How to make a completely milk-free latte
This has come as a shock to us too, but according to the experts at ChefSteps, it’s 100% possible to make without any milk or milk-substitute.
Yes, you read that correctly. Although this isn’t a latte. Or is it? We’re not even sure anymore.
Well the secret to making a latte without milk is actually bacteria.
Wired recently ran a piece on this very concoction, which of course as coffee experts peaked our interest.
Who wouldn’t want to know how to make a latte (or latte-esque drink) without needing an espresso machine, milk or even milk-substitute? This could really change the way many of us make coffee, or even offer coffee in our establishments!
Using the purified waste of the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris, which infects leafy plants and gives them brown spots, you can make smooth, velvety drinks without ever needing dairy or a dairy-substitute.
All you need is some Xanthomonas campestris, which is known more commonly as Xanthan Gum.
We are obviously not plants, so this bacteria has no effect on us whatsoever, so there’s no need to be worried about using Xanthan Gum.
Coming in the form of a dusty powder, it was discovered over 60 years ago and is now found in everything from yoghurts to salad dressings.
It’s even used in egg substitutes due to thickening ability of the powder, which helps suspend solids in place and works with about any liquid.
The best thing is that it works no matter the liquid temperature, hot or cold, it thickens up. This means when blended into a coffee you can create a classic foamy drink very similar to a latte.
Surprisingly the applications are quite broad for Xanthan gum, it’s also prominent in quite a few household food products you might have either at home or already in your cafe or coffee shop.
Commonly found in ketchup, Xanthan gum keeps fluids in a suspended state, a ‘wobbly solid’ if you will. But as soon as pressure is placed upon them, they flow like a fluid. This is why ketchup gets stuck in the glass bottle, meaning you have to hit the bottom of the bottle to get it to ‘pour’.
Well this is how we make a latte-esque drink with zero milk whatsoever.
What you’ll need:
- Brewed coffee
- Xanthan gum
- A blender or stick blender will work
Method
- Brew any coffee you wish, in any volume you want, this amount will expand once blended much like with foamed milk.
- Add approximately 0.1% Xanthan gum which is 1g per litre.
- Now blend the mixture, starting slowly, then progressively faster until a rich foamy liquid is created.
- Pour into your serving cup and drink!
The perfect solution to latte-like drinks without ever needed an espresso machine or any barista training for that matter!
Velvety smooth just like a top-class speciality drink and with 5% of the effort.
Try experimenting to find the right flavour combinations that your menu will benefit from, and if you are still not sure, the guys at ChefSteps have made this handy little video to show you how to make a dairy-free latte:
If you want to start giving this a go in your coffee shop or cafe, then we have all the drip coffee accessories you could possibly need to start making milk-free lattes an established part of your coffee menu!
Check out our multipurpose Blendtec blenders, superb Bunn filter coffee machines and why not give our exceptional coffee the no-milk treatment?…