Almond Cow’s Guide to Freezing Your Plant-Based Milk
When you make a new batch of delicious homemade milk with Almond Cow, fresh is always best. Almond milk, coconut milk, hemp milk, cashew milk—it all needs to be consumed within 3-5 days to keep its fresh taste and avoid spoilage.
However, we also understand that things happen! People get busy or maybe 5-6 cups is just too much for you to drink. Whatever the reason, you can end up with more milk than you can use within the 3-5 day window.
At Almond Cow we’re all about sustainability, using every part of the plant, and eliminating as much waste as possible. So if you’re left with extra milk you don’t think you can finish, don’t worry. With a few easy steps, we can teach you the easiest way to freeze your plant-based milk to use later. When done properly, you can freeze milk for up to six months and it will still retain its quality. It’s a great way to have a quick backup stock of milk if needed, and it’s easy to add to some of your favorite recipes.
Step One: Getting Started
What You’ll Need to Freeze Leftover Milk
Most freezable containers with an airtight lid would suffice, but the best way to freeze extra milk is by dividing it up into an ice cube tray—preferably one with a lid to avoid any spilling. Fill each ice cube section ¾ of the way with milk. As the milk freezes, it will expand, so it’s important that you don’t overfill the containers. Cover the ice cube tray with the lid, and place the tray(s) in the freezer until solid. This should take about two hours.
When your milk ice cubes have formed, pop each ice cube out of the tray, and transfer them to a freezer bag. Mark the date on the bag so you know how long they can be stored. Now you have individual cubes you can pull from the freezer and use at will.
Repeat this process as many times as it takes to use up the remainder of your excess milk.
*Note: We do not recommend using the Almond Cow Jug to freeze milk. When the milk expands as it freezes, it can cause an excess amount of pressure on the glass, causing it to crack or break.
Step Two: Using Your Frozen Milk
If you want to thaw and drink or use your milk...
Most nut and seed milks will freeze the same, including cashew, coconut, soy, hemp, and oat. During the freezing process, the milk solids can separate from the liquid. So if you were to remove some of your milk ice cubes from the freezer, and wait for them to thaw into a drinkable glass of milk again, the texture would be slightly more grainy than the original drink before it was frozen.
If you’d like to use the milk ice cubes just for a glass of milk to drink, we recommend thawing the ice cubes, and blending the thawed milk before drinking. This will help the solids and liquids in the milk reconstitute as much as possible.
One of the best uses for your once frozen, now thawed plant-based milk, is in baking. The flavor profile will be the same, and of course it will still fulfill the need for liquid in the recipe. For example, you could try our Banana Bread Chocolate Cupcakes. One batch calls for over two cups of plant based milk, and you won’t have to worry about the difference in texture once the milk is mixed with the other ingredients. All you’ll taste is chocolatey goodness!
If you want to use your milk in its frozen state...
The two best ways to utilize your frozen plant milk involve leaving it in its frozen state.
You can add any kind of frozen almond milk, creamer, cashew milk, or whichever flavor of plant milk you'd like, to your morning brew to create a flavorful iced coffee. The coffee will become more diluted with milk as it melts, but that’s just an invitation to add more coffee as it does!
If coffee isn’t your thing, the frozen plant-based ice cubes are delicious when used in a smoothie drink or bowl recipe. Try our Refreshing Green Smoothie which also utilizes leftover almond pulp cubes, or create your own recipe by combining the ice cubes with your favorite combinations of fruits, vegetables, and healthy ingredients.
Step Three: Share the Love
What method of using your frozen milk worked best for you?
Did you try both methods for using your frozen nut milk? Which did you prefer? Let us know in the comments which recipes you used and how they turned out!
