Vegan Milk Options: Plant-Based & Dairy-Free

Reasons you’ll love these recipes

• Healthier and Fresher: Homemade plant-based milk is free from additives and preservatives, giving you a cleaner, fresher option for your recipes and beverages.
• Cost-Effective: Making your own plant-based milk can save money compared to store-bought options, especially when using simple ingredients like oats or nuts.
• Customizable Flavors: Create your perfect milk by adjusting sweetness, thickness, and flavor to suit your taste and dietary needs.

What is vegan milk?

Vegan milk is a plant-derived beverage that resembles the color and texture of traditional cow’s milk but it is water-based and completely dairy-free. The plants most frequently used to make vegan milk are soy, oats, rice, coconut, and nuts like almonds and cashews.

Plant milk has been consumed in various cultures for centuries. As far back as the 13th century, it was sometimes called “milk-like plant juices.” It’s been commonly used as a beverage as well as an ingredient in numerous dishes.

Is dairy-free milk healthy?

The demand for plant milk is on the rise among consumers, and there are a number of reasons for the growing interest in dairy-free milk options including folks who have allergies or are lactose intolerant.

Dairy-free plant milk is very healthy and contains antioxidants, phytonutrients, fiber, calcium, protein, and a host of other vitamins and minerals that are linked to many health benefits.

Types of plant-based milk

Plant milk can be made from a number of different plants including beans, grains, seeds, and nuts. It’s pretty amazing the number of varieties available in supermarkets nowadays. These are just a few of the plants that are used to make vegan milk.

• Nuts- Almond, cashew, hazelnut, macadamia, pistachio, and walnut
• Seeds- Chia, flax, hemp, pumpkin, and sunflower
• Legumes- Soy Milk, pea, peanut
• Grains- Oat, rice, barley, wheat

Kinds of NUT milk

Nut milk is one of the most popular vegan milks and probably the most readily available at many grocery stores. Though nut milks can be purchased premade, it’s not difficult at all to make your own like these recipes for Almond Milk and Cashew Milk that require only 2 ingredients–water and the nuts–and a good blender.

Other nut milk options that might be a little harder to find in stores include Brazil, hazelnut, macadamia, pistachio, and walnut.

Ways to use vegan milk

Non-dairy plant milk can be used as a beverage, on cereal, or as an ingredient in most recipes that normally calls for traditional animal milk.

• Beverage- Serve vegan milk from a glass to drink with things like Oatmeal Cookies and Vegan Chocolate Cake. We even have a dairy-free cashew coffee creamer for enjoying with your coffee!
• Cereal- Pour over your favorite healthy breakfast cereal or bowl of oatmeal.
• Ingredient- Substitute vegan milk in most recipes that call for traditional milk. Some great recipes that use plant milk are Potato Soup and Country Cornbread.

Best vegan milk for coffee

I don’t want to open up the whole ‘Is it okay to drink coffee?’ issue here, but it is great to have a non-dairy coffee creamer at times. I love herbal coffee, and occasionally adding a little creamy texture is nice.

My favorite non-dairy milk to use for coffee is Cashew Milk. The milk is naturally a little thicker than other plant milk, and we recently came up with a vegan cashew coffee creamer!