Whey is the byproduct of making cheese, yogurt, and other cultured dairy products. It’s packed with protein and nutrients and tastes delicious in bread and baked goods. This list of 45+ practical uses for whey will make you think twice before pouring it down the drain!
If you’ve ever opened a container of Greek Yogurt, you would have noticed a thin liquid that rose to the top.
That liquid is called whey, and if you make a lot of foods from scratch – especially homemade cheese – you’ll often end up with A LOT of whey.
It seems wasteful to throw away leftover whey, especially when you know how nutrient dense it is!
What is Whey?
Whey is the liquid that naturally separates from milk products, like sour cream or yogurt. It’s cloudy, whitish-yellowish, and full of protein, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.
This kind of whey is NOT the same kind of whey you find in protein powders or sold in health food stores. They’re not interchangeable. If you’re looking for recipes to make with your whey protein powder, this isn’t the spot. (However, I often add protein powder to my Protein Pancakes!)
Where Do You Get Whey? (Hint: Whey From Yogurt)
The easiest way to get whey is to simply open up your containers of dairy products, like sour cream or yogurt. Just gently pour out the whey into a mason jar and store it in the fridge.
There are two types of whey – sweet whey and acid whey – and each has its own purposes in the kitchen and around the home.
- Sweet Whey: the liquid that comes from making cultured cheese that’s curdled with rennet (soft cheeses, mozzarella, etc.)
- Acid Whey: the by-product of dairy that has been cultured or curdled with an acid (farmer’s cheese, lemon cheese, etc.)
Uses for Whey
- Culture foods. Whey can be used to lacto-ferment all sorts of foods, including ketchup, mayonnaise, beets, cabbage (for sauerkraut), and carrots.
- Soak whole grains. Soak grains before grinding to boost their nutrition and make grains easier to digest. I first learned of this method in Nourishing Traditions, an amazing book on traditional cooking.
- Soak oats. Soaking oats overnight helps with digestion. Consider doing this before making Blueberry Baked Oatmeal or Perfect Overnight Steel Cut Oats.
- Soak beans. Your digestive system benefits from beans being soaked before cooking. Swap your acid medium and add whey, or feel free to add more!
- Soak nuts. For the same reasons above!
- Tenderize meat. Swap whey for any vinegar in a traditional meat marinade. Mind that whey will add tang, so adjust seasonings accordingly.
Easy Recipes with Whey as a Substitute
- Yeast Bread. If you’re not ready to make sourdough yet, uses for whey as the liquid in any fresh bread to get that classic sourdough flavor. I suggest starting with No-Knead Overnight Artisan Bread.
- Pizza Dough. Use in place of water in my favorite pizza dough recipe.
- Rice. Use whey instead of water when making rice. Although the heat will kill some of the live enzymes, you’ll still retain the nutrients since rice absorbs all the liquid.
- Pasta. Swap whey for water to cook pasta and like the rice, the pasta will absorb some nutrients from the whey.
- Pancakes. Use in place of some of the milk in Protein Pancakes or in recipes.
- Waffles. My Blender Oatmeal Waffles calls for water, but you can easily substitute any whey you have.
- Quick Bread. Think Pumpkin Bread or Chocolate Banana Bread and any other baking recipe.
- Sourdough Discard Recipes. Sourdough Pancakes and Sourdough Waffles both use milk, but using a little whey will give an extra bit of tang flavor.
- Buttermilk Substitute. Swap whey for buttermilk in Biscuits, Pancakes, Waffles, and even Cornbread.
- Milk Substitute. Uses for whey in recipes that call for milk to make sauces, like Homemade Macaroni and Cheese or Chicken Jalapeno Popper Casserole.
- Creamy Salad Dressings. Both Ranch Dressing and Caesar Dressing call for lemon juice, but you can substitute whey.
- Vinegar Salad Dressings. Swap all or part of the vinegar for whey in recipes like Italian Salad Dressing or Greek Salad Dressing.
- Marinades. These 4-ingredient Chicken Marinades all call for some sort of acid. Use whey for some of the acid for a fun twist on flavor.
