaging
There are three main ways to produce powdered milk: freeze-drying, spray-drying, and drum-drying. Heating up and processing milk can often turn it into cream or butter through reduction. Here are the main differences in the methods:
- Freeze-drying – This time-consuming and less common method involves pouring (or freezing) milk on a tray, and then placing the tray in a freeze dryer. Compared to spray-drying, this slightly improves taste and shelf life. It can also be done at home with your own freeze-drying equipment, but it can get a bit finicky to get right. Our upgrade pick likely uses the freeze-drying method, although they do not disclose the specifics, as it is patented.
- Spray-drying – The most common method for dehydrating milk involves preheating the milk to reduce the liquid and then spraying it into a chamber to dry. The powder forms and leaves the chamber with the air, collected by a filter or sieve.
- Drum-drying – Milk is poured on a heated drum and scraped off as a solid powder. This can break down nutrients and alter the taste since it is slightly cooked in the heating process.
Most brands package the dried milk powder into plastic or mylar bags. Some include oxygen absorbers to increase shelf life further. Others use metal cans with a one-time seal under the lid for an airtight container.
Shelf-Life
There is a wide range of shelf-life labels on powdered milk because it comes in different packaging, with mylar or metal cans being the best, as we just mentioned above.
With the right packaging and storage in a cool, dry area, some milk powder can stay on the shelf indefinitely. Unrestricted by fat content, the low-fat or nonfat options excel here. Fat is much harder to remove moisture from, so nonfat powders can last the better part of a century in ideal conditions.
Is Regular Milk Better for You?
No, nutritionally traditional milk is almost indiscernible from powdered milk. Powdered milk has had the moisture pulled out of it through a drying process, which you reintroduce when you reconstitute it.
Some powdered milk is cooked in the drying process, which can break down certain proteins and amino acids. This means that powdered milk may have slightly less protein than fresh milk, and if you are looking for protein, that may mean that they are not better for you.
Powdered milk is also very soluble with added nutrients, though. Critical vitamins are added to support growth in children, and vitamin D is required to be added in Canada.
Does Milk Powder Taste Like Real Milk?
Powdered milk is ‘real milk’, so it tastes similar to fresh milk when it is reconstituted. Those with discerning taste will be able to notice a difference, especially in texture. This difference depends on the brand, how the milk was dried, and how well you reconstitute (add water) the powder. In our picks, we found that the texture difference was very slight when the directions were followed precisely.
Some brands have slightly better quality, which can affect the taste. Freeze-dried milk typically tastes the most similar to real milk (versus spray-dried), but it is not very common outside of small vendors and homemade projects.
Getting the water ratios to reconstitute the milk can be tricky, and varies from different brands. If you don’t add enough water or stir properly, you can get grainy milk. If you add too much water, you get a soupy, watered-down milk. Follow the directions on the package to make sure it is just right. Usually, whole milk powders use twice as much powder-to-water ratio to reconstitute as low-fat, nonfat, or milk alternative powders.
Who Needs Powdered Milk?
Powdered milk is pretty darn useful, whether you have a recipe calling for it or not. Preppers will enjoy the ability to store protein for years, which makes milk a staple for a prepper’s pantry.
Powdered milk is suggested for these kits:
Pack some protein power in your food storage plan with milk that has a serious shelf life. It also works well for those looking to make emergency baby formula.
Sources & References
All of our experience and the testing we do to find the best powdered milk are useless without listing our research sources and references. We leaned on these for the book knowledge that we paired with our hands-on testing and practical prepping experience:
Reh, C., et al. (2004). Determination of water content in powdered milk. Food Chemistry. Volume 86. Issue 3. Pages 457 – 464. (Source)
Moros, J., et al. (2007). Evaluation of nutritional parameters in infant formulas and powdered milk by Raman spectroscopy. Analytica Chimica Acta. Volume 593. Issue 1. Pages 30 – 38. (Source)
Uwatse, O., et al. (2015). Measurement of Natural and Artificial Radioactivity in Infant Powdered Milk and Estimation of the Corresponding Annual Effective Dose. Environmental Engineering Science. Volume 32. Issue 10. Pages 838 – 846. (Source)
Conclusion
Powdered milk is a versatile baking and food-storage staple, plus a necessity for preparedness with infants. You can find some in bulk, with long shelf life, and with great taste. Protein is always an important part of food storage plans, and milk can help you hit your marks.
Here are a few other reads our subscribers have also found helpful:
- Best Powdered Cheese for Long-Term Food Storage
- Best Powdered Eggs for Long-Term Food Storage
- Survival Food List | Pantry Stockpile Plan and Checklist
See more of our expert-written guides, resources, and reviews in your search results – add TruePrepper as a preferred source.
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question: If I vacuum pack the powdered milk in mylar bags with O2 absorbers, will the whole milk last longer than 12 months?