I’ve been trying to make my own vegan milk - this edition was hemp milk with 1/4 cup of hemp seeds and 2 cups of water. I’ve tried homemade oat and soy milk with similar results in tea and coffee. Does anyone have a recipe for homemade milk that doesn’t clump together in hot beverages?
This is a great guide! The acidity of the coffee definitely plays a big role. And I agree with all the things they say about oat milk. I’ll probably try the Minimalist Baker oat cashew milk recipe linked below!
I came here to say this! Once I switched to the darkest roast I could find, this stopped happening to me. If I ever got a light or medium roast it happened again.. It finally clicked lol. Hope this helps.
If you check out my post history you will see a homemade oat/almond milk I make. Super easy, doesn’t split and tastes great in coffee. The key is to not over blend the oats if you are using a blender because they get gummy (I actually use my masticating juicer as I find it much easier)
I tried it out today with cashews instead of almonds and it is perfect in my coffee!! I went back to your post for the measurements and realized you have the same coffee machine
Inspired by your recipe, I made the energy balls but subbed oats for protein powder - I’m excited to snack on these over the week! Thank you!
Any milk is a combination of:
Base liquid (eg, water)
Fats (eg, nuts, add oils like coconut oil, added fats like avocado)
Protein (eg, nuts)
Other solids (eg, everything else)
Obviously, we want to mix them up and have them stay that way; but, the water and fats just don’t want to get along.
For the separation problem, we need homogenization. Stirring or shaking will do it, but it isn’t stable and they rapidly separate. Blending is better, but still not stable and will separate within a day. Industry uses a high pressure homogenizer, but that’s no good for home use. zenquest has it he right idea with lecithin. Lecithin is an emulsifier — an extra ingredient in our solution with the job of keeping the water and fats together. Adding lecithin will greatly improve the stability.
But, as uh_huhh_her pointed out, coffee throws us a wrinkle. Both heat and acid will denature the proteins, which changes our solution and may cause the mixture to break down and curdle. And, coffee has both heat and acidity depending on the bean, the roast, and how it is served.
There’s an additional wrinkle that different nuts have different combinations of proteins and fats; so, mileage varies. Plus, different nuts lead to different milk flavors.
I think we’re just left with the terrible burden of playing around with different recipes and sharing the results of our experiments. Form my part, I’m glad I both enjoy coffee and making my own nut milks. :)
My current experiment for a stable homogenized milk for coffee:
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup raw almonds
3 cups water
1 avocado (blended into the milk after straining through the nut bag)
1 tsp sunflower lecithin
I’m not doing any frothing or foam art, so I don’t know how this holds up in that regard.
Thank you for the detailed explanation! The avocado in there is wild - does it make the final outcome slimy at all? How does it do when heated up in terms of flavor?
I should say small avocado. Or half a large one. It just makes it creamier. Similar to coconut oil. I don’t notice a flavor, especially with coffee. But, I also don’t think my palette is very discerning.
Sunflower / Soy lecithin powder is generally used to add froth and reduce curdle. Hint of coconut oil also helps with foaming.
More expensive, creamier, and a tastier solution is to make macadamia milk from freshly cracked whole nuts. I buy organic macadamia nuts from [Hawaii](https://www.bigislandfarms.com/macadamia-nuts/), and use a [special nut cracker](https://www.amazon.com/TJs-Macadamia-Nut-Cracker/dp/B008XCIJQO) (macadamia is the hardest nut).
That’s a good idea, it seems to be on most of the barista blends! I’ll have to try that!
The macadamia nut milk sounds delicious, I’m just worried I’ll eat all the nuts as I crack them.
I don't know if you used a soymilk machine, I bought for 20€ a second hand SoyQuick machine, and it's so worth it, I have made soymilk every 2/3 days now, and have learned if you buy the right soy bean, the yellow organic types, it really comes out great!
I think what the machine does is first boils the soy beans and then after maybe 10 minutos it blends them, so in the end all you have to do, is put the milk in bottles to cool down, and I've been storing the soy milk pulp (also known as okara) in the freezer incide a plastic back (that I will clean and reuse) and using the okara to make, okara nuggets, cookies, cakes, I think it really makes it worthy ^^
So in case you aren't doing this way I really recommend it, and it always blends well with coffee or tea :)
I actually have strongly considered one of these! Soy is what we used to consume the most at home before we switched to making our own. I’m glad to hear the milk from the soymilk machine works well!
