It should probably be said that plant-based milks are not milk at all. But these delicious drinks prepared (mostly) from water and nuts, legumes or cereals are a wonderful alternative to animal milk, which is why they have earned the label plant milks.
Plant milk is an irreplaceable component of the diet of people who suffer from lactose intolerance or lactose allergy, as well as all people who avoid animal products. But you will definitely like it, even if you don't belong to any of these groups.
Nut, grain or legume milks are extremely delicious. They are great for cooking and baking, they add a new, interesting taste to coffee, you can make delicious breakfast porridge from them, you pour them over cereals and they are excellent just in a glass, for example with a biscuit. We ourselves reach for plant-based milk more and more often and prefer it.
Homemade is homemade
And why make plant-based milk at home when you can simply pop into the store and buy it there? Because with homemade plant-based milk you save, and a lot. In addition, you yourself influence its composition, taste, sweetness and consistency. And most importantly, fresh always tastes better than bought. You can also mix a combination of nuts, cereals, legumes and various sweeteners or other flavorings at home so that you don't miss anything in the milk, or on the contrary, there is no excess. How about chocolate-coconut, almond and vanilla, raisin soy?
The possibilities are endless here, so let's get down to it!
Homemade coconut milk
Best for dairy beginners! It is creamy, fragrant, ready in 10 minutes and made from only 2 ingredients. Coconut milk is excellent with cereal or granola, in a moringa latte or in various baked goods.
What does it take?
- 2 cups (about 160 g) of good quality grated coconut
- 3-4 cups (720-960 ml) filtered water (if you want thicker milk, use less water!)
- A pinch of Himalayan salt
How to do it?
Prepare a blender (hand or table), pour coconut into the container and cover it with 3 cups of water (720 ml). I like to soak the coconut (and nuts in general) beforehand. I pour boiled water over the coconut and let it stand for an hour. But it's not necessary, if you don't have time, start production right away. Add a pinch of salt to the coconut and start mixing. Blend for about 2 minutes (until the coconut is really tiny pieces).
Pour the mixture into a large bowl covered with a cloth (or a clean t-shirt, yes you can :)) and sieve or strain using a fine strainer. Try to see if the density suits you, and if necessary, dilute with the rest of the water. And definitely don't throw away the mixed pulp! It will be great for preparing smoothies, making chocolate or muesli and chocolate energy bars.
Pour the strained milk into a suitable container and put it in the fridge. It lasts there for about 5 days (sometimes much longer). You can enjoy the milk both cold and warm, but always shake it well before use (there are no preservatives in it, so the components can separate).
And if you think plain coconut milk is a bit boring, make it better!
- Do you want it sweetie? Toss a few pre-soaked jumbo raisins or a tablespoon of maple syrup into the blender with the coconut.
- If you want choco-coco milk, add about 2 spoons of unroasted or fair trade cocoa.
- If you like vanilla milk, flavor it with about 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- And (not only) you will make children the most happy with colored milk! How about him? Simply mix in one of the fruit powders, such as strawberry, raspberry or mango. You can conjure up the green color with moringa or spirulina.
The creamiest chocolate almond milk
This milk is simply delicious. It perfectly kills the desire for something sweet, if you add ice (and a drop of something sharper) to it, you can conjure up a great summer chocolate cocktail, and the kids love it warm, before bed.
vegan, gluten free
What does it take?
- 1 and a half cups (about 200 g) of almonds
- 1 to 4 cups of filtered water
- 1 cup of unroasted or fair trade cocoa (you can also use chocolate)
- 3 spoons of date syrup
- A pinch of Himalayan salt
How to do it?
Pour the boiling water over the almonds so that they are completely submerged. Let it rest for at least an hour. Then drain the water, rinse the almonds with clean water, put them in a blender, add a pinch of salt and pour the required amount of filtered water. Blend for a few minutes and then pour the mixture into a large bowl covered with a cloth (a clean t-shirt) or strain through a fine strainer. Try to see if the density suits you, and dilute with water if necessary. Be sure not to throw away the leftover almonds, bake muffins with them, they perfectly replace part of the flour.
In another bowl, whisk the date syrup with cocoa or melt about 100 grams of home-made or high-quality dark chocolate. Then add about a third of the produced milk to the cocoa syrup (melted chocolate) and mix well. Add this chocolate "sauce" to the rest of the milk and mix well. Taste and adjust to your liking, add more cocoa, vanilla, salt or sweetener.
In the refrigerator, the milk will last for several days, always mix it well before use
Homemade vanilla soy milk
Soy milk is my favorite. Its production is a little more complicated than nut milks, but soy milk is many times cheaper, full of vegetable proteins, and above all, it's soooo good. It is also incredibly versatile, as long as you don't add vanilla and sweetener, you can make excellent sauces and other savory dishes out of it.
vegan, gluten free
What does it take?
- 1 cup (80 g) of organic soybeans
- 4 cups (1 liter) of water
- Seeds from the vanilla pod (optional)
- About 10 pre-soaked jumbo raisins, 5 dates or 2 tablespoons of any syrup (optional)
How to do it?
Soak the soybeans in water for at least 12 hours. Then drain the water and rinse the beans with clean water, put them in a blender and add about 3 cups (750 ml) of water. Blend until the mixture is almost smooth.
Strain the mixture through a cloth or a fine strainer and pour into a saucepan. Add the rest of the water (1 cup - 250 ml), turn the stove on high and bring to a boil. Mix and collect the resulting foam. Lower the heat and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then let cool and add vanilla, raisins or syrup if you like. Mix the milk again if necessary.
In a closed bottle, milk can last for about 5 days in the refrigerator.
Do you make plant-based milks? Which would you like to taste the most?