More Uses for Whey in Everyday Cooking
- Smoothies. Use it as the liquid base in any smoothie recipe and naturally give it a boost in protein.
- Chicken Stock. Substitute for the apple cider vinegar and up to half of the water.
- Gravy. Use whey to thicken gravy instead of boring water.
What is Whey Used for in Baking
- Substitute for orange juice. If you use orange juice in baking, try using whey for the same acidic properties.
- Substitute for lemon juice. Whey tastes much like lemon, so it makes a great substitution in recipes or cocktails.
- Make caramel. Add a bit of salt with a touch of sugar and voila – instant caramel!
- Lemon-Whey Pie. If you can use whey in place of lemon juice, why not try it for dessert?
Uses for Whey in Beverages
- Cocktails. Mix one part whey with one part juice, then sweeten to taste with honey or stevia.
- Lemonade. Here’s the recipe.
- Ginger Ale. Easy tutorial.
- Soda. The Swiss drink Rivella is 100% whey.
Uses for Whey in Fermenting and Cheese Making
- Stretching Mozzarella. You have to stretch the curds when making mozzarella, and using hot whey is a great alternative to using hot, salted water.
- Cheese brine. Feta and mozzarella will keep longer if they’re stored in whey.
- Cream Cheese. Similar to the method of culturing milk with buttermilk, you’re culturing milk with whey and straining for cheese. More details here.
- Ricotta Cheese. The word “ricotta” means cooked twice, which is what happens to the whey when you make ricotta cheese. Here’s a super easy tutorial to get started.
- Gjetost. A Norwegian cheese that’s sweet like caramel, with the texture of buttery fudge.
- Butter. I haven’t tried this myself, but I’m told if you let whey sit at room temperature overnight, the cream will rise to the top and it can be scooped away and used to make butter.
What to Do with Whey
- Condition your face. The cultures in whey are acidic, so toss some on a cotton ball and use it as a toner.
- Condition your body. And add one cup of whey to your bath for an all-over-the-body skin toner.
- Make a face mask. Uses for whey combined with soothing raw honey for an easy face mask. (Tutorial on this page.)
- Condition your hair. If you’re washing with baking soda, a diluted whey rinse will work just as well as this Homemade Conditioner.
- Pet food. Add excess whey to pet food.
- Chicken or pig food. Add to the water and/or milk when you feed the farm animals.
- Water the plants. Adding diluted sweet whey to your plants gives a boost of vitamins. Read this article to get started.
- Balance the garden’s pH. If watering the plants is out of the question, consider balancing the pH levels of peas, cucumbers, and squash by spraying some on just the leaves – the sweet whey will kill the mold that grows!
- Lower the garden’s pH. Blueberries, roses, and tomatoes like acidic soil, and whey will help you achieve just that.
- Pest Control. Use sweet whey with water to a 1:1 ratio and spray on garden plants to keep powdery mildew away.
- Add to compost. A great outdoors spot if you don’t feel comfortable adding it to your garden, or don’t have one to add it to!
- Freeze it for later. If you’re not making fresh cheeses, you may only get a little bit of whey at a time. Freeze it in an ice cube tray so when you have enough, you can use it in any of the above recipes!
Whey Recipe (How to Make Whey)
You can easily find acid whey just by opening up your containers of dairy, but if you want to know how to make whey – whether for baking, cooking, or recipes – here are several ways to do it:
- Allow raw milk to sit at room temperature where the natural bacteria will cause the milk to clabber. Strain the milk using a cheesecloth, a tea towel, or an old (but clean) thin t-shirt.
- Use a fine mesh strainer, clean towel, or cheesecloth to strain Homemade Yogurt.
- Strain kefir (with the same methods as #2).
- Strain buttermilk (with the same methods as #2).
- Make Homemade Greek Yogurt (which is essentially the same as #2).
More Helpful Tutorials
- How to Blanch Greens
- 15 Easy Egg Substitutes
- How to Make Flour Without a Grain Mill
- How to Meal Plan and Make It Work
Jean Brelsford
Thank you so much for the info. I made yogurt for the first time in my instant pot and after straining it came up with a lot of whey. Now I km how to use it. Can I store it in a plastic container or should it be stored in glass. Does it make a difference ?