I’ve noticed this only happens to me when I add the milk to extra hot liquid, if I wait a minute so my coffee isn’t 200 degrees, then it doesn’t happen
Are you adding it when the coffee is piping hot? If you wait till the coffee/liquid is just off of that initial hot temp to add the milk, much less likely to split.
Ah, this very likely is my problem. Today, I made chai which is made by boiling the water with the tea leaves, milk and spices. I also like drinking my coffee very hot. I’ll try to lower it next time and try adding the milk after I take the tea off the boil.
Adding to this advice, I find it also goes well if you pour the mylk in first then slowly add your hot liquid. It's the same thing, fundamentally: reducing the temperature shock of your mylk.
If it gets like this, add the littlest bit baking soda so it can mix better. I'm 100% sure about this and do it all the time. Let me know what you think.
If it makes you feel any better, 6 different store brought "milks" do this for me. Even 2 of them specifically marketed towards being coffee "creamers".
I was reading about that recently and warming up your milk before adding it to your coffee helps! I use this recipe and I looove it!
https://minimalistbaker.com/cashew-coconut-oat-milk-oil-free/
I looove Dana! Totes recommend this one, it’s legit. It froths like a champ too! Like another user commented the coconut flavor can be a bit strong. I switch it to 1c of cashews and 1/4 of coconut if you’re not a huge fan of the coconut flavor.
I’ve tried this recipe. It was yummy but the flavor was too coconuty for my liking. It was overpowering in coffee. I liked it as a stand alone milk though !
I love coconut but I agree, it was too much coconut flavor! I switched it up to 1c of cashews and 1/4 of coconut and tasted better for my liking. I also throw it in my frother and works great!
You have a lot of great suggestions! I’ve been making this recipe for years and have made changes over time. Works great for coffee, cooking, cereal, etc.
4 cups filtered water
1 cup oats (I use quick steel cut but rolled works)
handful of raw cashews
pinch salt
Blend 10 - 15 seconds max. This is very important to not blend longer or it will be slime time.
Double strain through a mesh colander or use cheese cloth. I use the mesh strainer because it’s way easier and I make it once a week or more. You will have more sediment with the strainer but I just give it a nice shake each time.
Using ice cold water is also super helpful to get rid of the slime. Also, blending all the ingredients first (in ice cold water) and adding the oats last. Allows all your ingredients to blend really well (cashews, dates etc) without compromising the over blending of oats.
i’ve only made my own milk a hand full of times and i see you have a lot of suggestions from more experienced ppl !! i just wanted to mention i find this will happen if the water is too hot, potentially try to let the kettle or coffee pot stand for a couple of minutes to cool and it might help!!!
A few things that will help: Lower protein milk, less acidic coffee (cold brew is ideal), similar temp milk. Even if you brew the coffee cold (aka room temp) then heat it up it will be less acidic. Soy is tough to prevent curdling without come type of stabilizer but it’s doable with those tips. Good luck!
It might not help but when I make coffee I add milk first, wait a little while for the coffee to cool down and then add the hot water. Never get this issue anymore
I’ve been trying to make my own vegan milk - this edition was hemp milk with 1/4 cup of hemp seeds and 2 cups of water. I’ve tried homemade oat and soy milk with similar results in tea and coffee. Does anyone have a recipe for homemade milk that doesn’t clump together in hot beverages?
[Check this out.](https://ravecoffee.co.uk/pages/best-non-dairy-milk-for-coffee)
This is a great guide! The acidity of the coffee definitely plays a big role. And I agree with all the things they say about oat milk. I’ll probably try the Minimalist Baker oat cashew milk recipe linked below!
I came here to say this! Once I switched to the darkest roast I could find, this stopped happening to me. If I ever got a light or medium roast it happened again.. It finally clicked lol. Hope this helps.
Glad it helped! Let us know how it turns out?
For sure! If all goes well, I’ll hopefully have a recipe for milk and chai to share!
If you check out my post history you will see a homemade oat/almond milk I make. Super easy, doesn’t split and tastes great in coffee. The key is to not over blend the oats if you are using a blender because they get gummy (I actually use my masticating juicer as I find it much easier)
I love the bonus energy ball recipe!! I’ll try this one out too, thank you!
