If you’ve ever wondered how I keep cranking out homemade seasoning blends, soup mixes, baking jars, and old-fashioned recipes without running to the store every five minutes — this is it.
This is my actual pantry setup.
Not Pinterest-perfect.
Just practical, shelf-stable, and built for from-scratch cooking.
Below are the categories I always keep stocked, along with the tools that make pantry cooking easier, cheaper, and way more enjoyable.
What Is In This List
Table of Contents
Dairy & Fat Powders I Always Keep on Hand
These are the quiet workhorses of homemade mixes. They give you flavor and richness without refrigeration, which is a game-changer for pantry recipes.
- Butter powder
- Heavy cream powder
- Sour cream powder
- Buttermilk powder
- Cheese powders (cheddar, parmesan, white cheddar, cream cheese)
I use these constantly in dry soup mixes, pasta blends, seasoning packets, and baking jars. Butter powder in particular is one of those ingredients people raise an eyebrow at — until they try it. It blends smoothly, stores forever, and gives that familiar buttery flavor without dealing with sticks of butter.
Baking & Thickening Essentials
If you bake from scratch or make your own mixes, this category does a lot of heavy lifting.
- All-purpose flour
- Bread flour
- Cake flour
- Gluten-free flour
- Cornmeal
- Cornstarch
- Arrowroot Powder
- Instant Clear Jel
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Cream of tartar
These ingredients let you control texture, rise, and thickness without relying on boxed shortcuts. Instant Clear Jel is especially handy for gravies, pie fillings, and dry mixes that need to thicken reliably.
Dry Milk & Creamer Staples
Powdered dairy is one of the most underrated pantry tools out there.
I use dry milk constantly in homemade soup bases, pasta mixes, and baking recipes. It keeps recipes shelf-stable and lets you add liquid later when you’re actually cooking.
Sweeteners & Baking Sugars
This is where most baking recipes start, so I keep these stocked in airtight containers.
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Powdered sugar
- Honey powder
- Swerve granular sugar replacement
- Swerve Ultimate Brown Sugar Substitute
- Brown Monk Fruit Sweetener (Brown Sugar Substitute)
- Allulose Sweetener
Having a variety of sweeteners on hand makes it easy to customize flavor — especially when you’re building cookie mixes, cake jars, or old-fashioned desserts.
Spices, Herbs & Flavor Builders
This category is the backbone of all my copycat blends and seasoning mixes.
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Paprika (sweet & smoked)
- Bay leaves
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Chives
- Dill
- Ginger
- Parsley
- Basil
- Oregano
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Turmeric
- Ground mustard
- Cayenne pepper
- Black & white pepper
- Celery seed
Keeping a solid spice pantry means you’re never locked into store-bought packets. You can adjust salt, heat, and flavor exactly the way you like it.
Salts, Acids & Pantry Helpers
These ingredients don’t get much attention — but they matter.
Citric acid and lemon powder are especially useful for brightening flavors in seasoning blends and dry mixes without adding moisture.
Specialty & Miscellaneous Pantry Staples
These are the ingredients that don’t fit neatly into one category but play an important role in scratch cooking, baking, and specialty recipes. I don’t use them every day — but when I need them, there’s no good substitute. I keep on hand for specific recipes — everything from boosting chocolate flavor to improving texture in baking and specialty mixes.
- Instant tea powder
- Espresso powder
- Xanthan gum
- Nutritional yeast
- Vital wheat gluten
- Worchestershire powder
- Vanilla Bean powder
- Vinegar powder
- Matcha Green Tea powder
Cocoa, Chocolate & Warm Baking Spices
These are the ingredients that bring that cozy, old-fashioned bakery flavor to cookies, cakes, cocoa mixes, and holiday baking. They may not be used every day, but when you need them, nothing else will do.
I keep these well sealed and fresh because they show up constantly in chocolate desserts, spice cakes, cookie mixes, and seasonal pantry blends.
Baking Chips, Mix-Ins & Add-Ins
These are the extras that turn basic mixes into crowd-pleasers. I don’t use them in every recipe, but when I do, I want them ready to go.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Milk chocolate chips
- White chocolate chips
- Peanut butter chips
- Butterscotch chips
- M&Ms
- Peanut Butter Powder
- Dried Cranberries
Beans, Legumes & Dry Soup Staples
This section supports your soup mixes, copycats, and pantry meals without drifting into freezer meals.
