How to make a nourishing homemade goat milk baby formula that mimics human breastmilk as closely as possible.
I nursed all 3 of my children exclusively until they started solid foods. In addition, I practiced extended breastfeeding, nursing each of my first two children for 2 years and the youngest for 4 years. I only used homemade formula occasionally such as after surgery.
I adored every. single. minute.
Nursing my children was a glorious experience the memories of which I will cherish forever!  I’m sure most breastfeeding mothers would report the same.
The topic of homemade formula, even the more widely accepted goats milk formula, is a highly charged and controversial subject. In reality, it is a very important option for women to consider and have available who are not able to have a breastfeeding relationship with their baby.
This is because unpasteurized, donor breastmilk is not always available from reputable sources and in sufficient quantities to meet a baby’s growing appetite. A friend of mine is dealing with this very situation right now with her adopted daughter.
While she does her best to secure quality donor milk, the truth is that it isn’t enough, and she must supplement. Her first choice depending on local farm availability is formula made with raw goats milk as it seems to be digested a bit better by her baby.
Of course, all brands of commercial formula even if organic are best avoided if at all possible. The graphic above summarizes the problems with commercial formula quite succinctly.
Why Goat Milk is Healthy for Baby Formula
With commercial formula best avoided and relying solely on donor breastmilk a risky proposition, the homemade formula becomes an option well worth consideration.
But why goats milk formula in particular?
The reasons could be as simple as the availability of goat milk versus cow milk. The homemade formula is best made with a clean source of raw milk and some parts of the country have raw goat milk far more readily available than raw cow milk.
Another reason could be the digestibility of the formula. The natural homogenization of the fat globules and different structures of the goat milk proteins do make it easier to digest for some babies.
If a baby has trouble with a homemade formula made from raw grass-fed cow milk, for instance, then the next best option would indeed be goats milk formula.
I always suggest to mothers to try homemade formula made with cow milk first.
This is because although goat milk is wonderfully rich in brain-building fats, it must be used with caution in infant feeding.
Unlike cow milk, goat milk lacks folic acid and is low in the nutrient vitamin B12 both of which are critical to the proper growth and development of a baby.
Fortunately, if goats milk formula does indeed become the necessary choice, the inclusion of small amounts of nutritional yeast and organic grated or desiccated liver in the formula easily remedies this dilemma.
Infant Formula?
Below is the recommended recipe for goats milk formula as published by the Weston A. Price Foundation and originally published in the cookbook Nourishing Traditions in 1996.
I personally know at least a dozen women who have used this recipe with great success when raw grass-fed cow milk was either unavailable or did not digest well for their baby.
*You can order all of the required ingredients for the homemade baby formula in one easy package from Radiant Life by clicking here.
Because the goat formula contains liver powder, be sure to use bottle nipples that are designed for thicker flowing liquids. You can get them here.
Homemade Goat Milk Formula Recipe
A nourishing homemade goat milk formula made from goat milk, yogurt or kefir devised and tested by Dr. Mary Enig that matches the nutritional profile of breastmilk as closely as possible.
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw goat milk OR whole goat milk yogurt
- 1 7/8 cup filtered water
- 1/4 cup liquid whey
- 4 Tbl goat lactose
- 1/4 tsp bifidobacterium infantis powder
- 2 Tbl raw or pasteurized cream
- 1/2 tsp cod liver oil unflavored
- 1/4 tsp butter oil unflavored
- 1 tsp sunflower oil preferably organic
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil preferably organic
- 2 tsp virgin coconut oil preferably organic
- 2 tsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp raw chicken liver OR 1/4 tsp desiccated liver powder
- 2 tsp gelatin
- 1/4 tsp acerola powder
- 1 tsp molasses optional
Instructions
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Fill a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup with filtered water and remove 2 tablespoons (this will give you 1 7/8 cup water).
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Pour about half the water into a pan and turn burner on medium.
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Add the gelatin and lactose and let dissolve, stirring occasionally.
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When gelatin and lactose are dissolved, remove pan from heat and add the rest of the water to cool.
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Stir in the coconut oil and butter oil until melted.
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Put remaining ingredients in a glass blender. Be sure to use only liquid whey and never powdered whey from making cheese as it will curdle the goat milk formula.
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Add the water mixture and blend for about 3 seconds.
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Pour goats milk formula into glass baby bottles or a large glass jar and refrigerate.
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Before giving to baby, warm glass bottle in a pan of hot water or a bottle warmer (I like these). Never microwave baby bottles!
Recipe Notes
Do not substitute pasteurized milk or goat milk powder as these are heavily processed, denatured and allergenic foods. You may use plain, whole milk goat kefir or homemade goat yogurt in place of the milk portion of the milk if raw goat milk is not available in your area. Whole Foods has a quality brand of goat milk kefir available.Â
Cow lactose may be substituted for the goat lactose.
Do NOT use ultrapasteurized (UHT) cream. It is highly allergenic. Raw or pasteurized cream is acceptable.
Use only organic, unrefined, low oleic, cold pressed sunflower oil for this recipe. The brand linked to in the ingredients list is recommended.
The raw chicken liver should be frozen for 14 days or longer as recommended by the USDA for safe consumption. Â It is easiest to grate raw liver when it is frozen! Alternatively, 1/4 tsp of raw, desiccated liver powder may be substituted (find it here).Â
Collagen powder may be substituted for the gelatin in a pinch (more on peptides in baby formula in this article).
