Freeze-Distilled Milk: A Quick Guide

Freeze-Distilled Milk: A Quick Guide

As home coffee enthusiasts, we're always seeking new ways to enhance our concoctions. As coffee professionals in the industry, we’re perpetually looking for ways to stand out and celebrate ingenuity. The mill churns out a lot of niche coffee trends, but this is definitely one of our (fairly) recent favorites: freeze-distilled milk.

Originally used by Canadian barista champion Ben Put, freeze-distilled milk has been gaining popularity both online and in the competition circles. A concentrated form of milk created by freezing and strategically thawing whole milk, this technique removes a large portion of the water content from the milk; resulting in a richer, creamier liquid with a higher milk solids concentration. The flavor of freeze-distilled milk is more robust and pronounced compared to regular milk, making it an excellent addition to coffee.

The Pros: natural sweetness and a rich creamy texture.

The Cons: requires lots of time and patience, creates a lot of byproduct (which is essentially a makeshift skim milk.)


HOW TO MAKE IT

Start with fresh whole milk for the best results. Whole milk contains higher milk fat content, which contributes to a creamier texture.

Freeze an entire half gallon carton of milk and allow the milk to freeze completely. This typically takes several hours or overnight.

Once frozen solid, remove the milk, turn upside down in a large container, and thaw in the refrigerator. As the milk thaws, the sugars and fats are the first to melt off. 

Thaw approximately half of the carton, then transfer the freeze-distilled milk to a clean container and store it in the refrigerator until ready to use. 


HOW TO USE IT

You can use freeze-distilled milk much like you would use any milk for espresso drinks, tea, and cocktails or mocktails. It has a taste and texture similar to melted ice cream and excels at rounding out bitterness with sugars and creaminess.

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Written by Cassandra Barr

Cass (She/Her) is a neurodivergent coffee roaster, self-taught baker, barista, writer, and artist currently based in Mesa, Arizona. She cut her teeth as a coffee professional near Austin, Texas in 2007 and began roasting in 2017. In her spare time she enjoys travel, dance, playing music, learning languages, and collecting tattoos, hobbies, and hyperfixations.