Stop Buying Almond Milk!

Stop buying almond milk...because it's easy (and better for you) to make at home!

If you ever did wonder how the stuff is made, it's so much easier than you may have thought. It's really as simple as soaking your star ingredient in lightly salted water, blending, and straining. Boom! Done!

Tools Required

If you’ve got these five essential tools already stocked in your kitchen, you could dive into this new project sooner than later. These will get the most basic job done:

High-performance blender (something like a Ninja or Vitamix)
Fine-mesh strainer
Liquid Measuring Cup
Funnel
Bottle or other container for storage

Using these additional tools could make your almond milk-making experience a little more pro-like:

Cheesecloth
Nut Milk Bag

Ingredients Required

To produce the simplest version of almond milk, you’ll need:

4 cups of Cold Water
¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
1 cup Almonds (raw & plain– not roasted, salted, or flavored). Note: This formula will work for most nuts, especially cashews and macadamias; however, not coconut.

Process

Combine all ingredients in the blender and allow almonds to soak for 12-24 hours in the fridge.
After the soaking period, blend for 1 minute.
Next, strain the milk – or don’t - and enjoy!

In some cases, straining isn’t even all that necessary. For instance, you could just shake and pour your unstrained almond milk directly over your morning müesli, or into a smoothie. Think about how orange juice is sold: some juices have a lot of pulp, others have a little, and many have none at all. You can apply the same concept to your almond milk by following certain straining methods. Just keep in mind that with “more pulp” you’re likely to gain greater nutritional benefits, especially more fiber.

Straining Methods: Option 1. More pulp. Pour over a fine-mesh strainer into your desired bottle or container. Option 2. Some pulp. Line a fine-mesh strainer with a cheesecloth. Option 3. No pulp. Use a nut milk bag.

Benefits of Making Your Own Almond Milk

More nutritious than store bought (ignore the pun op. Ignore it!)
Void of excess additives
Better for the environment
- Potential for less packaging
- Lower consumption of animal products reduces the impact on the earth’s climate.
- Raises potential for less food waste: you can make the volume you need
Compared to similar products – i.e. beverages without additives – your homemade almond milk could be less costly to produce.

Final Notes

This Short Tip provides a basic starting point for making your own almond milk, and even works for other nuts such as cashews and macadamias; however, not coconut. If you love the associated benefits, practice these simple steps in order to move on to more creative methods, such as flavoring.

Disclaimer:

The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. Consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website. If you're interested in making dietary changes, guidance from a nutrition expert is highly advised: please review our Nutrition & Wellness Services for more information.