Can You Substitute Almond Milk for Milk?

Have you recently started eliminating dairy from your diet? Are you curious if almond milk can be used as a direct substitute for cow’s milk? 

You can substitute almond milk for cow’s milk in almost every recipe! In fact, almond milk is a great choice and can provide you with similar amounts of nutrients as cow’s milk. 

This article will answer some of the most common questions people ask when considering making the swap to almond milk. 

Can You Substitute Almond Milk For Milk in Baking?

Baking tends to be a fairly technical form of cooking and therefore you might go through some trial and error when beginning to use almond milk, however it certainly can be done! 

When baking you can use a 1:1 substitution when replacing cow’s milk, but you will need to watch your timer a little closer. 

Almond milk contains a higher percentage of water than cow’s milk.

When it is used in baking, that water evaporates quicker which shortens the time your baked goods need to stay in the oven.

Just take care to watch your baked goods and set the timer for a few minutes less than the recipe suggests and you shouldn’t run into any issues. 

One important difference to be aware of is that almond milk doesn’t contain the same amount of protein that cow’s milk does, which will likely affect the “browning” effect.

If you are making something such as sugar cookies or banana bread you may not achieve the same color, but they will still taste delicious! 

Almond Milk to Milk Ratio

You can use a 1 :1 ratio when substituting cow’s milk with almond milk. Essentially this just means that if a recipe asks for 1 cup of cow’s milk, you can use 1 cup of almond milk in its place.

However, there are a few situations where you might need to add an additional ingredient or subtract an ingredient in order to achieve the same results. 

For instance, if you are making something that needs to thicken, such as gravy or chowder, you may need to add a thickening agent. Almond milk is thinner than cow's milk and would benefit from some added flour or cornstarch to ensure you still get the same consistency.

Another example would be if you are using sweetened almond milk. While sweetened almond milk isn’t recommended for cooking recipes, you can use it in baking without a problem. 

But, if you want to keep your dessert closer to the level of sweetness you’re used to you may want to emit some of the sugar in another part of the recipe to balance out the sweetness in the almond milk. 

Benefits of Substituting Almond Milk For Milk

When we discuss the benefits of replacing cow’s milk with almond milk there are two main areas to bring up:

• Health benefits, and 
• Environmental benefits

Health Benefits of Substituting Almond Milk For Milk

There are plenty of benefits to almond milk, including: 

• Lower in calories 
  • Depending on the brand, almond milk can have 50%-80% less calories than cow’s milk 
  • Almond milk is considered a low glycemic index food
• High in magnesium
• High in calcium
  • Contrary to popular opinion, almond milk can still provide you with calcium and aid in bone health. Many store-bought almond milks include added calcium to provide even more nutrients. 
• High in vitamin E
  • Almond milk contains high levels of vitamin E. Vitamin E is an antioxidant and can lower your chances of suffering from dangerous health effects such as strokes or heart disease. 

Here's a nutritional comparison of almond milk vs. cow's milk.

Nutrition Facts Disclaimer

Environmental Benefits of Substituting Almond Milk For Milk

One common reason that people want to switch to plant-based milks such as almond milk is to help the environment.

All forms of plant based milk are considered to be better for the environment than cow’s milk. 

This is because plant-based milk does not produce as many greenhouse emissions, they can be farmed using less land, and they take less water to grow. 

For instance, in a comparison done by BBC Science Focus: 

One glass of cow’s milk produces 0.63kg of emissions, takes up 1.79 square meters of land, and uses 125.6 liters of water.

In comparison, one glass of almond milk produces 0.14kg of emissions, takes up 0.1 square meters of land, and uses 74.3 liters of water. 

Substituting Almond Milk For Breakfast

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Waffles?

Almond milk should taste good in waffles, and you can also use other alternative milks. The eggs will help the recipe to bind well, and the almond milk will offer a pleasant, nutty flavor.

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Scrambled Eggs?

You will probably not notice any difference between almond milk and dairy milk in scrambled eggs. The flavor may be slightly different, but the texture should be the same. Almond milk will work well in scrambled eggs.

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Biscuits?

You can use almond milk instead of dairy milk for biscuits, and they should still be fine. Many people prefer almond milk in biscuits, as it can provide a light, nutty flavor that tastes great.

Sometimes, biscuits cook a little faster when they include almond milk, so keep an eye on them while they are baking.

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Muffins?

You can use almond milk instead of dairy milk for muffins. You may want to opt for unsweetened almond milk if you are making savory muffins, or you can use sweetened if you’re going to make sweet muffins. Either should work fine and will result in a great taste and texture.

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Pancakes?

There is no issue with swapping almond milk for standard milk in pancakes, and you may want to try this some time. If you’re making buttermilk pancakes, almond milk should work just as well, and it will have no impact on the texture. You may find that the taste is faintly nutty compared with dairy milk.

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Omelets?

Almond milk will work fine for omelets, just as it will work for scrambled eggs. You can use it at the same ratios as dairy milk, and it will make your omelet fluffy and thick, just like dairy milk.

Almond milk should be fine in almost all recipes that contain egg, because the egg offers the binding to stick everything together. Almond milk omelets taste delicious!

Substituting Almond Milk in Savory Dishes

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Mac And Cheese?

Almond milk will work for mac and cheese, but some people do find that the flavor is altered when using this kind of milk. You may wish to try a small batch before you make a full meal with almond milk, to check whether you like the taste. However, in terms of texture, the dish should still work fine.