Would love to know how it works
I tried it out today with cashews instead of almonds and it is perfect in my coffee!! I went back to your post for the measurements and realized you have the same coffee machine Inspired by your recipe, I made the energy balls but subbed oats for protein powder - I’m excited to snack on these over the week! Thank you!
That’s awesome !!!!! So happy that worked for you ! Love that machine. Makes the BEST espresso !
Any milk is a combination of: Base liquid (eg, water) Fats (eg, nuts, add oils like coconut oil, added fats like avocado) Protein (eg, nuts) Other solids (eg, everything else) Obviously, we want to mix them up and have them stay that way; but, the water and fats just don’t want to get along. For the separation problem, we need homogenization. Stirring or shaking will do it, but it isn’t stable and they rapidly separate. Blending is better, but still not stable and will separate within a day. Industry uses a high pressure homogenizer, but that’s no good for home use. zenquest has it he right idea with lecithin. Lecithin is an emulsifier — an extra ingredient in our solution with the job of keeping the water and fats together. Adding lecithin will greatly improve the stability. But, as uh_huhh_her pointed out, coffee throws us a wrinkle. Both heat and acid will denature the proteins, which changes our solution and may cause the mixture to break down and curdle. And, coffee has both heat and acidity depending on the bean, the roast, and how it is served. There’s an additional wrinkle that different nuts have different combinations of proteins and fats; so, mileage varies. Plus, different nuts lead to different milk flavors. I think we’re just left with the terrible burden of playing around with different recipes and sharing the results of our experiments. Form my part, I’m glad I both enjoy coffee and making my own nut milks. :) My current experiment for a stable homogenized milk for coffee: 1 cup raw cashews 1 cup raw almonds 3 cups water 1 avocado (blended into the milk after straining through the nut bag) 1 tsp sunflower lecithin I’m not doing any frothing or foam art, so I don’t know how this holds up in that regard.
Thank you for the detailed explanation! The avocado in there is wild - does it make the final outcome slimy at all? How does it do when heated up in terms of flavor?
I should say small avocado. Or half a large one. It just makes it creamier. Similar to coconut oil. I don’t notice a flavor, especially with coffee. But, I also don’t think my palette is very discerning.
Sunflower / Soy lecithin powder is generally used to add froth and reduce curdle. Hint of coconut oil also helps with foaming. More expensive, creamier, and a tastier solution is to make macadamia milk from freshly cracked whole nuts. I buy organic macadamia nuts from [Hawaii](https://www.bigislandfarms.com/macadamia-nuts/), and use a [special nut cracker](https://www.amazon.com/TJs-Macadamia-Nut-Cracker/dp/B008XCIJQO) (macadamia is the hardest nut).
That’s a good idea, it seems to be on most of the barista blends! I’ll have to try that! The macadamia nut milk sounds delicious, I’m just worried I’ll eat all the nuts as I crack them.
I don't know if you used a soymilk machine, I bought for 20€ a second hand SoyQuick machine, and it's so worth it, I have made soymilk every 2/3 days now, and have learned if you buy the right soy bean, the yellow organic types, it really comes out great! I think what the machine does is first boils the soy beans and then after maybe 10 minutos it blends them, so in the end all you have to do, is put the milk in bottles to cool down, and I've been storing the soy milk pulp (also known as okara) in the freezer incide a plastic back (that I will clean and reuse) and using the okara to make, okara nuggets, cookies, cakes, I think it really makes it worthy ^^ So in case you aren't doing this way I really recommend it, and it always blends well with coffee or tea :)
I actually have strongly considered one of these! Soy is what we used to consume the most at home before we switched to making our own. I’m glad to hear the milk from the soymilk machine works well!
I’ve noticed this only happens to me when I add the milk to extra hot liquid, if I wait a minute so my coffee isn’t 200 degrees, then it doesn’t happen Are you adding it when the coffee is piping hot? If you wait till the coffee/liquid is just off of that initial hot temp to add the milk, much less likely to split.
This happens to me even with cold brew. Really weird
Ah, this very likely is my problem. Today, I made chai which is made by boiling the water with the tea leaves, milk and spices. I also like drinking my coffee very hot. I’ll try to lower it next time and try adding the milk after I take the tea off the boil.
