Almond Milk
Almond milk is a great substitute for milk in every aspect of cooking and baking as well as over cereal or in your morning coffee. Creamy, usually just a little sweet and high in vitamin E and other essential nutrients, almond milk is almost always found in with the other non-refrigerated boxed beverages. These dairy-free milk alternatives are usually not soy-free however, as they almost always contain soy lecithin.
While there are many varieties of almond milk available, the brand that I like the best is Blue Diamond's Almond Breeze, and I usually purchase the Original Unsweetened Variety, though the others I have tried have been tasty as well.
Homemade Almond Milk
© 2009 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc.
Rice Milk
© 2008 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc.
Rice milk is generally thinner in consistency than nut milks or soymilk, and it has a lighter, sweet flavor that is perfect for using with cereal or in coffee. While rice milk works well in baking recipes, for using in dairy-free sauce recipes it generally requires some sort of binding or stabilizing agent such as agar flakes, eggs, flour or xanthan gum.
My pick for the best rice milk? After trying many different varieties, the brand I use almost exclusively is Rice Dream Enriched Original in shelf-stable or refrigerated varieties.
Soy Milk
© 2008 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc.
Soymilk is, for the most part, the richest of non-dairy milk alternatives, contributing density through fat, fiber and protein content, while still free of cholesterol and saturated fats. Excellent for baking, cooking, in a glass or over cereal, soy milk is an easy way to add a bit of protein and dimension to your recipes, and it is the milk alternative I prefer for preparing dairy-free sauces, as it is a bit more stable at higher temperatures.
For baking, I prefer to use Westoy's Organic Unsweetened Soymilk, but for making sauces, I like using Silk's Plain Soymilk as it has added carrageenan that acts to further stabilize the liquid.
For lattes or other coffee beverages, Pacific Natural Foods makes a soy milk intended for professional use.
