Here's your step-by-step guide on how to make homemade garlic powder. Or onion powder. The choice is yours depending on what you have the most of, vampires or crying contests.
Garlic powder is exactly what it sounds like; garlic that has been turned into a powder form. So how do we do that? WHY would we do that ourselves? I mean, the obvious reason is because it's fun. That's why I do most things. Plus it's simple.
You just heat-dry the garlic until it's brittle and grind it into a powder.
"Or you could just buy garlic powder." is what you are thinking.
If you like cooking and use garlic or onion powder in recipes you're going to want to try making your own.
Why Make Your Own?
Honestly? Because the level of quality is so much better than anything you've ever bought. When you dry and make it yourself, garlic powder has an undeniable rich garlic scent and flavour. It smells like garlic and tastes like garlic.
Store bought garlic powder is lame by comparison.
What You’ll Need
- Garlic bulbs
- A sharp knife
- A dehydrator (preferred) or an oven
- A spice grinder, coffee grinder, or mortar and pestle
- An airtight container for storage
I used some of the 120 heads of garlic I grew this year to make powder on the weekend. I picked out any heads that were already drying or sprouting.
Step 1: Peel the Garlic
Peeling garlic is the most tedious part. I don't use any gadgets or tricks, I just peel, peel, peel by hand. I cut the root end off and pull off the peel. If the peel isn't cooperating, I'll give a light smash with the side of a knife to help loosen the skin.
Speed it up by:
🧄 Using old garlic (the skin is easier to remove)
🧄 Put all your cloves in a jar and shake them vigorously.
🧄 Use a silicone garlic roller.
Step 2: Slice the Garlic Thinly
- It doesn't need to be paper thin, but the thinner the slices the faster it will dry.
- If you're doing onion powder slice the onions to ¼" or less.
FUN FACT: Garlic’s sassy stink comes from allicin, which is only released when garlic cells are damaged. The finer the chop, the stronger the scent.
Would you like to save this stuff?
We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.
Step 3: Dehydrate the Garlic
The green/yellow centres in the slices are because the garlic has started to sprout. I've never found this changes the taste or makes the garlic bitter.
Dehydrator Method (Recommended)
- Spread the garlic evenly on dehydrator trays.
- Set to 125°F (52°C) and dry for 8–12 hours until brittle.
Oven Method
- Set the oven to its lowest temp, ideally 150–170°F (65–75°C).
- Spread garlic in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake with the door slightly open for 2–4 hours, checking frequently.
✅ It’s done when it snaps cleanly instead of bending.
Step 4: Grind the Garlic
- Use a spice grinder or coffee grinder for a fine powder.
- A mortar and pestle works in a pinch.
PRO TIP: Pulse in short bursts to prevent overheating and clumping. I also shake my grinder up and down while it's grinding.
AMOUNTS
20 cloves = ~ 1 cup of sliced garlic
1 cup of sliced garlic = ~ ½ cup powdered garlic
Step 5: Store It Right
I store the garlic slices with this handy air sucking gadget. It isn't meant for actual food preserving but is fantastic for storage. A reader recommended it!
- Only grind what you'll use in the next few months.
- Store the extra dried garlic slices in something airtight. (see video)
- Keep in an airtight container (glass jars or spice bottles work best).
- Store in a cool, dark place to maintain potency.
- Shelf Life: About 6 months before the powder starts losing flavour.
I made my own bacon once. It tasted just like bacon. But it was a pain, took days and didn't improve on the grocery store version.
Garlic powder on the other hand is the opposite of all of that. It's is easy to make, doesn't take a ton of hands-on time and tastes and smells like garlic. It is the stardust to the grocery store's sawdust.
Sabina
After seeing "tomato powder" in a spice catalog I looked at the glut of cherry tomatoes at the end of last season and said "I can do that!" and voila! I have tomato powder, a most luscious "sprinkle" of summer on top of my very hearty wintery comfort-food focaccia! I do wonder how to make "roasted" garlic powder, it's a much richer and mellow flavor to be used alone or along with regular garlic powder. I know where to buy it but I'd like to make my own.
