Perhaps even a year ago, I was the person making a fuss about nut milk. I’ve always loved it on its own but wasn’t easily convinced it could never replace the rich creaminess of milk. I’ll have to bit my tongue, however, after a snowstorm prevented me from picking up milk to make a late-afternoon latte. A carton of almond milk was all I had, so that’s what I was going to use. A pot of espresso, a few dates and a dash of vanilla later, an almond-milk latte was born that I actually liked—loved even!
Don’t expect a milky sweetness in this latte. Thanks to dates and nutty almond milk, it has a grounded earthy flavor instead. If dates aren’t your thing, leave them out and use honey as your sweetener. I strongly recommend a dash of cinnamon to go with it. You can make this drink with chilled espresso for a refreshing iced latte, too, though the colder weather makes a cozy latte a welcomed afternoon treat.
Yield: 1 latte
Ingredients
- 12 ounces hot almond milk
- 4 ounces hot espresso
- 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 to 4 dried pitted Medjool dates
- pinch of salt
Preparation
Combine the hot almond milk, espresso, vanilla extract and dates in a blender, and let sit 5 minutes until dates have softened. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. If using a high-powered blender this shouldn’t be an issue, but if your blender leaves behind some larger pieces of dates, strain the liquid to remove them. Feel free to adjust the sweetness level with honey. Add a pinch of salt, and serve immediately.
