Powdered Milk vs Oat Milk: The Ultimate Verdict     

Powdered milk is an interesting milk type that has an insanely long shelf-life, making it a great choice if you’re going camping or just want to stock up for a while. 

On the other hand, oat milk is a plant-based milk that also has a really long shelf-life, although less than powdered milk. That puts these two, despite being very different in many other ways, in the same boat in terms of having great shelf-lifes…so which one should you pick?

Well, we’ll have to check out all their other factors such as flavor, texture, culinary uses, dietary versatility, nutritional profiles, and more to see which one is the right one for you.

Let’s jump in!

Comparing powdered milk vs oat milk 

Powdered milk is animal-based and has milk as an allergen, while oat milk is plant-based and free of the many main allergens! This makes oat milk a great choice if you have any allergies, as well as lactose sensitivities. 

You can’t use either milk for keto or paleo diets, but oat milk is suitable for vegan diets – unlike powdered milk!

And, a quick note – if you want a vegan version of powdered milk, check out coconut milk powder. It’ll be different in nutritional profile, taste, and texture, but that’s definitely an option if you want to go the plant-based route.

	Powdered milk (nonfat)	Oat milk
Type	Animal-based	Plant-based (grain)
Allergens	Milk	None
Vegan?	No	Yes
Paleo?	No	No
Keto?	No	No

Differences between powdered milk and oat milk

The main difference between powdered milk and oat milk is their source, with powdered milk coming from cows and oat milk coming from grain. This creates further differences in their flavors and textures.

Powdered milk has a bit of a grainy texture, and boasts a similar flavor to regular cow’s milk except with a slightly cooked or heated characteristic. This comes from the drying process it goes through, which involves taking all the water out of regular milk until there’s less than 5% left. 

While this gives it an amazing shelf-life, the nutritional profile is altered, along with a different taste and texture that not everyone may prefer. But, just like regular milk, powdered milk comes in different fat levels, which can change the texture and nutritional profile more.

Oat milk is simply made by taking oats and blending them with water to give us a creamy, mild, and slightly sweet milk. You’ll sometimes find different sweeteners and flavorings added, which can change the taste – just keep an eye on the added sugar in those cases!

It’s very easy to make oat milk at home, but store-bought versions often add vitamins and minerals to boost the nutritional profile.

How to use powdered milk vs oat milk 

Both of these milks have great shelf-lifes, and can be used in many ways:

Powdered milk:

• Store it for long periods of time.
• Take it camping.
• Bake with it.
• Put it in your coffee or tea.
• Add water to turn it into liquid milk.
• Add it to your smoothies. 
• Make yogurts, pancakes, and waffles.

Oat milk:

• Enjoy it as a dairy-free beverage.
• Add it to your cereal and oatmeal.
• Pair it with your favorite pancake recipe.
• Put it in your coffee. 
• Make smoothies with it. 

Can you substitute powdered milk for oat milk?

Technically speaking, you could – but only if you turned the powdered milk into a liquid by adding water. They have very different flavors, and oat milk is creamier, so they can really affect things differently… 

For simple things such as adding them to smoothies, coffee, or making pancakes, you can absolutely play around with using them interchangeably, but I think you’ll quickly find which one you prefer for different things.

Nutrition: Powdered milk vs oat milk

Powdered milk (the one we’re referencing here is nonfat) has almost twice as many calories as oat milk. However, neither have any significant fat contents – oat milk has 0.5 grams per serving. In terms of carbs, you’ll find 12 grams per serving in powdered milk and 8 grams per serving in oat milk, but powdered milk has a lot of sugar compared to oat milk’s 0 grams per serving. 

Oat milk is very poor in protein, but it does sport slightly better calcium and vitamin D contents than powdered milk – that said, powdered milk has an awesome 8 grams of protein per serving. 

Per 1 cup (237 ml/8 oz.)	Powdered milk (nonfat) – equivalent to one cup liquid milk.	Oat milk
Calories	80	45
Total fat (saturated)	0 g	0.5 g (0 g)
Total carbs	12 g	8 g
Total sugars (incl. added)	12 g (0 g)	0 g
Protein	8 g	1 g
Calcium	20% DV	25% DV
Vit D	15% DV	20% DV

How to store powdered milk and oat milk

Store your powdered milk in the container or bag that it came in, preferably in a cool or dry place. You can absolutely keep it in your fridge if you want to maximize shelf-life – nonfat powdered milk can last 3-5 years when it’s sealed! However, finish it within a couple of months after you open it. 

Oat milk can be stored outside the fridge just like powdered milk, but will “only” last you 1-4 months – and that’s if it’s in an aseptic container and unopened. There are many versions that are refrigerated, in which case you need to keep them in your fridge. Either way, both should be in your fridge after opening, and be finished within 7-10 days for the best results!

Powdered milk vs oat milk: The ultimate verdict

As you can see, these two are very different. Powdered milk is often used as an emergency stock, or brought along for long hikes and camping trips. Oat milk, on the other hand, is a little closer to regular milk – you’re more likely to enjoy a glass of oat milk randomly than spend the time making powdered milk, unless you really prefer the taste of it.

That said, oat milk is the better overall choice unless you’re stocking up on supplies for a long time, as it still has a great shelf-life, but boasts a more desirable taste, creamy texture, and more versatility in that you can quickly access it straight from your fridge!

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