Marci Aderiye
I have seen others making garlic powder also grind up the papery skins rather than throw them away or compost them.
Cara
What a great easy process. Thanks. You never fail to amaze me.
Laura Bee
Well, I finally had some success growing garlic last season. And I have a jar of garlic powder that was handed down to me from my Nana. Pretty sure her granny left it to her back in 1922.
This is the post I've been wanting for!
Jackie
I may have to try this. I love garlic, especially granulated garlic. Do you know how to make that, too? I have begun making my own taco seasoning, tarter sauce & spaghetti seasoning. They are so easy & taste so much better when you know there aren't a ton of chemicals in them. I got the little vacuum tool when you recommended it a while back & I love it. I put a lot of my beans, rice & such in mason jars & seal them with it - it works great & takes up very little space to store. Thanks for all your handy hints. I may have to grow garlic again.
Jennifer
Okay... full disclosure: I do not think I am going to make my own onion or garlic powder. I want to have some-duh-but I do not think I am going to do it. I don't know. I AM going to check on my bulbs that I planted in pots this weekend however, and give them a bit of a drink. Mostly, I am making a comment/non-comment to say: YAYYYYYY! Karen is back. I am happy. :)
Danni
I collected all the jalapenos at the end of the season and did this too, that was some yummy concentrated hot stuff!
Also.... pineapple dehydrated is omg here-one-day-gone-the-next good!
Lez
Sprinkle a tiny bit of sea salt on them Danni! Salted dried Pineapple is awesome! ;)
Danni
oooooo dang YES that sounds good... with a drizzle of dark chocolate.
Jayne
My store-bought garlic and onion powder would always dry up and clump, even in an air tight jar. I read that keeping the jars in the fridge would solve that problem. It works! I’ve been doing that for a couple of years now - no clumps. Just thought I’d pass on this handy hint. Looking forward to trying making my own powder.
Chris W.
Hi Jayne,
Thanks for the tip of refrigerating onion powder - my garlic powder stays fine but the onion powder gets hard as a rock. They're both in the same kind of containers so who knows, right?
Carolyn
Hi, I know you weren't asking me, but I dry, pulverize and add them to homemade dog food. Great source of calcium for dog that can't chew bones.
Jenny
I would think an air fryer would be perfect for this. Do you agree?
kathryn
I would have thought the same; unfortunately, however,
from my experiences trying to make kale chips in an air fryer, I'd expect that, once the slices started to dry and reduce in mass, the fan would just send them flying.
Karen
Hi Jayne! Weird! I wonder why that would work. ~ karen!
KK
I think cause it has a dehydrate setting on some air fryers :)
https://www.target.com/p/ninja-flip-toaster-oven-38-air-fryer-8-in-1-functionality-flip-up-38-away-capability-for-storage-space-sp151/-/A-91722291#lnk=sametab
Nina
Hi! I love diy garlic powder. All the above for horseradish, turmeric and ginger as well as the onion powder. And I came across a recipe for tomato powder! I have to try it. I dehydrate in my ever-on pilot-light oven. It works great for drying out eggshells, too. Great article, as always.
Suzy Charto
why do you dry eggshells
Nina
Hi,
I dry and crush them fine, and sprinkle them in my garden for the calcium.
Carolyn
Sorry, my response ended up in the wrong spot.
Suzy Charto
thanks always interested to learn something new
Karen
Thanks Nina. And yes, you can dry almost anything and make it a powder. Fruit, beets, tomatoes ... ~ karen!
Lez
Husbands? Asking for a friend, just saying! :)
Nicole
I made tomato powder with the tomato skins that I removed when canning tomatoes and it's pretty darn good. It's especially good sprinkled on veggies like zucchini.