How to make plant-based, dual-use barista 'milks'

A frothy coconut-milk beverage

Coconut milk was chosen for one of the recipes because it has a recognised flavour, its colour resembles that of dairy milk, and it is suitable for those who are lactose intolerant.

Li Ying says: “Coconut is one of the most popular fruits now in Asia, so we thought it would be interesting to create a coconut milk-based beverage that could be drunk on its own or frothed up to add to coffee.”

“One of the initial challenges we faced was finding readily available pure coconut cream because most options in the market already contain emulsifiers and stabilisers.”

“Coconut also gives a very creamy mouthfeel, hence adjustments had to be made with the addition of coconut cream, and the proportion of fat and protein had to be balanced too. You need a certain amount of protein to get the foaming right for this recipe, so it was a fine balance to get the mouthfeel and consistency just right. And because coconut is high in fat it is more prone to separation or creaming, but we were able to tackle these issues using Palsgaard® MilkFoam 204.”

As a dual-function recipe, it was also important to ensure the beverage is not too creamy for drinking on its own but is also the right consistency for creating a frothy coffee.

Soy-based frothy milk

In contrast, soy milk was one of the easiest to work with, according to Li Ying, and it would therefore be a good starting point for manufacturers looking to create a latte-friendly dairy alternative product for their portfolios. 

It has good frothing properties, and the team was able to create a stable, dense, and consistent foam, perfect for adding to coffee.

Li Ying says: “Soy is one of the most common raw materials in Asia and it is widely accepted by most of the consumers in the region, in terms of its consistency and mouthfeel. We found that soy milk had a similar consistency to standard dairy milk, which meant we were able to formulate the recipe really quickly.”

Frothy oat-based milk drink

Using oat milk as a base can work well because it brings a natural creaminess to the product. Manufacturers often encountered other issues though, particularly around mouthfeel and sedimentation, as Li Ying explains.

“We found that it is dependent on the type of oat-based sources, when using oat extract or oat in powdered form, we got a very different mouthfeel and consistency between the two options. In the end, we decided to use the oat extract to create this recipe.”

Li Ying’s team also had to make sure no sedimentation could be observed in the product because consumer research* commissioned by Palsgaard last year showed that while consumers are generally happy with existing plant-based products, sedimentation in plant-based ‘milks’ is one of the main areas where they would like manufacturers to make improvements.

Li Ying explains how this is another way Palsgaard® MilkFoam 204 can play a key role.

“Sedimentation is one of the common problems we see in UHT beverages, and it was one of the things we were concerned about with the oat-based milk in particular, especially if we had decided to use oat in powdered form, but Palsgaard® MilkFoam 204 helps suspend the particles to prevent them settling to the bottom.”

Palsgaard® MilkFoam 204: An overview

The three concept recipes show the versatility of Palsgaard® MilkFoam 204, demonstrating that not only can the emulsifier/stabiliser blend help to create beverages which can be drunk on their own, but all three have excellent frothing capabilities, and they are perfect for creating plant-based lattes and coffee art.

Li Ying says: “When we did the frothing, we want to make sure we have a very good, stable and dense foam to go on the surface of the coffee itself. We want it to be easy for baristas to incorporate the latte art, and it also needs to be the correct consistency for consumers to enjoy.”

“There is also a dual-use for this product because when Palsgaard® MilkFoam 204 is used to create plant-based 'milks' which have good frothing capabilities, they can be sold to both food service and household. Many people now have milk frothing devices at home, and with each of these three concept recipes you can just put the milk into the machine, press a button and you will get a very good foam to add to your coffee.”

Another plus point for Palsgaard® MilkFoam 204 is that it can be used in very low dosages to create the desired effect, which consequently delivers a cost-saving to manufacturers.

The three concept recipes also give a clear indication that Palsgaard® MilkFoam 204 can work with a variety of plant-based 'milks'. With the addition of Palsgaard® MilkFoam 204 into UHT plant-based beverages, it will provide an excellent shelf-life of around nine months.

Experience Plant-based Palsgaard

Palsgaard has a series of plant-based recipe concepts to help demonstrate how its emulsifiers and stabilisers can help customers create new products. These concepts form part of its latest plant-based campaign – Experience Palsgaard – which aims to bring together its unrivalled technical knowledge with its network of regional application centres and the latest consumer insights. To find out more, click here to Experience Plant-based Palsgaard for yourself.