How to Froth Almond Milk for a Heavenly Tasting Cup of Coffee?

Only coffee freaks would know what’s better than almond milk. It’s the frothed almond milk! However, getting the perfectly frothed creamy almond milk, for your latte to taste heavenly, is an art in itself. But before I tell you how to master this art lets first have a brief overview of what makes almond milk a preferred choice and why coffee lovers love to froth the almond milk for their cup of coffee.

Why Use Almond Milk?

Almond milk is one of the most popular plant based milks made by blending almonds with water. It is becoming increasingly popular among the coffee lovers for various reasons and is available in an array of flavors. According to statistics, almond milk tops the list of most popular plant-based milks in United States.

Almond milk is being preferred for a number of reasons. Lets have a look at some of the reasons why coffee lovers are preferring it;

• It is used by those who are looking for alternatives to dairy products as they want to go dairy-free. Along with other alternatives, almond milk with varying fats content is one of the preferred choices.
• It is loved by coffee lovers across the globe because of its ability to be frothed into perfect creamy texture.
• Those who have lactose intolerance can safely switch to almond milk as an alternative.
• One of the compelling reasons for using almond milk is its health benefits. It has lesser fat i.e. 2 to 4 mg in a cup which falls within the FDA recommended levels. And even those fats are healthful as compared to whole milk. This is because almond milk has unsaturated fat. Moreover, almond milk reduces the risk of heart problems and is rich in vitamin D.

Why Froth the Almond Milk

While some people might not even bother to froth the milk while making themselves a cup of coffee, most people can’t imagine having a cup of coffee without oozing, creamy foam atop. Not only does it look more scrumptious, but it even makes the coffee taste better. Frothed milk tastes even sweeter. Frothing doesn’t alter the sweetness but it does alter the perceived sweetness and hence makes the coffee taste better. It gives the coffee that rich taste which you are long for as a coffee enthusiast.

Can You Froth Almond Milk?

A general notion about almond milk is that it is difficult to froth as compared to the regular cow’s milk. Where there IS some truth in this notion, it’s just a half true statement. It can be a bit tricky to froth that version of almond milk which is low in both fat and protein content. However, most latte specific brands of almond milk you see in the stores have a bit higher content of either protein, or fat, or both.

So, the key to consider here is to pick a version that has a bit higher in protein, or fat, or both while still staying within the recommended concentration. To make it even easier for you, the latte-ready almond milk is sold by most brands under the label of barista. These coffee specific versions are really easy to froth. This is because a bit higher fat content in this milk means more foam and a bit higher protein content means lasting foam.

Where buying this particular version can make frothing much easier, it doesn’t at all mean you can’t froth a regular almond milk with comparatively lesser protein. All it requires is the right technique, and you can ready to get a kickstart for your day with a cup of perfectly frothed, foamy coffee.

How to Froth Almond Milk?

You can use a variety of different ways to froth your almond milk to get a perfect topping for your cappuccino. It all depends upon which tools do you have. It is even possible to produce a perfect foam without using fancy, sophisticated equipment. Let’s explore some of the options.

1.     Using a Hand Frother

A hand frother is one of the very basic tools you can use to froth your almond milk. The only tricky part is to heat the milk to the right temperature. Put it on the stove and heat the milk to a moderate temperature which means that you don’t want it to boil. The almond milk is heated a bit more than the whole dairy milk but it must not be boiled. Once it is the right temperature, put it in a large glass or jar and use the hand frother to froth it until you get the desired thickness of the foam.

2.     Using Electric Frother

If you have an electric frother, the frothing is made even easier. Just pour the almond milk in the frother and set the temperature between the maximum and the minimum levels. Switch on the frother and turn it off when you’ve obtained your desired consistency in the foam.

3.     French Press for Perfect Foam

Using French press is another easy and quick way of making foam in the almond milk. Warm the almond milk and pour it into the French press. Close the lid and start moving the plunger up and down. It will soon start producing foam in the milk. Stop moving the plunger once the desired results are obtained.

4.     Using Microwave Oven

Even if you don’t have any of the above-mentioned tools at home, you can froth your almond milk perfectly just by using a microwave oven. Just heat the mil in the oven for 30 seconds. Make sure you’ve taken a glass, mug, or jar which can be closed with a tight lid and is big enough to have space for foam and to avoid spilling. Take out the jar, tightly close the lid and start shaking it vigorously. Stop when the milk has doubled its volume and you will have a nice creamy foam to top your latte or cappuccino.

Why Won’t My Almond Milk Froth?

While it might be comparatively easy to froth regular dairy milk, some people might find it a bit difficult to froth almond milk. This is because it has lower fat and protein content. If you are going through the same frustration and just can’t get the desired foam, here are a few things that you should consider;

• One of the main reasons why people sometimes cannot froth the almond milk to produce hick foam is because the milk isn’t heated to the required temperature. If it is colder than required, it may not produce foam, and if it is overheated, it may curdle. For dairy milk, a temperature around 140 ֯F would be enough. However, for almond milk, the ideal temperature for producing perfect foam would be 150 ֯F. The best way to ensure that you attain this temperature is to use a thermometer. But if you don’t have one, you can simply heat the almond milk for thirty seconds and it would be ready for frothing.
• If you are using a no-fat or very low fat version of almond milk, it won’t froth. Both the protein and fat content of the milk needs to be perfect for the almond milk to froth. Where almond milk is mostly low in fat content, compared to whole dairy milk, the fat should not be too low. A minimum of 4mg fat or higher, would be required to produce foam. Whereas, a higher protein content ensures that the foam lasts longer.
• If you want a thicker, even longer lasting foam, you might need to switch to the coffee-specific or barista version of almond milk because it yields quicker, smoother, and thicker foam which is also long lasting.

Addressing the above mentioned issues might resolve the problem and give you the desired results when it comes to producing a creamy, thick foam.

Final Verdict

Almond milk for coffees is becoming an increasingly popular choice especially among the vegans and the ones who are intolerant to lactose. However, a cup of coffee isn’t perfect unless it has a scrumptious, frothy topping to make it look and taste heavenly. While most people think it can be a bit tricky to froth almond milk because of being low in fat and protein, the right technique can yield a perfect creamy foam in a matter for few minutes. It can be done using some basic tools like a handheld frother, French press, electric frother, or simply an oven and a jar.

Ensuring the right temperature and a reasonable fat to protein ratio can help you get a nice frothy milk for your cappuccino or latte. Not only would it taste awesome, but will also be loaded with the health benefits because of being high in vitamin D.