Favorite vegan milk alternatives

[patientia]

Oatly. But it's too expensive here (greedy importer) so I haven't bought it in years.

[Gwydion]

chocolate oatly amazin
drank a whole litre this afternoon haha!

http://www.veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25779

Second post onwards - apologies

[kikifromscotland]

I just tried the organic Oatly last week. It's yummy, although I prefer soya in tea/ coffee/ cereal/ cooking, I can drink Oatly straight from the glass, which I generally only do with Chocolate soya milk.

[Sgable84]

I don't use anything instead of it, because it's not necessary to use cow milk in the first place.

If I have a recipe that calls for soymilk, I will use soymilk, rice milk, or oat milk, but this is definitely not instead of cow pus, considering the recipe was vegan and well-thought-out to begin with.

I agree with you 100%. But...I do like a glass of soy milk every now and then

[TXvegan]

I said combination, but what I mean is that it varies. I will often buy whatever one is on sale. I don't drink it straight, so I'm not partial to anything for that reason. Do love a Soy Creamer I've found recently for coffee. Plus, I found a Soy Nog yesterday...yay!

[Back-Space]

I made almond milk a while ago, and I added some chocolate sauce to it It was amazing... But way too much work to do again

[Rhys]

Soy milk's my favorite but will also drink/use almond milk once in a while.

[Night_Owl]

Almond breeze so far.

[RubyDuby]

^ yum.

[megrainbows]

I really like Rice dream hazelnut & almond, but in my opinion it is better microwaved for a minute I can only get it in Holland & Barretts though which is annoying, as my nearest is 10 miles away.

[SugarPlumFairy]

I drink a lot of Pacific non sweetened organic almond milk with my brown rice protein shakes, but I add a packet of stevia to it for sweetness.

[lortaylove]

I love rice milk, i could drink carton after carton (if it wasn't so damned expensive)
i also like coconut milk.

i don't like plain soya milk but i like soya milkshakes ^_^

and i agree about cheesly :P you may as well chew on a rubber boot it tastes about the same

[MrWizzle]

I emailed Oatly regarding their source of vitamin D and received this response today:


"Thank you for your inquiry of Oatly. We have today four products on the UK market, organic, enriched, chocolate and cream. Organic and cream are both suitable for vegans. Enriched and chocolate are both enriched with vitamin D3. For you information we are changing D3 to D2 which means that the products will be suitable for vegans as well. Because of stock these products are not yet available on the shelf but they will be around beginning of March. All products with best before date 01-01-2012 and after contain vitamin D2."

Good news, as their chocolate milk is delicious (oops, I've had it twice).

[pusskins]

Oh wow! Thanks for posting this MrWizzle!

[Gwydion]

Good work MrWizzle! Sweet potato.

[Firestorm]

Thats brilliant news about Oatly, their oat milk and cream* are nice, but Ive wanted to try the Chocolate milk for ages but couldnt - thanks MrWizzle!

My favourite Soya Milk has to be So Good, I know that it used to taste like rat vomit, but they changed the recipe about a year ago and it tastes much better now.

With regards to cheese alternatives I have to agree that some of the Cheezly does taste like old boots, but Ive found some to be OK,the super melting edam is nice in a "Cheese and Onion Quiche", the super melting nacho style is ok (especially on a lasagna or a chilli non carne lasagna) and they have recently brought out a cheese with bacon bits in - which tastes brilliant. But most of the time I prefer Sheese strong cheddar style.

*Just a quick note about Oatly Cream, if you blend some with Kahlua Mocha it becomes a gorgeous creamy liqueur (quite like Baileys).

[Greyowl55]

I never really used to drink dairy milk anyway, so I have not had to find a replacement as such - it has been more an issue of remembering to drink a large glass of soya milk to get the B12. I find it quite palatable. The Co-op doesn't seem to have their own brand, but they do stock limited amounts of Alpro. Otherwise it's Morrisons or Tesco's own brand, unsweetened.

[pusskins]

The Co-op do stock their own brand soya milk - usually it's about £1.30 or something. Quite expensive.

[Greyowl55]

The Co-op do stock their own brand soya milk - usually it's about £1.30 or something. Quite expensive.

Thanks for that - obviously hasn't reached this neck of the woods yet. I'm not paying that for it anyway!

[Veggie Tales]

I prefer almond milk, unsweetened though. I used to be hooked on Chocolate Silk (soymilk) but it's just to much sugar to have as staple! I have also read so many debates about soy that I avoid it when possible. I still eat tofu and faux soy meat sometimes but cut out soy milk.

