You may have noticed by my twitter feed that I've been joyously sampling almond milk lattes all over the city. Just yesterday, I decided I was ready to write this post because I had one that blew all the others away!
Before I share the results, you might be wondering why almond milk? Well, I rarely drink cow dairy not only because it makes me bloated and gassy (sorry for the visual), but it has pretty much nothing left in it of nutritional value once it's been processed, homogenized, pasteurized, making it very hard to digest (may people have milk protein allergies and food sensitivities AND many people do not produce lactase - the enzyme responsible for digesting milk sugar, lactose). It's acidic, pro-inflammatory, contains no good bacteria (thanks to pasteurization) and much less calcium than you might think. Instead, eat your leafy greens, nuts and seeds to get your calcium - no joke.
I do hope the corporate cafes (ie. Starbucks) jump on the almond-milk-bandwagon, because unfermented GMO soy milk is NOT a healthy milk alternative (which is what 99% of the cafes use).
Now for the fun stuff, the results from a few cafes across the city:
Sense Appeal (Adelaide & Spadina)
Almond milk latte rating: 7.5/10
Pros: Sweet, very strong espresso taste (no bitterness present whatsoever), perfect temperature. Cons: Not quite creamy or fatty enough, tasted a bit like a skim-almond-milk latte probably due to the almond milk brand which was Silk.
The people: If you wake up grumpy, then you MUST (repeat *must*) make your way to this cafe en route to work. The baristas are happy guys (and cute!). These guys can make a Monday morning feel like a Friday afternoon. Peter, one of the owners, is a coffee bean genius and happy to educate anyone on coffee.
Other: Their pastries are all homemade and absolutely foodgasmic! Try the granola bar -- sweet, crunchy and satisfying. The pear choco croissant is ridonkulous! Translation: AMAZING. Forget parking anywhere. Walk, ride your bike or TTC it.
Web: http://senseappeal.ca/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/SENSEAPPEAL
Merchants of Green Coffee (Queen St. East)
Almond milk latte rating: 6/10
Pros: Good foam, good quality (green, fair trade) espresso. Cons: Too watery. The milk was steamed for too long because it was way too hot. Almond milk brand: Blue Diamond. I think it's worth another try.
The people: This is one of my favourite independent cafes in the city of Toronto. Good service -- Morgan and team are always very friendly and make me feel welcome. There's a very sweet black and white cat who will purr good vibes right into you.
Other: One of the most inspiring places to work, hang out, indulge in delicious conversation with a friend. If you are a business owner like me with a flex schedule, it's the perfect work-hideaway. You want coffee experts? These guys are it. I love the atmosphere at this cafe, always good tunes playing, very comfy seats and original artwork that changes every several weeks decorate the walls. Aside from this almond milk latte which was a bit disappointing, I would give this cafe a 10/10. You can also find them at Brickworks Farmers Market on Saturdays selling their beans. Free street parking and a short walk from Queen East streetcar stop.
Web: http://www.merchantsofgreencoffee.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/MGC_Cafe
Broadview Espresso (Greektown)
Almond milk latte rating: 9/10
Pros: Creamy, rich, perfect thick foam, satisfying. It tasted like it was made with TLC. I've been back to this cafe several times and it's been consistency delicious. Almond milk brand: Blue Diamond. Cons: It would be a 10 if the almond milk was homemade.
The people: Mike, the owner is always available (if not too busy) for a quick chat and a friendly hello.
Other: A cute, cosy, small-ish cafe that you can get comfy with some good company and share an absolutely heavenly macaroon to go along with your almond milk latte. Parking is a bit of a pain and I say that because I got a parking ticket on two separate occasions ugh!
Web: http://broadviewespresso.com/
Mylk Uncookies (Cabbagetown, well... almost)
Almond milk latte rating: 10/10 This made me very JOYOUS!
