Creamy Homemade Almond Milk – Learn to make creamy non-dairy almond milk at home. Use in place of dairy milk in coffee, over cereal or on its own!
In response to your requests, I will be covering how to make several different dairy free milks over the next few months. This week I’m sharing how to make almond milk, which is probably the most popular nut milk out there. Sure, you can buy almond milk at the store, but making it yourself at home ensures that the milk is raw and full of its optimal nutritional power. When you make it at home, you also have total control over the ingredients. I don’t know about you, but I prefer knowing exactly what is going into my food… and subsequently into my family’s bellies!
Almond milk, in its most basic form, is made from filtered water and almonds. It’s a non-dairy milk, which means it contains no lactose. Almond milk is easily digested by most folks who are lactose intolerant (except for those who have a nut allergy… I’ll have an option for you coming up in a future post!). Because you’re making it at home, you have total control over the flavor– the sweetness level, the texture, the fat content and the overall taste. For those who keep kosher, it’s a terrific substitute for dairy milk in recipes that you would like to keep pareve. I prefer homemade nut milks to non-dairy creamers, which often contain chemicals and preservatives. No strange additives here!
Unlike dairy milk, almond milk is cholesterol free… in fact, consuming almond products on a regular basis can actually lower your LDL-cholesterol. Almonds are rich in monounsaturated fats, the same type of “good fats” that can be found in olive oil. These types of fats have been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. Almonds are also a rich source of Vitamin E, magnesium and potassium.
In its pure unsweetened form, almond milk makes a fine substitute for plain milk. When using it on cereal or in my tea, I like to give it a touch of sweetness (throwing a whole date into the blender works great, or use honey, stevia or agave nectar). Adding a little vanilla and salt rounds out the flavor. Depending on what you plan to use your almond milk for, you can experiment and adjust the ingredients to taste. A nut milk bag will help you strain the milk to achieve a thin, grit-free texture; if you don’t have one and don’t want to order one, a fine mesh strainer, clean tea towel or multiple layers of cheesecloth will work just dandy.
How many almonds does it take to make almond milk?
This recipe calls for 1 cup of raw, unsalted almonds, which is about 100 almonds.
How long does homemade almond milk last?
Homemade almond milk will last for 3-4 days if kept in the refrigerator.
Is it cheaper to make your own almond milk?
Some comparisons have shown that the cost of making your own almond milk is around the same as buying store bought almond milk. However, making your own allows you to add your own flavors and doesn’t call for additional preservatives or additives, so for many this benefit makes the cost worth it.
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How to Make Almond Milk
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw unsalted almonds, skin-on
- 4 cups filtered water, plus more water for soaking almonds
- 1 1/2 teaspoons honey, agave nectar, maple syrup, or one whole pitted date (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- Dash sea salt (optional)
NOTES
Instructions
- Place raw almonds in a bowl and cover with cold water. Allow to soak overnight up to 48 hours, then drain and rinse. If soaking longer than overnight, change the cold soaking water every 12 hours.
- After soaking, drain and rinse the almonds. Do not peel the almonds; according to my recipe testing, keeping the skins on actually helps to reduce the grittiness of the almond milk (counter intuitive, I know!). Combine soaked almonds and 4 cups of filtered water in a blender.For a whole milk texture, I use 4 cups of water to 1 cup almonds. For a thinner texture, feel free to add more water-- you can adjust the texture to taste. The more water you add, the lower in fat the milk will be per serving; however, you don't want to add too much liquid or it will turn watery. Best to add water in small batches till the texture seems right to you.
- Blend on low, then slowly raise the speed to high for 1-2 minutes till the milk is completely smooth and no chunks of nuts remain. If desired, add sweetener, vanilla and/or salt to taste, then blend again to combine (if using a date, make sure you blend till it's completely pulverized). Feel free to adjust the sweetness to taste.
- Strain milk through a fine mesh strainer, tea towel, cheesecloth or nut milk bag into a storage container. A nut bag will work best for keeping your milk smooth and chunk-free. I usually strain the milk into a quart mason jar, which works perfectly with the 4 cup to 1 cup ratio of water to almonds.
