Almond milk: where/how does it work for you?

[Joebob]

I just read an article where claims were made that almond milk is "creamy" in coffee, is "great" on cereal, and offers "mixed results" in baking. Are those claims true? Where/how do you find it useful?

[melanieelena85]

I've used it in place of milk in just about everything, including baking. Haven't really noticed a difference aside from drinking it straight, or in coffee. Love it.

[alexgreen]

Almond milk makes great steamed milk for cappuccino. Because the Blue Diamond 40 calorie original has more fat it produces better foam than the 60 calorie version. I get the best foam by mixing it 1/2 and 1/2 with 2 % milk. The Blue Diamond brand seems to make a dryer foam than the Silk brand. Yummmy

[celesul]

I adore almond milk. It's tasty and has a good texture. I've had good results baking with it, and even made a good rice pudding with it. I love it on cereal, but I think it's a bit weak for coffee. It's very low fat, so anywhere that skim milk wouldn't work very well, almond milk might struggle. I use it anywhere that one might use milk, but I grew up with 2% and skim, so I'm not expecting the full-fat stuff.

In comparison, I find rice milk way, way too thin (it is to skim milk like what skim milk is to whole milk, in my opinion) and I dislike the flavor of soy milk. Coconut milk has a strong flavor, but it's high in fat, so it's perfect when you need the texture of whole milk and the taste of coconut isn't a problem. It can make some very tasty desserts and coffee, as long as you want those things to have a mild coconut taste.

Oh, almond milk is also quite healthy. The original flavor (which has added sugar to make it about as sweet as milk) is 60 calories per cup, generally. Unsweetened is about 40, chocolate and vanilla are usually more. Milk has many more calories, as does rice milk, coconut milk, and soy milk.

[jmcarthur8]

I use it on cereal or oatmeal daily. I have used it in rice pudding and tapioca, and it was just fine. During the holidays, I made a Weight Watcher's friendly eggnog that was wonderful, with the vanilla almond milk and eggbeaters.

It is delicious with a peanut butter and honey sandwich. And when you have a scratchy throat, almond milk is soothing without loads of calories. I have been using the 40 calorie vanilla, but for the same WW Points +, I am going to try the 60 calorie one.

As far as the different brands, my favorite is Blue Diamond, second goes to Trader Joe's, then the store brands. I didn't like Silk at all. It had a funny off-taste and reminded me of their soy milk.
One big selling point for me is the calcium. I am of the age where that's important.

[Goblin]

I like Blue Diamond Almond Milk ("The Original" ) the best too! Compared to Silk, that is. Haven't tried the Trader Joe's brand but I'm going to try it.

[valerie]

I buy the Trader Joe's as well. I pretty much use it just for cereal...as others have said, I can't give up the half & half in my coffee.

[Dleeami]

I use home made almond milk in most everything except coffee. I have tried to give up half&half and I just cannot. My favorite is to use it on steel cut oats and cereal.

I am not sure if links are permitted here or not, but I have I have included one for making your own almond milk

http://thejoyofcleaneating.com/recipe...

I have had the milk in my fridge for up to a week without it going bad.

[Joebob]

Thanks for the link. This thread has become most interesting! As sedimental wrote "...it's chowhound."

[AsperGirl]

Anything that contains coconut and/or chocolate tastes great with almond milk. If you want to imcreaee the fat content to use it as a replacement for milk, add coconut oil to the milk

[Goblin]

I just drink it straight up, in its "original form," meaning unsweetened and without added vanilla. It's very healthful and I really prefer the taste to soy milk.

[JudiAU]

i think almond milk is a tasty beverage in its own right. I detest soy and rice milks. Soy because is horrible and rice because it isn't tasty and it pointless nutritionally. Coconut milk beverage is also pretty tasty. I don't like either in coffee or on cereal and they are sub-standard in baking. (We use dairy products and stock whole milk only in our house.)

[sueatmo]

I don't care for it in coffee at all. I do use in oatmeal.

[mvi]

I use unsweetened almond milk in just about everything and have never looked back. I prefer it to soy milk or rice milk. It's rich and creamy and lasts for roughly a week in the fridge. Great in soups, smoothies, gravy, mashed potatoes, baked goods, pancakes, etc. I get the kinds you find in the refrigerated section of the supermarket, not the ones in the smaller cartons that do not need refrigeration until they are opened. They are okay for emergencies, though.

