Learn how to make almond milk in about 5 minutes (after soaking almonds) and add delicious and nutritious to your life with every sip. Homemade almond milk is smooth, creamy and amazingly better tasting than commercial brands.
A few years ago, we decided to cut back on dairy. No one in the family was lactose-intolerant, but some of us got headaches, earaches, or congestion when we drank milk.
Since we poured milk on our steel-cut oatmeal every morning, we needed an alternative. Enter almond milk into our lives.
However, every time I read the label on the container of almond milk, a little niggle of worry entered my mind.
Much to my disappointment, commercial almond milk ingredients consist of more than almonds and water. Additional additives include artificial gums and emulsifiers to make the milk thick and creamy.
“Natural flavor” is also added. I assume the “natural flavor” hides the taste of the added ingredients to make the almond milk taste like almond milk.
If you have been following me for very long, you know that I do not like to add extra ingredients, chemicals, or unknown items to my food. I want it pure and simple.
I didn’t want these extra ingredients in my milk so I figured I should learn to make my own.
However, I hesitated because I thought homemade almond milk would take a long time and be a pain. I already make homemade hummus every single week from scratch. I wasn’t sure I could handle another staple every week.
The homemade pantry or staple items I make every week MUST be quick and easy. Overnight soaking doesn’t bother me. That is hands-off time that takes me 30 seconds to set up.
If I want to consistently make a staple, it can’t take more than 10 minutes of hands-on time. Homemade almond milk fit the requirements.
When I learned how to make almond milk, I was astonished at how quick and easy it was to prepare. I was also pleasantly surprised at the rich and creamy texture. And I was amazed at how much better it tasted than store bought milk.
In fact, I routinely don’t add any sweetener to my homemade almond milk. I couldn’t believe it because I really do not like the taste of unsweetened commercial almond milk from any brand.
When you make almond milk at home, you can choose how much sweetener to add and what kind of sweetener to use.
I recommend whole dates, maple syrup, or honey if you want the milk a little sweeter. You can also add sugar if you want. I try to avoid sugar at breakfast, so I don’t add sugar to my milk.
Be sure to add the sweetener and blend again before you strain the milk through the nut milk bag or cheesecloth.
I use homemade almond milk in smoothies, like my healthy strawberry smoothie.
And if you like chocolate milk, you may be interested in my chocolate almond milk recipe.
A quick note: for success at this recipe, you really need a high powered blender, like a Vitamix or a food processor.
The Vitamix is my go-to blender of choice. I love mine. I have had it for years and anticipate owning it forever.
It especially shines when blending an ingredient with a liquid, like water and almonds. I can blend my almonds and water in under a minute.
Almond Milk Ingredients
- Almonds - whole, shelled with skin
- Water
- Sweetener of choice (optional)
- Pinch of salt (optional)
How to Make Almond Milk
- USE whole, shelled (but not peeled) almonds.
For some reason, the almonds with their skin on make a much better tasting milk than peeled almonds. I don’t know why, and can only guess that a lot of the the flavor is in the peel. Don’t worry, this does not affect the texture. In fact, it makes it creamier, which doesn't make sense, but it is true. - SOAK almonds in water. Use enough water to cover the almonds by at least 2 inches. Soak at least 8 hours and up to 48 hours. (*See note at the end.) The longer the soak, the creamier the milk. The first time I make this nut milk, I soaked the almonds 48 hours. Friend, let me tell you, it tasted amazing.
- After soaking, DRAIN the almonds.
- ADD water to your Vitamix or other powerful blender followed by the almonds. Use a ratio of 1 to 3 (almonds to water). For example, if you have 1 cup of almonds, add 3 cups of water.
- BLEND until completely liquefied.
- POUR the milk into a nut milk bag. You can use a cheesecloth or thin towel, but I find that these let too much peel and pulp through. Plus, they are more difficult to keep in good shape than a nut milk bag.
- STRAIN the milk through the nut milk bag. Twist the top of the bag closed and squeeze pressing down so the milk drains out of the bag and into a storage container.
- CHILL the milk in an airtight container, preferable a glass milk jug.
- DUMP the almond pulp out of the nut milk bag. Dry the pulp and use it as you would almond meal if you would like. Note, that this pulp doesn’t taste as good as freshly ground almond meal. The majority of the taste is with the milk. However, the majority of the protein and fiber are with the pulp, so it makes sense to use it.
- CLEAN your nut milk bag, dry it, and get it ready for your next batch of milk. Turn the bag inside out and spray it with water to remove all the remaining pulp. Wash the bag in the dishwasher, washing machine, or by hand. Dry it before storing it.
*Note: If you forget to soak your almonds the night before, you can boil the almonds in water for 15 minutes to soften them. This makes it easier to blend them.
It is also possible to blend the almonds into milk without soaking them if you have a powerful enough blender. The Vitamix is powerful enough and I have made the milk with raw, unsoaked almonds before.
For a treat, try roasting your almonds before you make them into milk. See my post on how to roast almonds to learn the best way to roast them.
Roasted almond milk also requires a powerful blender because the almonds have not been soaked. The Vitamix can do the trick. I don’t have experience trying it with other blenders, so you are on your own there.