Tiffany
Glass storage is always better in general Jean, but it won’t make a difference in the long run. 🙂
Jean Brelsford
Thanks, I agree that glass is better. Its good to know that plastic will work if glass is not available.
Jana
You can also sterilize jars in the instant pot to help your stored product last even longer
Reba Scott
If the whey is frozen can it still be used in breads,cornbread etc.?
Tiffany
Yes, just thaw it first.
Jenny
Tiffany, thank you for sharing your discoveries with us! I just made (or tried anyway) cottage cheese with soured raw milk. I heated it until the curds separated, drained and salted it and added some fresh cream. So, I’ve got a couple of cups of whey now, but that and the cottage cheese still taste like spoiled milk (no discoloration, nor mold at all)…not horrible, but not wonderful. Can this previously heated/cooked whey be used for all these suggestions, or did the heating disqualify its usefulness?
Matt
I find this blog extremely useful. Though I’m struggling getting my whey. Recently had to throw a gallon of raw milk out. I divided into three mason jars. One I left the lid on by day three there was a ton of pressure but not srparated visibly. So I burped it and let it go some more. Slight green film on by day for when I went to filter. Friend told me to stir it every day. So the second jar I left the lid on and stirred it after day one. Day too it was thick so I filtered. Curds were excessively dry and the whey was more of a coconut water. Third jar I left the lid off put a cheese cloth on top and by day three it was covered in a bit of mold. None produced a golden or mellow yellow whey. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.
Tiffany
Matt, whey doesn’t have to be golden or mellow yellow. Honestly, the whey you had that looked like coconut water was still whey! There are several variables, including the milk and how you got the whey. The easiest way I’ve found to make whey is to make yogurt and strain it. Out of one gallon of yogurt, I get 1 quart of pure whey!
Lydia Mathes
I just got word that I am a diabetic. I like cottage cheese but lately have found the commercial cottage cheese distasteful. I’m thinking of making it. How can a diabetic use the whey. I am learning a lot about carbohydrates. I am also on blood-thinner so I have to watch my greens. Any suggestions?
Vera Rudinica
I used to use whey for pancake making but I didn’t like it as well as a full cream milk. I think you need the fat from the milk to tenderize the batter. I agree with using it to make bread as this can be made without fat. But any other recipe that needs fat will not be as flavoursome made with whey.
Claude
Using Dr. Johanna Budwig’s Flax Oil blended with Cottage Cheese or other form of low fat milk fermentation to separate off whey for the sulfur rich proteins in milk, I have lots of whey! Searching for uses of whey your article came up.
Awesome!
Thanks!
Fatima Khawaja-Hussain
The expiry date on full fat milk bought from the store in Austria , on day after expiry date I boiled the milk with apple cider vinegar. I got the curfled milk out and used it as paneer. The water that was left behind in the pan, that is whey right? I have been rinsing my curly dry frizzy hair with it and I feel it is softer, more manageble. I have also started to drink it a day later after refrigerating it. It tastes good. Drinking a big glass now daily. But I can’t find info online if I can drink it like this or should I dilute it? Can you advise me? Thanx
Tiffany
Hi Fatima! I haven’t done this myself, but my best guess is that yes, the ‘water’ left behind from your curdled milk was indeed whey! There’s no need to dilute it if you’re able to drink it as is!
Tina
Do you rinse it out or leave it in
Lauren
I’m a whey newbie. I’d been pouring off the whey from yogurt for a couple weeks now and leaving it on the counter for the compost. After reading more, I realize the acid whey is not suitable for the compost, so I decided to make some lacto-fermented orange juice.
I’m so new to whey that I didn’t realize I should have been keeping it in the fridge…
So now that I’ve mixed up the whey with the juice, do you think it a go or a throw (away)?
Tiffany
Hmmm – that’s really a toss up Lauren. It really depends on how long the whey has been on the counter. A couple days and you’re likely fine. A couple weeks though? I personally wouldn’t be confident about drinking it. Sorry! 🙁
Morgan
This is a really great article, thank you Tiffany. Another wonderful use for whey is to use it in condiment recipes to make cultured mayonnaise or ketchup 🙂 Healthy yumminess!
