25+ Ways to Use Tomato Powder

Need ideas on ways to use tomato powder? Check out all of the incredible ways to use tomato powder in day to meals, snacks, and even desserts!

Dehydrated tomatoes (and yes, you can use freeze-dried) are a wonder vegetable in the food preservation world. Meek and beautiful on their own, they can transform themselves into a powder that gives a wonderfully rich tomato flavor to so many things while not overpowering a dish.

Two Ways to Make Tomato Powder

• From Tomato Paste: Start simply with tomato paste any time of the year if you can’t grow your own.
• From Fresh Tomatoes: dehydrate tomatoes (slices, dices, or puree), including the flesh AND skins. Alternatively, use the leftover skins from canning tomatoes for a rich tomato flavor. Dry tomatoes in a dehydrator at 125°F/52°C until fully dry. You can dry tomatoes in the oven on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet at 170F/76C or lower, with the door propped open with an oven-safe spoon. Keep a sharp eye not to burn the tomatoes, but dry them.

Types of Tomatoes to Use

You can use any type of ripe tomato to create tomato powder. Most work best to puree first to create a leather and then dry. Meatier tomatoes can be sliced thin or diced and dried.

If making tomato powder isn’t an option for you, you can purchase commercially dried tomato powder from a variety of companies, including Augason Farms or Thrive Life.

Ways to Use Tomato Powder

Breakfast Dishes

• Sprinkle in an egg dish – yummy as a garnish on fried eggs and makes scrambled eggs elevated!
• Sprinkle into your gravy for biscuits and gravy (I remember my grandmother doing tomato slice and loving the change of taste)
• Try that tomato gravy with these savory tomato biscuits and your DIY version of the tomato juice cocktail from below.

Savory Dishes

• Add to meatballs or meatloaf to increase the tomato intensity.
• Make pizza sauce with 4 TB tomato paste powder, 4 TB water, pepper, 1/2 TB dried oregano, basil, and rosemary, 1 tsp garlic powder, and salt to taste. Mix with a little olive oil and 1.5 C water.
• Add to curry sauces.
• Add to beef stew to increase the depth of flavor.
• Use as a base in a creamy rice dish.
• Use to flavor or color pasta.
• Sprinkle on a grilled cheese sandwich.
• Mix into chicken or tuna salad for a change of flavor.
• Tomato soup – 1 cup powder + 3 cups water + 1 tablespoon bouillon + 1/2 cup rehydrated caramelized onions, with Italian seasonings and salt to taste.

Sauces

• Mix with water to create a tomato paste or more water and create a tomato sauce.
• Create a spaghetti sauce from a mix (see the recipe below).
• Add to store-bought tomato-centered sauce to boost the flavor and cover the ‘tinned or commercial’ flavor.
• Mix with a jar of diced tomatoes (or a large tin of diced tomatoes) and some garlic/onion powder to taste a delish meatball sauce.
• Sprinkle on buttered noodles with a little garlic powder and salt.
• Add to shepherd’s or cottage pie to increase the intensity of the sauce.
• Make Ketchup – recipe below.

Snacks & Spreads

• Garlicky Tomato & Herb Sandwich Spread.
• Sprinkle on tomatoes with a little ranch dressing before dehydrating them for tomato chips.
• Mix into cream cheese, sour cream, or yogurt with vegetable bit powder (dehydrated vegetables not quite powdered fully) and a little garlic for bagel spreads or dips for veggies or crackers.
• Mix into hummus to change up the flavor.
• Mix with some Italian seasonings, garlic, and onion powder, and sprinkle on pineapple before dehydrating.
• Mix with whipped cream cheese and a little salt, garlic, and onion powder (and dried veggie bits) to use as a sandwich spread.
• Sprinkle tomato powder onto a mini bagel, top with cheese, and have a ‘cleaner’ mini pizza bagel.

Seasonings

• Add to BBQ rubs.
• Add to Jerky rubs.
• Mix with granulated garlic and sprinkle on potatoes or other vegetables before roasting.
• See the recipe below for the Cheesy Tomato sprinkle.
• Mix with granulated garlic and “bagel seasoning,” and sprinkle on top of tomato slices for dehydrating, on homemade bagels, on celery stuffed with cottage cheese, or on toothpaste…YUM!

Drinks

Tomato juice:

• 8 cups water
• 1 cup tomato powder
• salt to taste

TIP: Add a little celery powder and vegetable powder to kick it up a notch. You may want to put the veg powder in a reusable tea bag and use it to flavor if you don’t like the grit left at the bottom since it may not dissolve fully.

Bloody Mary Mocktail – see full recipe below.

Desserts

• Add tomato powder to your favorite spice cake.
• Tomato Soup Cupcakes – just substitute the soup with the equivalent of tomato powder + water

Recipes Using Tomato Powder

Spaghetti Sauce in a Jar

Ingredients

• ½ TB dehydrated diced carrot
• ½ TB dehydrated celery
• 1/2 TB dehydrated bell pepper
• 1 TB dehydrated diced onion
• 1 TB dehydrated diced tomatoes
• 1 TB dehydrated vegetable powder
• 1 TB dehydrated green powder
• 2 TBS dehydrated mushroom pieces (or use powder to taste)
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano (to taste)
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 4-5 TBS tomato powder
• 2 cups water or vegetable broth
• 1/2 TB oil

Instructions:

1. Bring water to a boil
2. Add above ingredients
3. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
4. Use an immersion blender if you prefer a smooth spaghetti sauce.

Cheesy Tomato Snack topping

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp tomato powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 TB grated parmesan cheese. You can use fresh if you’re snacking, but use the commercially canned version for storage or if making the topping in bulk.

Instructions

• Sprinkle on top of popcorn, and warm french fries
• Double or triple it for pizza crust or garlic bread, etc.

Bloody Mary Mocktail

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup tomato powder
• 1/8 cup vegetable powder
• 1/2 TB powder horseradish or 1 tsp prepared horseradish
• 1 good shake of hot pepper sauce (or some pepper powder)
• 1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
• 2 dehydrated lemon slices

Directions:

1. Stir into a pitcher
2. Allow it to rest for 30 minutes for flavors to meld
3. Serve over ice and garnish with lemon slices

Homemade Chili

Use your regular chili recipe and replace the canned tomato paste with reconstituted tomato powder.

To replace one 6-ounce can of tomato paste mix

• 6 tablespoons tomato powder
• ½ cup water or broth
• ½ tsp salt (optional)

Allow to rest and adjust as needed for preferred consistency

Spaghetti Sauce

Like the suggestion above, you can make your family’s favorite spaghetti recipe and replace the tomato sauce with reconstituted tomato powder.

To replace one 15-ounce can of tomato sauce mix:

• 2/3 cup tomato powder
• 1 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

Homemade Ketchup

Ingredients:

• 6 Tablespoons tomato powder
• 1 cup water
• 1 ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp onion powder
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• ⅛ tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp ground clove (optional)
• 1/8 tsp ground allspice (optional)
• ¼ cup honey
• ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar

Directions:

1. Simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Cool and serve
3. Store in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.

Homemade BBQ Sauce

Use the homemade ketchup recipe above and make 8 ounces of tomato paste – then use them to make this tasty Homemade BBQ Sauce from Tastes Better From Scratch.

We’d love to hear your ideas!

Please comment below with your favorite ways to use tomato powder!

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