Almond Milk
This Almond Milk is so thick and creamy, and is ridiculously easy to make. Homemade almond milk has a decadent mouthfeel, but it is healthy, full of nutrients, and free of additives and stabilizers. It can be made unsweetened or sweetened with no refined sugar.
This homemade almond milk makes amazing lattes, and actually froths like cream. Just omit the dates, and this recipe becomes Keto friendly! There are so many recipes you can make with almond pulp, which is a byproduct of this recipe. After making this recipe just once, you may never buy almond milk at the grocery store again! Want to know how to Pimp Our Recipe and make this recipe 5 different ways? Read about this in our Blog Comments & Tips.
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RECIPE
(Check out our Step by Step Instructions below the recipe card.)
Recipe Updated: 3/31/22
ALMOND MILK
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add raw almonds to a medium sized glass mixing bowl. Add 2-4 cups room temperature filtered water to the bowl so the almonds are completely submerged (water line should be about 2 inches above the almonds). Allow to rest on the counter uncovered for 24 hours (minimum overnight, about 8 hours - see #2 in Notes section).
- The next day, drain almonds in a fine mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly, about 2-3 times. Your almonds should have swelled and look perky (very hydrated)!
- Add drained and well rinsed almonds to a high-speed blender (Nutri-Bullet or Vitamix). Depending on the size of your blender, you may need to do this in two batches. Then add vanilla (optional, but recommended) and sea salt. If making sweetened almond milk, add the Medjool dates (optional). Then add 4 cups filtered water (see Note #3). Blend on high speed for 1 ½ to 2 minutes. If blending the nuts in batches, repeat this step for each batch.
- Place a nut milk bag (see #4 in Notes section) over an extra large measuring cup or large bowl. Then slowly pour the almond milk from the blender into the nut bag. Let drain, then firmly squeeze all the liquid out of the almonds into the bowl. Once there is no more liquid coming from the nut bag, set it aside, but do NOT discard the pulp (see #5 in Notes section).
- Transfer strained almond milk to a large glass bottle or large pitcher. Then seal the bottle or tightly cover the pitcher with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. This almond milk will settle, so shake it vigorously just before serving. If you are storing it in a pitcher, just whisk it thoroughly before enjoying.
Notes
- It's important to use filtered water for both the soaking process and the milk, as the chlorine and other chemicals in tap water would get absorbed by the almonds.
- The longer the almonds soak, the more they will soften and plump. They should double in size within 24 hours, and the water will leach out quite a bit of “sludge.”
- Using 4 cups of filtered water produces a creamy almond milk similar to whole milk. This is an especially nice consistency for making lattes, cappuccinos, or even sauces. If you prefer a lighter consistency like 2% or nonfat milk, then we recommend increasing to 5 cups of filtered water.
- If you don’t have a nut milk bag, place a few layers of cheesecloth over a fine mesh strainer, and strain almond milk and pulp through the cheesecloth.
- Almond pulp is a byproduct of this recipe and can be used in many recipes like our Vegan Oat Bars. To store until ready to use in other recipes, dump all the thoroughly squeezed almond pulp into a large airtight glass container. The pulp should be so dry that it feels a bit like soft, sandy clay. Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 to 7 days. Freeze in an airtight container or double Ziploc freezer bag for up to 1 month.
- Almond Milk can be kept refrigerated for up to 7 days. This homemade almond milk is really best when it’s fresh and consumed within 3 days.
- Yields 5 servings - 8 ounces per serving (makes about 40 ounces - a little more than 1 quart). Recipe can be doubled (will make about half gallon+). Due to the quantity of almonds and liquid, you will likely have to blend this in batches.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
63.23Fat (grams)
2.75Sat. Fat (grams)
0.21Carbs (grams)
8.60Fiber (grams)
1.33Net carbs
7.27Sugar (grams)
6.84Protein (grams)
1.33Sodium (milligrams)
36.21Cholesterol (grams)
0.00Nutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods. Nutritional calculations do not include almond pulp, only liquid.