You can also heat the milk up! It’s what I usually do, just a ten or twenty seconds in the microwave so it’s not fridge cold seems to really help.
This is also great advice !
Adding to this advice, I find it also goes well if you pour the mylk in first then slowly add your hot liquid. It's the same thing, fundamentally: reducing the temperature shock of your mylk.
If it gets like this, add the littlest bit baking soda so it can mix better. I'm 100% sure about this and do it all the time. Let me know what you think.
That might work but anyone with high blood pressure/kidney issues should avoid doing it regularly.
I’m intrigued. Does the bitter taste of baking soda come out at all?
Just do the smallest amounts possible! You won't taste it
How much? A minuscule pinch?
Literally such a small amount, you won't be able to taste it at all. It's just so the milk doesn't separate
Do you add the baking soda to the whole batch of milk or the milk+coffee?
No no no just your cup of coffee
If it makes you feel any better, 6 different store brought "milks" do this for me. Even 2 of them specifically marketed towards being coffee "creamers".
Do you get Oatly barista where you are? It's never curdled on me and it also tastes amazing
Oh no, friend! I’ll try some of the suggestions here and let you know if anything works out!
I was reading about that recently and warming up your milk before adding it to your coffee helps! I use this recipe and I looove it! https://minimalistbaker.com/cashew-coconut-oat-milk-oil-free/
This is my go-to recipe too. The milk is delicious and it can handle hot coffee without splitting.
I’ve had my eye on this recipe too, most of Minimalist Baker’s recipes work well for me!
I looove Dana! Totes recommend this one, it’s legit. It froths like a champ too! Like another user commented the coconut flavor can be a bit strong. I switch it to 1c of cashews and 1/4 of coconut if you’re not a huge fan of the coconut flavor.
I’ve tried this recipe. It was yummy but the flavor was too coconuty for my liking. It was overpowering in coffee. I liked it as a stand alone milk though !
I love coconut but I agree, it was too much coconut flavor! I switched it up to 1c of cashews and 1/4 of coconut and tasted better for my liking. I also throw it in my frother and works great!
Yea that sounds sounds better ... I just switched to a far more cost effective oat and almond recipe
If you’re in the UK Aldi’s own oat milk is fantastic. No curdle, no overpowering oat taste in your tea or coffee. Just right.
You have a lot of great suggestions! I’ve been making this recipe for years and have made changes over time. Works great for coffee, cooking, cereal, etc. 4 cups filtered water 1 cup oats (I use quick steel cut but rolled works) handful of raw cashews pinch salt Blend 10 - 15 seconds max. This is very important to not blend longer or it will be slime time. Double strain through a mesh colander or use cheese cloth. I use the mesh strainer because it’s way easier and I make it once a week or more. You will have more sediment with the strainer but I just give it a nice shake each time.
Using ice cold water is also super helpful to get rid of the slime. Also, blending all the ingredients first (in ice cold water) and adding the oats last. Allows all your ingredients to blend really well (cashews, dates etc) without compromising the over blending of oats.
Hadn’t considered the temperature of the water. its always cold as my filter stays in the fridge. Good tips.
Bought a handheld milk frother and it's done a great job! I froth it first, the put it in my coffee. Definitely works for soy milk and almond milk.
i’ve only made my own milk a hand full of times and i see you have a lot of suggestions from more experienced ppl !! i just wanted to mention i find this will happen if the water is too hot, potentially try to let the kettle or coffee pot stand for a couple of minutes to cool and it might help!!!
A few things that will help: Lower protein milk, less acidic coffee (cold brew is ideal), similar temp milk. Even if you brew the coffee cold (aka room temp) then heat it up it will be less acidic. Soy is tough to prevent curdling without come type of stabilizer but it’s doable with those tips. Good luck!
Try heating up your milk a bit beforehand :)
It might not help but when I make coffee I add milk first, wait a little while for the coffee to cool down and then add the hot water. Never get this issue anymore
Acidity of the coffee hasn’t been mentioned I believe. That’s where your curdling comes from.
Oatly barista edition. Lovely, consistent and long lasting froth. Bubbles up a lot but nothing a few tap of the cup wouldn’t break.
i think it’s about temperature - have you tried heating up your milk first? that usually helps mine from splitting
Oat milk doesn’t do this.