Easy Almond Milk Recipe

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission. Here’s how it works.

Jar of homemade almond milkSo I have a lactose intolerance issue and have been drinking soy milk for close to 15 years in place of cow’s milk. I recently learned from my doctor that ingesting soy for an extended time period and every day (like I was) could lead to larger health issues, including cancer and other bad things. So in my quest to figure out the best option from both a health and financial perspective, I discovered how easy and affordable it is to make your own almond milk! And with commercial Almond Milk manufacturers now in class action suits about how few almonds yet how many chemicals are in their products, I am further encouraged to make my own. So rather than keeping this as my little secret, I thought I would share this how to make your own almond milk recipe with you.

Time and Cost of Making Almond Milk

So before you get turned off by the thought that this might take you hours upon hours, calm down. It will only take you about 15 active minutes of work to make about a gallon of almond milk. And, my recipe uses only 1 pound of almonds that you can buy for between six and $10 at most stores or online with water out of your faucet. From my calculations that is much cheaper than the $4.50 per half-gallon that I pay at the grocery store for mass marketed almond milk and it is chemical and preservative free!

Homemade Almond Milk Recipe

  • 1 cup of almonds – be sure they are steamed and not treated with PPO – read below for more details. (Purchase 2lbs of Almond Whole Natural on Amazon)
  • Tap water (3-4 cups of it)
  • Optional for sweetness: Sugar, honey, agave, stevia
  • Optional for Vanilla flavor: vanilla extract or vanilla bean

Directions

  1. Place all the almonds into a stainless steel bowl (View a stainless steel bowl on Amazon). Then cover them with water so that the water stands about an inch over the top of the almonds. Let them soak for 24 to 48 hours. Drain and change the water after the first 24 hours, if you are leaving them in longer. (I normally soak for 48 hours to get the most milk out of the nuts)
  2. Pour the almonds into a sieve to drain the water out and discard the water. (View the “More Than A Nut” Bag on Amazon)
  3. Add 1 cup of almonds and 4 cups of water to a blender (3 cups if you prefer a slightly thicker milk). Then turn the blender to liquefy mode and let it run for two minutes. The almonds will start to grind down and a white, milky liquid will be created. If you want to add in the vanilla or sweeteners, now is the time. I do not worry with it but you might like to experiment.
  4. Place a nut milk bag or cheesecloth over a stainless steel or other bowl where you will catch the milk (this is not where you will store it, just for processing it).
  5. After the two minutes of blending, pour the liquid from the blender into the cloth or bag to separate the nut fibers from the milk you have created. You will gently push from the bottom up so that the milk can come out freely and the majority of the sediment from the nuts will stay in the cloth for a smoother milk.
  6. Once all the milk has been transferred from the blender, through the clock and into the bowl, you can transfer it to a storage container. I recommend mason jars (View on Amazon) as the perfect eco-friendly and airtight storage vessel.
  7. Hooray – do a jig ’cause you just made your own milk!! And your newly made Almond Milk will keep fresh in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.

What to do with the Almond Meal

So after you separated the liquid from what was left of the nuts, you’ll be left with what is commonly referred to as almond meal. Almond meal can be used just as it is in smoothies, muffins, and other goodies. Just search the internet for almond meal recipes and you will find many! You can store it while you are finding the best way to use it in an airtight container in the fridge (beside your yummy milk!) for about 5 days.

How to Make Almond Flour from Almond Meal

Or you can actually dry the almond meal and it will become almond flour. To create almond flour, simply spread the meal out evenly on a flat cookie sheet or baking pan and cook it at 200° for a couple of hours, stirring every 30 minutes until it is completely devoid of moisture. When I did this, it took about 2 1/2 hours in the oven and made about 3 cups of flour from the 1 pound of almonds I started with. So there is literally no waste from this process. And inspire my husband to make a delicious low gluten bread! Yum!

Avoid Harmful Chemicals on Almonds

Since you are taking the time to go au naturel, be sure to find the almonds that were steamed vs. treated with the toxic chemicals propylene oxide (PPO). I recommend you buy at Trader Joe’s or in Whole Foods bulk section to make sure (there’s are safe. I’ve done the research).

Time to Start Milking

So what are you waiting for? Get started with this almond milk recipe for a more nutritious and economical alternative to the almond and soy milks you can buy in store.

Tagged With: ,
Subscribe
Notify of
3 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments