Almond milk is a healthy and inexpensive alternative toconventional dairy that you can easily make at home!Statistics show that many people are choosing dairy-free milks and other products due to allergies, concerns about sourcing, or just taste preference.
Why Make Almond Milk?
Like virtually every other food or drink, almond milk is both less expensive and healthier when you make it yourself. While there are decent store bought brands available now, many brands contain additives like carrageenanto remain shelf stable and a keep aconsistenttexture.
Almond milk is a low glycemic alternative to rice milk, and doesn’t cause problems with hormone levels like soy milk does. It can be used in place of regular milk in recipes and baking. It is easy to make and has a light taste.
We used almond milk when we were working on reversing our son’s dairy intolerance and I still often use it (or homemade coconut milk) in recipes, coffee, or to drink simply because it is so inexpensive and easy to make.
If you are dairy free, making your own almond milk is a great way to save money and avoid additives. As a bonus, you can use the leftover almond pulp to make almond flour for use in recipes! If you are nut free as well, coconut milk is another good alternative.
If you go through a lot of almond milk in your home, I have found that it is much faster to use the Nutr Machine. While it can be pricey (use code WELLNESSMAMA10 for a discount), it can pay for itself very quickly if you use it often enough!
How to Store Homemade Almond Milk
This recipe lasts approximately 4 days in the refrigerator. Our family easily consumes this much almond milk in a few days, but if you won’t use this, it is best to reduce the recipe and make less to use as you need it.
Homemade Almond Milk Recipe
This almond milk recipe is super simple to make at home in just minutes! It is customizable so you can adjust the sweetness and even add flavor, plus it is naturally dairy free, paleo, vegan and all around delicious!
Calories 34kcal
Author Katie Wells
Servings
Instructions
If desired, soak almonds for at least 12 hours in pure water with 1/2 tsp sea salt. This is an important step as it breaks down the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors and cultures beneficial enzymes in the almonds. The longer the almonds soak, the creamier the finished milk will be. (Side note: soaking nuts should be done before eating them as well. Soak nuts in salt water for 12 hours, rinse them, and dry in oven on lowest heat. See tutorial here.)
Drain the soaking water and rinse the almonds well. Do not keep this water to re-use as it contains phytic acid and is best to discard it.
In blender or Vitamix combine almonds and pure water along with vanilla, sweeteners, or any other optional ingredients. See the notes below for some flavor suggestions.
Blend 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Mixture will expand some, so make sure your blender is not full before starting it.
Strain mixture into a large bowl through a sprout bag, cheesecloth, or thin kitchen towel.
Pour into glass jar or pitcher and store in refrigerator for up to four days.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Almond Milk Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 /2 cup)
Calories 34Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 0.3g2%
Sodium 6mg0%
Carbohydrates 1.9g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 0.4g0%
Protein 1.9g4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Notes
Reuse the Pulp: Save the pulp of the almonds, put on cookie sheet and dehydrate in oven on lowest heat until completely dry. Run through blender or food processor to make almond flour, which can be used in recipes in place of flour. Alternately, just store in the refrigerator for use in baking or smoothies.
Flavor Variations: Add ½ cup strawberries for strawberry almond milk, 1-2 TBSP cocoa powder for chocolate almond milk, or any other flavor you can imagine!
Imitation Store Bought Almond Milk: This recipe will produce a creamy almond milk that is much better than store bought almond milk (in my opinion). Most store bought milks only use 2% almonds so they are low calorie but you’re essentially buying water in a box. If you prefer this type of almond milk, you can reduce the amount of almonds to ¼ or ½ cup and use the recipe above.
Do you eat almonds? Ever used almond or coconut milk in place of regular milk? Tell me below!
FAQs
Add 1 of the following flavorings to your milk, according to the flavor you prefer.
- Pour in 1 tsp. (4.9 ml) of vanilla extract for every 4 cups (0.95 l) of almond milk. ...
- Create a stronger almond taste by adding almond extract. Pour in 1 tsp. ...
- Add 1 tbsp. of sugar or agave syrup and 2 tbsp. ...
- Add 1 tbsp.
