Toasted milk powder is a great way to bring light caramel flavor to your baking. The milk solids are toasted to golden perfection, and you can easily add it to your baking, ice cream, custards, and more to bring delicious flavor!

A close-up of a hand holding a spoon, scooping toasted milk powder: its warm orange-brown hue, from a glass jar.

Why Toast Milk Powder?

In a nutshell, it brings way more flavor! Toasting the milk solids brings out this milky caramel-like flavor. It reminds me a little bit of caramelized white chocolate. The taste is similar to brown butter but without all the extra fat from the butter and a little less nutty.

You can add it to custard and ice cream to bring that nutty taste of brown butter without actually adding in butter. Or, add a tablespoon or two to your favorite cookie recipes (like these white chocolate chip cookies) to bring richness, or in buttercream frosting. It’s also so delicious when added to pumpkin pie. Really, there are heaps of ways to use it.

Here’s how you do it

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

white milk powder spread on parchment paper.

Spread milk powder on a parchment-paper-lined oven tray in a flat layer.

Gently toast it at about 280°F / 140°C, stirring it every 8-10 minutes or so to make sure it bakes evenly.

A close-up of a wooden spoon scooping fine, golden-brown toasted milk powder from a larger pile of the same powder.

Toast it until it is a deep golden color. You can make it darker, which will deepen the flavor, but don’t take it too far, or it will become bitter.

A close-up of a spoonful of orange-brown seasoning powder, reminiscent of toasted milk powder, being scooped from a glass jar.

Then let it cool completely before adding it to a clean airtight jar or container.

Storing toasted milk powder

Toasted milk powder stores well for up to 2 months in a sealed jar at room temperature, as long as it is allowed to cool completely beforehand. If you add it to a jar too soon and it’s still warm, moisture may get in and it can spoil.

You can also freeze it in a sealed bag or jar for up to 3 months. I like making a large amount and freezing it, so I can easily grab a spoonful when I need it.

A close-up of a glass jar filled with fine, orange-brown toasted milk powder. A metal spoon is scooping some of the toasted milk powder from the jar. The jar has a hinged lid.

Toasting milk powder in a pan

You can also toast it in a pan, but it’s slightly more finicky. Milk powder sticks to the bottom of the pan as it caramelizes, so you must keep stirring to stop it from burning at the bottom. It takes a bit of time, but don’t turn the heat up too high to make it faster, or it will burn. I stick to medium-low heat.