[Assaye]

So far we've tried Alpro light and Alpro unsweetened, which are fine for cooking savory stuff but I don't like them much. Provamel unsweetened is also fine for cooking but again, I don't like to drink it. I enjoy Provamel sweetened, though. I was initially skeptical but the longer I go without real milk, the more I like the soy milk. I also had an Alpro strawberry soy shake the other day and that was DELICIOUS. I'm craving it so badly.

As for cheese - we've tried Cheezly and Sheese. Both have their place. The strong mature Sheese is good for a cheesey flavour and goes really far as it's so potent. Cheezly needs more for the flavour, I find, but is good for a cheesey texture (such as on pizza). I also like Cheezly cheddar toasties.

Tofutti cream cheese is great - made a really excellent creamy pasta dish with it the other day. Mmmm. Also lovely on a bagel.

[Firestorm]

So far we've tried Alpro light and Alpro unsweetened, which are fine for cooking savory stuff but I don't like them much. Provamel unsweetened is also fine for cooking but again, I don't like to drink it. I enjoy Provamel sweetened, though. I was initially skeptical but the longer I go without real milk, the more I like the soy milk. I also had an Alpro strawberry soy shake the other day and that was DELICIOUS. I'm craving it so badly.

As for cheese - we've tried Cheezly and Sheese. Both have their place. The strong mature Sheese is good for a cheesey flavour and goes really far as it's so potent. Cheezly needs more for the flavour, I find, but is good for a cheesey texture (such as on pizza). I also like Cheezly cheddar toasties.

Tofutti cream cheese is great - made a really excellent creamy pasta dish with it the other day. Mmmm. Also lovely on a bagel.

I agree, Alpro is great for cooking and great in tea, but doesn't make a good beverage on its own - except the flavoured versions. I really like So Good fresh Soya Milk, So Good UHT oat milk, Marks and Spencer Soya Milk and Rice Dream Rice Milk - they do some great flavours also.

[LadyBug23]

I like almond, rice, and coconut milks.

The only soy milk I like is Silk's Dark chocolate.

[phiewe]

I use rice dream - organic or original. Pretty okay on cereal, or in baking but wouldnt drink a glass of it! Kinda scared to try others though oatly is on the shelves and I wonder if its good.. Advice?

[xwitchymagicx]

I use rice dream - organic or original. Pretty okay on cereal, or in baking but wouldnt drink a glass of it! Kinda scared to try others though oatly is on the shelves and I wonder if its good.. Advice?

I love Rice Dream as a milkshake...I could not drink any milk plain. Btw...going organic often means no calcium/vitamin D/B12...just if you didn't know...I prefer to go non-organic as I like to make sure I get enough calcium as possible!!!

I heard oately wasn't vegan, maybe I'm imagining this.

I wish they did the almond milk and coconut milk like they do in America with all the minerals added.

[xwitchymagicx]

I prefer almond milk, unsweetened though. I used to be hooked on Chocolate Silk (soymilk) but it's just to much sugar to have as staple! I have also read so many debates about soy that I avoid it when possible. I still eat tofu and faux soy meat sometimes but cut out soy milk.

I am the same...I've converted to drinking/using rice milk...but still eating tofu/tempeh as I think it is best to get a variety rather than eat too much!

[phiewe]

I love Rice Dream as a milkshake...I could not drink any milk plain. Btw...going organic often means no calcium/vitamin D/B12...just if you didn't know...I prefer to go non-organic as I like to make sure I get enough calcium as possible!!! I heard oately wasn't vegan, maybe I'm imagining this. I wish they did the almond milk and coconut milk like they do in America with all the minerals added.

Thanks for your reply this is very true, I am getting myself off the organic slowly the other type just doesn't taste quite the same!! Maybe I wont try Oatlys if it isn't vegan, thanks for the advice

Maybe I should just be a bit more adventurous with trying :s!!

[Firestorm]

Maybe I wont try Oatlys if it isn't vegan

With regards to Oatly, originally the organic versions were vegan, but the non-organic were not (Vitamin D3), but they are changing this (this post explains it all http://www.veganforum.com/forums/sho...l=1#post673869).

I find that Oatly can be a bit tastless/weak sometimes, but SoGood (who make fresh soya milk) do a UHT Oat Milk which IMO tastes better, you could also try Kara Dairy free - its a UHT "milk" made from coconuts and is in Tesco.

Rice Dream is great but you could also try Provamels rice milk - I find that quite nice.

Have fun.

[xwitchymagicx]

For some reason the coconut milk sold in Tesco's gives me headaches! Probably a coincidence though!

Well, least if oately goes vegan, vegans have a choice of mineral/vitamin enriched rice, soya and oat milks!

Do they do hemp milk? I've never seen it.

[Firestorm]

For some reason the coconut milk sold in Tesco's gives me headaches! Probably a coincidence though!

Well, least if oately goes vegan, vegans have a choice of mineral/vitamin enriched rice, soya and oat milks!