Making homemade almond milk starts with soaking almonds overnight in cool water. The water is then drained out and the almonds are added to a blender along with fresh water, salt, and any additional add-ins (such as dates for sweetness or vanilla, cacao powder, or berries for flavor variations).
How many almonds to make a cup of almond milk? ›
The short answers is that this recipe is based off of 1 cup of almonds. You can blend that 1 cup of almonds to make about 3 cups of milk or up to 5 cups of milk. The lesser amount makes a more full-flavored milk, and of course the higher amount of water added makes a thinner almond milk.
Why soak almonds before making almond milk? ›
Plan ahead: Raw nuts need to soak for at least 12 hours before blending. This saturates the nut from the inside-out, resulting in a smoother, creamier texture. It also yields more liquid, because fully saturated nuts blend better and leave less "pulp" behind.
What happens when you add lemon juice to almond milk? ›
Putting lemon juice directly into Almond milk will likely curdle the almond milk. However, if you are eating something with lemon and drinking almond milk at the same time, that's fine.
How to improve almond milk? ›
I sometimes add a pinch of sea salt to add minerals into the milk, but this is optional. For those of you who are used to the sweetness of cow's milk or commercial almond milk, you can achieve the same flavor by adding a date or two. Almond milk is a healthy alternative for those avoiding dairy and soy.
Does homemade almond milk taste sour? ›
Whether it's fresh or commercially made, signs to tell almond milk has gone bad include a sour taste, a thicker texture, and a funky smell. Here are the things to look for so you know when it's time to toss it.
Why is my homemade almond milk thick? ›
Expired almond milk can turn thick and clumpy, but before you toss it, give the container a good shake to see if it's just separated. If your almond milk still has a funky texture—into the bin it goes. Speaking of funky, give your almond milk a good sniff.
Is it cheaper to make or buy almond milk? ›
The Verdict. If you're purely looking at numbers, the answer is clear: It's mostly cheaper to buy packaged milk than to DIY. This is likely because non-dairy milk producers buy massive quantities of nuts in bulk, which reduces cost significantly.
Does almond milk go bad? ›
Once opened, store-bought almond milk lasts for up to 10 days when kept in the refrigerator. Homemade almond milk perishes more quickly. “It will separate when it sits for a few hours. Give it shake and it's good as new, but I would use homemade almond milk within 3 days,” White says.
My favorite nut milk bag alternative is my handkerchief. It's a super fine weave but it will still let you strain liquid through it. My handkerchief is really old so I'm not really concerned about dyes and stuff, but probably best to choose a fabric with little dye.
Why is my homemade almond milk bitter? ›
Soaking roasted nuts brings out their bitterness, and because they're drier to begin with, they yield a gritty milk. (Soaking nuts also won't remove any flavors, so unless you want Thai chili- or salt & vinegar-flavored almond milk, use unseasoned almonds.)
Why add salt to almond milk? ›
For any nut milk, you only need nuts and water. But I love a touch of sweetness which is why I add real maple syrup. You can also use agave or honey. Salt is added to naturally preserve the milk.
Should I peel my almonds for almond milk? ›
Some recipes will tell you to remove the skin from each almond for aesthetic reasons before processing, but this step is time-consuming and unnecessary: After the milk is strained, very little of the almond skin remains in the final product.
What can I add to almond milk to make it sweeter? ›
There are a few simple ways to make unsweetened almond milk taste better. One option is to add a natural sweetener like honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar. You can also try adding a pinch of salt to enhance the flavor.
How do you make almond milk taste less watery? ›
Soak the almonds for at least 6 hours; 10-12 is even better. As the almonds soak, they become softer and absorb much of the water. This allows them to break down better and impart more flavor into the milk when blended.
Why does my homemade almond milk taste like water? ›
Too much water and your almond milk will be more like almond water; too little and you might as well be drinking an almond smoothie. Of course, consistency is entirely subjective, as well as dependent on how you plan to use the almond milk, so it's worth starting with slightly less water and adding it as needed.
Why does homemade almond milk go bad? ›
The shelf life of almond milk depends on the type of almond milk and how well it is stored. Homemade almond milk or almond milk from a fresh local source doesn't contain any additives to preserve it, so it will only last about five days even if it is properly stored in the refrigerator.
