LibbyTen years ago the alternative milk section consisted of basically Coffee-Mate. If you were dairy-intolerant back in the day, you almost certainly stuck to black coffee or tea, or lactose-free milk if you could find it. Those bleak days are long behind us, now consumers are confronted with a dizzying array of faux-dairy options. Nut milks, coconut creamers, oat blends and more, we took to task to froth and foam, bubble and brew.
Here’s our Favourite Alternative Milks
While not endorsed for coffee creations necessarily, Silk Coconut Unsweetened deserves a look. Super creamy and downright tropical, this unsweetened coconut beverage is tasty, but doesn’t blend well. The separation isn’t quite idea for hot beverages. We had to try though! Save it for smoothies and iced coffee. ☕☕
Also new to town is made-in-Toronto Oat Canada. The 0g sugar oat milk is produced in a 100% peanut and dairy free facility, and froths well for latte art. Keto friendly, the shelf-stable vegan oat milk has a similar consistency to 1% of the real deal. Only drawback, the taste. There was a bit of a plastic aftertaste, I’m sure related to the carton, but its a bit of a miss for me. ☕☕
Newly launched Not Milk brings a bold new product to the Canadian marketplace with their line of milk replacements. Going after the Whole, 2% and 1% population, NotCo features very milk-familiar vessels, but what’s inside is a game-changer. Going for the plant-based demographic, Not Milk’s blend brings pea protein to the mix with sunflower oil and pineapple juice, wait, what? While the effort does have a waft of a tropical piña colada, it is tasty. If you add sugar to your coffee, then you’ll save a step with this milk-alternative. ☕☕☕
Silk Half and Half Oat and Coconut Creamer may clock in at 10.5% fat but is balanced by has 0 grams of sugar. Dairy, gluten, carrageenan and cholesterol free, Silk’s creamy blend requires a vigorous shake to limit the clumping but it’s worth the effort. It’s an easy swap in for milk in your mug, if you’re a double-cream kinda gal, the texture is on point without adding any sweetness. ☕☕☕☕
Earth’s Own Barista Oat if you’ve been collecting stars with every Oat Venti Latte at Starbucks then you already love this toasty tasty oat milk. Steamy and dreamy, this is your foamy friend, perfect for making pretty lattes and adding art to any mug. The mouthfeel is velvety and luxe, a stable and solid approach to the dairy-free daily-grind. Add in some Protein, Calcium, Omega 3’s and Vitamin B12 and you can see why this one is a winner. ☕☕☕☕☕
All images by Libby Roach. Did we miss your non-dairy creamer? Let us know what rocks your morning mug below.