homemade almond milk
One of my favorite ways of harnessing almonds’ nutritive superpowers is grinding them into almond milk. The store-bought stuff is fine, yes, but this homemade version is pure, smooth, rich and creamy almond-y goodness. It’s free of the additives that give store-bought milk a slightly thick, gummy texture. Of course that means it lacks the same shelf-life, needing to be used within a couple of days. Not difficult around here. So far it’s gone into rice pudding, oatmeal pancakes, french toast, coffee and cereal. And the leftover meal has been used for a cheesecake crust. More possibilities? Throw it into a smoothie, use it in gluten-free crackers, slather it all over your face?
You just need a blender that doesn’t leak out the bottom (learned the hard way), some cheesecloth or muslin—love muslin!—and a little time.
the recipe
Almond Milk
- 1 1/2 cups 180 g blanched almonds, you can also use skin-on almonds, but the end result may be slightly more bitter
- 4 cups 960 mL water, divided
- 1 teaspoon 5 mL vanilla, optional
- 1 tablespoon 15 mL sweetener, optional
- dash cinnamon, optional
- pinch salt, optional
- Soak almonds in enough water to cover for at least 4 hours, or overnight. This will soften them and make them easier to blend. Strain and put soaked almonds in a blender.
- Blend almonds with 2 cups of water for 1-2 minutes, until smooth.
- Add the remaining 2 cups of water and optional ingredients and blend another 2-3 minutes.
- Line a strainer with a couple layers of cheesecloth or muslin. Pour the almond mixture through the strainer, squeezing the cheesecloth to remove any remaining liquid.
- Store almond milk in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- You can dry the leftover almond meal in a low oven to use as a sort of flour.
each column is one step, working left to right — hover a cell for the full instruction
- 1 1/2 cups 180 g blanched almonds, you can also use skin-on almonds, but the end result may be slightly more bitter
- 4 cups 960 mL water, divided
- 1 teaspoon 5 mL vanilla, optional
- 1 tablespoon 15 mL sweetener, optional
- dash cinnamon, optional
- pinch salt, optional
Soak almonds in enough water to cover for at least 4 hours, or overnight. This will soften them and make them easier to blend. Strain and put soaked almonds in a blender.
Blend almonds with 2 cups of water for 1-2 minutes, until smooth.
Add the remaining 2 cups of water and optional ingredients and blend another 2-3 minutes.
Line a strainer with a couple layers of cheesecloth or muslin. Pour the almond mixture through the strainer, squeezing the cheesecloth to remove any remaining liquid.
Store almond milk in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
You can dry the leftover almond meal in a low oven to use as a sort of flour.
— from ohnuts.com