Mighty Molasses Milk (Hot, Cold or Protein-Powered)

Truth be told, I’ve fallen a few recipes behind in my #365dairyfree challenge. We took a little vacation to Sonoma Valley, which set me back a week on my goal, but it was worth it! I’m revived and testing tons of recipes again, including this new favorite: dairy-free molasses milk.  

For those following a dairy-free diet, calcium and strong bones are often a big concern. But many people don’t realize there are some amazing, plant-based mineral “superfoods”, like blackstrap molasses. It has anywhere from 100 to 200 mg of calcium (10 to 20% of the RDA) in just 1 tablespoon! But bones don’t thrive on calcium alone; blackstrap molasses also provides other frame-supporting minerals like magnesium and potassium.

For an even bigger bone boost (calcium with vitamin D!), I’ve started combining this rustic sweetener with Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk Beverage (or Coconut for nut-free!) to make what has become one of my favorite sips, molasses milk. I add just a couple other ingredients to enhance the flavors and brighten the sweetness while still keeping the sugars relatively low. Yes, this makes it kid-friendly, too!

Though this molasses milk is a quite simple recipe, I’ve included three variations to enjoy as a part of your dairy-free or plant-based diet, regardless of the temperature outside. Pictured above is the Hot Molasses Milk (lovely with the cinnamon added), which is a fantastic sip when it is cool outside – I actually prefer it to hot chocolate!

When the temperature creeps up (like this past weekend), or when I want something scrumptious and mineral-filled to top that boring healthy cereal we have too much of, the Cold Molasses Milk is perfect. And when I’m in need of a protein boost, say post workout, I’ve been using the cold version to make the nutrient-packed, super-simple Molasses Milk Shake, pictured below. It seriously energizes me and fulfills cravings – perfect for fitness recovery in my book.

365 Dairy-Free Recipe Challenge Update

With the 365 New Dairy-Free Recipe Challenge, my goal is to trial at least 365 new-to-me recipes this year, and that doesn’t even count all of the retesting I am doing to perfect many of those dishes. I’ll be using the hashtag #365dairyfree here and on social media to share many of the trials, successes and flops! So far, I’m up to 44 new recipes trialed, a few behind. Even so, here were my new ventures this week:

• Date-Spiced Milk (abandoned for this molasses milk)
• Italian Risotto (wild success!)
• One-Pot Italian Pasta (sounds easy and it was okay, but not up to standard)
• Dairy-Free Parma (trialing a few new blends)
• Molasses Milk (hot, cold and in a protein smoothie – all options in the recipe below!)

This week’s #365dairyfree update is a sponsored conversation by Silk (the opinions and text are all mine). They have been a keen supporter of my dairy-free book adventures and I love using their milks in my recipe trials. Have you tried them yet? They offer Unsweetened versions of Almond, Cashew, Coconut and Soy Milk Beverages – all are dairy-free, plant-based and carrageenan-free, yet offer their own unique taste and consistency profiles. You can find them in your area via the Silk Store Locator.

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Reader Raves

Thanks so much to Mary Eliza for sharing her feedback and tasty twist on my molasses milk recipe via Facebook:

AMAZING idea! I just had some. I used almond milk light, so I skipped the stevia. I used tiny bits of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, so it would taste like the molasses crinkle cookies I grew up eating. Perfection.

Special Diet Notes: Might Molasses Milk

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, optionally nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan / plant-based, vegetarian, and optionally paleo.

5.0 from 5 reviews

Dairy-Free Mighty Molasses Milk (Hot or Cold)

 

Print

Prep time

3 mins

Cook time

1 min

Total time

4 mins

 

When I'm feeling like a little spice, I add ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon to this blend.

Author: Alisa Fleming

Serves: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1 cup Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk Beverage (or coconut milk beverage for nut-free)
• 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract or flavoring
• 3 to 5 drops pure stevia extract
• Pinch salt

Instructions

For Warm Molasses Milk:

1. Heat the milk beverage in the microwave (about 60 to 90 seconds on HIGH) or in a small pot on the stove top, until hot but not boiling.
2. Stir in the molasses, vanilla to taste, stevia to taste, and salt (I used the max for both the vanilla and stevia).

For Cold Molasses Milk:

1. Place the milk beverage, molasses, vanilla, and salt in your blender and briefly blend to combine. Add the stevia, to taste, and give it another quick blend.

Notes

Molasses Protein Shake: Prepare the Cold Dairy-Free Molasses Milk above, but omit the vanilla and stevia. Place ½ cup of it in your blender. Add 1 frozen banana, broken into chunks. Add 2 tablespoons vanilla or chocolate vegan protein powder (I use Vega Sport Performance Protein). Blend until smooth and creamy.

3.5.3208