After getting our family milk cow three years ago, dairy has made up a way higher percentage of our overall diet. But the good news is that there are so many delicious ways to use this nutrient dense, creamy goodness. We will share over 30 raw milk recipes and ways that we put all that fresh milk to use.
We Had Never Milked a Thing in Our Lives…
Before getting our family milk cow, Thimble, neither of us had ever milked an animal in our lives. We had been purchasing fresh milk from other farms for years and would occasionally mention to each other “one day wouldn’t it be great to get our own milking animal?”
Our far-off dream became a reality when some new friends of our decided they wanted to get rid of their family milk cow and asked if we would like to purchase her?
Long story short, with no experience with any dairy animals, cows, or land of our own, we found ourselves new owners of a lactating jersey cow and another companion heifer. You can read more details about that story and our family milk cow in our post – Owning a Family Milk Cow Basics.
Dairy Goat vs. Dairy Cow
When we were considering the decision of whether or not to purchase our family milk cow, all of the resources and advice we sought out told us that we would be far better off starting with dairy goats. We analyzed the pros and cons of both but ultimately jumped right into cow ownership right off the bat. For us, we are so glad we did.
However, there is definitely a lot to consider in this decision and both dairy goats and cows (and sheep for that matter) provide beautiful, nutritious, and delicious milk.
But when you decide to get into home dairying, all of the milk can be overwhelming. So, let’s jump into some raw milk recipes and ideas for using up all of that milk! And many of these raw milk recipes can be used with pasteurized milk as well.
Raw Milk Recipes Beyond Fresh Drinking:
Yogurt
Making homemade yogurt was the first of these recipes that I learned long before we had our own dairy cow. While there are several ways to make it, our go-to method for simple yogurt making is in the crock pot. No thermometers required.
Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is the process of straining the whey off of yogurt to make it much thicker. Here is a simple to follow tutorial to make your own Greek Yogurt from your raw milk yogurt at home.
Kefir
Raw milk kefir is known for robust probiotic benefits, is simple to make, and doesn’t need to be heated so it keeps the milk completely raw. You do need to find a source of kefir grains to get started. Ask around – maybe you can take some from a friend or someone who already has their own kefir going. Otherwise, you can purchase dehydrated grains. Cultures for health is a great source for these dehydrated grains if needed.
Butter
One of the biggest perks of fresh raw milk (at least for cows) is the natural separation of the cream to the top, perfect for butter making! Our favorite way to make it is in a blender with this recipe – How To Make Butter From Raw Milk In A Blender.
Ghee
Ghee is the process of separating milk solids from butter making it lactose and casein free. A great choice for those with a dairy intolerance. This is a simple tutorial to make your own ghee from fresh milk.
Sour Cream
Traditional sour cream is essentially a cultured cream. Most recipes call for purchasing a specific culture for sour cream but we like to just use what we have. This recipe make a delicious, creamy sour cream just using cream and yogurt to culture.
Crème Fraiche
Crème Fraiche is another traditional dairy food made from cultured cream. Simply culturing cream in buttermilk will result in a delicious crème fraiche.
Whipped Cream
Whipped cream is a prized and celebrated food in our house. Move over cool whip, homemade whipped cream is simple to make at home oh so tasty. Or, if you want to bring your whipped cream to the next level, our whipped cream dispenser makes it super easy and extra fun!
Buttermilk
Buttermilk is another variation of a cultured milk product, common in traditional cooking and baking. All you need is your milk and a culture to get started, this recipe shows you how.
Raw Milk Recipes – Cheeses:
Fresh Mozzarella
Mozzarella is the gateway cheese for many. It definitely was for us. It comes together in just an hour and is a great cheese to get started with!
Feta Cheese
Feta cheese is another great beginner friendly cheese. You do need a special starter culture to get going but with the right ingredients, you can definitely whip up your own homemade feta with raw milk.
Ricotta Cheese
The beauty of ricotta is that you likely have everything you need in your fridge already and it can be made in less than an hour! Here’s a great tutorial to make your own ricotta.
Farmhouse Cheddar
If you are looking for an entry point into the world of hard cheese, look no further. This raw milk farmhouse cheddar recipe is about as simple as it gets. Shred it up and it’s the perfect addition to any pizza, soup, or salad.
Paneer
Paneer is a soft cottage cheese from India. Again, no special ingredients are required for this raw milk recipe – just your milk and something to acidify your milk like lemon juice or vinegar to separate your curds and whey!
Cottage Cheese
The magic of separating milk into the curd and whey continues with another raw milk recipe favorite! Cottage cheese is a favorite of many and it is surprisingly simple to make at home.
