Once an alternative for lactose intolerant consumers, plant-based milks have moved into the mainstream. Most cafes now offer one or more alternatives to cows’ milk.
But can plant-based milks bring the same flourish to lattes as their traditional counterpart?
Plant-based milks are booming. They’ve moved from soy to a range that includes almond, oat, rice and more.
Some consumers make the switch for ethical reasons: concerns about the treatment of cows, or concerns about dairy’s impact on the environment.
Others do so for health: many plant-based milks are now also fortified with vitamins and minerals, and often claim a lower calorie count than cows’ milk.
But for plant-based milks to thrive on the buzzing coffee scene, they have to prove they’re equal or superior to cows’ milk in all aspects. That also means giving the same impact when it comes to frothing, texture, and the final flourish of latte art.
And that’s prompted innovation in ‘barista-style’ alternative milks.
With many different barista brands taking to the show floor at the London Coffee Festival, these innovations assure consumers and baristas alike that alternative milks are not a compromise: but a choice that can create a carefully crafted cappuccino just as well as dairy.
The science of milk
However, creating top quality, barista-style plant based milk has not been simple. Dairy milk contains proteins such as casein and whey that trap air bubbles. Fat globules also act as stabilizers to keep those bubbles intact.
Not so with non-dairy milks: which have a different protein structure. That means they’ve traditionally been much more difficult to foam in the same manner as consumers expect. But a new wave of barista milks are changing that.
Having launched its original oat drink in 2019, Moma moved into barista milks in 2022. That was followed by Barista Professional and Organic Barista towards the end of 2023.
The milks are designed to be ‘fully foamable’, as well as being vegan and packed with calcium, iodine and vitamins D3, B2 and B12.
“What primarily distinguishes our barista milks is their superior foaming ability,” explained Lizzie Allman, brand manager.
“During production, we add specific enzymes that modify the protein structure. This slight breakdown of protein chains enhances the volume of foam produced when steamed or using a home frother. Additionally, we include a touch more oil in our Barista range to achieve a richer, creamier texture, similar to how higher fat content in dairy milk enhances both taste and frothing.”
For Allman, what’s important about barista milks is what made plant-based milks popular to start with: their sustainability positioning over cows’ milk. At Moma, that also includes using UK-grown oats, all fully traceable to the farm and field and sourced within 100 miles of the production facility (on average, a pack of the brand’s oat milk has a 70% lower climate footprint compared to dairy milk and 23% less than an oat-based competitor, according to the brand).
Carlsberg Britvic debuted its Plenish Barista range in September 2023. It includes three varieties: almond, soya and oat.
“Our Barista M*lks are specially formulated to behave like dairy milk in coffee,” explained Russell Goldman, managing director, Breakthrough Brands at Carlsberg Britvic.
“For example, they don’t split when mixed with hot or acidic espresso and they create a silky micro-foam that’s ideal for latte art. The texture is smooth, and the taste is clean, designed to complement rather than overpower the flavor of your coffee.”
What’s important to Plenish, continued Goldman, is that the plant-based m*lks don’t use gums or acidity regulators to improve performance. Instead, it uses a patent-pending formulation.
“This includes a plant-derived base material, optionally treated with a protein or peptide agent, along with coconut cream and/or coconut milk, and water, resulting in a stable, creamy m*lk that froths beautifully and blends effortlessly with coffee,” explained Goldman.
“It’s a technical achievement that reflects our commitment to purity, performance, and great taste.”