Hands down the best almond milk latte ever. Why? Well, these ladies make their own almond milk in-house. No packaged, pasteurized almond milk can even come close to the sweet, creamy and delicious taste of homemade almond milk. The combo of sweetness from the milk and light espresso taste was heaven for my joyous taste buds. The foam was pretty and the vegan raw lucuma cookie was a the perfect compliment to top off my afternoon post-yoga snack.
The people: The lovely ladies, owners Toni and Elaine are passionate about their almond milk, very health-aware and even go as far as reco'ing their soy-loving customers try almond milk - LOVE that! This is a cafe where the healthy-foodie feels at home.
Very accessible on TTC, street parking right in front.
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/mylkuncookies
Their address is: 253 Gerrard Street East.
If you know of a cafe I've missed that has a great almond milk latte, please comment below as I would love to check it out and share with others.
For my readers who don't live in Toronto or close to the T.Dot, I am going to post my own personal almond milk latte recipe later this week. So stay tuned for that!
Have a joyous week!
Joyous Nutritionista
Bosogno Espresso Bar also has Almond Milk Latte's, AND Nutella Latte's :)
ReplyLovely, where is that?
what is the address for that last cafe there, that got the 10/10? i would love to go check it out! the one above doesn't look half bad either :)
Reply253 Gerrard Street East. It's worth checking out for more than just the latte. Rrrrrreally yummy vegan treats.
This post made me so happy! I am also constantly searching for a good almond milk latte, and haven't had much luck in the Annex area (where I live). Hibiscus in Kensington Market makes a great almond milk latte. Aroma (Bathurst/Bloor) will make an almond milk latte, if you bring in your own milk. I do this regularly because they are so awesome about it and just charge for the espresso. :)
ReplyOH! Awesome. Thank you for telling me Hibiscus does a good almond milk latte. I must try - I go there all the time! Thanks for sharing Jill.
Jill, if you can make your way up to Shaw and Yarmouth (near Ossington/Dupont), the Hub Locavorium does an almond milk latter, and yummy food too!
Oh my, what a selection! Never had an almond milk latte before... apparently I'm missing out :D
ReplyOh my goodness, delicious! I don't drink coffee, but once in a blue moon I'll treat myself to a lattee. I'm so happy these cafes offer almond milk! I look forward to the next time I'm back home in the tdot! I currently live down under in Melbourne and for some reason almond milk isn't readily available and it's CRAZY expensive..literally, $9.50 for a litre :/. Other non-dairy milks such as soy, rice, and oat milk are sold everywhere and range between $2.50 - $3.50 aka a reasonable price. I've made my own almond milk a few times,.but what would you recommend as an alternative? I try to limit my soy intake, but rice milk doesn't have much in it...any thoughts? Is oats milk a better alternative to soy? ...sigh. If only Starbucks would jump on the bandwagon. Great post!
ReplyGreat post. Is this organic almond milk? Just wondering because aren't there a lot of pesticides used on conventional almonds? Thanks!
ReplyWhich cafe are you referring/asking about?
blue diamond and silk are not organic almond milks, do any of these cafes offer organic? There are too many pesticides used on conventional almonds.
ReplyCorrect. However, Mylk Uncookies makes their own almond milk from scratch. If you want, you can always make your own with Pacific Foods, which is certified organic. However, if you have a choice between cow dairy milk or soy vs non-organic almond milk, almond milk is still the better option.
Thanks for the post about the Almond milk Lattes. Whole Foods also makes them but i am really looking forward to trying the ones on Gerrard St. East. Thanks for the post Will check it out this weekend.
ReplyYou forgot a few cafés: Sublime in Kensington market serves almond milk espresso-based beverages. The Mascot on West Queen West also make a mean almond milk latte. I personaly prefer their cortado, though. Crema in the junction makes a very frothy almond milk latte. Vegetarian Haven on Baldwin makes almond milk lattes and hot cocoa. So does The Beet restaurant in the junction, made from homemade almond milk. Same for Live Food Bar in the junction. Finally,Rawlicious serve coffee and almond milk.