I do not drink it straight up.

[HillJ]

Used in rice pudding, makes an excellent cup of warm chai, stirred into my morning Maypo!
And, of course smoothies!

[lynnlato]

Ohmagawd, I haven't had Maypo in decades! I loved that stuff. Where on Earth do you buy it? I've not seen it in stores in ages.

[Dleeami]

I once called the company (Homestaat Farm) to find out where to buy it out west here. They told me it is not carried in stores west of the Rockies.

You can always get it at Amazon :)

[lynnlato]

Wacky. I live in NC and I've never seen it up or down the east coast. Man, I'd love to get my hands on some. Maybe I'll order it on Amazon like you suggested. I can taste it now w/ some brown sugar and butter... that nice chewy texture - yummm.

[HillJ]

Here in central NJ I can buy it at ShopRite. It's always there with other hot cereals but you're right it's hard to find. I've been shipping the stuff to our son who's studying in FR this year.

[lynnlato]

Wow, talk about a blast from the past. I love that your son likes it so much you have to ship it to him in FR.

I just checked the nutritional info and sadly it looks like it has too many carbs for me (i'm a type 1 diabetic now). I may have to buy some on Amazon for my kids though. I'm sure they would love it... and that way I could steal a bite or two. ;-)

[lynnlato]

I LOVE it with cereal, oatmeal, oat bran, or to drink straight up. It's also FANTASTIC in smoothies. I only use the unsweetened almond milk - it only has 2 carbs per serving compared to 10 in regular milk, and much less calories. The only thing it is lacking nutritionally is protein (only 1g per serving).

[sunflwrsdh]

+1 on the smoothies and on oatmeal. I haven't really used it for much else. As for the protein, I add 1/2 cup of fat free greek yogurt to my smoothies, to make up the protein difference.

[scubadoo97]

terrible in a latte. Very off taste for a traditional latte or cappuccino.

Cereal no problem

[Chemicalkinetics]

It is really a personal choice. Some people like it, and some don't. It is really as simple and as complicate as this. You won't know until you try it. You can buy almond milk in many supermarkets these day.

I like it in cereal and by itself, but have never used it in coffee.

[sedimental]

Here is more info than you asked for..but, hey, it's chowhound :)

I use several different alternative milks. Almond is tasty but it can be "gritty". I like to drink chocolate unsweetened almond milk sweetened with stevia. I like Vanilla almond milk in my latte. I like plain almond milk for baking desserts like puddings, bread pudding,etc. I use coconut milk for things that need that "smoother milk" feeling like ice cream, smoothies, etc. I use hemp milk for baking zucchini bread, pumpkin bread, cookies- or things that benefit from the nuttier taste.
I prefer vanilla coconut milk on granola.

[basicg]

I use almond milk when cooking Bob's steel cut oatmeal and it is delicious. If you use the sweetened, you don't need to add anything but if you use the unsweetened, I then sprinkle almonds and sweetened dried cranberries to the oatmeal and everyone even my teens love it!

[rasputina]

Eh, I personally don't like fake milks on cereal, they lack the body of real milk, but then I refuse to drink skim milk for the same reason. I'm a whole milk fan. I like coconut and almond milks as beverages in their own right and as smoothie ingredients. Even when I was vegan I hated them on cereal, so I quit eating cereal at all then.

[Joebob]

I suppose I should try it because I mostly use milk for coffee and cereal, and it is almost the same price as milk here. Is it lower in calories perhaps than whole milk? Does it keep as long/well?

[EM23]

It's a little more than 100 calories less per cup than whole milk and 10g less carbs. I found it to be an easy replacement for the 1% milk that I used in cereal, oatmeal and smoothies. But not in my coffee. It just can't replace half and half.

[valerie]

Another vote for using it in cereal.

[Pegmeister]

Agree with scunge, great in cereal or pancakes or by itself. I also use it to make French toast. Just blend together egg, almond milk and some vanilla to dip the bread in. While t he toast is cooking heat some sliced bananas with butter, maple syrup and pecans, top on the French toast and it is delicious. I feel the almond milk makes the difference.

[scunge]

On cereal,in pancakes ,cooked oatmeal ,in the glass after a peanut butter sandwich .In dairy and non dairy section of Stop and Shop,Waldbaums etc .Trader Joes Whole Food also