Almond Milk Benefits
- Dairy-free: For those who have difficulty digesting dairy, are lactose-intolerant, or have congestion and earache symptoms from dairy milk, nut milk can be a real life-saver.
- Cholesterol-free food
- Low calorie
- High in vitamin E
Almond Milk Nutrition Facts
Most commercial almond milk has been fortified and has been diluted with more water than this recipe calls for.
In order to figure out the nutrition estimate for homemade almond milk, I followed these steps.
- WEIGH almonds.
- BLEND the milk and STRAIN it.
- WEIGH the almond pulp leftover.
- SUBTRACT the weight of the leftover almond pulp from the weight of the almonds added to the milk. The result is the weight of almond contained in the milk.
- DETERMINE calories, fat, protein, fiber, iron, and carbohydrates with nutrition calculator.
For example:
- I started with 170 grams of almonds (approximately 1 cup).
- Then I made the milk by blending the almonds with 3 cups of water.
- Next, I strained the milk through a nut milk bag.
- Then I weighed the almond meal left in the nut milk bag. It was 118 grams.
- I subtracted 118 from 170 and got 52 grams.
- Finally, I used a nutrition calculator to estimate the nutrition value of 52 grams of almonds.
- Last, I divided the nutrition information into the serving size of 1 cup of homemade almond milk.
Based on this nutrition calculation estimate, 1 cup of almond milk has the following nutrition:
- 100 calories
- 8.6g fat
- 3.7g protein
- 2.2g fiber
- 0.63mg iron
- 3.7g carbohydrates
Keep in mind that this is an estimate only.
How Long Will Homemade Almond Milk Last?
Homemade almond milk will last in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days for best taste. However, we have found that it is still good to drink for up to a week.
But because it is so easy to make, make it in smaller amounts so it will always be fresh for you.
How to Take Care of a Nut Milk Bag
- After using the nut bag, TURN it inside out and dump out the almond pulp.
- RINSE the bag with water until it runs clear.
- WASH the bag after every use. Use a mild soap with one of the methods listed below.
- Hand wash with dish soap and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar.
- Wash on the top rack of the dishwasher.
- Wash in a mesh bag in the washing machine with kitchen towels.
- SANITIZE monthly by boiling the bag in water for 10 minutes.
- LAY FLAT to dry. Dry completely before storing.
- STORE in an airtight container or zip top bag until your next use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Almond milk is made from the healthy almond nut. It is dairy-free, cholesterol-free, and low calorie.
Almond milk can be better for you, depending on why you are drinking it.
If you are lactose intolerant, trying to cut calories, or lower your cholesterol almond milk is better for you than dairy milk.
However, if you are trying to get the vitamins that are added to dairy milk and commercial almond milk during the manufacturing process, you may need some more information.
Commercial almond milk is usually fortified with vitamins A, D, and E. If you make your own almond milk you will not have those additives.
Dr. Jonathon Maguire, a researcher at St. Michael’s hospital, found that children who drank non-cow’s milk are twice as likely to have low vitamin D.
Before you panic over that statement, keep in mind that both dairy milk and commercial almond milk are fortified with vitamin D.
But there are other sources of vitamin D, particularly sun exposure. Ten to thirty minutes of sun three times a week is ideal to get vitamin D.
Check out the info on an app that lets you track your vitamin D through sun exposure.
Commercial almond milk also has far fewer almonds added to the milk than this recipe calls for. This means you won’t be getting as much nutrition as if you were eating whole almonds.
All nut milks are vegan. This recipe calls for almonds and water. Other ingredients in homemade recipes could include a sweetener, such as dates or maple syrup and sea salt.
Although most of the rich taste is in the milk, the leftover almond pulp is rich in protein and fiber. Here are some of the ways you can use the pulp.
• Add the smoothies to thicken them.
• Use in meatloaf.
• Substitute the pulp in the place of some of the flour in pancakes.
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Recipe
Homemade Almond Milk
Ingredients
- 1 cup almonds shelled with skins
- 3 cups water
- pinch of sea salt optional
Instructions
- SOAK almonds in water enough water to cover the almonds by at least an inch. Soak at least 6 hours and up to 48 hours. The longer the soak, the creamier the milk.
- DRAIN the almonds.
- ADD water to the Vitamix or other powerful blender, followed by the almonds.
- BLEND until completely liquefied.
- TASTE and add sweetener and salt to taste if you want to. This is optional -- I never add them to my milk.
- POUR the milk into a nut milk bag (best) or cheesecloth or thin towel if that is all you have.
- STRAIN the milk through the nut milk bag and into a storage container.
- CHILL the almond milk in an airtight container, preferably a glass milk jug.
- DUMP the almond pulp out of the nut milk bag. Dry the pulp and use it as you would almond meal.
- CLEAN your nut milk bag, dry it, and get it ready for your next batch of milk.
- *Note: If you forget to soak your almonds the night before, you can boil the almonds in water for 15 minutes to soften them. This makes it easier to blend them.
- It is also possible to blend the almonds into milk without soaking them if you have a powerful enough blender. The Vitamix is powerful enough and I have made the milk with raw, unsoaked almonds.
- For a twist, try roasting your almonds before you make them into milk.
Notes
Nutrition
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Ok, Friend. Store bought almond milk vs. homemade -- which do you think is better? You know what I think. Comment below and let me know your opinion.
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