Bouillon & Soup Bases
Bouillon is not a spice. It’s a foundation ingredient, and readers treat it that way.
- Chicken bouillon (powder or granules)
- Beef bouillon
- Vegetable bouillon
Dehydrated & Freeze-Dried Vegetables
These are staples in my pantry because they’re lightweight, shelf-stable, and incredibly versatile. I use them constantly in soup mixes, seasoning blends, and dry recipes where fresh vegetables just don’t make sense. I prefer dehydrated vegetables for soups and savory mixes, and freeze-dried vegetables when texture and color matter.
- Dehydrated chopped onions
- Dehydrated bell peppers
- Dehydrated celery
- Dehydrated carrots
- Dehydrated potato slices
- Freeze-dried broccoli
- Freeze-dried ground beef
- Freeze-dried peas
- Freeze-dried corn
- Tomato Powder
Pasta, Rice & Dry Meal Bases
These are the shelf-stable bases that turn pantry mixes into real meals.
- Elbow macaroni
- Small shells
- Rotini
- Egg noodles
- Rice (white & brown)
- Orzo
Pantry Shelving, Dividers & Organization Helpers
You can have all the right ingredients in the world, but if your pantry is a mess, scratch cooking feels harder than it needs to be. These are the simple organization pieces that keep everything visible, reachable, and actually usable.
- Adjustable pantry shelving
- Stackable wire or metal shelves
- Cutting board/pan organizers
- Shelving Hook Organizer Kit
I’m a big believer in seeing what you have. When jars, bags, and containers are stacked neatly and separated by category, you’re far more likely to cook from scratch instead of grabbing something boxed.
Why these matter in a working pantry:
- Shelving & risers let you use vertical space without stacking jars like a game of Jenga
- Shelf dividers keep baking items, spices, and jars from toppling into each other
- Bins corral backups and bulk ingredients so they don’t disappear behind everything else
This setup makes it easy to rotate stock, spot what needs refilling, and keep your pantry from becoming a forgotten black hole.
Canning Jars & Storage Containers
Glass storage and my airtight containers are a big part of how I organize and preserve my pantry.
- Wide-mouth pint jars
- Half-pint jars
- Quarter-pint jars
- Quart jars
- Airtight containers (assortment or large or extra large)
- Mylar bags
- 5 Gallon BPA Free Food Grade Buckets
I use different sizes depending on the recipe — smaller jars for seasoning blends and giftable mixes, larger jars for flour, sugar, and staples. Wide-mouth jars are easier to fill, scoop, and clean.
Lids, Seals & Vacuum Storage
If you want pantry ingredients to actually last, this section matters.
Vacuum-sealing dry goods extends shelf life and keeps powders from clumping. I especially like using jar-sealing attachments for spices, dry mixes, and baking ingredients.
Pantry Tools I Use All the Time
These aren’t fancy — just practical tools that make pantry cooking easier.
- Wide-mouth funnels
- Jar funnels for powders
- Measuring scoops & spoons
- Thermal printer or printable labels or lid labels
- Thermal Label Holder for Rolls and Fan-Fold Labels
- Mixing bowls for dry ingredients
- Adjustable measuring cup (the one I love for peanut butter)
Funnels alone will save your sanity if you’re filling jars regularly. Trust me.
Mixing, Prep & Everyday Kitchen Tools I Rely On
These are the tools that actually make scratch cooking doable day after day. Nothing fancy, nothing trendy — just reliable workhorses I use constantly when making pantry mixes, baking from scratch, and batch prepping ingredients.
- Bosch mixer
- Kitchenaid mixer
- Hand mixer
- Rotary grater
- Whisks (various sizes)
Why I Build My Pantry This Way
Keeping these ingredients and tools on hand means:
- Fewer grocery runs
- More control over ingredients
- Easier batch cooking
- Homemade mixes whenever I need them
This setup lets me cook from scratch without stress, and everything stays organized, visible, and ready to use.
Final Pantry Note
This pantry didn’t happen overnight. It was built one ingredient at a time — buying quality staples, learning what I actually use, and skipping what I don’t.
If you cook the way I do, this list will serve you well.
And yes — this is exactly how I keep my kitchen running like an old-school bakery… just with better labels. Be sure to bookmark this page for future reference or download this page as a PDF.
Now let’s make the mixes – https://thisoldbaker.com/70-homemade-seasoning-mixes-that-replace-store-packets/
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