It’s not easy to imagine a world where we cook without garlic cloves. Humans have taken the memorable garlic flavor and found ways to make it more potent and easier to work with. When comparing garlic powder vs garlic salt, we are often confused about how these two are different.
Is garlic powder the same as garlic salt? If not, then how do you use each one? Believe it or not, there are quite a few contrasts between the two.
It becomes even more confusing when you think about fresh garlic, minced garlic, granulated garlic, and other garlic products at the grocery store. The most significant difference between garlic salt and garlic powder is the way it’s made.

Is Garlic Powder the Same as Garlic Salt?
These two forms of garlic are similar, but they aren’t quite the same. There are many substitutes for fresh garlic. There is not a lot of difference between granulated garlic and garlic powder but the addition of salt changes things.
People use both of these dehydrated garlic products for salad dressings, marinades, and dry rubs for our meat, veggies, and other food items. It’s time to dive into the tiny details and discover just how different each form of garlic can be.
When a recipe calls for a certain amount of one, you can’t substitute the same amount of another garlic product. How much chopped garlic is a clove? It depends on the size of the clove. Some garlic salt has higher saltiness levels, while others are more pungent.
Many home cooks use garlic salt to flavor their favorite dishes. Garlic salt is three parts salt to one part garlic powder. This knowledge is essential information for those who have to watch their salt intake.
Because salt and garlic are both popular for adding flavor, someone decided to save some time and combine the two. Remember, though, that it’s not wise to substitute garlic salt for the same amount of pure garlic. One fresh garlic clove, whether you are freezing garlic cloves or using them from the garden, is the equivalent of half a teaspoon of garlic salt.
Garlic powder is made from fresh garlic when you dehydrate the cloves and grind them into powder. It is fine enough that it easily blends into recipes with a powerful punch.
When you compare minced garlic vs garlic powder, the dried form probably has the most intense flavor of all of your options and doesn’t require an anti-caking agent or preservative. An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic is equal to one fresh garlic clove. Making garlic powder is an excellent way to store garlic to use later.
Minced garlic confuses a lot of people. After all, it’s just a garlic clove that you mince, right? No. Minced garlic is finely chopped and then dehydrated or stored in garlic juice or olive oil. Only a quarter of a teaspoon is equal to a single clove.
Granulated garlic isn’t the same as garlic powder. It is still made from dehydrated garlic, but it isn’t ground as finely, and the flavor isn’t as intense.
A quarter teaspoon of granulated garlic is equal to one clove. Is garlic powder the same as garlic salt? Now you know that every garlic product you cook with is different.
Garlic Powder vs Garlic Salt
The real difference between garlic salt and garlic powder is that one uses salt additives and the other doesn’t. What other differences do these two have?
The Biggest Difference between Garlic Salt and Garlic Powder
Garlic powder is easier to use than fresh garlic because it is in its pure form, and there is no salt. Using garlic salt is better when you know you’re going to be adding lots of salt to a dish anyway.
It’s easy to make your own garlic powder at home and it’s a great way to preserve garlic long term. Making garlic salt is an amazing way to use up your back stock of table salt. It is possible to knock out two birds with one stone since you need the powder to make garlic salt.
Separate the garlic cloves from their papery skins and slice the cloves thinly. Layer the slices on dehydrator screens and dehydrate them at 125°F for 12 hours, or until the slices snap when you break them.
Once the garlic cools, put them into a food processor or coffee grinder and grind them until you have ground garlic. This substance is now garlic powder that you can store in an airtight container. To turn the powder into garlic salt, combine every teaspoon of the powder with one tablespoon of salt.
Flavor Differences
Garlic powder is still pure garlic, yet the flavor from the dehydration process is much more mellow. The only flavor difference with garlic salt is the saltiness level.
Always start with small amounts of each and only add more as you taste while you’re cooking. It is easier to add more as you go and much harder to mellow out the taste once you’ve already put it in.
Preparation between Garlic Powder and Garlic Salt
Preparing to make garlic powder must occur before making either of the two products. However, making garlic powder means you have to go through the entire dehydrating process and eliminate most of its moisture content. Garlic salt simply tossing the pre-made powder with table salt.
Interchangeability of Garlic
Using garlic powder while you cook makes things far more garlicky than if you use the same amount of garlic salt. Garlic salt has three times the amount of sodium than actual garlic.
It is much easier to use too much salt, even to the point where it might become inedible. Garlic powder gives you more control over the salt that you put into a dish.
Health Effects of Garlic Products
The health effects are critical when comparing garlic powder vs garlic salt. Salt contributes to heart disease, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
High levels of salt can also give people stomach cancer and decrease calcium in their bones. If you’re only looking for more flavor, stick to garlic powder for the obvious health benefits.
Garlic is a superstar antioxidant in the health world. It protects from heart disease and even fights off a common cold. When in doubt, refrain from too much salt.
Nutritional Differences
Garlic salt has more additives, but it is lower in calories, carbs, fiber, sugar, and protein. However, the difference in sodium is astronomical. We always recommend eating garlic in its raw form. In this case, garlic powder is purer than garlic salt.
Pricing
Because the majority of garlic salt is just salt, it makes sense that it would be cheaper. Garlic powder uses more garlic cloves to fill a container and will cost more when you go shopping at the grocery store.
However, you can save a lot of money when you buy heads of garlic and make your own garlic powder at home.
What is the difference between garlic salt and garlic powder? There are a lot of discrepancies between these two products despite being very simple to make.
In general, garlic powder is the healthier and more flavorful option, but there is always a place for garlic salt in the kitchen.

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