Vegan cheese foam

But Nugget, aren't you a carnivore who loves cream?

Yes, I is! The nugget wasn't setting out to create a vegan cheese foam, it just sort of happened based on other requirements.

The foam is really stable, pretty fuss-free to put together, AND it tastes like cheese foam! All the cheese foam recipes I found either required planning ahead (softened cream cheese), or wouldn't taste like cheese at all. I like coconut milk, and I like maple syrup. I am completely unconvinced that the combination of the two tastes like any sort of cheese. :P

Requirements

  • Must not require planning (pft, wait for cream cheese to soften, pft).
  • Should ideally use ingredients with a long shelf life.
  • Must be brainlessly easy to assemble. Also fast.

Ingredients

  • 50 ml soy milk (I recommend Bonsoy, or Vitasoy manufactured in Taiwan)
  • 2 tsp white sugar (don't use a syrup, white sugar gives this its structure)
  • 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp nutritional yeast <-- this is what makes it taste like cheese

Make it!

  1. Put all ingredients in a microwave safe container, tall enough to whip the stuff in (you want a cheese foam after all).
  2. Stir until combined.
  3. Warm in microwave in 15s intervals (you want it warm, or hot, not boiling).
  4. Whip / froth with milk frother (I recommend Aerolatte) about 20-30s, you should have a stable foam.
  5. Pour on top of drink!

Notes on ingredients

  • Bonsoy, and the Vitasoy made in Taiwan do not contain oil. Soy milk w/o oil is what I grew up with, and I intensely dislike the mouthfeel of plant "milks" that have added oil.
  • You can probably substitute another plant milk for soy milk, but ideally choose one w/o a strong flavour.
  • If possible, choose a plant milk w/o the added oil (this could just be my prejudiced young age imprinting speaking haha).
  • Nutritional yeast can be found a most health food stores. It makes things taste like cheese w/o cheese being added. It's shelf stable, and doesn't need to be refrigerated.
  • Don't combine cow milk AND soy milk foam. The cow milk in the drink will kill the foam structure of the soy milk foam really fast.
  • You can substitute plant milk for cold heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks.
    When using heavy cream, don't heat it in the microwave, or it won't whip happily. Just stir the ingredients in, then whip. You will need to carefully spoon and ladle the foam onto your drink, and it may not stay stable for long if your drink is hot. Use dairy in your drink too (see previous point about cow milk killing soy milk foam).
  • Aerolatte milk frothers are awesome. I've had mine for almost 10 years now. I bought another one from a diff brand to use in the office a few years ago, and it's terrible. It doesn't make nice froths!