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Mashed Potatoes?

Almond milk will certainly work beautifully for mashed potatoes, although you should make sure you are using unsweetened almond milk, or your potatoes may end up tasting sugary. Almond milk will provide a different flavor to dairy milk, but it is fairly creamy and will make lovely, fluffy potatoes.

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Hamburger Helper?

Nutty milks don’t work brilliantly well for hamburger helper because they alter the taste, but almond milk is usually the best choice if you don’t want to use dairy milk, because it does have a fairly mild flavor.

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Creamed Spinach?

There are plenty of recipes for making creamed spinach with almond milk, and this substitution works really well. You will likely be able to taste the almond milk, but the flavor is great with the spinach.

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Casserole?

Almond milk will work at the same ratios when used in a casserole. Depending on the other ingredients, you may or may not be able to taste the difference, but on the whole, you’ll get a moist and delicious dish when you use almond milk.

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Rice Pudding?

If you use almond milk to make rice pudding, you will probably find that it turns out a little looser than with dairy milk, and it may be a little sloppy. It might also have a different flavor, with a slightly nutty undertone. Try adding less almond milk than dairy milk, and see if that improves the texture.

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Quiche?

Again, make sure you are using unsweetened almond milk, otherwise it may affect the taste of your quiche in a negative way. Even with unsweetened, you may be able to taste the almonds, so choose other ingredients that will pair well with this.

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Meatloaf?

Plain, unsweetened almond milk will work well as a milk substitute for meatloaf. You may find that the dish is a little less creamy than when you use cow’s milk, but the texture should still be great and the flavor shouldn’t be noticeably different.

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Bread?

Almond milk works beautifully in bread and shouldn’t cause any problem. You may get a slightly nutty flavor, but otherwise, it will be much the same.

Substituting Almond Milk in Sweet Dishes

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Frosting?

Almond milk should work just as well as cow’s milk when you are making frosting, although you may find that you can taste the almonds slightly, especially if your frosting recipe calls for a large ratio of milk. You may want to choose unsweetened almond milk so that it doesn’t affect the amount of sugar you need.

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Pudding?

You can use almond milk for pudding, but you may find that you need slightly less almond milk than dairy milk, or your pudding may turn out runny. Try using 1.5 cups of almond milk for every 2 cups of cow’s milk. This will ensure that the pudding sets well. If you do a direct swap, your pudding may come out a little thin.

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Instant Pudding?

Almond milk will also work for instant pudding, but again, cut back on the amount of milk to a degree. The recommendation is 1.25 cups of almond milk for every 2 cups of cow’s milk. If you put the same amount of milk in, you will probably get a runny mess, so be careful.

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Pumpkin Pie?

If you are going to swap the evaporated milk in pumpkin pie for almond milk, make sure you use unsweetened almond milk. The same ratio should work, and this is a great option if you don’t have any evaporated milk available.

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Crepes?

Almond milk works fine for crepes and is one of the most popular non-dairy milk substitutes. The texture of almond milk crepes is good, although you may be able to taste the difference to some degree. Opt for unsweetened unless you want sweet crepes.

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Cookies?

Almond milk will work fine in cookies, but because the water content is slightly higher than the water content of dairy milk, you may find that the cookies bake more quickly.

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Pound Cake?

Almond milk will work fine for making pound cake, and you shouldn’t need to do anything different to swap the dairy milk out.

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Flan?

Unsweetened almond milk makes a great substitute for dairy milk when you are cooking flans, and many recipes actually call for it as an alternative.

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Jello No-Bake Cheesecake?

You should find that almond milk is fine for a jello no-bake cheesecake, and it’s a great way to get rid of the dairy and make a vegan cheesecake.

Substituting Almond Milk in Creams & Sauces

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Cheese Sauce?

You may find that almond milk makes a slightly thinner cheese sauce and lends it a somewhat nutty flavor, but it should work well, and you may not even notice the difference.

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Custard?

Some nut milks are too strong to use in custard and affect the flavor, but on the whole, almond milk is fine.

Can You Substitute Almond For Milk In Sauce?

Almond milk should make a fine substitute in almost all sauces, so don’t be afraid to experiment!

FAQ

We are going to answer three common questions regarding using almond milk as a substitution for cow’s milk. 

Can You Use Almond Milk Instead of Whole Milk?

You can absolutely use almond milk in place of whole milk with a 1 : 1 substitution. Almond milk contains less fat than whole milk as well, which makes it a low-fat alternative.

Just remember, when baking or making items that need to thicken, you may need to add a thickening agent as almond milk will not thicken quite as well as whole milk. 

Can You Use Almond Milk Instead of Skim Milk?

You can use almond milk in a  1 : 1 ratio with skim milk as well.

However, if your  concerns over using cow’s milk are health related it is important to note that almond milk does generally contain a higher fat percentage than skim milk. 

The difference is that almond milk contains unsaturated fat and skim milk contains saturated fat. Unsaturated fats are generally believed to be better for your health, especially if you are at risk for diabetes. 

Can You Use Almond Milk Instead of 2% Milk?

You are probably not surprised that the answer to this final question is yes!

Almond milk can be used in place of 2% milk. In fact, almond milk has a comparable fat amount to 2% milk and a similar consistency. 

Final Thoughts

Almond milk is a great substitution for cow’s milk and hopefully this article has answers some of the most common concerns about this popular milk. No matter the reason you are making the switch to almond milk you don’t have to worry about losing out on your favorite recipes!