The Easy Way To Prevent Nut Milk From Curdling In Your Cup Of Coffee

You're making an almond milk latte at home and, minutes later, you notice some unsightly curdling in the cup. The almond milk has separated, with lumps and clumps of almond protein floating around in a brown drink that no longer resembles the smooth, creamy iced coffee you envisioned. What just happened? Well, you just made one of the biggest mistakes with plant milk: you let it curdle in your coffee.

There's a scientific reason why milk curdles in tea and coffee. Coffee is acidic and, when it's hot and strong, it can split the components of plant-based and nut milk, separating the water content from all of the solid protein and fats. So, what is the easiest way to prevent nut milk from curdling in your cup of coffee?

First, you want to warm the almond milk before adding it to your coffee. However, it's important to avoid overheating the almond milk. Then, you want to pour the almond milk slowly and gently into the cup of coffee. Don't dump it all in at once, as the quick change in temperature can curdle the almond milk, especially if it's still cold. 

If the almond or nut milk still curdles in your coffee, use a teaspoon and stir the coffee to dissipate the curdling, then mix and incorporate the almond milk back into the coffee. There are also additional ways of preventing nut milk from curdling in coffee. One way is to look at the coffee beans themselves and choose a darker roast rather than a lighter roast coffee, as darker roasts are less acidic and less prone to splitting nut milk. Additionally, if the coffee is not as hot, it will be less prone to splitting the nut milk.

Another option is to buy nut milk made specifically for baristas, which is less likely to curdle. Oatly, for example, sells a barista edition of its oat milk. Pacific Foods, Almond Breeze, and Califia Farms all have a barista blend of almond milk. You can also consider using plant-based milks that are made with a mix of vegan oils and ingredients. These vegan milk options imitate the properties of dairy milk and are advertised to taste just like cow's milk in coffee. One product to consider would be Bored Cow's original rich and creamy milk alternative, which you can froth, foam, steam, and whisk just like dairy milk — and when we tested it, we found that it doesn't curdle like cold nut milk in hot coffee.