What Is Milk, skim, (non fat) powder and How Can I Use It?
If milk, skim, (non fat) powder has turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use it with confidence and how to choose it, cook it, store it, what to substitute, and 413 recipes to try it in.
Key Points
- Milk minus water and fat; removing the fat is why it keeps for years.
- Extra lactose and protein deepen browning and keep bread crumb softer longer.
- Reconstitute at ⅓ cup powder per cup of water to stand in for skim milk.
- Toasted golden in a dry pan, it becomes a nutty, malty flavor powder.
What is milk, skim, (non fat) powder?
Skim milk powder is milk with both the water and the fat removed: what is left is protein, lactose and minerals in a shelf-stable dust. Removing the fat is what makes it keep for years, since milkfat is the part that goes rancid.
More than 400 recipes on Recipeland call for it, mostly breads, pancake mixes and baking blends.
Reconstituted, ⅓ cup of powder whisked into 1 cup of water stands in for a cup of skim milk. But its better career is as a dry ingredient in its own right.
What It Does in a Dough
Milk powder is a baker's amplifier.
The extra lactose and protein feed Maillard browning, so loaves and rolls bake up golden instead of pale, and the crumb stays softer for longer.
That is why it shows up in make-ahead dry mixes like American Biscuits (Mix) and Basic Muffins & Biscuits: all the dairy benefits, no fridge required until baking day.
In yeast breads such as Bill's Focaccia Bread, add the powder with the flour and the water separately. It blends in cleaner than pre-mixing, and you can push past the recipe for a milkier, softer crumb.
The sleeper technique is toasting it.
Spread a few tablespoons in a dry skillet or low oven until it turns deep gold, and it becomes a nutty, malty powder for cookie doughs, crumbles and ice cream toppings.
Beyond Bread
A spoonful enriches without thinning: it thickens soups and sauces gently, adds body to smoothies, and turns up in custards like Raspberry Creme Brulee where extra milk solids mean extra silkiness.
Homemade yogurt makers know it as the cheapest path to thicker yogurt; a few tablespoons per quart of milk firms the set noticeably.
It is also the base of homemade hot cocoa mix, pancake mix and instant chai. Anywhere a mix needs to taste of milk without holding water, this is the ingredient doing it.
Swapping It
Instant and non-instant (regular) milk powder are the same food at different densities. Instant dissolves on contact but measures fluffier, so go by weight when switching between them, or expect to use more instant by volume.
Whole milk powder swaps in with a richer result and a much shorter shelf life; the fat that makes it taste better is also its expiry clock.
Powdered coffee creamer is not a substitute.
It is mostly corn syrup solids and oil, and it brings sweetness and off-flavors that have no business in bread.
Buying and Keeping It
Buy plain nonfat dry milk with one ingredient on the label. Instant is easier to find and fine for everything; bakeries prefer non-instant mostly out of habit and density.
Keep it sealed against moisture in a cool cabinet, where it holds for about two years. Humidity is the main enemy; clumped powder still works, but powder that smells sour or soapy is done.
For truly long storage, an airtight container in the freezer keeps it usable for years past the printed date.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup (68g)Where found
Milk, skim, (non fat) powder is usually found in the baking supplies section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
Food group
Milk, skim, (non fat) powder is a member of the Dairy and Egg Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
How much does milk, skim, (non fat) powder weigh?
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 cup | 68 grams |
| 1 envelope (1-1/3 cup) | 91 grams |
Related
Dairy and Egg Products
- In Chinese:
- 奶，脱脂，（非脂肪）粉末
- British (UK) term:
- Milk, skim, (non fat) powder
- en français:
- lait écrémé en poudre
- en español:
- sin grasa leche en polvo
Recipes using milk, skim, (non fat) powder
There are 413 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Frosted Rich Brownies
Frosted rich brownies: low-fat brownies built on evaporated and powdered skim milk instead of butter, then crowned with a coffee-spiked cocoa frosting. Deeply chocolate without the heaviness.
Basic Yummy White Bread
Ultra-simple bread machine white bread using just 7 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep. This minimalist formula produces a soft, tender loaf with a hint of sweetness, perfect for toast, sandwiches, or dunking in soup.
Nonfat Holiday Hot Chocolate
Nonfat hot chocolate mix made with skim milk powder, unsweetened cocoa, sugar substitute, and a hit of cinnamon for warm holiday spice. Mix once, store for weeks, and scoop into a mug whenever cravings hit.