Step by Step Instructions
PREPARATION
Organize all your tools and ingredients before you begin. Getting all your ingredients in one place at the beginning will shorten your prep time.
Note: Instructions for sweetened almond milk will be in the notes for that step. Medjool dates are used to sweeten this homemade almond milk.
STEP 1
Add 1 cup of organic raw almonds to a medium sized glass bowl. Add enough room temperature filtered water to the bowl so the almonds are completely submerged. The water line should be about 2 inches above the almonds. Allow to rest on the counter uncovered for 24 hours (minimum overnight, about 8 hours).
Note: The longer the almonds soak, the more they will soften and plump. They should double in size within 24 hours, and the water will leach out quite a bit of “sludge.” It's also important to use filtered water, as the chlorine and other chemicals in tap water would get absorbed by the almonds during soaking.
STEP 2
The next day, drain almonds and rinse well, about 2-3 times. Your almonds should have swelled and look perky (very hydrated)!
a) Drain almonds in a fine mesh strainer, and rinse thoroughly with cool tap water.
b) Place rinsed almonds in a bowl and cover with tap water. With your hands, swirl the almonds in the water. Drain and repeat if water is still very cloudy or sludgy.
c) Drain almonds again in a fine mesh strainer, and give it a final rinse with cool tap water. Then allow all the water to drain from the almonds.
STEP 3
Depending on the size of your high speed blender, you may have to blend this in two batches. Just put exactly half the ingredients in the blender, and strain through the nut milk bag. Repeat for the second batch.
Add drained and rinsed almonds to a high-speed blender (Nutri-Bullet or Vitamix), a good pinch of sea salt, and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (vanilla is optional, but recommended). Pour 4 cups filtered water (see Note below) into the blender and seal the lid tightly. Blend on high speed for 1 ½ to 2 minutes.
If Sweetening Nut Milk: Remove the pits from 2 Medjool dates (optional). Then add dates to the blender. If you are a nut milk purest and preferred unflavored and unsweetened almond milk, then omit both the vanilla and Medjool dates. Although these two ingredients are optional, we highly recommend both as it will soften the flavor of the almond milk.
Note: Using 4 cups of filtered water produces a creamy almond milk similar to whole milk. This is an especially nice consistency for making lattes, cappuccinos, or even sauces. If you prefer a lighter consistency like 2% or nonfat milk, then we recommend increasing to 5 cups of filtered water (even more if you want it lighter).
STEP 4a
Place a nut milk bag (see Note below) over an extra large measuring cup (or large bowl). Then slowly pour the almond milk from the blender into the nut milk bag.
Note: If you don’t have a nut milk bag, place a few layers of cheesecloth over a fine mesh strainer, and strain almond milk and pulp through the cheesecloth.
Step 4b
With clean hands, slowly lift the bag a little to allow more liquid to seep out of the bag. Then firmly squeeze all the liquid out of the almonds into the bowl. This will take a few minutes and a set of strong hands, but believe us it’s worth it! Once there is no more liquid coming from the nut bag, you can store it. Just do NOT discard the pulp (see Step 5, and #5 in Notes section) !
STEP 5
Almond pulp is a byproduct of this recipe and can be used in many recipes (try our Vegan Oat Bars). Store until ready to use in other recipes. Place the bag of almond pulp in a large airtight glass container or bowl. Then dump all the thoroughly squeezed almond pulp into a large airtight glass container. The pulp should be so dry that it feels a bit like soft, sandy clay. Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 to 7 days.
Note: Freeze in an airtight container or double Ziploc freezer bag for up to 1 month.
TRANSFER & SERVE!
Transfer strained almond milk to a large glass bottle or large pitcher (see Note below). Then seal the bottle or tightly cover the pitcher with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. This almond milk will settle, so shake it vigorously just before serving. If you are storing it in a pitcher, just whisk it thoroughly before enjoying.
