Vegan milk and cream substitutes - vegan recipes

Eine Glasflasche steht auf einer Oberfläche und ist mit pflanzlicher Milch gefüllt. Um die Flasche liegen mehrere Mandeln verteilt.

Discover vegan milk and cream alternatives made from nuts, grains or pulses. With simple recipes for plant-based drinks, curries, desserts and more! 🌱

Many people turn to plant-based milk alternatives for their morning coffee. However, some people find it difficult to prepare high-quality dishes. Thanks to numerous vegan milk and cream substitutes, dishes can be prepared successfully and deliciously. Know how - with our recipes and tips.

Whether coconut, almond, pea, cashew, oat or spelt - there is a large selection of plant-based milk and cream substitutes. Generally, pulses, nuts or cereals are used as a base. Their different properties ensure variety in vegan cuisine. For example, nut milk is particularly creamy, cereal milk is rather sweet and an alternative made from pulses provides valuable proteins.

Cooking and baking with plant-based milk and cream substitutes

But which vegan alternative goes with which dish? First of all, cow's milk or cream can be replaced with a plant-based alternative in almost all recipes. Your own taste preferences are the main factor in making the right choice. For some dishes, the consistency of the vegan milk or cream is also important. Oat and almond milk, for example, are real all-rounders and can also be produced in raw food quality. They are suitable for baking and cooking. Soya milk is suitable for savoury cuisine, while rice milk is more suitable for desserts and sweet dishes. When choosing a suitable cream alternative, a distinction must be made - as with the animal variant - as to whether it is to be used for cooking or whipping.

Making vegan milk and cream alternatives yourself

Instead of buying plant-based substitute products in the supermarket, you can make them at home without much effort and with just a few ingredients. This is not only cheaper, but also healthier and fresher than the industrially produced version. This is because the milk substitutes bought in supermarkets are highly heated and therefore contain fewer valuable nutrients. In addition, many packages contain harmful substances (such as adhesives or the chemical substance bisphenol A) that may end up in our food. The extent to which this happens depends, among other things, on the storage period and storage temperature. If you make your own plant-based milk, you also save yourself the hassle of lugging around tetra packs or bottles and produce less waste. A suitable high-performance blender is essential for preparation. Our favourite for perfect consistencies is the Personal Blender PB250, which chops and grinds even hard ingredients such as grains and nuts in a matter of seconds thanks to its high performance.

Recipes

Recipe 1: Vegan milk substitute made from nuts

The following ingredients make a delicious nut milk of the best raw food quality:

50 g nuts of your choice, e.g. Cashew nuts, almonds, pecan nuts or pistachios (preferably soak for at least two hours and pour out the water before further processing)
pinch of salt
400 ml water
Optional: 1 date, pitted, and spices to taste, such as cinnamon, cardamom or turmeric

Preparation:
Place all the ingredients in the Personal Blender and blend. The plant-based milk substitute is ready after just a few seconds. If necessary, pass through a nut milk bag or straining cloth again. It can be kept refrigerated for around four days. For large quantities, we recommend the Personal Blender PB250 XL.

Tip:
You can gradually add the nut kernels to achieve the desired consistency.

Recipe 2: Lightning-fast almond milk in raw food quality

If you don't want to soak the nut kernels, you can use a ready-made puree instead, such as almond puree.

500 ml water
1 tbsp light-coloured almond puree, for example from Urs Hochstrasser
1 pinch of salt
Optional: apple syrup to taste

Preparation:
Blend all the ingredients briefly in a personal blender.

Tip:
For more sweetness, pitted dates can be added instead of apple syrup.

Variation of plant-based cream substitute:

To make cream, simply reduce the amount of water (depending on the desired consistency). We recommend 100-150 ml of water with 1 tablespoon of almond puree.

