Corn Milk Is The Refreshing Summer Drink You Need To Try

Corn milk, made from milking corn cobs, is distinct from other milk.

Medically reviewed by Carolyn O'Neil, MS, RDN

It's summer in the South, which means sunshine, beach days, icy cold sweet tea, and farmers' markets overflowing with tomatoes, peaches, and so much corn. Boiled or grilled or microwaved, starring in soup or salad, or transformed into custard, casserole, or pudding, sweet, freshly picked corn is one of the greatest gifts of summer. That said, there can be too much of a good thing whether you grow your own, pick your own, or just got too enthusiastic at the Piggly Wiggly. If you find yourself with a lot of corn on hand and you've run through all your recipes, we have two words for you: corn milk. Here's how to make and use this sweet milk.

Milk From the Cob

First, a point of clarification. Corn milk is distinct from other types of milk. It's made from milking corn cobs to extract the maximum flavor. Milking corn cobs means you cut the kernels off the corn, as you do for many recipes, and then scrape the bare cob with the back of a knife to release the corn milk. That corn milk is a naturally sweet, starchy liquid perfect for adding flavor and texture to everything from soups to salad dressings to corn puddings to sauces or even chaat, the delightfully broad category of South Asian street food. Corn milk is also not the delicious concoction that results from tossing your shorn cobs into your vegetable stock or soup, letting them add some sweetness to the flavor. While we encourage both of those options, we're talking about something else here.

Traditional Corn Milk Drinks

Corn milk is a longtime staple in Asian and Central and South American cuisine. It is typically transformed into a sweet drink that combines the earthy sweetness of corn and milk to make a unique beverage that tastes a bit like the milk left in your bowl after a serving of corn cereal (in other words, delicious). Vietnam, China, and Guatemala all have popular versions.

It's pretty easy to make—remove the corn from the cob, milk the cobs to extract all the flavor, and whirl it all in the blender with milk until smooth. To make Guatemalan corn milk (atol de elote), Saveur suggests pouring the puree into a pot, adding milk, sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt, and cooking over medium heat until slightly thickened. Pour into cups and enjoy while warm.

Tip

Corn milk, the fluid derived from scraping corn cobs, is a fat free, sodium free, and vegan product, notes Carolyn O'Neil MS, RDN. It also contains many of the healthy nutrients found in fresh corn such as potassium, beta carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin.

An Easy Alternative

If that's too complicated, try Jeffrey Morgenthaler's version, based on a Brazilian drink called Batida de Milho Verde. That version blends a can of creamed corn with a can of sweetened condensed milk, which is then strained through a fine-mesh sieve. That's it! Use it in drinks like iced coffee. Lifehacker swears it's delicious in iced coffee or iced tea and also makes an excellent base for no-churn ice cream or drizzled on cake. Lifehacker even claims it makes a mean addition to cocktails, including corn milk punch, which combines the corn-condensed milk combo with bourbon and rum. We might just have to keep that recipe in mind the next time we're at the farmers' market.

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