Note: We used a straight-sided pitcher like this one for this photo shoot!
Notes:
Almond Milk can be kept refrigerated for up to 7 days. This homemade almond milk is really best when it’s fresh and consumed within 3 days. We do not recommend freezing.
Yields 5 servings - 8 ounces per serving (makes about 40 ounces - a little more than 1 quart). Recipe can be doubled (will make about half gallon+). Due to the quantity of almonds and liquid, you will likely have to blend this in batches.
VIDEO
How to Make Homemade Almond Milk!
Blog Comments & Tips
Unbelievably thick and creamy!
This Almond Milk is so thick and creamy, and is ridiculously easy to make. Homemade unsweetened almond milk has a decadent mouthfeel, but it is healthy, full of nutrients, and free of additives and stabilizers. It is quite delicious and the best part is it makes amazing lattes! This homemade almond milk froths like cream!
If you have never tried making it, you will be shocked at how simple it is. After making this recipe just once, you may never buy almond milk at the grocery store again! This homemade almond milk froths so easily and the consistency is almost like whipped egg whites (close to texture of meringue) - so thick you can almost chew the foam!
My husband and I always drink almond milk at home. After years of buying it at the grocery store, it took making it just once to stop purchasing store bought almond milk. It was the texture that won me over, but the flavor was quite surprising. Although I love Silk Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (it’s clean tasting and yummy), this homemade almond milk actually tastes like almonds. The results from the homemade recipe were completely different from the store bought. Don’t get me wrong, I will continue to buy the store bought version for convenience, but if I have organic raw almonds on hand, homemade almond milk it is! There are many variations for this recipe, and we encourage you to review the Pimp Our Recipe section below.
This recipe is so customizable, you can literally make it 5 different ways!
Let’s not forget to mention the almond pulp. Another bonus of this almond milk recipe, is the almond pulp, which is a byproduct of this recipe. There are so many recipes you can make with almond pulp, including our Vegan Oat Bars!
Now you have the recipe, ingredients, and equipment, but how do you ensure the best results from our recipe?
Our 5 tips to making this creamy Almond Milk:
Use fresh organic raw almonds.
Use filtered water for both soaking and blending. It’s important to use filtered water, as unnecessary elements like the chlorine and other chemicals in tap water, would get absorbed by the almonds during soaking. Once soaking process is complete, feel free to rinse them thoroughly in tap water.
You must use a high speed blender, not a traditional blender. We prefer one of these two options (Nutri-Bullet or Vitamix).
You will need a nut milk bag and strong hands to squeeze out all that precious nut milk.
To strain the milk into a bowl, it’s easiest to use an extra large 8 - cup measuring cup extra large 8-cup measuring cup (or large bowl). This makes it easy to transfer into your container or pitcher.
If you prefer your almond milk a certain way, then take a look at how to customize it to your preference in our Pimp Our Recipe section below.
Pimp Our Recipe:
Make it Less Sweet: Instead of using 2 Medjool dates, replace with 1 date.
Make it Sweeter: Instead of using 2 Medjool dates, replace with 4 dates. If you have a major sweet tooth and want it even sweeter, add 6 dates!
Make it Unsweetened: Omit the Medjool dates from this recipe.
Make it Unflavored: If you want the pure taste of almonds in your nut milk, omit the pure vanilla extract, and omit the Medjool dates from this recipe.
Make it Unique: When ready to blend, replace the filtered water with coconut water (1:1). It will sweeten the almond milk, and it will add nutrients and natural electrolytes.
Enjoy and let us know what you think by commenting below, rating our recipes, subscribing, following, and liking us on Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube! Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks.
Santé!
Mich
Footnote: For a cleaner tasting almond milk, remember to soak the almonds in filtered water and then rinse thoroughly to get rid of the “sludge.”
Adapted from the Homemade Vanilla Almond Milk recipe by Smart In The Kitchen, we’ve changed some of the quantities and various techniques to make this already good almond milk, even better!
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