Freeze-Dried vs Spray-Dried Bone Broth: Why the Drying Method Matters
From the team at Awaken Wellness (formerly Best Bones Broth). We freeze-dry our broth, so we've a horse in this race, but the difference is real and worth understanding before you buy any powder.
The short answer
To turn liquid bone broth into a powder, the water has to be removed. How that's done makes a real difference to what you get.
- Spray-drying uses high heat to dry the broth fast. It's cheap and quick, but the heat degrades some of the delicate nutrients.
- Freeze-drying removes the water at below-freezing temperatures, so far more of the original nutrition survives.
Most powders on the shelf are spray-dried because it's cheaper. Freeze-drying costs more and takes longer, which is exactly why it's worth looking for.
What actually happens in each method
Spray-drying sprays the liquid broth into a hot chamber, often with inlet temperatures around 150 to 200°C. The water flashes off in seconds and you're left with powder. It's efficient and great for high volumes, but that level of heat is hard on heat-sensitive nutrients, and it can trigger reactions that change the protein.
Drum-drying and refractance drying are a step gentler than spray-drying, but they still rely on heat to do the job.
Freeze-drying works the opposite way. The broth is frozen, then the water is drawn off under vacuum at very low temperatures, so it never gets cooked a second time. Because the process stays cold, far more of the original nutrition comes through intact. Industry drying research puts nutrient retention from freeze-drying in the 90%-plus range, well above the high-heat methods.
Why it matters for you
The whole point of bone broth is the nutrition: the collagen, gelatin, amino acids and minerals that come out of slow-simmered bones. If a powder is then blasted with high heat to dry it, some of that work is undone. You're paying for a nutrient-rich food and getting a slightly diminished version.
Freeze-drying protects what was in the broth to begin with. It also tends to rehydrate cleanly and keep more of the natural flavour, rather than the slightly cooked taste high heat can leave behind.
It's not that spray-dried broth is bad or unsafe. It's just a lower-cost process that gives up some of the quality, and the price usually reflects that.
How to tell which one you're buying
This is the frustrating part: most brands don't shout about it, and if a powder is spray-dried, the label often just stays quiet.
- Look for the words. Good freeze-dried products usually say so, because it's a selling point they paid for. "Gently dried," "low-temperature dried" or no mention at all often points to a high-heat method.
- Ask the brand. A quick "how do you dry your broth?" is a fair question, and the answer tells you a lot.
- Check the price and the rest of the label together. Freeze-drying costs more, so a very cheap powder full of fillers is unlikely to be freeze-dried. Pair this check with the filler and collagen checks in our bone broth buyer's guide.
The bottom line
If you want the most nutrition for your money, freeze-dried bone broth is worth seeking out and usually worth paying a little more for. Spray-dried is cheaper and more common, but it gives up some of the goodness you're buying broth for in the first place. When a brand stays silent on how it dries its broth, it's fair to assume high heat and ask the question.
Frequently asked questions
Is freeze-dried bone broth better than spray-dried?
For nutrition, generally yes. Freeze-drying removes water at below-freezing temperatures, so it preserves far more of the heat-sensitive nutrients than spray-drying, which uses high heat. Spray-dried is cheaper but gives up some quality.
How can I tell if bone broth is freeze-dried?
Brands that freeze-dry usually say so on the pack, because it's a feature they invested in. If a powder doesn't mention its drying method, or just says "gently dried," it's often spray-dried. When in doubt, ask the brand directly.
Does spray-drying destroy nutrients in bone broth?
It doesn't destroy everything, but the high temperatures (often 150 to 200°C) degrade some heat-sensitive nutrients and can alter the protein. Freeze-drying avoids that by keeping the process cold.
Why is freeze-dried bone broth more expensive?
Freeze-drying is slower and uses more energy and equipment than spray-drying, so it costs more to produce. That cost reflects a process that protects more of the broth's original nutrition.
Want the full checklist for choosing a good bone broth? Read our Bone Broth Buyer's Guide, or browse our freeze-dried range of bone broth powders.
Written by the team at Awaken Wellness (formerly Best Bones Broth), made in New Zealand with certified organic ingredients. Bone broth is a food, not a medicine, and is best enjoyed as part of a varied diet.