The way milk is added to coffee has changed significantly on a global scale. People are trying different types of milk in coffee to see if it changes the taste or if it is better for their health.
However, your local coffee shop doesn’t provide buttermilk; why is this?
The combination of buttermilk and coffee is not worth it from a flavor standpoint. Buttermilk doesn’t suit the flavor of coffee well. If you mix the two together, it will usually taste sour and grainy, like unpleasant Greek or natural yogurt.
If you want to learn more about the combination of buttermilk and coffee, keep reading this article.
I will discuss the benefits of combining coffee and milk and provide alternatives to milk that can be used in coffee. I will look for other ways to include buttermilk in your diet.
Your Dairy Makes a Difference
Looking to add some dairy to your coffee? You’ve got more than a dozen options to choose from, including both real and vegan options. Dairy eaters have the choice of whole milk, skim milk, half-and-half, creamer, or even butter.
For vegans, there are non-dairy creamers:
- soy milk
- oat milk
- almond milk
- rice milk
- coconut milk
- hemp milk
- cashew milk
- … and more.
Each choice of ice cream has a different amount of fat, a different taste, and a different consistency. The drink you add coffee to can greatly affect the taste of the coffee.
However, there is more to it than just the flavor of coffee it produces.
The type of dairy or non-dairy products used can make or break the drink. There are some things that can make your coffee taste better, and others that can curdle it.
To make sure you’re always drinking a delicious cup of coffee, it’s best to know what your dairy or non-dairy milk can do before you pour it in.
Why Does Buttermilk in Coffee Not Work?
Buttermilk coffee sounds delicious at first, but it might not be what you expect. What you get instead is a burnt, watery mess. The coffee you expected to be creamy and slightly sweet with a rich flavor profile is instead a burnt, watery mess.
However, when you try the drink for the first time, the combination of flavors doesn’t taste as you imagined. Buttermilk in coffee tastes the way it does because the lactic acid in the buttermilk curdles the milk proteins in the coffee.
The tannins in coffee and the buttermilk don’t mix well together. The result of this is curdling. The mixture has a grainy texture and a sour taste that most people don’t find enjoyable.
If you put lemon juice or vinegar into a glass of milk as a child, you would have seen that it curdles and forms weird lumps.
The same effect occurs when combining buttermilk with coffee. Most people who try this food don’t like the texture.
Is Buttermilk in Coffee Healthy?
Buttermilk in coffee is not likely to taste good. Although some people may enjoy the taste of milk in their coffee, many people are looking for a healthier alternative for various reasons.
This causes people to question if using buttermilk in coffee is a more health-conscious option to milk.
Buttermilk is healthy when part of a balanced diet, this includes coffee. Buttermilk is low in calories and fat and is rich in proteins, vitamins, and minerals. This means that if you drink buttermilk in coffee instead of milk, you will consume fewer calories without missing out on important nutrients.
Buttermilk also contains healthy bacteria that aid digestion. The probiotics in buttermilk can help with digestion in a similar way to natural or Greek yogurt.
You shouldn’t drink too much buttermilk coffee even though it is a healthier alternative to milk coffee.
Too much coffee can be dangerous because it contains caffeine.
As long as you don’t overdo it, adding buttermilk to your coffee is a safe way to improve your diet.
What Should I Use Instead of Buttermilk in Coffee?
Many people put buttermilk in coffee to give it a buttery taste.
As I’ve previously stated, adding buttermilk to coffee is ineffective. Instead of using milk to give your coffee a rich flavor, try using a dairy-free creamer.
You should use butter instead of buttermilk in coffee. The butter won’t curdle when you mix it with coffee. In other words, you can give your coffee a more delicious taste by adding butter instead of buttermilk.
The Best Kinds of Milk to Use in Coffee:
Buttermilk in coffee isn’t worth it. It will ruin your drink and may make you not want coffee for a little while.
So what are you supposed to use in place of buttermilk? What are the best milks for coffee and how can we use them to improve the flavor without ruining the texture?
Here are some of the best kinds of milk to use in coffee:
Real Dairy Options
If you use real dairy products, you’ll get the best texture and taste.
Here’s a recap of the most popular types of real dairy products for coffee:
Whole Milk
Whole milk is a good choice for coffee drinkers who like their coffee with steamed milk or foam. If you go into a coffee shop and order a drink with milk, the person making your drink will probably use whole milk unless you specify another type.
And there’s a good reason why …
Whole milk is ideal for foaming and steaming because it contains sugar, fat, and proteins such as caseins and whey. The more protein, the better your foam will be. This means that whole milk is the best choice for cappuccinos and lattes.
Whole milk has about 3-4% fat content. While fat might not be good for our bodies, it makes drinks taste good. This product is perfect for those who want to add a little sweetness to their food without changing the texture too much. If you only want to add a little milk to your morning coffee, go for whole milk. It’s usually the best option.
Skim Milk
Skim milk does not produce enough steam to make a good latte, cappuccino, or café au lait. This milk is too thin to steam well because it doesn’t have the same rich, silky texture as whole milk.
