Plant-based milk is on the rise, appealing to ever more consumers, from vegans to meat-eaters. Cooking with non-dairy milk is becoming increasingly popular in the kitchen. Some common reasons for making the switch include the perceived health benefits, allergies, environmental concerns or taste preference.
• Soy milk is the most popular choice. It is mild in flavour and can be heated easily. It also tastes good in hot drinks. Use it as a direct swap for dairy milk in recipes.
• Almond milk is also popular, with a richer flavour, and easy to use in hot drinks and recipes.
• Cashew milk is rich and creamy, and very versatile. It adds a richness to savoury and sweet dishes.
• Oat milk is a good all-round ingredient, with a sweet and mild flavour. It also has a higher proportion of protein than other non-dairy milks.
• Coconut milk has a rich flavour, and is a popular choice to use in both sweet and savoury recipes.
• Rice milk has a light texture and flavour, and a low proportion of protein and fat. It has a natural sweetness, and is best used in desserts.
• Hemp milk has a high protein content, and is a healthy choice. The strong flavour is better in savoury dishes than desserts.
Making your own milk in Thermomix® avoids packaging and refrigeration. If you are choosing non-dairy milk for environmental reasons, making your own is a sustainable and easy choice.
To make your own dairy-free milk you will need a nut milk bag. This is a fine, strong, mesh bag to strain the nut milk. Layers of muslin can also be used. Some milk recipes, such as oat milk, rice milk, hemp milk and coconut milk are ready in minutes in Thermomix®. Other recipes, such as almond milk and soy milk need to be soaked overnight, and therefore take a little longer but require no more effort.
What are you waiting for? Get started now by searching for “milk” under the Basics category on Cookidoo® to find our entire selection of plant-based milks.
