Do you love coffee? If so, you may have already been trying out non-dairy milk alternatives for your cup of joe – either to venture out with new texture and flavours, for health reasons, because you are vegan lifestyle, or if you want to reduce your carbon footprint.
Dairy milk has significantly higher impacts than non-dairy alternatives across all metrics of environmental impact. Raising cows and collecting their milk causes three times more greenhouse gas emissions, takes 10 times more land, and requires up to 20 times as much fresh water.
Can plant-based milk ultimately replace dairy milk in coffee?
Typically, nearly all milk – animal-based or plant-sourced – is made up of protein molecules. Not all non-dairy milk has the same amount of protein, which is a huge factor in texture and foaming ability. Once heated, proteins “melt”, trapping the air and forming a “stretch” to produce foam.
With so many choices of plant-based milk available, choosing the “right” one for you might get a little bit confusing. That’s why In today’s story, we’ve rounded up some of the best non-dairy milk for coffee available.
Best non-dairy milk for coffee
Almond milk
Taste: Nutty
Texture: Thin
Almond milk is one of the more popular plant-based milks on the market. It comes in either sweetened or unsweetened forms and is known for its low-fat qualities. It imparts a nutty flavour for your coffee, but too much can overpower your brew’s flavour.
Unfortunately, almond milk doesn’t perform as well as other types of milk because it does not foam well and has a watery consistency. In addition, it tends to curdle when immediately poured on hot coffee. To avoid curdling, baristas recommend warming up the almond milk first before mixing it with your drink.
Pea milk
Taste: Neutral, milk-like
Texture: Silky
Some hail pea milk as one of the best substitutes for cow’s milk in terms of taste and texture. Due to its high protein levels, It has a neutral flavour with a creaminess similar to dairy. You don’t have to worry about it being green or tasting like a vegetable because it is made from yellow split peas that make them look and feel like dairy milk.
According to baristas, pea milk’s silky foam makes it a recommended choice for making latte art. And compared to nut-based milk, it doesn’t alter the taste of your coffee and has a low chance of curdling.
Soy milk
Taste: Neutral
Texture: Creamy
Years ago, soy milk was pretty much the only non-dairy milk option available in coffee shops or supermarket aisles. Its accessibility and affordable price made it an attractive choice for businesses.
Soy milk is made by soaking soybeans overnight, grinding them into a fine powder, and mixing them with water. It has a neutral taste with a creamy texture, making it a pleasant alternative to dairy.
It has a good ‘stretch’ similar to the foam from cow milk, making it easy for baristas to make latte art using this plant-based milk. Its creamy profile doesn’t alter the taste of coffee but can be prone to curdling in hot beverages because of its acidity.
Coconut milk
Taste: Sweet, nutty, exotic
Texture: Smooth (cartons) or thick (cans)
Coconut milk has a strong, distinct creamy-nutty flavour that can complement the taste of coffee. It has a texture similar to low-fat milk and, when frothed, makes foamier bubbles than dairy.
Do not expect a neutral taste when using coconut milk, and it offers a unique flavour that might need a bit of time to get accustomed to. Coffee drinkers might say it’s a hit or miss depending on their tastes.
On buying coconut milk for coffee, baristas recommend getting the ones in cartons to achieve similar results to dairy milk. The ones in can have a thicker texture, more similar to cream.
Oat milk
Taste: Malt, fatty
Texture: Smooth
Oat milk has been getting more attention for the past few years as the better non-dairy milk for coffee versus soy or other nut-based milk.
Made from a combination of oats, water, and oil (grapeseed or canola), oat milk offers a full-bodied texture and a sweet creamy-malt flavour that can rival whole dairy milk. In addition, it is also high in protein and fibre and is free from saturated fats.
Because of its high protein content, it produces enough stretch and foam to make latte art. However, the foam might “pop” sooner than the ones produced by dairy milk because of the larger bubble size. Furthermore, one of the advantages of oat milk versus other non-dairy milk is its ability not to curdle when mixed with either hot or cold coffee.
Cashew milk
Taste: Nutty
Texture: Creamy
Cashew milk is becoming more popular because of its rich and creamy texture, similar to cow’s milk. It also has a milder nutty taste than almond milk, making it more pleasant to drink on its own or with coffee. However, it is also more expensive because it is rarer to find in supermarkets and more commonly available in specialty stores where it’s priced at a premium.
Made with just ground cashews and water, it is rich in protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. Baristas prefer using cashew milk for basic lattes or steamed milk rather than making latte art because it creates large soapy bubbles instead of fine foam.
Rice milk
Taste: Grainy
Texture: Thin
Rice milk is a great dairy-free milk alternative for those with nut allergies or lactose intolerance.
While sweet and slightly refreshing, rice milk is not as creamy as other plant-based milk. It has a neutral taste and offers a thin, watery texture that can dilute the coffee. In addition, its lack of protein makes it perform poorly when it comes to foaming or latte art.
If you’re not on a special diet or don’t have any nut allergies, you can opt for oat or soy milk instead.
Hemp milk
Taste: Green, nutty
Texture: Thin
Hemp milk is made from seeds of a hemp plant, which produces cannabis. But nope, don’t expect to get any psychoactive reactions or “high” from hemp milk because it only has trace elements of THC.
The plant-based milk has high protein levels, and baristas compare its texture and “stretch” similar to soy’s, albeit thinner, making hemp milk a great choice when it comes to latte art. It also has low curdling occurrence.
Despite having similar properties to soy milk, hemp milk is not as commonly used for coffee yet.
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