Reduced-Fat Milk
Don’t want to drink the fat in whole milk? Don’t like the thin, watery texture of skim?
Reduced-fat milk is another option.
If you’re looking for a way to reduce the amount of fat and calories you’re consuming, reduced-fat milk is a good option. It typically contains 1-2% fat. If foam is what you want, you will be disappointed. It lacks the characteristic steaming or frothing of whole milk.
Cream
If you want your coffee to be both flavorful and decadent, add some heavy cream to your cup! Cream results in a much more velvety taste and, as the name implies, a more creamy consistency. Whole milk has a higher fat content than but it.
Cream is a dairy product that is about 38% fat. Adding cream to coffee can help to balance out the bitterness of the coffee. This is why you will often see cream served in diners and less formal restaurants, who are not as focused on the type of coffee they are making.
A small amount of cream will make your coffee taste richer, but too much cream is high in fat and not good for you.
Half and Half
If you want a creamy texture without all the fat, half and half is a good option. It is made of equal parts milk and cream, with a fat content of about 12%. Adding straight cream would make the dish heavier, but using milk creates a dish with the same amount of fat and proteins as cream would.
You can froth or steam half and half for a cappuccino or another espresso-based drink. You just need to be a bit more patient and spend more time than you would steaming or frothing regular milk.
Butter
It’s like comparing apples to oranges. Although they may appear to have similar uses, they are actually used for entirely different things.
Buttermilk should not be added to coffee. Butter, however, can make coffee taste good.
If you follow a ketogenic diet and want to consume more fat than carbohydrates, then butter is a key ingredient in keto bulletproof coffee.
The coffee includes butter and either MCT oil or coconut oil. This beverage is rather high in calories and could act as a full breakfast, so it should be consumed in moderation.
Vegan Non-Dairy Options:
If you would rather not drink dairy that is made from animals, there are many vegan options that you can choose from. Just as different types of real dairy can be better or worse for different types of drinks, the same is true for nondairy options.
Soy Milk
We love soy milk and think it’s a great choice for anyone following a vegan diet. Soy milk is a good alternative to regular milk for people who are lactose intolerant or have allergies to dairy products. Soy milk can be used to create a foamy top on coffee drinks. It usually curdles at high temperatures, but most baristas know how to get it right.
Almond Milk
While almond milk might have a bitter taste to some and might separate when heated, it still might be good for making foam. You should not pour ice-cold almond milk into steaming hot coffee because it can curdle.
Oat Milk
We really like oat milk as a dairy-free alternative to whole milk. Although it contains less fat than full-fat milk, it has a similar taste and a smooth, creamy texture.
Coconut Milk
On its own, coconut milk is quite tasty. The strong flavor of the coffee can easily overpower your taste. The Blendeo Blender was not designed to create froth. Soy milk and oat milk are better alternatives for that purpose.
Hemp Milk
Hemp milk is a bit watery. This beer has a high protein content, which produces foam, but the foam will quickly disappear because of the beer’s thin texture.
Can You Put Buttermilk in Tea?
At this point, it is clear to you that adding buttermilk to coffee is not a good idea. However, what about tea?
Is it a good idea to mix buttermilk with tea, or will the texture and taste of buttermilk not work well with tea?
You can put buttermilk in tea; however, the taste will probably not be very pleasant. Tannins in tea can cause buttermilk to become lumpy. This is because buttermilk is high in lactic acid. Buttermilk in tea tastes sour and has an odd, grainy consistency because it is high in lactic acid.
In general, it’s not a good idea to add buttermilk to hot drinks. The machine doesn’t function properly and alters the texture of the buttermilk.
You can enjoy buttermilk by drinking it on its own or adding it to a cold drink.
What Can You Use Buttermilk For?
You can use buttermilk for baking and cooking. Buttermilk can be used to make fried chicken with extra crunchy skin. In addition to being drunk on its own, buttermilk is often used in baking to improve the flavor and create a rich, creamy texture.
The chicken is first coated in spiced buttermilk, then coated in either flour or breadcrumbs before being fried.
Buttermilk can be used to make coffee cake, breads, and doughs.
Buttermilk is a low-fat option to include in baking. In addition to this, buttermilk has a slightly bitter tang that offers an added subtle flavor to baked goods.
Buttermilk can be used instead of milk or water, or in addition to them, in baking recipes.
Can You Drink Buttermilk?
You can drink buttermilk. It is sour and thick like yogurt but with a more distinct flavor. Buttermilk is a healthy drink that can help you stay hydrated and replace nutrients you have lost.
Final thoughts
Adding buttermilk to your coffee is not worth it. Buttermilk has more nutrients and fewer calories than regular milk.
However, buttermilk will curdle and turn sour when heated up and added to coffee. Buttermilk will also be affected by tea and other hot drinks.
If you want to try something different in your coffee instead of cow’s milk, almond milk and oat milk are two options.
You might also consider butter or even condensed milk. There are pros and cons to different types of milk, so find the one that works best for you through trial and error.