ReplyI've got a Part I coming up with other cafes I've visited! Thanks for those suggestions. Totally love Rawlicious, The Beet and Live. Crema in the junction though... didn't know they had almond milk lattes! Thanks so much for telling me. It's on my list.
[...] you don’t know, you need to. After Joy McCarthy sang the praises of the Almond Milk latte I had to check it out. Mylkuncookies is a little fresh faced coffee shop on the skirts of [...]
Reply[...] case you missed it, last week I posted review of almond milk lattes around the city of Toronto. Mylk Uncookies won by a landslide for one simple reason – they make their own almond milk [...]
ReplyThe Beet makes their own almond milk daily out of organic almonds!
ReplySo great to know, thanks for sharing. I love the beet!
I love Mylk Uncookies! The cozy cafe is a great addition to the Gerrard and Parliament area. The ladies are so very friendly and know their regulars by name and order. The fudge cookie is to die for and the lattes are perfection. I haven't tried the almond milk but after this review, I'll give it a go the next time I'm there.
ReplyOn a recent trip to Toronto, I stopped at Mylk Uncookies & thoroughly enjoyed my almond milk latte! Thanks so much for the tip!
Replyamazing!
My pleasure, so glad you stopped in. Did you try a vegan treat?
If you're ever in Collingwood, check out Pure Organic Bar. They've got great lattes. Also, I've heard that Blue Diamond and the other shelf-stable almond (and soy) milks contain carrageenans, which have been shown to cause cancer. If you have a choice, have them use Silk or another refrigerated kind!
ReplyWonderful, thanks for the suggestion! Yes there is carrageenan in many tetra-packed nut milks.
[...] the North country. We had a lovely day, strolled through Cabbagetown, went to Mylk Uncookies for an almond milk drink and then came home to [...]
ReplyI stopped by Senses Appeal this morning! They didn't seem to have almond milk - maybe they were out of stock? The latte was indeed delicious though! A very cool spot, with real ingredients in their drinks/food.
ReplyOh really? Sorry about that. They had it when I went, but maybe it's been discontinued.
Amen to the comment about Starbucks and any other Java Joint. I live in Utah, and so far I have not found anyone who does Almond Milk. I have tried it myself, and the results were bleck. The last time I tried, I could not get a frothy texture out of AM, and it didn't taste so great either. =P I guess I will try the homemade route.
ReplySorry, had to leave another comment. I just made one using fresh almond milk, and using my Vita Mix, and the texture came out pretty good. I wish I knew what a good one was suppose to taste like. I'm thinking I'm not going to be able to replace that taste that half and half gives, and that flavoring the almond milk may work better for me.
ReplyWhat kind of almonds are you using? The taste is really nice. What is your method? I do 1 cup of raw almonds to yield 5 cups of water. Are you soaking them overnight?
Love this article! thank you! Love Mylk Uncookies, Bisogno & Sense Appeal - however I do find that Sense Appeal doesn't always have almond milk.
ReplyI have noticed the same about Sense Appeal. 3 times in a row they didn't have almond milk -- sorry about that!
I have noticed that more cafes around Toronto are starting to get on the almond milk bandwagon! Latest discovery: Manic (College @ Bathurst) has started carrying almond milk, a great addition as their espresso is FANTASTIC! Totally agree though: Mylk'unCookies wins the day :)
ReplyJust found this list and wanted to add a few others for my fellow late-comers: Manic (Bathurst/College) has been doing almond milk lattes for quite awhile now, but I would say that for me personally they are no match to the excellent almond milk lattes I've enjoyed recently at the relatively new Himalayan Coffee (Briar Hill/Yonge, not far from Yonge/Eg). Really really yummy, great foam, outstanding coffee.
Reply[...] if you do venture out for a latte, take a read of my post on the best almond milk lattes in Toronto. That is, if you don’t make it yourself at home with your own homemade almond milk in 6 easy [...]
ReplyI wanted to add Fahrenheit to this list and Academy Cafe on The Esplanade!
Reply