In 2021, milk alternatives are becoming more and more accessible wherever you go. If you’re making your coffee from home, you might want to take it to the next level and try making your own milk alternative to compliment that morning coffee. If you make it in bulk, it will be as easy as opening the container and pouring it in your coffee in the morning, except it will be all homemade.
What Kind of Milk Alternatives Are There?
Venture out of your milk carton - there are so many alternatives to cow milk out there! To name a few, there’s soy milk, almond milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, oat milk, rice milk, macadamia milk, and quinoa milk. Read up on some of the health benefits to a few vegan milk options.
How to Make Your Own Milk Alternative
Following along with these various recipes is easier than you think, just keep in mind in order to make any of these you’ll need a blender and some sort of strainer. They make specific strainer bags made for making homemade milk easier.
Almond/Cashew/Macadamia Nut Milk
Making almond, cashew, or macadamia nut milk is super easy, you’ll only need a few ingredients.
Step 1: You’ll want to soak the raw nuts in enough water to cover all the nuts at least overnight, but you could let them soak for up to two days. The longer you soak them, the creamier the milk will be. If you’re planning to soak for 2 days, be sure to change out the soaking water after a day.
Step 2: Drain soaking water and rinse nuts. You then want to prepare very hot, but not boiling water. There’s a general rule of thumb when it comes to making any nut milk. 1 cup of raw nuts to 3-4 cups of water.
Step 3: Put the soaked nuts and hot water in the blender. Add in other ingredients for enriched flavor. 1 tsp of vanilla extract (if you’re going through the trouble of making your own milk, use the good stuff and not the imitation), a pinch of salt, and if you would like to add sweetener, 1 tsp of agave or honey would do the trick. You can use 1 tsp of homemade simple syrup if you’re feeling extra fancy.
Step 4: Blend on low speed to get it going and then you can increase to high speed. Once it looks smooth and creamy (about 1-2 minutes), you can strain the milk into your desired container.
Step 5: Enjoy! You can keep this milk in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, and be sure to shake the milk before using.
Coconut Milk
All you’ll need for unsweetened coconut (shredded preferably) and water!
Step 1: Add 2 cups of coconut and 4 cups of very hot (not boiling) water to a blender. Don’t start blending yet! If you blend immediately the milk will turn out chunky and not very creamy. Just let the coconut and water sit in the blender for 5-10 minutes to soften.
Step 2: Blend on low to combine, and then kick it up to high speed for 1-2 minutes until creamy.
Step 3: With coconut milk you’ll want to first strain through a colander to get the bigger coconut milk out, then you can run the milk through a straining cloth.
Step 4: Enjoy! You can keep this coconut milk in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, and be sure to shake the milk before using.
Oat Milk
Oat milk has been taking the world by storm, especially the coffee world, so it’s about time we jumped on that bandwagon and showed you how to make oat milk!
Step 1: First you’ll want to soak 1 cup of old-fashioned oats (not instant!) with cold water in a bowl. The water should come up about 2 inches above the oats. You’ll only need to soak this for about an hour.
Step 2: Drain and raise the oats and make sure to discard the soaking liquid as well.
Step 3: Place drained oats and 3 cups of filtered water in a blender. Blend on high until smooth and creamy, for about 30 seconds.
Step 4: Strain oat milk into desired container. Once strained, you can add in some flavor enhancements like 2 tsp of vanilla extract (again, use the good stuff), pinch of salt, and about 1-2 tbsp of agave or honey.
Step 5: Enjoy! You can keep this milk in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, and be sure to shake the oat milk before using.
Made Your Own Milk, Now What?
Congrats, you did it! Now you can sit back with the knowledge that you’ve made your own milk. Besides that knowledge, you can also drink your freshly made milk! Add it in your freshly brewed coffee to feel extra special in the morning. Tayst Coffee Roasters makes delicious coffee pods that are compostable* and eco-friendly.
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