- If using a mesh strainer, you will need to agitate the solids a bit to help all the milk drip through. I don't scrape them (this can push the solids through the strainer), but I do gently stir and move the solids around to make room for the liquid to come through. Similarly, if using a nut bag, you will need to gently squeeze the bag till all of the milk seeps through.
- Transfer milk to the refrigerator and chill thoroughly. It should keep for 3-4 days if refrigerated. I usually shake mine a bit before pouring to make sure it's well blended.
- Once you're finished straining the milk, you will have a small amount of leftover almond pulp. This can be discarded or dehydrated into almond flour and used as a gluten free breading for fish or chicken or mixed into baked goods. To do this, first adjust your oven to the lowest heat setting. Place the leftover almond pulp in a mesh strainer for about 30 minutes to allow any remaining liquid to drain off.
- With a rubber spatula, spread the pulp as thinly as possible onto a baking pan lined with parchment or a silicone baking sheet. Place in the oven at 200 degrees.
- Allow the paste to dehydrate for a few hours up to overnight. Check every couple of hours; when the meal hardens into a dry sheet, it's finished.
- Break up the dehydrated paste and pulverize using a food processor for 1-2 minutes. You can also use a fork, but a food processor will give you a much finer grind.
- You will be left with about ½ cup of almond flour.
- Use almond milk anywhere you would use regular milk-- in coffee or tea, on cereal, or as a milk substitute in recipes.
Mashugana says
To much work to make it into flour!
I do what Marge does.
You can use it as a wet flour (meaning as in) in your pancakes, cookies and cakes.
It is unreal in Greek yogurt plain or adding dry chocolate and/or strawberries.
This one is outrageous………remember I am lazy, stuff an apple with the wet flour and bake………omg!
Tori…………this Sunday, I purchased the thirty calorie Almond Milk, and forget the chemicals it did not have the clean taste of mine. Even the husband, mentioned what happened to the milk! LOVE it!
Tori Avey says
I love that even your husband noticed Mashugana! It really is so much better homemade.
Marge says
I use the mash in popsicles, yogurt smoothies, and oatmeal.
nicky says
anyone have anything to do with all the extra nut “meal”??? f(from making the milk)
Tori Avey says
Nicky, the dried nut meal can be used like almond flour– if you Google almond flour recipes you’ll come up with many ideas. It is often used as a gluten free low carb flour substitute (you cannot sub it cup for cup for flour, but it can be used in certain instances). Here is one of my recipes featuring almond meal:
http://theshiksa.com/2011/02/09/gluten-free-chicken-schnitzel/
Rosemary says
I’m so delighted to learn this process of homemade almond milk. Tori thanks a lot. I will try it. But I don’t know how to get nut bag.
Tori Avey says
Hi Rosemary, you can order a nutbag through my online market here: https://theshiksa.com/market/kitchenware/kitchen-tools-and-more/amazing-nut-milk-bag-from-elaina-loves-pure-joy-planet/ If you have an Amazon login it’s very easy to purchase one that way. Note that you don’t necessarily need a nut bag to make the milk, though it does help with the quality of the milk.
M from Sweden says
Been looking at some recepies for almondmilk and in all of them you soke for days. What is the difference when soking in water for days vs pouring hot water on them so you could skinn them/making them softer?
would it not work to make milk when almonds have been in hot water or is it some toxic thing or what?
Thank you =)
Jen says
Thanks for the great info & photos!
Monica. Tyron says
Thank you for the recipe going to try this. Sounds yummy n healthy need to lose the weight.
JAY says
Almonds don’t have teats. this isn’t milk. It’s almond juice.
Tori Avey says
Alrighty then! LOL
Danielle says
I seen in the comments people were talking about cost on the almonds. If you look for a
co-op in your area you might be able to get them cheaper. Usually for organic you can get them for 8-9$ a lb. and raw $5 a lb. also when you find a great sale on them buy in bulk and freeze them.
Joleen says
so concerned about carragheen in shop bought almond milk, I am very happy about this recipe!
Nina says
I took the easy way out to make almond milk, and I am very pleased with the results.
Put directly into your blender – I use my Vitamix –
– two tablespoons of almond butter (ground fresh from the almond machines at Whole Foods, or any other stores who grind on the spot.
– 4 cups of water (you can use more or less – I prefer 4 cups)
– a pinch of sea or kosher salt
– 1 teaspoon vanilla
– 2-4 pitted dates for sweetener. I prefer to use 3 dates.
