Today I am excited to show you how to make homemade almond milk. If you keep a big stock of almonds on hand and you run out of milk it is super easy to make a nut milk. You can check out my quick video here. With coronavirus we are living in a very uncertain world, and this could come in handy. I went to Costco recently and they were out of unsweetened vanilla almond milk and remembered that I knew how to make it!
Why I Originally Learned How To Make Homemade Almond Milk
When my middle son John was little he was allergic to dairy and soy until he was 2 1/2 (he out grew it). There were not as many options then (4 years ago) and I hated all of the preservatives and random ingredients in the commercial ones so I started to make it. It was so easy, creamy and better tasting (in my opinion). Homemade Almond Milk actually has a very different taste to Silk, Whole Foods or Trader Joes (my preferred shelf stable brands). It is a taste I much prefer, but my children go in phases liking it. Ok back to explaining how to make homemade almond milk.
This recipe comes together with as little as 2 ingredients in just minutes! The remaining ingredients are optional, see all adaptations below. It is adaptable to your families preferences for sweetness and flavor and works for almost all food lifestyles (paleo friendly, vegan, dairy free and whole 30 approved). Most importantly it is really delicious.
Note you do need a high-quality, high-speed blender, like a Vitamix, which is what I have been using for over years now. It is expensive but I use it almost everyday! You also need a nut bag, but that is not necessary you could use a clean thin dish towel.
How to Make Homemade Almond Milk
- Soak your nuts overnight (6-8 hours or more). This actually makes it more nutritious and results in a creamier texture and is a must. Here is a good explanation why. I like to soak them right before I go to bed and make it first thing in the morning.
- Strain your nuts and discard the soaking water
- Blend: Add the nuts back to your high speed blender with 4 cups of water (see note in recipe for tap vs. filtered) and the rest of your optional ingredients. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes – make sure it is fully blended!!
- Squeeze: Pour the blended contents into a nut bag or a thin dish towel over a bowl or large liquid measuring cup (I prefer this because it s easier to pour after). Squeeze until all the liquid has come out
You can discard the pulp or save it to make pancakes, brownies or cookies. I am working on some recipes to show you, but Minimalist Baker has some good ones! This is what your pulp will look like.
Homemade Almond Milk Adaptations
- Use 1-2 tbsp of maple syrup instead of dates
- Add 1 – 2 tsp of cinnamon for a fun twist – I like to do this every few times I make it
- If you are out of Almonds you can make this with cashews instead
- Chocolate Almond Milk – 2 tbs of cocoa powder + 4 dates (vanilla optional)
- Strawberry Almond Milk – Add 1/2 cup of strawberries for strawberry almond milk
- Use less 3 – 3 1/2 cups of water if you want it creamier or up to 5 cups if you want it thinner (more similar to store bought)
While I love the convenience of store bought milk and definitely rely on it some weeks, I love the taste and the short list of ingredients with no preservatives of homemade almond milk. To make this more efficient you can double the recipe and freeze it in mason jars so you have enough for 2-3 weeks at a time. My favorite way to enjoy homemade almond milk is in my afternoon coffee. I drink my coffee black in the morning but really enjoy a creamy cup in the afternoon. I also love to use it in my overnight oats or oatmeal.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 4 cups of Water
- 2 tsp pure vanilla optional
- 2 pitted dates optional
- 1 tbsp calcium optional
Instructions
- Soak your almonds in water for 6-8 hours or overnight (I like to pop them in the fridge right before I go to bed and make it first thing in the morning).
- Strain your almonds and add them to your high speed blender with 4 cups of water.
- Optional: Add in your preferred additional ingredients (vanilla, dates, cinnamon, berries or cocoa)
- Blend on high for 1-2 minutes (until creamy and smooth).
- Pour into a nut bag or a thin dish towel over a bowl or large liquid measuring cup (I prefer this because it s easier to pour after).
- Squeeze until all the liquid has come out
- Discard the pulp or save for baking or adding to smoothies!
- Transfer to a pitcher or covered jar (preferably because you need to stir or shake it up before consuming).
- This lasts 3-4 days in refrigerator (there are no preservatives in it and up to a month in the freezer).
Notes
- You do need a high-quality, high-speed blender, like a Vitamix, which is what I have been using for over years now. It is expensive but I use it almost everyday!
- You also need a nut bag, but that is not necessary you could use a clean thin dish towel.
- Water - most recipes call for filtered water so you know the only additional ingredient in your almond milk is water. Since we drink our tap water on a daily basis I am comfortable with using tap water.
- I freeze in mason jars - make sure not to fill all the way to the top of the jar (allow for expansion).
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Adaptations:
- Use 1-2 tbsp of maple syrup if you want to sweeten it
- Add 1 - 2 tsp of cinnamon for a fun twist - I like to do this every few times I make it
- If you are out of Almonds you can make this with cashews instead
- Chocolate Almond Milk - 2 tbs of cocoa powder + 4 dates (vanilla optional)
- Strawberry Almond Milk - Add 1/2 cup of strawberries for strawberry almond milk
- Use less 3 - 3 1/2 cups of water if you want it creamier or up to 5 cups if you want it thinner (more similar to store bought).
