Milk powder is milk with nearly all its water removed, usually by spray drying. It can be whole milk powder, with the cream left in, or skimmed milk powder, with most of the fat removed, and labels that say simply “milk powder” do not always specify. Either way it keeps for months without refrigeration, which makes it the standard way to put milk into dry and shelf-stable snacks.
In baking, milk powder adds a creamy taste, protein and lactose, which help browning and a tender crumb. In sweets it can be the star: the Royal Chitralada Milk Tablet Sweet Flavor is 70% milk powder, pressed with icing sugar into tablets. It is also a regular in Euro choco pies, Mildy marshmallows and Alice’s pineapple pastry.
Milk powder carries the same allergen as fresh milk, milk protein, and it contains lactose. It is not vegan.