Tiffany
Thank you Morgan, and you’re right! I wrote about homemade mayo a few months ago and forgot to link it here. Thanks for the reminder!
christina parker brown
Love the article! How long can you keep whey in the refrigerator?
Tiffany
Thanks Christina! I’ve kept whey in the fridge for 4+ weeks, probably longer. Use the smell test before use and you should be good to go!
Ricki
Me too. It lasts a very long time. I just keep it in mason jars and in the way back. I use it as buttermilk in everything. Bread, pancakes whatever. It’s so so great. Totally going to try that ginger ale!
Mary j
So sub 1 cup of whey(from yogurt) for 1 cup of buttermilk in making biscuits?
Lisa M Pizzale
I put in in my dogs food regularly and he loves it and it made his coat shiny. I checked with his vet first and he said it was fine but only put about a 1/2 cup in at each meal. See how your pet does with it for a day first though.
Nancy
I’ve just started making kefir, and I’ve used the whey to make beet and fruit kvass, which I love. Is this similar to making “soda” that was mentioned in your 36? I’m definitely going to make the ginger ale next! Sounds yummy. I did put ginger in my apple/blueberry kvass, but I think I need more ?
Tiffany
Hi Nancy! I can’t say for sure since I’ve never tried that soda personally, but from what I can research, it sounds close!
Rae
I haven’t yet gotten into making yogurt…. Someday! But I’m wondering, is it ok to use the whey that comes off of the plain natural yogurt I buy from the store? Thanks!
Tiffany
Yes it is!
Katie
Can you use whey from cheeses like queso blanco? It’s not made using rennet but it’s not cultured like yogurt either. Since it’s made by separating milk with vinegar can it still be used for these recommendations?
Tiffany
I honestly don’t know Katie. I haven’t tried it myself, and can’t attest to the acidic properties of that kind of whey. 🙁
Alison
I tried making a mozzarella and ended up making a queso blanco. I’m not sure where I went wrong – but I did use the whey to make pizza dough. I did use rennet and citric acid in my process though. I’m not really sure what any of that means or if it will help you – but the pizza was amazing! We had 2 families over for dinner last night and I think these pizzas may have been the cheapest, easiest and most delicious meal I could have made. It wasn’t the recipe listed here though as I made the dough before I found this lovely page 🙂
Jane Camellia Sarkar
Love your site. Great title. Very informative on whey. Didnt hink about the acidic quality. I use white vinegar for cleanng, have you used whey for this?
Tiffany
I haven’t Jane! You’re welcome to try, but I don’t think I’d personally recommend it. As a byproduct of dairy, whey needs to be refrigerated. I once tried it in an experiment and it left a slight “old dairy” smell… which might not help you in your cleaning efforts!
Dan Lund
I’ve personally replaced white vinegar with kombucha when it comes to cleaning. It’s inexpensive to make, and it works great when it’s fully fermented! Only takes sugar, tea, and a kombucha ‘mother’ with a couple of weeks time. After that, it’s a vinegar.
Lisa
I make my own apple cider vinegar. Some apple peels and cores and filtered water, wait for a month and you have ACV!
Joanna
I use mine for most of my baking, but also for a shampoo. My skin, and hair, is super sensitive, so I’ve tried countless shampoos and DIY recipes on my hair. Either my skin said no, or my hair. My friend mentioned that he makes soap with kefir, which spurred me on to try a shampoo. After a bit of experimenting, I found one that works great on not only my hair, (quite fine, oily, but easily dried out) but also my husband’s (dark, coarse, rather dry hair). Love it! It leaves my hair bouncy, and soft! (But I have to wash mine more often than him)
Tiffany
That’s so neat Joanna! I wouldn’t have thought to use it as a shampoo. You’ve got my wheels turning now! 😉
Janelle
I am interested in the recipe you use for the shampoo.
Thank you.
Betsy
Will you share your shampoo recipe?
Margaret Anne @ Natural Chow
I’ve been make yogurt lately and I’ve got a few quarts of whey I really need to use. Thanks for sharing!
