Corn Milk Is The Unlikely Addition For Sweeter Iced Coffee

Since its domestication as a Mexican crop, corn has become a venerated and vital staple in nearly every culinary tradition. Yellow corn is the most ubiquitous variety for consumption in North America, Europe, and Asia. We eat it off the cob with melted butter and salt, and add kernels to rice, chili, or vegetable medleys for a sweet and savory complement. We'll emphasize its sweetness by turning it into ice cream, cake, or soufflé. Beyond corn syrup, it's hard to imagine corn as a sweetener or flavor agent for beverages. But corn milk is the unlikely ingredient that will take your iced coffee to sweet and flavorful heights.

A common recipe in Vietnamese and Brazilian cuisines, corn milk is a creamy, rich, sweet mixture of creamed corn and sweetened condensed milk. Brazilians use corn milk as a cocktail mixer for cachaça in the popular Batida de Milho Verde, while Vietnamese corn milk is enjoyed over ice for a sweet treat. When used as an additive to iced coffee, corn milk tempers bitterness and acidity, enhances tasting notes, and adds a velvety consistency. Considering sweetened condensed milk is a common complementary ingredient for coffee in Vietnam, corn milk in iced coffee is simply a unique twist on Vietnamese coffee. The distinct corn taste complements the toasted, nutty, and earthy notes in coffee, while the sweetened condensed milk softens the bitter finish with sweetness.

In its simplest form, corn milk combines a can of creamed corn and a can of sweetened condensed milk in a blender and blitzes until smooth. However, you can make vegan corn milk by blending a can of creamed corn with a can of coconut cream. If you don't need added sugar and prefer to rely on the sweetness of the corn alone, you can blend creamed corn with evaporated milk or unsweetened coconut milk. The natural starches in corn will thicken it without turning it into a viscous syrup-like condensed milk. To create a uniform consistency, pour the corn milk through a mesh strainer or cheesecloth before using it in iced coffee.

Once you've blended corn milk, pour it into a glass of iced coffee with a 1-to-2 ratio of milk to coffee. Add a few scoops of ice to the glass, stir, and enjoy! You can also make a boozy coffee beverage by adding a shot of rum, coffee liqueur, or vanilla vodka to your glass. If iced coffee isn't your thing, try adding corn milk to matcha or iced lattes. If you have an ice cream maker at home, corn milk makes a luscious ice cream flavor that you can turn into an affogato. If you can add corn milk to coffee, you can add a shot of espresso to corn milk ice cream!