I know I’ve already posted a How-to-Make-Almond-Milk-from-Scratch recipe. In fact, I gave you three different versions! But my how-to involves slipping the skins off the soaked almonds before blitzing them in your blender which is really no big deal. The reason I do that is because I went to an ayurvedic cooking lecture many, many years ago and the teacher went into great detail about almonds. Almonds are wonderful and alkalizing and high in protein and good fats, BUT (I was hanging on the edge of my seat when I heard that “BUT”) they can be very hard to digest unless they are soaked. AND the skins can be a little bitter. AND the skins cause wrinkles. Whaaaaaat???? I will tell you no one was listening until she said that and then every manicured brow in the room went up. “Did she say almond skins cause WRINKLES?”
So obviously do you really think I was going to start eating almond skins after that? Silly question. Duh, noooooo. Of course I never did any research as to the validity of that statement and I still haven’t. But I did research how to make almond milk from other sources and everyone says to slip those skins off, perhaps due more to a bitter aftertaste than the wrinkles theory. But your friend Pamela here has gotten much busier since my last almond milk post and I have become practically dairy-free, so I have been making almond milk about twice a week. And there came a point when I decided that slipping those almond skins off was GIVING me wrinkles! Or maybe because I was doing it while watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Oy. Anyhoo, I decided to see what would happen if I soaked the almonds, drained them and blended them in fresh water WITH their supposedly bitter, age-advancing skins. Gasp. No difference. Same delicious taste and my skin still looks like it did before I drank the almond milk. Life-changing moment!
I also now exclusively use a nut milk bag (I know, sounds nasty, but totally fabulous!) instead of my fine mesh sieve to squeeze out every last drop from the blended almonds. If you don’t have a nut milk bag (gives me the willies every time I type that, but a great product, really!), a fine mesh sieve works great. You just really want to press down on the pureed almonds or squeeze them with your hands as I am convinced that the creamiest part of the almond milk comes from that last squeeze.
I use almond milk all the time, especially to finish off hot breakfast porridges like oats and millet. I use it in acai bowls and smoothies, as well as chia seed pudding and desserts. The girls have been using it over granola and my friend Matt pours it over cereal and in coffee. Just remember, homemade almond milk is pure goodness with no preservatives so it doesn’t last as long as the stuff in a box. What else do you use almond milk for?
Basic Almond Milk
Instructions
- Soak 1 cup raw almonds in bowl with plenty of room temperature water for 6-8 hours. (Soaking will make the almonds softer and more digestible.)
- Drain the almonds in a colander and rinse with fresh water.
- Place the almonds in a blender or Vitamix. Add 3 cups fresh water and blend until the nuts are pulverized.
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve, cheesecloth or a nut milk bag into a glass bowl. If using a sieve, use a spoon to scrape the almond meal around and allow as much liquid to drain through.
- Transfer to a glass jar and refrigerate, covered for up to 4 days. Add the remaining pulp, sweetened with honey or maple syrup, to hot cereal, granola or fruit.
Notes
Soak almonds in regular water, but use coconut water to blend with the soaked almonds. Almond milk sweetened with dates:
Follow directions for basic almond milk, but blend soaked almonds with water and 8 pitted dates. You can add a drop of vanilla and sea salt, if you like, but it is delicious just like this. Of course you can sweeten almond milk with stevia or honey or whatever you like, but I think dates are the best! You don’t need to sweeten the remaining pulp if you choose to eat it since it is already sweet from the dates.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
The wrinkle story is too funny, I still love to read your older posts, eventhough thanks to you I am an expert almond milk maker now! Do you ever do an even easier easier easier almond milk by blending almond butter and water?
Yes! I put that hack in Kitchen Matters. Plus now I use JOI almond base with water. 😉
Hi Pamela
How do you wash the nut bag after you make the milk and is there a brand you would recommend?
Thank you so much!
Vivian
I turn it inside out and rinse it with warm water until all traces of nuts are gone. Ellie’s Best is a great nut milk bag.
Hi Pamela, thanks for all of your fabulous recipes! And the recipe planner! I am obviously late to the almond milk game (we have access to great local raw milk) but I don’t love using that in smoothies or hot cereals. And coconut water tends to overpower smoothies. I haven’t used almond milk in several years because I was so surprised when I saw Carrageenan listed as an ingredient in the organic versions! Yuck. So we’ve been making due but I have recently really wanted some almond milk and saw this link in your Friday Favorites today. Where do you get your almonds? Do you use true raw, unpasteurised almonds? Here in Georgia it’s maybe not as easy to access them as it is in CA…even at Whole Foods they are all pasteurized. What are your thoughts on pasteurized vs unpasteurized? Thanks!
My Whole Foods sells truly raw almonds, but they are imported from either Italy or Spain. You cannot buy raw domestic almonds in the US unless you buy them directly from the grower. A great source is livingnutz.com or some farmers markets will have almond growers selling truly raw almonds. Steam pasteurization is fine, I guess. But there’s no life force left to the almond after pasteurization. Not-steam pasteurization (such as for non-organic almonds) is via propylene oxide fumigation(PPO), a highly toxic chemical. So I buy unpasteurized, organic almonds, but if you can’t find those, buy steam-pasteurized organic almonds. 🙂
I made my first batch of almond milk yesterday and it was not only easy, but fun! We are not necessarily dairy free but I like having different options when cooking. I used it in the dutch baby pancake yesterday and there was not any difference in the pancake. I am going to make the banana bread today. We are on spring break so I am trying as many things as possible before we go back to school and I have to go back to reality and no time. 🙂 I can’t thank you enough for making cooking easier, more fun and exposing me to things I have never tried before. 🙂
You’re too kind. That’s my goal! Thank you for all of your generous feedback. It means so much!
You are very welcome!
Hi Pamela, I’m off dairy and have been making almond milk every week. It’s super delicious, but I have almond pulp coming out of my ears! I’ve been freezing it in baggies until I figure out what to do with it (I don’t have a dehydrator). Could the pulp be dried in the oven and used to make almond butter? This is also something I make often so I’d love to re-use in this way, if possible. TIA
Did you see my Instagram post yesterday?? I just made a banana bread using the pulp from my almond milk! I’ll post soon! In the meantime, I add it to my son’s smoothies, and stirred into oatmeal and hot porridges. I doubt it would work as a nut butter. I think you could put it in the food processor with some dates and cacao powder and make an energy ball!
Bummer about almond butter! 🙁 But I just saw your banana bread and it looked delicious and a great way to use up large quantities of pulp. Will be able to make enough for the neighborhood. ha. Can’t wait for the recipe. Thx!
Listen, I’m not entirely sure that it wouldn’t work, but I don’t think it would turn out exactly the same. I will try it out next time.