In the early 2000s, almond milk’s popularity began to increase. Once found only in health food stores and farmer’s markets, almond milk is now featured prominently in most dairy cases.
If you usually take your coffee with milk or cream, you might be curious how coffee with almond milk tastes.
Depending on if you use sweetened or unsweetened almond milk, your coffee will taste differently. Unsweetened almond milk in coffee has a watery consistency, a slightly nutty flavor, and tends to be bitter. Sweetened almond milk also has a thin texture but pairs much better with coffee, giving it a slightly sweet taste.
Almond milk in coffee is a great option for people with lactose problems or people who are vegan. In addition to coffee, almond milk is a good substitute for dairy-free people in many instances. So what exactly is almond milk?
What is Almond Milk
While we call almond milk, milk, there is some debate as to whether that’s the proper term at all. Some people argue that it should be almond water or almond juice, as milk is technically produced from animals. And almonds may be many things, but they are not mammals.
Almond milk is made by soaking almonds in water. Then they are blended with fresh water and strained of the excess almond pulp.
One of the most popular lactose-free products, almond milk is now commonly found in most coffee shops.
Flavors of Almond Milk
In its most basic form, almond milk is nothing more than almonds and water. However, that combination doesn’t tend to be a great product for coffee.
When you add milk or cream to your coffee it’s because you want to cut the bitterness of the coffee. It also gives it a more pleasant texture. Unfortunately, plain, unsweetened almond milk doesn’t help on either of those accounts.
However, there are some types of flavored almond milk that when put into coffee, help to cut the bitter taste. The most popular are flavored with vanilla, chocolate, and honey.
Is Almond Milk Healthy
During the height of the almond milk craze, its health benefits were touted as some of the best. However, it doesn’t have as many nutrients as whole milk, nor is it a good source of protein or fat.
Its best health benefits are that it is low in calories and is dairy-free. It’s been a staple of vegetarians and vegans for years.
However, recently, studies have shown that almond milk is not good for the planet. Its production is also killing the bees en masse.
Other Plant Milk
If you are curious about what coffee with almond milk tastes like, it’s likely you are looking to remove lactose. Some people add butter to their coffee as well.. Let’s see how almond milk compares to some of the other types of plant milk. Some of the most popular are soy milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, and oat milk.
Soy Milk
Soy milk is made in a similar process to almond milk. Soybeans are soaked and then blended. However, before being filtered, the soybeans are first boiled.
This creates a much creamier product than almond milk, which would be good in coffee. However, many people don’t enjoy the flavor of soy milk, which is somewhat plant-like.
Coconut Milk
This type of plant milk is made from grating coconut, mixing it with water, and straining it through a cheesecloth. Coconut milk is much richer than either soy or almond milk due to the high oil content of coconut.
While probably unsurprising, coconut milk tastes very much like coconut meat. So, coconut milk has a sort of nutty, slightly sweet flavor. In contrast to almond milk which is nutty and somewhat bitter.
Cashew Milk
Cashew, another type of nut, is the most similar to almond milk. It’s made the same way as almond milk and has a similar flavor. However, cashew milk tends to be a little sweeter than almond milk.
So if you’re interested in nut milk, but find unsweetened almond milk a little too bitter, give cashew a try.
Oat milk
Oat milk has become more popular lately, perhaps due to some concern about almond milk’s environmental sustainability.
This plant milk is made similarly to the other types of nut milk. However, it does not require a lengthy soaking before getting started.
Out of the plant milk types, oat milk might be the closest to actual whole milk. It’s creamier, richer, and sweeter than the other types of plant milk.
Avoiding Curdling Almond Milk in Coffee
Unfortunately, an issue with almond milk in coffee is that it has a tendency to curdle. This tends to happen with most types of plant milk, actually. While drinking curdled milk is not dangerous, it is unpleasant and unsightly.
Don’t let the easy ability to curdle put you off almond milk. Here are some ways to keep it from happening to your coffee.
Drink Less Acid Coffee
Part of what causes the curdling is the acidity in your coffee. Try switching out your regular coffee for some lower acid blends. You’ll have a better chance at keeping your almond milk from separating.
Plus drinking coffee with less acidity can be beneficial to your gut.
Warm Your Almond Milk First
Another reason for curdling almond milk is the fact that it is cold and your coffee, presumably, is hot. Large temperature differences can cause almond milk to solidify and clump together when it touches the coffee.
By warming up your almond milk before adding it to your coffee, it’s less likely that it will curdle. Comparably, you could add a little bit of coffee to your almond milk. This will help ease it up to a warmer temperature.
Pour Slowly
Don’t dump all your almond milk in one fell swoop! Give it some time to acclimate to both the acidity and the temperature of the coffee. Slow and steady wins the race.
Almond Milk in Coffee
Now you’re caught up on what almond milk tastes like in coffee. It’s a little bitter with a thin, watery consistency. Unless you grabbed sweetened almond milk, if so, the texture will still be thin, but you’ll get a hint of sweetness.