Mini-Hot dog buns - Sliders
Cocktail sausage/frankfurter sized buns for making mini hot dog sliders. You can't find mini-buns in stores so make them from scratch at home.
Very Creamy Corn-Potato Soup
Creamy corn-potato soup pureed thick with skim milk, dry milk powder, mustard, garlic, and a touch of honey. Low-fat vegetarian chowder that tastes richer than its calorie count suggests.
Savory White Bread Abm
Savory white bread for ABM (bread machine): customizable white loaf with dried onion, garlic, sun-dried tomato, or herbs. Set-and-forget yeast bread that adapts to your pantry.
Elizebeth's Cheese Biscuits
Three-cheese biscuits made with sharp cheddar, mozzarella, and Swiss Emmentaler folded into a flaky butter dough. Wheat germ and powdered milk add nutty depth. Ready in 35 minutes.
Pigs in a Blanket Reuben
These Reuben-inspired Pigs in a Blanket feature grown-up flavors of sauerkraut and Swiss cheese with a crispy topping wrapped in a warm, soft dinner roll blanket.
Bread Machine Pepperoni, Olive, & Oregano Pizza Bread
Discover the ultimate fusion of flavors with our Bread Machine Pepperoni, Olive, and Oregano Pizza Bread recipe. Effortlessly bake a savory delight that combines the zest of pepperoni, the briny touch of olives, and the aromatic essence of oregano into one irresistible loaf.
Sunday Morning Sourdough Pancakes
Sourdough pancakes from an active whole wheat starter, with baking soda stirred in for tang and a tall, fluffy rise. The weekend way to put your bubbling starter to good use.
Breakfast Apple Orange Spice Muffins
Spiced apple-orange muffins with grated fresh fruit and warm spices. Light texture from folded egg whites. Optional raisins for extra sweetness.
Best Applesauce Pancakes
Love these applesauce pancakes. Moist and delicious. Serve them with maple syrup and fresh berries. Yum!
Peter's Cream of Pumpkin Soup
Cream of pumpkin soup with fresh or canned pumpkin pureed with onions, celery, garlic, and thyme, finished with cottage cheese for silky body. Lighter take on a Thanksgiving classic.
Healthy Oat Granola
Wholesome oat granola with oat bran, sunflower seeds, banana chips, raisins, and a hint of orange zest. Honey-baked and naturally sweetened for a fiber-rich breakfast or snack.
Yummy Cornmeal Pancakes
Cornmeal pancakes for two: half cornmeal, half flour, with instant powdered milk built into the dry mix. A small-batch breakfast that uses pantry staples and skips fresh dairy.
Honey Whole-Wheat Pumpkin Rolls
Honey and whole wheat flour give these yummy pumpkin rolls extra goodness.
Light Whole Wheat Bread - Pan-1
Light whole wheat bread for the bread machine, blending whole wheat with bread flour for a soft sandwich loaf with molasses sweetness. A no-knead loaf using the wheat cycle.
Easy Bread Machine Rye Bread
Easy bread machine rye bread with a touch of rye flour and bread flour base. Light, tender deli-style rye perfect for sandwiches without the dense pumpernickel weight.
Five Grain Sourdough Bread
Five grain sourdough bread for the bread machine blends bread flour, amaranth, whole-wheat, soy and rolled oats with a tangy sourdough starter. Hearty crumb, nutty crust, high-fiber loaf.
Five Grain Sourdough Bread
Five grain sourdough bread for the bread machine blends bread flour, amaranth, whole-wheat, soy and rolled oats with a tangy sourdough starter. Hearty crumb, nutty crust, high-fiber loaf.
Basic Muffins & Biscuits
Basic biscuit baking mix is a homemade Bisquick-style staple with flour, baking powder, dry milk, salt, and shortening. Makes 90 biscuits over 6 weeks of pantry storage. Just add water.
Basic Muffins & Biscuits
Basic biscuit baking mix is a homemade Bisquick-style staple with flour, baking powder, dry milk, salt, and shortening. Makes 90 biscuits over 6 weeks of pantry storage. Just add water.
Whole Wheat Soft Pretzel Bread
Chewy, golden whole wheat pretzel bread with a hint of molasses sweetness, topped with sesame seeds and coarse salt. Just toss everything in the bread machine and let it work its magic!
Easy Hot Chocolate Mix
Big-batch homemade hot chocolate mix. Cocoa powder, powdered milk, creamer and sugar whisked together. Store in jars and scoop ⅓ cup per mug for cold-weather sipping.