Use the optional molasses only if baby has issues with constipation. Only use as needed.
Homemade Goat Milk Formula Video
Below is an instructional video I filmed for the Weston A. Price Foundation on how to prepare a homemade formula yourself. Â Enjoy!
More Information
Homemade Nondairy Baby Formula
Why Soy Formula Even if Organic is So Dangerous for Babies
Traveling with Homemade Baby Formula
Feeding an Adopted Baby Without Commercial Formula
State Threatens to Take Baby Over Homemade Goat Milk Formula
Goat Milk Versus Cow Milk
Sarah, thank you! If I use kefir ot yogurt as you suggested instead of raw milk, will recipe stay the same, 2 cups of kefir?
When you substitute yogurt or kefir for the raw milk portion of the recipe you use exactly the same amount.
Sarah, thank you for your reply. Goat milk kefir fromWhole Foods also prasterized, and when it’s for the commercial use, they using even higher temperature of prasterization, which I assumed more useless.
The reason of my consern of raw milk is this article http://www.realrawmilkfacts.com/real-life-stories, where it says that some children get E. coli bacteria from raw milk, which is very dangerous. Could you please give me your thought about it. I’m sure that we want only the best for our children and the safety is the most important thing. Thank you again
Yes, the goat milk kefir from Whole Foods is from pasteurized milk, but that milk is fermented with kefir culture so is “alive” with enzymes and probiotics. Not as good as raw milk, but an ok Plan B.
You will have to do what makes you most comfortable. I made the raw milk formula for my 3 children occasionally (even though I was breastfeeding), and never had any issues. I’ve literally known hundreds of women that have made this formula with raw milk successfully over the past 20 years.
That said, I never suggest to people to do what they are afraid of. Our family including our three children (oldest is now 20) have enjoyed raw milk from over a dozen farms all over the world and never had issues.
Hello Sarah! I previously asked about safety of drinking raw milk by infants, who’s immune system is not strong enough to be able to fight some bad bacterias, if there are any.
How can I be sure about quality of milk, even though it’s comes from grass fed cows or goats. I don’t know the way it was extracted and if all sanitary requirements were met by the farm.
If I boil the raw milk for 2-5 minutes, will it destroy all the benefits of raw milk?
Also can I substitute the Double Cream you are referring in your recipe to other cream, since it has 35mg of cholesterol, which seams a lot to me.
Thank you
Raw milk that is boiled is completely useless and should never be used. Babies need cholesterol to grown their brain (which grows at its fastest rate the first year of life). The recipe was devised bya PhD nutritionist to match breastmilk as closely as possible. It is important to include the cream.
Use goat milk kefir from WHole Foods to substitute for the raw milk portion of the recipe if you like. That said, raw milk is one of the safest foods you can buy … MUCH safer than commercial formula.
Can I use raw cows creme in the goats milk formula? Can I skip the liquid whey or replace it with another ingredient?
Yes, you can use raw cow cream in the goat milk formula. You cannot replace the liquid whey with any other ingredient. You can make it out of plain, whole milk yogurt or kefir from the store if necessary.
If I used the goat milk kefir in place of the milk, would I leave the whey out? If not, can I make whey from the milk kefir?
You include the whey for the goat milk formula. Yes, you can make whey from the goat milk kefir.
My question is in regards to the butter oil ( which is an optional ingredient). Would it be acceptable to use ghee as a replacement in the formula?
Yes, ghee is acceptable provided it is grassfed and organic.
How can I make
This for my 2 yr old
Who needs to gain weight and grow? Leave out the water and what else? He’s under weight and too short. So I want to give this in addition to his regular foods. Thank you.
This formula is designed for children up to age 1. If your child is underweight for 2 years old, you will need to consult your doctor about resolving growth issues.
If I substitute goat yogurt or goat kefir do I use the 2 cup amount listed for goat milk?
Yes, just substitute the yogurt or kefir for the milk portion of the recipe.
Sarah, I noticed on this goat milk formula instructions page, you have chicken liver. Is that a separate recipe or is it part of the goat milk formula. And it isn’t in the instructions. I thought the liver formula was a separate non-milk formula. And second question is, if there are 3 different formulas, the goat milk, the cows milk and the liver formula, do you recommend all three to be given for maximum benefit and nutrients? Perhaps on a rotation basis?
Yes, there are actually 5 different recipes. Do not rotate them. The best one to use is the cows milk formula … most babies do very well on this. Go to the goat formula (or sheep milk formula or camel milk formula .. links to those above) next if baby doesn’t tolerate cows milk. Then, if no dairy is tolerated well, do the liver formula.
Yes i am using in in the formula in place of the gost milk. I teied kefir already and he didn’t want to drink it . You are right, huge difference between you recipe and commercial crap and even when i was using goat powder . It has been only two days on the sheep yogurt formula so perhaps his apetite will adjust. His poop is soft, he is gaining. All the positives. I just still eant him to eat his solids. His twin is just drinking cows milk and what should i give him.? After reading your articles I really don’t want to give him pasteurized cows milk anymore.
It is of course your best judgment and that of your provider, but if it were my baby and he wasn’t eating solids well, I would just continue with the homemade formula rather than give straight cow’s milk (post age 1) until the development milestone of eating solids was well reached. Yes, pasteurized cow milk is not a great idea even if organic!