How to make a tasty non dairy tea and coffee - especially soya coffee/latte

[NicoleLackenby]

Hi

I have recently started cutting dairy out of my diet as I have read that it can significantly improve acne. I'm on my 9th day and my skin does seem to a bit a better so sticking to it for at least a month to see if does actually help me and my skin hasn't just got a little better by itself.

I don't mind breakfast with non-dairy milks but what I'm really struggling with is how to make a nice cup of tea or a nice coffee.

I've tried unsweetened soya milk from lidl and sainsbury's but both taste too 'beany' for me. I don't want to try the sweetened versions due to the added sugar but I understand that cow's milk contains lactose so is naturally sweet and will therefore be hard to replicate in a healthy way.

I've now tried Alpro Original Soya milk as it's sweetened with grape juice I think. It does taste nicer but still can't get it to taste like the soya coffee/lattes I've had from cafes.

Does anyone have any tips please?

Thanks in advance 🙂

[A_Lurker]

It's not really advice on soy products.  What type of teas do you drink.  I tend towards herbal blends and green tea blends.  A few pieces of rock sugar is all that I need.  Years ago (more like decades ago) I took milk and sugar in both coffee and tea.  One night I was somewhere and they didn't have milk or cream so I actually took it black.  I realized that if the coffee or tea is good it really doesn't need anything with it.

[USAF-Larry]

I agree with @A_Lurker, that good coffee or tea is much better without anything such as milk or cream to weaken its flavor. Look for better ways to make coffee and tea instead of looking for ways to "flavor" it.

[DanielleinDC]

I almost always have iced tea with just sugar, and when I do have hot tea (usually because I'm sick), I have it with sweetener only.

If soy milk doesn't work, how about almond milk or any nut milk?

[kodys_angel]

I really like Alpro Oat milk. I cut out dairy a while back and tried all the alternatives but none were that great. I recently tried Oat milk and it's delicious! I find the Alpro one is the best as the other brands seem to split in hot drinks, which doesn't taste bad but it's not great to look at. The one I get is from the long life milk section and not in the fridges 🙂 

Edit to add : It also has no added sugar

[KNagisa]

I wouldn’t opt for a soymilk alternative, because I read that it’s also not the best choice for non-dairy milk. Instead, you could use oat milk for a tasty coffee, because it has a much creamier texture which allows the milk to get frothier and result in a beautiful cappuccino for example. However, for tea, I would recommend almond milk because it feels fresher and goes better with tea. I actually quit drinking coffee and switched to smoothies that have the same energy effect. I recently tried this adaptogen mushroom blend with my smoothies and absolutely loved it. The whole day I so energized and fresh.

[SunsetRunner]

This is really an “out of the box” idea but here goes. I’m a bourbon drinker and like to add a drop or two of bitters to it. Feeling adventuresome, I added 4 drops of bitters to my French roast coffee. It was wonderful! Bitters come in several flavors. They add flavor without adding sweetness. 

[NellyG]

Hi @NicoleLackenby I have been lactose Intollerent for many years, so have tried many dairy substitutes. I started with soy milk and after a few weeks found I really liked it and after a couple of months even preferred it to dairy milk. Then I became intollerant to too much soy - very depressing! I tried many different milks and settled on Rice milk as the best tasting  in tea and coffee. However it makes lousy cappuccino so I switched to almond milk, but I simply don't enjoy no added sugar almond milk so buy the one with some added sugar - it is still much lower in calories than full cream dairy. I have recently tried Oatly (a brand of Oat Milk). I find it a little bland - no real individual flavour - but it is the closest to dairy milk I have tried with no nut or grain flavour I can detect. So give that one a try. But bear in mind that your body learns to like what you give it, so in all likelihood the flavours you find a bit weird will grow on you if you stick with them. 😁

[SabrinLochos]

Ok, thank you for this post

[TrapVisionary]

What can I say, I haven't consumed milk for more than 2 years. What can I say, I was just addicted to cappuccino, I could drink 4 times a day! My doctor told me to give up milk for a while, and the biggest problem was that I could not drink my favorite coffee. Then I began to read what to do and what to replace milk with and found an interesting site with different Let's Drink Tea teas and found a tea that not only helps to lose extra pounds, but it also tastes like cappuccino (but this is purely for my taste). So I recommend trying different teas. I hope you enjoy it.