What You Need to Make the Best Plant-Based Latte
Being a vegan coffee drinker can have its challenges. However, with the many milk and sweetener alternatives available today, you can easily make a plant-based latte at home! Let’s check out what you’ll need.
What is Plant-Based Coffee?
If you are not too familiar with coffee, you may be wondering what plant-based coffee even is. Is it different from regular brewed coffee and why is it a thing?
Technically, all coffee is plant-based and vegan friendly. This is because all coffee beans are seeds of the coffee fruit tree. The coffee fruit tree is a type of evergreen plant commonly grown within the “Coffee Belt” area around the equator. This includes regions such as Africa, Asia, Central, and South America, and the Middle East.
While coffee beans are considered “beans”, they are actually the seeds of the cherry fruit that grows from coffee plants. These cherry-like fruits are picked when ripe and at the peak of taste and quality. Then the coffee beans are separated from the fruit and roasted. Once roasted, they look like the brown coffee beans we are familiar with.
While coffee beans are already plant-based, your favorite coffee drink may not be. This is because many people do not drink their coffee black. Instead, they enjoy their brewed coffee with some type of sweetener or milk. The addition of milk is what makes a regular caffé latte not plant-based.
Luckily dairy-free and vegan lattes have become a lot more mainstream recently. This is largely due to plant-based milk like almond, coconut, and oat milk becoming more popular among consumers. In fact, coffee shops have even started to offer milk alternatives for their drinks. This is great for those who are vegan or lactose intolerant. Having more options available has allowed people to experiment and see which types of milk works best for them.
10 Things You Need For Making a Plant-Based Latte
Whether you are vegan or just curious about the taste, you can easily make your own plant-based latte at home. Depending on your preferences, you can even customize your latte. This includes adding additional flavors and spices to your recipe. Here are ten things you can use to make a delicious dairy-free latte at home!
Milkadamia - Macadamia Milk (Original, Lightly Sweetened)
Unlike many other creamers, Milkadamia has macadamia milk and a sunflower oil base. It is dairy-free, gluten-free, and soy-free. Moreover, it is lightly sweetened with only 6 grams of sugar per serving. If you are a fan of nut-based milk, then this creamer may be the one for you. It also comes in a variety of other flavors such as vanilla.
Waka Coffee - Premium Instant Coffee
As mentioned earlier, coffee is already vegan friendly. However, if you want to make the best plant-based latte, then you need to choose a high quality coffee for your base. We recommend Waka premium instant coffee. With instant coffee, you can make a delicious cup of coffee without the wait or the mess.
Ripple - Barista Style Vegan Milk
This vegan milk from Ripple is another unique non-dairy milk. Unlike the popular oat milk and almond milk, this is a pea-based milk infused with with sunflower oil. This barista-style vegan milk foams up nicely with a full body texture. It's a great option for those who prefer a creamier coffee without dairy.
Pacific Natural Foods - Barista Series Soy Blenders
When thinking of dairy-free milk, soy milk is one of the first options many think of. Unlike the newer milk alternatives, soy milk has always been a reliable option. This specific brand of Pacific Natural Foods smooth milk can be used cold or hot with no issues. Unlike other soy milks, this brand has the perfect amount of sweetness without being too overpowering.
So Delicious - Organic Coconut Milk Creamer
This coconut creamer is a great option for those who enjoy sweetener in their coffee along with milk. Compared to traditional creamers, this coconut-based creamer contains 0 grams of sugar. It is a richer creamer that is not overly sweet and can froth up nicely. It also comes in a variety of other flavors such as french vanilla and caramel.
Califia Farms - Almond Milk Barista Blend
Almond milk is a popular milk alternative for coffee. The Califa almond milk comes in both sweetened and unsweetened versions. It’s great for those who want simple milk that still froths well for coffee.
Oatly - Oat Milk Barista
Oat milk is another great vegan-friendly option to add to coffee. This Oatly Barista edition is creamy, slightly sweet, and foams up nicely. This is a great option for those who enjoy creamy coffees or prefer to foam up their milk.
NOW Foods - Organic Maple Syrup
Using maple syrup in your drink can be a great alternative to regular granulated sugar. This is especially true if you enjoy a sweeter coffee. This organic maple syrup has a lighter, more delicate flavor compared to darker syrups. It can be a great way to add a boost of sweetness to your daily coffee.
Forager Project - Organic Dairy-Free Cashewmilk Coconut Cream Half & Half
This is a dairy-free version of half and half. It isa mix of cashew milk and coconut cream-based milk. However, unlike normal half and half, its consistency is on the thinner side and has a lighter flavor. It is good for those who prefer lighter milk flavors in their coffee.
Coffee Mate - Natural Bliss Almond Milk Creamer
Unlike the other before mentioned vegan-friendly options, this one is a creamer rather than milk. It is an almond milk-based creamer that is super rich and creamy. It is perfect for those who enjoy the flavors and consistency of half and half. Best of all, it comes in a variety of flavors such as caramel, chocolate, hazelnut, and vanilla.
There are plenty of ways you can spice up your daily coffee. By experimenting with different types of milk and sweeteners you'll be able to figure out your preferences. Now that we know exactly what a plant-based latte is, which milk alternative option will you be trying?
