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22 Homemade Pantry Staples To Make At Home
Making homemade pantry staples can be a game-changer if you want healthier, tastier, and more budget-friendly options for your cooking. We’re going to look at the benefits of creating your own pantry staples and share some easy and delicious recipes to get started.
The beauty of making your own staples is that it can save you trips to the store, cost less than store-bought products, and save you money over the long haul.
Why Make Homemade Pantry Staples?
Making your own pantry staples offers various advantages that go beyond the simple act of cooking. Here are a few reasons why you should consider taking the DIY approach:
Quality Control
When you make your own pantry staples, you have complete control over the ingredients used. You can choose organic, locally sourced, or even grow your own produce.
This enables you to be sure you’re eating high-quality, nutritious food without any added preservatives or artificial flavors. It also means you can avoid allergens, animal products, or any ingredient you don’t want in your food.
Money Saving
Buying pre-packaged pantry staples can add up over time. Making them at home allows you to save money by buying ingredients in bulk and in-season.
Additionally, homemade versions typically give you larger quantities, which can last longer and reduce your grocery expenses.
Customization
By making pantry staples yourself, you have the freedom to customize each recipe to your taste as well as your dietary needs. You can experiment with different spices, flavors, and textures.
Equipment You’ll Need
Most of this you probably already have on hand!
- Large stockpot (8–12 quarts)
- Immersion blender or countertop blender
- Food processor
- Baking sheet
- Instant Pot or pressure cooker (optional)
- Mason jars
Essential Homemade Pantry Staples
Before we get into the individual recipes, let’s explore some single-ingredient pantry staples you can make at home.
Vegetable Stock
Store-bought vegetable stock often contains additives and high levels of sodium. Making your own vegetable stock is easy and allows you to control the ingredients and flavors.
Simply simmer a mixture of vegetables like carrots, onions, celery, and herbs in water for an hour or two, strain, and store in the fridge or freezer for future use.
Tomato Sauce
Homemade tomato sauce is incredibly versatile and can be used as a base for many dishes: pasta, pizza, soups and more.
Start by sauteing onions and garlic in olive oil, then add fresh or canned tomatoes, herbs like basil and oregano, salt, and pepper. Simmer for an hour to develop rich flavors and blend until smooth.
Nut Butter
Store-bought nut butter often contains added sugars and preservatives. Making your own nut butter allows you to control the ingredients and create unique flavors.
Roast your favorite nuts until lightly golden, then blend in a food processor until smooth. Add a pinch of salt or sweeteners like honey or maple syrup to enhance the taste.
Salad Dressings
Homemade salad dressings are healthier and more delicious than their store-bought counterparts. Whisk together olive oil, vinegar (such as balsamic or apple cider), Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, and herbs to create your own signature dressing. Experiment with different flavor combinations to find your favorite.
Spice Blends
Creating your own spice blends allows you to enhance the flavor of your dishes while avoiding additives or excessive salt. Some popular blends include curry powder, taco seasoning, Italian seasoning, and garam masala. Mix together a combination of herbs, spices, and salt (if desired), and store in airtight containers for future use.
Sauces That Keep
All of the below sauces will keep for some time in a fridge, and they’re good to have on hand for all sorts of meals and snacks.
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Homemade Pantry Staples Recipes
Every pantry needs cake flour. And you don't make this recipe just to save money. You make it because it's an amazing flour that will elevate your cakes. And it only takes 5 minutes to make!
You never when the mood for brownies will hit you. With this mix on hand, you can make them anytime you want.
Forget the store bought box mixes completely. This one keeps for 3 months.
Do you keep sour milk or buttermilk in your fridge at all times? Nah, neither does anybody else.
But that's okay, because when you need it, you can make it yourself. And all you need is milk and lemon juice.
You can amke your own brown sugar with just two ingredients. This is great for when you're out of brown sugar and you want to make something with that special flavor that's so much better than plain table sugar.
Dehydrated garlic is a great staple to keep on hand, and it's easy to make your own. With this recipe, you can also make your own garlic powder.
And you don't need a food dehydrator to make this!
Homemade Ranch Seasoning Mix - Copycat Hidden Valley Ranch Mix Packet
Make your own dry mix that's a copycat of Hidden Valley Ranch Mix and keep it on hand. You can make dressing and dip with it, but you can also add it to homemade chips, meats, veggies, the french fries you got with your fast food, and so much more.
This recipe lets you skip some additives and save money while you're at it.
It's easy to make your own mayo. This is a creamy, flavorful recipe with only a handful of ingredients. Use it just like regular mayo - spread it on sandwiches, make dip with it or put it in a tuna or potato salad.
This marinara sauce is perfect for canning so you'll have it on hand all through the winter. It's made with just a few simple pantry ingredients.
This jam tastes like the insides of a peach cobbler! Make a batch during the season, and you can put it on toast or a biscuit anytime you want that flavor.
This biscuit mix only has five simple ingredients. It's an all-purpose baking mix that's easy to make and a money saver. Make biscuits anytime!
If you enjoy spices, this is one you have to have. This Madras Curry Powder can be used in soups, stews, curries and sauces.. You can even pan sear meat with it.
If you've ever strugged to find a cocktail sauce from the store that tasted as good as a restaurant, this is the recipe for you. Once you learn to make your own, you'll never look back.
If you've ever had homemade marshmallows, even at a restaurant that makes its own, you know how much better the taste and texture can be than those bags in the store.
This is how you make them yourself, without corn starch.
Learn to make your own hot sauce and you'll never have to buy a bottle again! Start with this recipe, but also feel free to play around with it and develop your own signature sauce.
You can make your own chicken bone broth in an Instant Pot. It's easy and a big money saver! It can also be healthier than the chicken stock sold in stores, and you can make it tastier, too. It's great for keto and low-FODMAP chicken recipes like soups, stews and more.
Every pantry needs breadcrumbs. Make them regular or panko style, and use them to make a crispy crust on pan-seared chicken, or mix it with meatloaf to extend it and lighten the meatiness.
Put this smoky, savory, spicy seasoning mix on chicken, shrimp, steak - any protein or protein substitute you like! It adds such a great flavor to any dish.
And if there are any spices in it you'd like to omit or swap for something, you can do it.
This homemade granola is wonderfully crunchy, sweet, salty. It's full of oats, so it's also good for your health!
This pomegranate molasses dressing is simple to make, with only three ingredients. It has a perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors along with a rich color.
This Middle Eastern treat is great for both savory and sweet dishes, so it's a must-have in your kitchen.
The dressing has a vibrant ruby color, a hint of acidity, and fruity sweetness and tanginess that create a truly unique flavor.
This caprese is a toasted fennel tomato jam. It combaines tomato with fresh herbs and spices, reminiscent of a tasty sweet pizza sauce or Italian sausage. It's a great thing to do when you've got more tomatoes on hand than you know what to do with.
You infuse this Italian hot chili oil (olio di peperoncino) with dried chili pepper flakes and olive oil. It's that simple, yet it's so delicious!
You don't need to be on a ketao diet to see the value in this delicious Big Mac sauce copycat recipe. It takes out the sugar and replaces it with monk fruit sweetener.
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