Picking non-dairy milk can quickly get very tricky especially if you want to have the same consistency as using whole milk when baking. We’re going to address if you can bake with almond milk and what exactly happens when you decide to use almond milk instead of whole milk.
Can You Bake With Almond Milk?
It is possible to bake with almond milk. Using almond milk within your recipe may yield a different result than what you’re used to with regular milk. Almond milk doesn’t have as much as the usual fat, protein, or sugar as regular milk does. Almond milk consists of more water than milk as it is dairy-free.
In most cases using almond milk can cause your cake or any other baked goods to rise less than what you usually expect and there won’t be as much browning because of the lack of sugar. Also, the baked good may be very dry as regular milk is what adds all the moisture because of its fat content.
Check out this post about the role of ingredients when baking.
What should you use to replace the fat that almond milk lacks
Using almond milk as a substitution for whole milk means that you have to add back in the fat elsewhere to have a properly textured cake. A popular choice is using coconut milk and mixing it with almond milk or if you’re looking to have even more fats use more coconut milk and mix it with a little bit of oil which can really help bring back fats and saturated fats.
In this situation, it’s best to monitor the batter and see how liquidy it is, how thick it is to really gauge what you need to do next but it’s essential to look at the original recipe to see how much fat was used to make up for it when using almond milk as it’s going to add a lot more water.
Another option is using full-fat oat milk and it is heavier in consistency and does really well in savory and desserts. Creamy cashew milk also works well because it’s more on the thicker side and people love it for its neutral flavor.
You’ll learn that using non-dairy milk and the type you use can make a difference in the way you’re baked good comes out. You may find that you will quickly have favorites on the type of non-dairy milk that you use. In this section we’re going to talk more about the different types and what happens if you use almond milk in baked goods such as muffins.
Can You Bake Muffins With Almond Milk
Muffins can be baked with almond milk but the texture of what you’re used to with regular milk may differ. The muffin can turn out great but it may be a little dense, especially within the middle of the muffin but it’s still edible and just as tasty.
If you’re looking to make the muffin completely dairy free you may have to do a direct 1:1 ratio with dairy ingredients needing to be replaced. If the recipe asks for buttermilk you will need to add vegetable oil or lemon juice to your non-dairy milk to compensate for that. Almond milk does tend to not mix well with other liquids so you need to watch your muffin batter very closely to ensure that it’s mixed. Other non-dairy milks that are used are oat milk and soy milk they both mix liquids very well.
Soy milk can also be used for baking it is high in protein and protein helps hold the muffin together and have structure once baked. It is a very popular choice for non-dairy.
You can check out this post to learn more about how rise happens when baking and how each ingredient contributes.
Ultimately the taste in your muffin can be affected because you’re changing the type of milk. Oat milk is known to have a far better taste and consistency with muffins as soy milk being the second option.
Can You Bake Brownies With Almond Milk
Baking brownies with almond milk or any other non-dairy item can absolutely work. Not using the right amount of non-dairy milk or the exact perfect ratio can lead to a very cakey-like texture for brownies. It is highly recommended to find proven recipes that have already used non-dairy milk in the brownies.
Most of the vegan-based brownie recipes that were found didn’t use any non-dairy milk items. It is completely possible to make brownies without it.
Researching more into this most bakers just recommended replacing the milk with water instead of testing it with non-dairy milk. Which I found interesting.
I looked more into this and finally found this blog. I noticed Jessica from Sweetest Menu tried many variations before she got the perfect consistency for a brownie that had a fudge-like texture while including almond milk as an ingredient to achieve this.
Can You Taste Almond Milk In Baking
Almond milk has a more neutral flavor and is equivalent to 2% milk. Tasting almond milk in your baking can really depend on the recipe. You may notice a difference or you may not. For the most part, almond milk has no sugar in it so the flavor can be very flat and doesn’t have as much sugar like whole milk does. So that alone will definitely alter the taste of your desserts.
Oat milk is highly recommended for baking as it has similar sugar levels to regular whole milk and a more neutral flavor. I myself have used almond milk to substitute whole milk and there’s definitely a whole different consistency.
I noticed the taste is different because it has a more nutty flavor so you would have to compensate and add other ingredients so that you don’t really taste it. The flavor isn’t overpowering but you still can taste the difference between drinking almond milk and whole milk.
Don’t Have Almond Milk? Here Is The Best Substitute For Milk In Baking
The most commonly used substitute for milk in baking is almond, soy, and oat milk. Almond milk is a go-to non-dairy milk that most people buy as it’s readily available and is cheap to purchase compared to other types of non-dairy milk. Almond milk has many different flavors (Unsweetened, plain, vanilla) to suit anyone’s baking or savory needs.
It has a very light neutral flavor. Oat milk is higher in fat and has more sugar than other Dairy milk. As a result, oat milk does really well and is one of the best when it comes to baking because of its fat content. There are many other substitutes that you can use and you will quickly find once you start using non-dairy milk they each have their own properties and is good in their own way depending on what you’re making.
Soy milk
Soy milk is one of the most popular non-dairy milk used for substitution in a recipe and it is known to have very similar properties to regular milk and is very high in protein. When a test was done by Food Theory one of the biggest things they noticed is that when they baked with soy milk the muffin was a bit denser. Which was probably because of the higher protein content. Whereas when almond milk and oat milk were used the muffin was fluffier and airy.
Rice Milk
Some people swear by rice milk and love baking with it. It does have a thinner liquid consistency and doesn’t have as much fat. It has a higher amount of sugar so it tends to brown baking goods more than a non-dairy milk that’s without. If you’re using rice milk you need to substitute it with some type of fat whether that’s oil or using a stick of vegan butter or regular butter.
Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is high in fat and does really well with being whipped and turned into whipped cream. It acts well as heavy cream especially if you’re needing heavier milk within your batter to substitute for the fat. It is used to mix with other non-dairy milk to compensate for the fat that some non-dairy milk doesn’t provide. There will be a coconut flavor so make sure that you like the flavor before adding it to what you’re baking.
Cashew Milk
Cashew milk is known to be way thicker and very rich and does really well in savory and baking especially if you want all the fat content it provides. It is more expensive than the other non-dairy milk such as soy or almond milk. Cashew milk whips very well and is a great substitute if you want a heavier cream.