Cream Cheese
What’s not to love about cream cheese? Especially when you make cream cheese at home with raw milk, it’s not just delicious but it’s super nutritious as well.
Raw Milk Recipes – Dessert:
Ice Cream
When it comes to dessert, homemade ice cream is about as easy as it comes. Mix together a few basic ingredients and pour it into an ice cream maker and 30 minutes later, creamy and delicious homemade ice cream!
Dulce de Leche
Dulce de Leche is a favorite for us around the holidays. It makes a great gift for neighbors and friends. Cook down milk with sugar and the result is the most ooey gooey caramel you’ve ever tasted.
Rice Pudding
Old fashioned rice pudding is about as comforting of a dessert as it gets and a great way to use up a bunch of milk.
Junket
Junket is a traditional dessert filled with natural gut healing probiotics. If you are looking for something that is both sweet and nourishing, give junket a try!
Pudding
Growing up we only ever made pudding from a box. I had no idea how easy it was to whip up with some milk and a few common pantry items. This simple chocolate pudding is well loved in our house.
Pots De Crème
Pots De Crème – literally meaning pot of cream – is a French Recipe, rich and delicious usually served in individual cups and just the thing for your next dinner party.
Custard
Custard is a perfect homesteading sweet treat. Made with milk, eggs, and honey or maple syrup, it combines all the things you may just already have in abundance.
Raw Milk Recipes – Breakfast:
Porridge
Porridge can be made so many ways, but the idea is the same combining some sort of grain with milk or liquid to produce a thick and hearty bowl of goodness most commonly served for breakfast.
Overnight Oats or Baked Oatmeal
Soaking oats in a milk or fermented milk like yogurt makes the oats much easier to digest and tastier in our opinions. Our soaked and baked oatmeal is a breakfast favorite.
Pancakes
If you make a big batch of pancakes to serve a crowd on Saturday morning, you know you’ll likely need a good amount of milk or buttermilk for the best pancakes in town.
Dutch Baby Pancake
A Dutch baby pancake, or puff pancake as it is more commonly referred as in our house, is a really fun, easy, and delicious way to start the day.
Buttermilk Biscuits
Milk or buttermilk is a key ingredient in making the perfect towering and flaky biscuit to go with some sausage gravy or a breakfast sandwich.
Raw Milk Recipes – Entrees:
Alfredo Sauce
Until getting our family milk cow, I’d never made alfredo sauce. But now it is a well-loved staple in our house featuring butter, cream, and cheese – all the best that raw dairy has to offer!
Cream Based Soups
Creamy soups are a great way to incorporate extra milk. Like this creamy potato soup. You’ll never need to buy a canned “cream of” soup again.
Mac and Cheese
Another food that I only ever ate out of a box growing up. But homemade mac and cheese is so much more of a delicacy and easy when made from scratch. The perfect recipe for using raw milk.
Raw Milk Recipes – Beverages:
Smoothies
Smoothies are a great way to start the day or a quick snack for anytime. Mix raw milk, yogurt or kefir with a variety or frozen fruits, protein powder, even raw egg yolks. The possibilities for a nutrient dense smoothie are endless. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Milk Shakes
Either go the traditional ice cream route or mix raw milk with frozen banana and cacao powder – a delicious milk shake is hard to resist and the homemade version can be a way more healthful treat.
Lattes/cappuccino
Fancy coffee drinks aren’t just for Starbucks. Make a healthier version like this pumpkin spice latte at home.
Hot Chocolate
Move over Swiss Miss. Use your raw milk to make this delicious homemade hot chocolate.
Chocolate Milk
Nothing makes our kids happier than whipping up a fresh glass of homemade chocolate milk. Throw in an extra egg yolk and this nutrient dense drink is way more beneficial than just a satisfying treat.
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Are there other ways to preserve milk?
If you are still overflowing in milk and need a way to preserve it, there are options! Our favorite way to preserve milk is to freeze it. Before we wean our milk cow prior to calving, we like to stock up on our stores of frozen milk to keep us in milk until she calves again.
To Freeze simply store in milk safe containers, making sure to leave proper head space or using a container that can expand. Milk will expand when frozen and we have definitely broken glass jars this way.
Alternatively, it is possible to can or dehydrate milk into a powder for long term storage. But you would lose some of the benefits of raw milk in those processes.
Go Forth and Use Your Raw Milk
When it comes to raw milk, there are no shortage of raw milk recipes to put that creamy and nutritious deliciousness to use. We hope you will be inspired to give some of these a try!
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