Overnight oats made from plant milk: raw vegan recipe idea for the perfect start to the day

Whether homemade or bought, made from cereals, nuts or pulses: Plant-based milk substitutes are ideal for preparing raw vegan overnight oats. These are not cooked, but are made by soaking rolled oats in sufficient liquid overnight.
Basic recipe:

100 g sprouted rolled oats
300 ml plant milk of your choice
2 tsp linseed (alternatively: chia seeds)
Optional: cinnamon or vanilla

Suggestions for topping:

Fresh fruit (raspberries, blueberries, sliced banana, apple pieces)
Dried fruit (dates, figs, plums)
Cocoa nibs
nuts

Preparation:
Mix all the ingredients of the basic recipe in a sealable jar and place in the fridge overnight. The next day, garnish with one or more toppings of your choice.

Tip:
Overnight oats can be kept in the fridge for up to three days and can therefore be prepared in advance.

Recipes for cooking with vegan milk and vegan cream

Dairy products of animal origin can also be easily replaced with plant-based alternatives in the hot kitchen. Whether sweet or savoury - the following dishes are not only easy to prepare, but also versatile and really tasty.

Recipe 1 - Vegan peanut curry (2 portions)

Ingredients:

1 capsicum
2 carrots
2 spring onions
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp red curry paste (adjust amount depending on spiciness)
1½ tbsp creamy peanut butter
1½ tbsp tamari sauce
200 ml coconut milk
50 ml vegetable stock
2 tbsp peanuts

Preparation:
Wash the peppers and cut into strips. Peel and slice the carrots. Finely slice the spring onions. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Then heat the coconut oil in a wok (alternatively, you can also use a deep, non-stick frying pan). Sauté the curry paste, ginger and garlic for one to two minutes over a medium heat. Add the peppers and carrots and fry for around five minutes. Meanwhile, mix the peanut butter with the tamari sauce and two to three tablespoons of coconut milk. Then pour the rest of the coconut milk over the vegetables and pour in the peanut sauce and vegetable stock. Allow the curry to simmer gently for 20 to 25 minutes until the vegetables are firm to the bite. Finely chop the peanuts and sprinkle over the finished curry with the spring onions. Goes well with rice.

Recipe 2 - Vegan panna cotta

Ingredients:

½ vanilla pod
1 g agar agar
250 ml coconut milk
15 g coconut oil
25 ml agave syrup
250 g fresh or frozen and defrosted strawberries
1 Medjool date, pitted

Preparation:
Cut the vanilla pod in half lengthways and scrape out half of the black vanilla pulp. Using a whisk, mix the agar-agar with 100 ml of cold coconut milk until all the lumps have dissolved. Mix the remaining coconut milk in a pan with the vanilla pulp, the mixed agar agar, coconut oil and agave syrup. Bring to the boil over a low heat, stirring constantly, and simmer gently for three minutes.

Tip:
For a more intense vanilla flavour, half of the vanilla pod can be boiled and then removed. Pour the vegan panna cotta into two dessert glasses and leave to cool. Then leave to set in the fridge for at least four hours. Before serving, puree the strawberries and pitted dates and pour the strawberry sauce over the panna cotta.

Recipe 3 - Vegan spaghetti carbonara

Ingredients:

100 g tofu (smoked)
250 g spaghetti or vegetable spirals
sea salt
1 onion
1/2 bunch parsley, flat-leaf
2-3 tbsp light-coloured almond puree
300 ml water
1 tbsp olive oil
pepper

Preparation:
Cut the tofu into small cubes. Cook the pasta al dente in plenty of boiling salted water according to the instructions on the packet, or leave the vegetable pasta to stand briefly in hot water. Peel and finely chop the onion. Wash the parsley, spin dry and chop finely too. Fry the tofu cubes in the olive oil until they are slightly crispy, add the onion cubes and fry for a further three minutes. Deglaze with water and add half the parsley. Flavour with salt and pepper. At the very end, fold in the almond puree without adding any heat. Add the spaghetti/vegetable noodles to the carbonara and mix well. Sprinkle with the rest of the chopped parsley and freshly ground pepper before serving.