If you’re going dairy-free and love milk in your coffee, you may be searching for the perfect non-dairy milk. With so many plant-based milk options available, you may be wondering which is the right one for you.
There are lots of things to consider when choosing the best non-dairy milk for coffee. From creaminess to taste, you’ll want to consider what goes best with your favorite coffee drink.While you can use any non-dairy alternative in your coffee, some will be better than others.
Here we’re breaking it all down for you in this helpful guide. Make sure to bookmark this page so you can easily choose the right plant-based milk during your next shopping trip.
Taste will no doubt be the most important feature when it comes to finding the best milk substitute for coffee. Some non-dairy milk options are sweeter than others and are closer to the traditional taste of milk. Nut milk will naturally have a nutty flavor, while other plant-based beverages will have a sharp or mild flavor.
You’ll want milk that complements the coffee taste without overpowering it. Sweeter and neutral-tasting milk tends to be best.
When it comes to texture, there are no specific guidelines for choosing the right milk. Instead, it’ll come down to your personal preferences. Some plant-based milk is richer while other options are more satiny. All have varying levels of creaminess, so you can choose whichever feels best to you.
Coffee comes in a wide variety of options, from iced, blended drinks to frothy, hot beverages. Selecting the right non-dairy milk means you’ll need it to mix well without gelling. If you love frothy coffee drinks, you’ll need non-dairy milk with solid foaming abilities.
Oat milk is made from liquified, rolled oats, which are blended with water and then strained to get rid of any pulp. It’s often a light beige color and has a mellow aroma. Taste-wise, oat milk beverages have a slightly sweet flavor and taste similar to full-fat dairy milk, making them a popular choice for coffee.
Oat milk blends also very well with coffee. Its mild, sweet taste complements coffee well without oversaturating it. While it can froth well, oat milk often takes a little more time and effort. All-in-all, this is an excellent non-dairy milk choice for coffee lovers everywhere.
Almond milk has become a popular non-dairy beverage in coffee shops everywhere. To make this beverage, almonds are soaked and ground into a paste before being strained to remove any pulp and extra water. It has a light, white color and looks similar to dairy milk.
Having a generally subtle nutty flavor, almond milk comes in a variety of flavors, both sweetened and unsweetened. Unsweetened almond milk tends to have subtle bitter notes and a delicate, mild taste. It goes well with stronger-flavored coffee since it balances out sharp flavors. For sweeter, iced, or blended coffee drinks, sweetened vanilla almond milk is the way to go.
Texture-wise, almond milk has a light and watery consistency. This makes it very versatile, as it blends well with both hot and cold coffee beverages. It can also be foamed and frothed, although it takes a little more work due to its low fat content.
Hemp milk is created by soaking hemp seeds and blending them with water. Even though it’s made from seeds, hemp milk has a nutty, earthy flavor and a sweet taste that’s similar to almond milk.
Hemp milk also has a creamy texture without being too heavy or dense. It mixes perfectly in hot drinks without separating and steams beautifully. It also can be used for foam or froth, although the foam may fade quickly.
The inside meat of coconuts is shredded with water, ground down and strained to make coconut milk. There are two types of coconut milk: thick and thin. Thick coconut milk tends to be in cans, whereas thin coconut milk comes in cartons. For coffee and everyday consumption, you’ll want the carton variety.
Coconut milk has a higher fat content and a smooth, silky texture that gives it a similar consistency to cow’s milk. It has an opaque, white color and is rich and creamy.
This plant-based milk has a nutty, fruity aroma and a sweet, coconut flavor, making it a prized non-dairy option for coffee lovers. It can be purchased unsweetened or sweetened with additional flavoring agents.
Due to its thick texture, coconut beverages mix well with iced and hot coffee drinks. For foam drinks, thin, watered-down coconut milk won’t froth very well, so choose thicker coconut milk for your cappuccinos or lattes.
Soy milk was one of the first major plant-based beverages to make waves and become a popular alternative to regular milk. Soybeans are soaked and then ground with water before being boiled and filtered.
Soy milk are often beige in color and have a rich, velvety texture. This makes them a popular option for espresso drinks where milk is the star, such as cappuccinos and lattes.
Unsweetened soy milk has a tangy, neutral flavor and mild aroma. If you like a rich texture without an overpowering milk taste, then this makes it an excellent choice for your morning coffee. If you enjoy a thicker milk consistency but like a little more flavor, sweetened soy beverages are the best option.
When it comes to rich creaminess, coconut and oat beverages win. Their texture and mouthfeel are similar to milk or half and half. They add a touch of lusciousness to your coffee.
Normally, oat milk blends very well with coffee beverages. While there is a chance that oat milk can separate in your coffee, there are easy ways to prevent that.
Oat milk will separate in coffee due to high levels of acidity or heat. If oat milk is old or past its expiration date, it will build up lactic acid and start to curdle. To prevent any curdling, use your oat milk by or before its expiration date.
If your coffee is very hot, let it sit on the counter for a few minutes before pouring your oat milk or brew it at a lower temperature. You can also try a low-acidic coffee to prevent separation.
By far the best way to prevent separation is to pour in your oat milk first before adding your coffee or heating it up on its own. This allows the milk to be tempered gradually and will keep separation from happening.
This will depend on what kind of milk you’re used to enjoying. For example, if you like the thinner consistency of skim milk, you may want to choose an almond beverage. For full-fat milk, you’ll most likely enjoy coconut or oat beverages. If you’re somewhere in between, try hemp or soy milk.
Pacific Foods is proud to provide wholesome, plant-based beverages for all of your coffee needs. Our wide variety of dairy-free, organic beverages offers something for everyone. Fall in love with plant-based options and shop our products today.