Hellooo coffee lovers! I love coffee too, but you’ll almost never see me at the coffee shop, and here’s why. As a vegan, I struggle to enjoy drinking coffee out because most places only have soy milk or water-y artificially flavored nut milks as the only non-dairy options. Sure, it’s fun to go out with the girls for a coffee, but the milk options never taste good or blend in coffee, and I have to deal with those weird side-eye looks when the soy milk starts to separate and curdle…(vegans, you know what looks I’m talking about.)
So for the past few years I’ve been making my own coffee at home, a) because I’m picky about non-dairy milks, b) because I’m frugal, and c) because it’s important to me that my coffee is organic if I’m drinking it often. I buy locally roasted organic coffee beans and grind them up at home in a cheap little grinder that works wonders. And seriously, the smell of freshly ground coffee beans in the morning? Nothing better.
New Barn’s Barista almond milk blend is my go-to milk for making coffee at home. (Okay, maaaybe I’m also guilty of bringing some in the bottom of my to-go thermos when I actually do go out to my local coffee shop.) But in all seriousness, once you go Barista, you will never go back to any other non-dairy milk in your coffee. This stuff blends better than any other nut milk, which you’d think means they are using some kind of magic creepy chemical, but nope! They use far LESS ingredients than other nut milk brands so it just goes to show that simple is better. This is the kind of product that makes me proud to be a vegan, no weird looks when I take this coffee out on the town!
I use this Barista blend in my hot coffees, iced coffees, teas, smoothies, and golden milks, and let’s just say that I’m not opposed to taking a few swigs straight from the container too. Most nut milks straight up look gross when you pour them into coffee but this stuff blends right in seamlessly (hot or cold). I’ve recently been experimenting with lattes; when I’ve used other non-dairy milks, I’ve needed a little coconut butter or oil to help them foam up, but New Barn Barista foams up easily in the blender so no added oils necessary (unless you want that extra fat/energy boost!).
It’s finally strawberry season here in New York, and I’ve been dying to make a strawberry latte. Now that I’ve gotten a taste, I have a feeling I might be drinking this on the regs for the foreseeable future. It’s so simple, and only has just a few basic ingredients; I’m obsessed! (Beware- this recipe will not work with most store-bought almond milks. I’ve tried similar recipes in the past with other store-bought almond milks, and they seriously don’t blend in the same way! Barista or bust!)
STRAWBERRIES & CREAM LATTE
serves 1
prep time: 5 min | blend time: 1 min
INGREDIENTS:
1 C New Barn Barista Almondmilk
1 shot espresso or 1/4 C superwoman strength coffee – I used 2 Tbs ground organic beans (use the darkest roast you have if you don’t have espresso beans) + 1/2 C water in the french press and used about half in the recipe
1 C halved fresh strawberries (6-8 small berries, or 3-4 jumbos!)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
optional: 2-3 tsp maple syrup or 1-2 dates (depending on your sweet tooth!)
optional: 1 Tbs coconut butter (for some added fat if that’s your thing! But not necessary for foaming if you use New Barn Barista)
DIRECTIONS:
Warm up the Barista almondmilk over the stove on medium heat for 2 minutes or so. Be careful not to over-heat it here; take it off the heat right before it boils.
Combine the almondmilk with all of the other ingredients in your blender and blend on high! I use a Vitamix so this took me less than one minute to get a smooth consistency and a nice layer of foam. If you have a weaker blender, it might take longer and you may need to strain out the strawberry seeds if your blender didn’t take care of them.
Pour and top it off with extra strawberries or strawberry whipped cream (recipe below) if your heart desires! (Or drizzle some chocolate syrup on there if you’re feelin extra fancy.) Enjoy immediately while hot!
For an iced latte, wait a few minutes and then pour over ice! The bigger the cubes the better so it doesn’t get too watered down. Even after sitting for a few minutes and pouring over ice, the Barista almondmilk doesn’t separate; this latte is indestructable!
BONUS RECIPE! STRAWBERRY WHIPPED CREAM:
Let a can of coconut milk cool in the fridge overnight. Once cooled, scoop out the solid coconut in the top half of the can (keep the liquidy remainder for smoothies!). Take that solid coconut cream and add 1 tsp vanilla, 3-4 medium strawberries, and 1 tsp maple syrup. Mix with an electric mixer or blend in a blender, stopping every few seconds to scrape the sides. Watch this funky clumpy mixture turn into creamy goodness right before your eyes. Eat most of it off the spoon and save one spoonful to top off your latte. You won’t regret it.
P.S. A big thank you to New Barn for sponsoring this post! Recipe and opinions are 100% my own and I only work with companies whose products I genuinely use and love.
For the animals,
