Move over almond milk, new vegan milk from bananas might be the next fad

Bananas are an excellent source of natural sugars and are high energy foods. Source: Aran Burton/Flickr

Soy milk has been a classic favourite with vegans or the dairy-intolerant for a long time now. With the whole vegan lifestyle gaining momentum worldwide, other dairy alternatives derived from almond, cashew, hemp, rice, coconut and oats have become equally popular in recent times.

But there’s a limit to eating the same kind of food and it is human nature to seek options, which is why banana milk is gaining a lot of popularity as a new plant-based dairy alternative. Touted as one of the biggest vegan food trends, banana milk has also found favour with non-vegans who are simply looking to eat healthy. Naturally sweet, with high concentration of glucose and fructose, vitamin B and electrolytes, bananas are an instant source of energy. They also have high amounts of essential nutrients like potassium, and vital minerals along with a good amount of fibre (approximately 3g per medium sized banana).

 Despite other substitutes being available, soy milk has been the go-to for vegans for a long time now. Source: mc559/Flickr

 In the West, vegan banana milk is easily available in almost all grocery aisles stocking up on vegan dairy. Those vegans who prefer to make their milk at home, use frozen bananas. The recipe is gluten-free and is extremely simple – you only need ripe bananas and water to make a batch of vegan banana milk. It sounds like making a smoothie but this is where the distinction lies. The consistency is unlike a smoothie and is runny (like milk) with a bit of foam (from the blending). Here’s how to make your vegan banana milk at home.

It is also cost-effective, since two bananas yield about half a litre of banana milk. Nuts like almonds and cashews are quite expensive and need to be pre-soaked before blitzing up to make a batch of homemade almond (or cashew) milk. With bananas, all you need to ensure is they are ripe – opt for speckled bananas since they are far sweeter. Naturally sweet, this vegan milk cuts out the need for additional sugar.

Vegan banana milk is also versatile and makes for an excellent base to add to breakfast bowls and muesli. In fact, there are popular coffee shops across the world, selling a coffee version a ripe banana and tiny amount of milk. You can even pair your vegan banana milk with one or two additional ingredients like nuts and seeds for a power-packed smoothie that you can down on your way to work or sip through the day.

Watch how to make a vegan sesame and banana milk smoothie