Aside from being quirky and charismatic livestock, goats produce a fair amount of milk for creatures their size. A healthy, lactating dairy doe will produce about 3 liters of milk a day. If you are raising goats and milking goat does, you may be wondering what to make with goat milk.
Goat milk once had a reputation for having an unpleasant flavor and strong aftertaste. Goat milkers will insist that this has much more to do with how the milk is handled, however, and goat milk naturally has a creamy consistency and taste due to its high butterfat content. With the rising popularity of soft goat cheeses and the like, more goat milk recipes and products are enjoying mainstream popularity.
Goat milk can serve as a substitute for cows’ milk in many recipes, though it will taste tangier and have a slightly fattier consistency. Be warned, though: while some lactose-intolerant consumers will claim goat milk does not cause the same reaction as dairy milk, most allergen experts find that many of the irritating proteins are similar. A 1999 study showed that many children that exhibited cows’ milk allergies also exhibited reactions to goats’ milk.
Still, creamy goat milk provides a flavorful alternative to cows’ milk, and many opportunities for experimentation for goat owners with lactating does. As goat milk rises in popularity, there are more recipes specifically designed with goat milk in mind. Here is a roundup of recipes (or instructions, as the case may be — goat milk is great for more than just eating) that show you what to make with goat milk.
Cheese
Arguably, goat cheese is what popularized goat milk. The soft cheese is one of the easiest cheeses to make for first-time cheesemakers (along with mozzarella cheese). Plus, there are endless variations on the recipe once you master it. Check out this simple recipe from Analinda’s Ethnic Spoon to get started.
If goat cheese isn’t your curd of choice, try this recipe for goat milk ricotta from Homespun Seasonal Living or this recipe for goat milk mozzarella from Cultures for Health.
Curry
Replacing coconut milk with goat milk gives spicy curry a creamy, tangy punch. Try this chicken curry from All Recipes for a twist on this traditional dish.
Soup
Goat milk’s natural creaminess makes it perfect for thick, stick-to-your-bones soup. Check out this recipe for creamy asparagus soup with goat milk from Edible Perspective, or this recipe for oven roasted winter squash soup with goat milk from the Food Network.
Fudge
The high butterfat content of goat cheese makes for a rich, delicious fudge. Try this goat fudge recipe from Culture Cheese Magazine.
Mousse
If you are looking for a lighter, fluffier dessert, combine goat cheese and goat milk to make this cherry and goat’s milk coconut mousse from Half Baked Harvest.
Buttermilk
Goat milk’s sweet tang is perfect for homemade buttermilk. Follow these instructions from The Organic Goat Lady to make your own.
Cajeta casera
Compared to cow’s milk, goat’s milk is uniquely stable and able to endure high heat without scorching, which makes it perfect for a thick, gooey, dulce de leche-like sauce called cajeta casera. Old school methods require hours of boiling down milk, but you can follow this recipe from Serious Eats for a more time-efficient version you can try yourself.
Flan
In the theme of Mexican cuisine, you can make flan from goat’s milk by following this recipe from Liz the Chef.
Caramels
These sweet candies are the perfect way to get your goat milk fix on-the-go. Check out this recipe from Edible Michiana for a sweet and savory goat milk caramel with sea salt.
Pudding
Forget pudding packs: this creamy treat is just begging to be made with goat milk. A little bit of chocolate brings the whole thing together. This recipe from Hobby Farms shows you how to make your own delicious goat milk pudding.
Ice cream
Goat milk ice cream may not be the universal savior for the lactose-intolerant, but it is still delicious and fun to make. This recipe from Epicurious shows you how you can make it for yourself. If you want to spice it up a little bit, Food52 has this recipe for cherry, walnut and goat’s milk ice cream.
Yogurt
Goat milk yogurt has the taste and consistency of Greek yogurt. Follow these instructions from Delishably to make your own.
Milkshake
This strawberry goat milk milkshake recipe from Meyenberg is sure to bring everyone to your yard.
Butter
Goat milk butter is as creamy as cow milk butter, but with a slight grassiness and tang. To separate the cream from the goat milk, you can either purchase a cream separator or let the milk sit in the fridge for a few days until the cream rises to the top that you can skim off. Once you have goat milk cream, follow this recipe from Weed ‘Em and Reap to make goat milk butter.
Eggnog
Bring some flair to your yuletide fun with this recipe for goat milk eggnog from Mt. Capra.
Soap
You can’t eat it (well, you could, but we don’t recommend it), but goat milk soap is proven to have a number of benefits to your skin. Check out this recipe from Hello Homestead (yes, we know, shameless plug) to make some goat milk soap for yourself and start reaping the dermatological benefits.
Lotion
Dry hands got your goat? Try these instructions for goat milk lotion from Danielle McCoy at The Rustic Elk.
Face wash
Goat milk cleanser will have you glowing every day. These instructions from Don’t Waste the Crumbs show you have to make a cleanser from goat milk.
Lip balm
Chapped lips, no more. Follow these instructions from CraftBits.com to make your own goat milk lip balm.
Candles
Goat milk is not only tasty and soothing to the skin, but it is also aromatic and creamy in color, which is perfect for a fancy homemade candle. Follow these instructions from eHow to make your own goat milk candles.
Have you tried any of these ways to use goat milk? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.