Do they do hemp milk? I've never seen it.

The only hemp milk that I have seen is in health food shops - costs a fortune and tastes like old wallpaper

[Firestorm]

I just tried Quinoa Milk. Dont bother. It tastes like evil.Yuk.Yuk.Yuk. And it cost me £2.95

[buttons]

gg

[buttons]

Aussie Soy Lite. It's really beany (it's not made to taste like cow ooze). I also love Yenson's, but the lack of fortification rules it out for daily use!

[Firestorm]

I don't really keen on soya milk that tastes like beans, I know this sounds bad but I prefer it to taste slightly similar to "Cow Ooze" (great term for milk by the way).
Its partly because when I'm at work, if the Omni's run out of cows milk they will use my soya milk (which I am more than happy to let them do) and if it tastes similar or not to far off cows milk then they actually quite enjoy it and it shows them that soya milk is nice.

That notwithstanding, I probably cant remember what cows milk taste like now anyway.

[buttons]

"Cow Ooze" (great term for milk by the way).

It's the great divide in our household (besides meat and whatnot): Cow Ooze vs. Bean Juice!

[Frosty]

We bought some Oatly milk today for the first time. Not tried it yet, but I have tried the chocolate milk (also bought today for the first time) and it is tasty!

[Firestorm]

There's a couple of new products available soon - So Good Rice & Easy (Sainsburys), Worthenshaws Oat Drink (Asda) and apparently Tesco stock hemp milk.

[bobby]

I currently use Tempt hemp milk. Tis yum.

[Firestorm]

I just tried Good Hemp Milk from Tesco. It tasted like pond water. I'm sticking with Soy, Rice, Oat & Coconut

[bobby]

Yeah, I don't like plain hemp milk. I mainly use it in recipes and my morning oatmeal. I have never been a plain milk "drinker.

[Firestorm]

Just thought that I would post that Alpro have increased the b12 levels in their long life 1 litre cartons of Soya milk. It was .50mcg per 100ml, its now gone up to 1.25mcg per 100ml instead

[gx2]

I've tried almond and coconut, and they taste, obviously, like almond and coconut, and they seem a bit sweet, particularly the almond. I haven't tried soy, but maybe that's what I need. Anything I cook with these other milks tastes either sweet and nutty, or coconutty, which works for some things but not everything. Is soy milk more neutral? I should have tried soy first.

Or maybe different milks work best for different purposes? I got these milks because I'm trying to woo my 3-year-old onto them, and I thought soy was the least likely to appeal to her, but the ones I've tried seem unsuited for at least non Thai savory cooking. Do people often get one milk for drinking (if someone in their house drinks milk) and another for cooking?

[CoolCat]

I use soy milk in cooking that doesn't have flavour or sugar added (so just beans and water) and another one for drinking (has sugar and a hint of vanilla). I don't like rice milk, not for drinking and not for cooking. That is just personal preference though. I sometimes use oat cream in cooking too.

[gx2]

Thanks - although I feel silly as there's a huge thread re milks down a bit. I'll read that too, although I'm not sure it'll answer my specific question: a neutral taste when cooking with a milk alternative.

[Risker]

There's so many! Even just soya milk has a load of variations such as sweetened/unsweetened, light, UHT and fresh. It's really a case of trial and error as to what you like.

With regards to coconut milk, there's regular coconut milk that's meant to taste of coconuts but there's also dairy alternative coconut milk like kara which tastes nothing like coconut. I don't think you can get that particular brand in the US so not terribly helpful, but just mentioning that there's two different types in case you didn't know.

[pat sommer]

What recipe specifically would you like to replace dairy in?

For creamy sauces or soups, I like to spike with nutbutter/creme or a good oil (macadamia is better than butter) or a complimentary seasoning: a pinch of something often makes the difference.

No matter which you choose, taste buds typically need a month to fully adjust.

[tofu_lew]

Bonsoy is the best soya-based drink for coffee made using an expresso machine. It is made for the steamer.

[Daffodil]

hmmm am I right in thinking that Tricalcium Phosphate isn't vegan and is from bones? I've just found an alternate Soya milk because for the last 2 weeks, Tesco haven't stocked my Alpro milk so I thought I'd try their SOYA sweetened milk, checked the ingredients quickly and seemed ok but couldn't get an internet signal in the shop to check this one out so i just bought 2 cartons to try. have just looked it up and found that it may not be vegan after all (shame because it's half the price of Alpro).
Can anyone clear this up for me? Thanks.

[Risker]

^ Does it not say suitable for vegetarians on it? It's not on the suitable for vegans list unfortunately - but I don't think that means it isn't.

[Daffodil]

^Just wondering if anyone knew anything about Tricalcium Phosphate.