Blend and voila you have a quart of really good almond milk. I use it within four days.
The taste isn’t very different from the store bought milk in the cartons and everything is fresh.
I like that I can buy as little as a few tablespoons of the almond butter at a time…. I can’t be trusted with much more in the house… love the stuff and have absolutely no willpower. 🙂
Raven San says
Thank you for adding what we can do with the leftover. I love almond milk so I make one every week, so I could have some healthy drink every Mondays, until Wednesdays. I was just thinking if there’ something I could do with the pulp, that’s why I searched and found your amazing tutorial. 🙂
Cool! I don’t know that strainers, like that one, works too, with a little caution not to press the pulps through the strainer. I usually use nut milk bags to filter them.
Thanks for this!
nicky says
Hi! Just made this delicious almond milk for my baby! He loves it! Have the almond meal in the oven now… Anyone have any good recipes for using the almond meal???? Is it bitter?
Please let me know ASAP!! want to use it all up!
Debbie says
I am aware that one can add food grade 3% hydrogen peroxide to raw cow’s milk, which prevents it from souring for about 3 weeks. Has anyone tried this in their homemade almond milk?
Eileen says
Yes I have been doing this for quite a while. Also use it in cat’s water jug, keeps the algae from forming in the bottle. Keeps almond milk up to 5 days at least.
Jess says
I only got about 2/3rds of a quart of milk and had a lot of leftover almond meal.. Could this be because I soaked my almonds for too long
Lenny says
I want to correct my earlier numbers on net product from two c almonds to six c filtered water. With last nights batch I netted 48 0z plus. As to Natasha’s comment about the almond milk separating in the refer overnight, no worries, this is normal. Shake the container and it will return to the original product. The commercial milk may not do that but theirs is far more diluted with water and all the other junk and one would never know for sure because who can see through a carton anyway?
Natasha says
Thanks so much Lenny! I will be making another batch starting right now…:0)
Natasha says
Ok so I tried this because we love almond milk so much and we are spending a ton of money on it. I found it tasted great after I first made it but then it did some super separation stuff in the fridge. Is this normal? It weirded me out so I regrettably am dumping it down the drain with out any of it being drank. Can anyone please let me know if this is totally normal for homemade nut milk? Thanks so much in advance for your time !
🙂
Lenny says
Those wondering about cost of almonds—-if you live where there is a costco—under $14 for three lb bag. I do six c water to two c almonds and put it through a nut bag. Net product is 32 oz milk. There is six batches in 3 lbs of nuts. In the store you pay $3 to $4 (32oz) and must deal with the chemicals and crappy taste. I love this stuff. I am Vegan, it all started with Forks over Knifes. Thanks for reading.
rachel says
How long does the almond meal last? After dehydrating. N how should it be stored? Is it the same as almond flour? And one poster said you can make more milk with same batch of almond. How do you do that? Do you just put the strained almonds back in blender n add water n blend again, then strained again? We go thru quite a bit of almond milk. So trying to figure out the least expensive way to go about making my own. Also cuz I don’t want the chemicals etc that store bought has. Thank you again! Oh one last question. So soaking should be at least 12 hours?
Mashugana says
I find that I get more milk the longer I leave the almonds soaking. I leave a dish by the sink with the soaking almonds and change the water twice a day, and do munch of the soaked almonds.
Someone did say that they reuse the almond to get more milk, just add more water through the strainer and thought that it would get me more milk. Reading what you wrote, guess I should be the almond powder back into the blender.
The milk is always completed in two days. I water mine down, since I never liked thick drinks, just me.
The almond that is left over , being lazy, I just place in the refrigerator and use for later. I use it on the top of blueberries when making a cobbler, add to cookie and cake mixes. If I was to bake it and grind, it would kill the fun of making the milk
One day, we actually had milk remaining on day three, and made a rice pudding.
Always a win-win situation 0-)
Tori Avey says
Mashugana, you are officially the almond milk queen! Thank you so much for helping out with this thread. 🙂
jaishree says
hi Mashugana
u can check carrot halva recipe on http://healthyvegrecipes.com/how-to-make-gajar-carrot-ka-halwa-with-milk-traditional-cooking-gajar-ka-gajrela/