Plant
milks, such as almond milk, oat milk, the now-classic soy milk, and
others have experienced a rapid rise in popularity worldwide. People
switch to plant milk for health reasons, moral reasons and just for the
heck of it, and who are we not to encourage experimentation? So, if
you’re trying out plant-based milks, either as an experiment, or because
you decided to give up dairy altogether, one thing you’ll notice pretty
soon is that one plant-based milk cannot replace cow's milk completely.
Not to say that plant milks are a one-trick pony, but different plant
milk varieties do work best for different tasks, and in this article,
we’d like to explain which plant milks are best cut out for which task.
What Are Plant Milks?
Plant
milks are essentially plant-based drinks and not milk per se, but
they’re referred to as milk because they are marketed as alternatives to
dairy. These can be made of a variety of plants:
- Grains (e.g. rice, oats, quinoa)
- Nuts (e.g. almonds, hazelnuts, coconuts, cashews, macadamia)
- Seeds (e.g. chia seeds, hemp seeds)
- Beans (e.g. soybeans, peas).
Mixes
of two or more kinds of milk are also popular. Different plant milks
will have different nutritional content and can be sold sweetened or
unsweetened, all of which will be specified on the packaging of a given
product. Because of this variability in nutrients, it’s difficult to
assess how healthy plant milks are overall compared to cow's milk.
Also,
keep in mind that not all plant milks will be suitable for everyone,
and if you’re allergic to nuts or gluten, some kinds of milk will not be
the best for you, so make sure you check the ingredients of each
product before consuming or even purchasing it. Finally, in this
article, we focused on more affordable and widely available plant milk
options because they’re more accessible to consumers.
The Best Plant Milks to Pair With Coffee (and Other Warm Drinks)
Replacing
milk or creamer with an equally creamy and frothy plant-based
alternative is one of the biggest challenges. In the end, it all boils
down to your personal taste, but we do want to give you tips and
options, and here are our top picks:
1. Oat Milk is
an excellent one to use with coffee because it has a neutral taste and
can be whipped up in a nice latte or cappuccino. Also, it’s one of the
most sustainable and widespread milk varieties, so it’s double, no -
even a triple win.
2. Coconut Milk
makes some of the best dairy-free cappuccinos, as it is creamy and can
be easily whipped up with no extra effort. It also obviously tastes like
coconut, which can be both a good and a bad thing, as those of you who
enjoy specialty coffee varieties may find coconut milk a bit
overpowering, but those who love coconut will love the taste.
When
choosing coconut milk, it’s best to go for the bottled variety, and not
the ones that come in cans, as the last one can be a bit too fatty and
tends to separate when combined with steaming hot coffee.
3. Soy Milk
is also an excellent choice for coffee drinkers, as it has a relatively
neutral taste and can be whipped up. It’s also widely available and
inexpensive compared to other plant milks. Soy milk is the most
nutritionally similar to all plant milks to cow’s milk and is a good
source of protein. What’s not to love?
4. Almond Milk
is another suggestion for coffee lovers. You won’t be able to fluff it
up as you would the other plant milks listed here, but it’s benefit is
that it has a neutral taste and silky texture, so it will complement
many coffee varieties.
Highly
acidic coffee varieties can emphasize the natural bitter aftertaste of
almonds, but this is easily salvageable with a dash of sweetener and it
doesn’t happen with all almond milk varieties available on the market or
homemade almond milk.
5. Cashew Milk
is our final suggestion. It's very similar to almond milk, but is a bit
more full-bodied and has a less nutty taste, which makes it perfect for
lattes.
Plant Milks That Go With Cereals and Oatmeal
If
you’re concerned that you won’t be able to have your usual morning
cereal, granola or oatmeal when you go dairy-free, don’t be, as all
three pair perfectly well with a wide range of plant-based milks. In
fact, we’d venture out to say that plant milks are superior to cow’s
milk, as they can add a twist to your ordinary breakfast and make it
more variable and interesting.
In our opinion, these are the best plant milk options to pair with cereal and oatmeal:
1. Coconut Almond Milk
is my personal favorite to add to granola or cereal simply because it
spices up an otherwise bland breakfast without being too overpowering.
It also pairs ridiculously well with fruit, especially bananas or
mangoes.
2. Almond Milk, (or Oat Almond Milk)
is the best to prepare cereal, as it’s fatty enough to make your cereal
creamy, but simple enough not to overpower the taste of oats.
3. Hazelnut Milk
is an interesting one as well, as it tastes just like Nutella if
combined with a bit of dark chocolate, but healthier, and who doesn’t
want to have Nutella for breakfast? Hazelnut milk pairs so well with
cereal, granola, and oatmeal because it imparts a nutty, simply
delicious flavor to any breakfast. It’s also used in baking, but it’s a
bit pricey.
We
wouldn't recommend milks that are too rich or too watery to pair with
cereal, granola or oatmeal, so it's best to reserve rice milk, coconut
milk, cashew milk and soy milk for other tasks.
The Best Plant Milks for Cooking and Baking
The
options of using plant-based milks in cooking and baking are limitless.
You can add them into smoothies, soups, and curries, or use them to
make the fluffiest pancakes and bake the most delicious desserts. For a
few delicious examples, check out this dairy-free recipe of Healthy Carrot and Nut Muffins or this finger-lickin' good Thai Coconut Soup.
When
choosing plant milk for cooking or baking, look for the more
inexpensive and neutral milk varieties that will be the closest to cow’s
milk so that you can simply substitute it in any recipe, with the
obvious example of coconut milk that’s traditionally used in many Asian
recipes.
Here are our plant milk recommendations:
1. Soy Milk
is suitable for cooking and baking because it’s so thin and similar to
cow’s milk. Apart from that, it’s the only plant milk we know of that
can be turned into buttermilk, just like cow’s milk, which makes it
invaluable for baking. Finally, soy milk is relatively affordable, which
is an important consideration, since you typically use a lot of it when
baking or cooking.
2. Rice Milk
is thin and has a very neutral taste, which makes it a suitable option
for baking and cooking as well. Another reason to choose rice milk is
that it’s the least likely of all milks to cause food allergies, since
both it’s nut-free and gluten-free.
3. Oat Milk
is affordable and has a thin consistency that’s very similar to skim
milk. Compared to cow’s milk and most plant milks, it has more protein
and fiber, slightly more calories and less fat. Since oat milk has a
slightly sweet, yet very bland taste that’s similar to cow’s milk, it
works very well for both cooking and baking.
4. Hemp Milk
is an interesting, yet somewhat more difficult to get and pricey
choice. Still, some people swear by it in pastries and baking in
general, plus it’s among the healthiest options out there, since it’s
rich in essential omega-3 fatty acids that support good brain and heart
health.