Tiffany
You’re most welcome Margaret Anne!
Pegi
I shared your whey uses on my blog. I give you credit. Hope this is okay.
Tiffany
All is good Pegi. 🙂
Diana
How long does whey last? I assume you use it up pretty quick, but I probably wouldn’t. I normally just mix the whey back in with the yogurt and eat it that way. I never knew that it was whey, I just thought it was part of the yogurt!
Tiffany
Whey will last awhile in the fridge, at least a good week. Mixing it right in is definitely one way to eat it, but if you’re looking to save it long term, pour into a jar and at the end of the week, freeze in cubes. Since we make bread weekly, that’s when it gets used up most. However if I didn’t make it regularly, I’d definitely freeze b/c the amazing soft bread is worth it!
Digitaria
would feeding the whey 1 tablespoon of milk, say weekly be sufficient to feed it, allowing it to be kept almost indefinitely, much like keffir seeds?
Tiffany
Hi Digitaria – you don’t have to feed whey for it to keep, rather it stores in the fridge really well for a period of time!
Donna
If you use whey for bread or pizza dough liquid and it needs to be warmed up, won’t the nutritional benefits of the whey be diminished?
Tiffany
Heating whey will kill the enzymes and probiotic bacteria (if there’s any left in the whey, rather than the dairy), but the vitamins/minerals/protein are all still valid after heating. 🙂
sandra
Hi tiffany. Love ur article and ur enthusiasm! I end up with acidic whey after boiling milk on stove top and adding live yoghurt culture once its cooled a bit, during my yoghurt-making process. Have made yoghurt this way for years and ALWAYS throw whey out. Im blown away by its health benefits & have put a jar of it in the fridge. Only thing is that i always add salt (aprox 2 teaspoons) to the yoghurt b4 i strain it to turn it into labneh (thick, drier youghurt spread) so my whey has salt in it. Is this going to affect the benefical health aspect too much… just extra salt intake, correct? Thanks in advance ☺
Tiffany
Hi Sandra! Extra salt shouldn’t effect the benefits of whey. 🙂
Rabia
Hi Tiffany it’s Rabia, can you please guide me how to make whey drinks, with different fruits
Tiffany
Hi Rabia! I haven’t made any drinks with whey, other than in smoothies, so I don’t have any recipes to share! 🙁
Paul
I have done some research in scholarly articles. The consensus is that there is no significant difference between ingesting dead bacteria and live bacteria. Dead bacteria is safer.
Think of polio vaccine. The live vaccine caused people to get polio. The later dead vaccine was effective, without the risk.
I was glad to find this because I like Miso soup. Unless you like cold Miso soup, the hot soup will kill the live Miso.
Glynnis Parker
Probiotics are bacteria and need to be consumed live as in Kefir
Kim
I think this only really applies to antibiotics. Where if you take in the dead bad bacteria your body still produces the antibodies to fight any live bad bacteria you may eventually get affected with. But for the good bacteria, the ones you want living in your gut, you need to consume those as living organisms. They can’t come back to life once killed. Though hot miso soup probably does other wonderful things for your soul and happiness, so maybe you could find a different source of live good bacteria 🙂
Lily Samson
Hi…is the probiotic content in whey as much as the yogurt I made to get it?
Also, do yo know why one of my yogurt batches wasn’t just tart, but expelled very little whey, and too acidic 🤢 for my tum tum….It actually gave me a sour stomach….🤮
Tiffany
Hi Lily! The longer you incubate yogurt, the more sour it becomes (but it also becomes healthier… so it’s your call really). As for the amount of probiotic in yogurt vs. whey, I’m not really sure, but you can use whey to lacto-ferment things, so it’s there’s definitely enough to make it worthy to keep!
Christina Thomas
Hey Tiffany,
I’m doing my own keifer and have been using it for smoothies but I would also like to do the ketogenic diet. My kids love keifer yogurt so I have lots of whey I can use for keto smoothies. Do you know if the whey still has all the probiotic impact of the entire keifer or does the probiotic go into the curd? Do you think I’d be in keto if I used the whey for smoothies?