How much milk powder do I need to make .... cups or mls of milk?

image of milk powder to milk conversion chart

Making liquid milk from milk powder?

How much milk powder do you need?

Conversion charts for milk powder or evaporated milk to liquid milk.

When you’re short on liquid milk, do you use milk powder or evaporated milk as a replacement? I do. Powdered and evaporated milks are handy for the home pantry and they are also ideal for compact camping and caravan trips.

But how often have you had to stop mid-recipe to work out how much milk powder is needed to make up ...... cups or mls of liquid milk?　

It can be frustrating to do the calculations, or at least I found it so frustrating that I created a 'cheat sheet' chart that shows how much milk powder and water are needed to create a range of volumes.　

No more calculations! I use milk powder in cooking to save my liquid milk for drinks and table use. It is very handy to keep on hand for when there are shortages at the shop.　

I am sharing my chart with you. It is a quick way to find out how much milk powder to use in place of fresh milk.

There's a separate chart for evaporated milk as well. I have done the maths to save you time. No more calculations!



Scroll down to see the charts. Click to get a free printer-friendly milk powder and evaporated milk conversion charts.


The weights and measures shown in the charts are very approximate and great for home cooking. Close enough is more than good enough for most recipes. This is convenience cooking, not precision science!

For speed and less washing up, I use digital kitchen scales to weigh water and milk powder. If you prefer using cups and spoons, I’ve got you covered as well.　


Tips for powdered milk:　

  • Add dry powder to tap water for easier mixing.　
  • Weigh the water into a suitably sized jug or bowl. Reset the scale back to zero between weighing the water and powder. Weigh the milk powder onto the water. Whisk well until no dry powder can be seen. Scrape the bottom of the jug when whisking to catch any powder that has sunk to the bottom!　
  • Refrigerate made-up-milk if you are not using it straight away. Use the made-up milk within 3 days. Overnight refrigeration is recommended for use on breakfast cereal because chilling lesses the powdered milk aroma.　
  • Milk powder, when kept dry in a sealed container, has a very long shelf life.　


Tips for evaporated milk:　

  • Evaporated milk is a handy pantry milk-substitute for cooking but it is not as popular as powdered milk for use on cereals and in drinks.
  • Evaporated milk has a distinctive flavour and darker colour. Some super tasters notice that evaporated changes the flavour of a recipe or drink but that can be a good flavour change.
  • Refrigerate both the made-up milk and leftover evaporated milk if you are not using the milk straight away. Use the made-up milk within 3 days.
  • Once opened, keep undiluted evaporated milk in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5 days.