I was astonished the first time I looked at the ingredients in the almond milks at the store. Something so simple having so many ingredients that were not all natural. It really is a simple process to make your own, plus if you are like us you like to experiment with different flavors. Our favorite is the vanilla chai almond milk :)
First off, you have to soak your almonds. I usually soak them over night. I make a gallon of almond milk at a time but we will give you the recipe for 1 qt and you can quadruple it if you want a gallon like we do.
- 1 cup raw almonds, soaked overnight in cool water (I prefer the raw but can't always find them locally)
- 4 cups reverse osmosis water (I like filtered water, this helps us make sure there isn’t fluoride, chlorine or other chemicals added to the water)
This will give you simple almond milk. Although in our household, we love getting creative in the kitchen so we have added some options below.
- Pinch pink sea salt (this is always a good ingredient to use, one for its health benefits and two for its ability to enhance the natural flavors of your recipe and as a natural preservative)
- For Sweetened: 2 tsp local honey, maple syrup or 2 pitted dates (we prefer the honey).
- We don't think this is an option-we are huge vanilla fans: 1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, scraped
- For Chocolate Almond Milk: 1 tsp cacao powder plus above sweetener and vanilla
- For Fruity Almond Milk: 1/2 cup berries for berry milk (strawberry, blueberry, raspberry), may need sweetener
- For Chai Almond Milk: 3-4 cardamom seeds, tsp of cinnamon and a 1/8 tsp nutmeg, vanilla and sweetener.
- For Golden Milk: 2 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp cinnamon, 2 pinches black pepper, 1/2 tsp ginger, 2 pinches of cayenne and 2 tsp raw honey or maple syrup
Instructions
- Add your soaked almonds, water, salt into a high speed blender, we use our vita mix. Blend until creamy and smooth. Keep it running for at least 1-2 minutes so you get the most out of your almonds.
- Strain using a nut milk bag or a thin dish towel like the old fashioned flour sack towels. Squeeze until all of the liquid is extracted. Don't discard the pulp I save it for other recipes. If you have time use it in another recipe or freeze to use later.
- If not adding any flavorings, transfer milk to a jar or covered bottle and refrigerate.
- If adding flavors, add back into blender container (rinsed out first). Add add'l ingredients and blend thoroughly. If clumpy with the fruit or cardamom, pour through a fine strainer into your jar and refrigerate.
- Repeat steps 1-4 for additional qts being made.
- Will keep for several days, although we love it fresh made. Shake well before each use since you may see some separation.