One thing I have been quietly disappointed over is vegan milk.
It just isn’t milky enough.
And in order to get anything close to a good milk for tea or coffee, I have to buy the stuff with additives and thickeners, which is just not my speed. I’ve been making my own for several months now. (Here is a great article about the differences in non-dairy milks and how best to use them.)
But this just means that I take my tea black…or green, because that at least tastes like it’s not meant to have milk in it. (Cue subtle pout from Tea Girl over here.)
But all of that has changed. Birds sing louder. The sun shines brighter. Days are longer. (And not soley due to Daylight Savings.)
I present to you:
Delicious Non-Dairy Creamer Without Crap In It
- 1 cup cashews
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
Soak the cashews overnight. Drain. Add the cashews to 3 cups of water in the blender and process for 2-3 minutes.
You’ll want them to whir until the nuts are quite pulped.
Strain the solids from the liquid by pouring it through a fine mesh strainer or several layers of cheesecloth. You may need to strain a second time if you have gritty particles sinking to the bottom of your cashew milk. (I highly recommend the second straining.)
Save the nut pulp for something awesome like adding to homemade bread dough or making these delicious, easy crackers!
To get coconut cream, leave a can of full-fat coconut milk in the fridge for several hours. Carefully open it and spoon out the solid fatty part that rises to the top. Pour the liquid bit out to save for something else later. (The cans are usually about 1/3 to 1/2 cream.)
Rinse the blender out and return the cashew milk to it, along with the coconut cream. Blend on high for several minutes.
There you have it! A stable, non-separating, rich and creamy, neutral-tasting, additive free, non-dairy milk!
Many people are allergic to almonds and soy, two common bases for non-dairy milks. Cashews are less likely to cause a problem, which is why I went with them. Feel free to use your nut/seed/grain of choice. I would avoid using oats because of the flavor and starchy sediment.
