Homemade Almond Milk Recipe

December 27, 2009 { }

Making your own almond milk is not as taboo as it sounds. According to The Joy of Cooking, nut milks were made by the peasants hundreds of years ago as a substitute for cow and goat milk. It’s also quite frugal. I can make a quart of almond milk for about $1.20. It’s anywhere from $2.00 to $2.50 at the store, so I save about $1 a quart on average.

There are so many different ways to make almond milk. Some recipes call for soaking the almonds first, others require blanching, and some use plain raw almonds. Some nut milks are made in a mortar and pestle while others are made in a blender. You can strain the milk or leave the nut meat in the milk. Play around with different variations and decide what you like best.

I’d been buying unsweetened Almond Breeze and though I love the taste it can get quite expensive at $2 a quart. Knowing that it’s completely fresh and unprocessed is also important to me. If you’re used to store bought almond milk, this is going to taste different – notice I didn’t say bad, I said different.

You can sweeten this to taste or leave it unsweetened. I leave it unsweetened unless I have a specific use in mind. Some sweetening ideas include:

agave
yacon syrup
brown rice syrup
stevia
whirl it in the blender with dates
soak with raisins and then whirl in the blender

You can also flavor almond milk with a teaspoon of organic vanilla extract by soaking the almonds with a vanilla bean.

Cooking with almond milk produces great results. Use it in nearly any recipe that calls for milk. It’s especially good in these waffles and these banana muffins.

Print friendly recipe
Homemade Almond Milk Recipe
makes 2 cups

1/2 cup almonds
enough filtered water to cover almonds for soaking
2 cups filtered water
optional: a pinch of salt, vanilla, and your choice of sweetener

Place almonds in a quart mason jar and cover with several inches of filtered water. Put the lid on the jar and soak at room temperature overnight.

Rinse almonds well, then place in your blender or Vitamix and mix on high for 2 minutes, or until desired consistency is reached. Pour almond milk through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth. Gently squeeze cheesecloth to remove and remaining liquid.

Refrigerate in mason jars for optimal freshness. It will stay fresh about the same amount of time as dairy milk, 7 – 10 days.

Enjoy!

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Comments

25 Responses to “Homemade Almond Milk Recipe”

Lauren
December 27th, 2009 @ 9:33 pm

Oh yum! This sounds fantastic Amy! I love almond milk, but haven’t thought of making it myself yet.

[Reply]
Iris
December 27th, 2009 @ 9:50 pm

Looks delicious! I sometimes soak my almonds overnight and put them in the blender with water to make my green smoothies, but I don’t have a cheesecloth so it’s not exactly right. One of these days I’ll get around to buying one!

[Reply]
Alexa
December 27th, 2009 @ 10:32 pm

Amy,
That sounds great. I’ll try making some right away. Thanks for sharing!
Cheers,
Alexa

[Reply]
Alta (Tasty Eats At Home)
December 28th, 2009 @ 7:38 am

I love almond milk. Have never made it though. I just don’t really drink milk all that often. It is nice to know that this costs a lot less than store-bought!

[Reply]
Denise
December 28th, 2009 @ 8:22 am

The pulp that you are left with after straining makes a wonderful scrub for your face, leaving your skin verrrry smooth!

[Reply]
Ellen
December 28th, 2009 @ 8:42 am

I love homemade almond milk. Once I started making it, there was no going back. My fave way of eating/drinking it is to pour it over my homemade muesli (a combo of dried fruits and nuts along with a fresh apple). Thanks for your informative post about it – it’s fun to learn a little history along the way!

[Reply]
Kristi Rimkus
December 28th, 2009 @ 9:34 am

Great information. I’ve been thinking of adding almond milk to my diet. It is surprisingly low in calories and fat.

I bought myself a Health Master fruit and vegetable emulsifier for Christmas, and almonds are cheap at Costco. I can’t wait to give this a try!

[Reply]
Claire
December 28th, 2009 @ 10:28 am

This is a wonderful idea I had not thought of before. I have an issue with not using all the milk subsitute I buy, this is so easy, and can be made in the amount I need!

[Reply]
Chelsey
December 28th, 2009 @ 11:08 am

I was going to post almond milk but you beat me to it! It tastes good with almond extract and stevia, very similar to a steam almond milk at starbucks. I would like to see if you can filter it through a coffee filter after putting it through the cheese cloth/strainer. I’m not much of a fan of the grit at the bottom of the glass. But the top is amazing!

[Reply]
Emily Ziegler
December 28th, 2009 @ 11:10 am

You have made my day with this recipe! Thank you!!!!!

[Reply]
Tracee
December 28th, 2009 @ 12:01 pm

I’m so glad you posted this! I’ve been thinking about trying to make almond milk myself, and it looks so easy!

[Reply]
Jenn AKA The Leftover Queen
December 28th, 2009 @ 3:12 pm

I have been thinking about doing this ever since I got my vita-mix. We usually buy the almond breeze too – for smoothies, but this makes more sense!

[Reply]
Amy Reply:
December 28th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
@Jenn AKA The Leftover Queen, My Vita-Mix makes this so simple and delish! You’ll love it.

[Reply]
Cheryl
December 29th, 2009 @ 9:18 am

Hi
I would love to try this recipe.
Do you use blanched almonds?

[Reply]
Amy Reply:
December 29th, 2009 at 9:31 am
@Cheryl, I use unblanched raw almonds. I have seen recipes using blanched almonds so I’m sure it would work.

[Reply]
Cara
December 29th, 2009 @ 12:12 pm

Thanks for this recipe. I am trying to wean my daughter, but she hates cow’s milk, so perhaps this will be a better option for her!

[Reply]
Phoebe @ Getting Freedom
December 29th, 2009 @ 1:50 pm

SO glad you posted this recipe! You told me once on Twitter how to make it, and I forgot. Can’t wait to try it!

[Reply]
Noelle (An Opera Singerin the Kitchen)
December 30th, 2009 @ 11:05 am

This is a great and simple recipe. I just bought 2 quarts yesterday because I could not get the refrigerated kind, but if I can make this recipe, it saves me moolah! Thanks Amy!

[Reply]
Stephanie
January 7th, 2010 @ 10:13 pm

Thanks for sharing this recipe! I don’t drink almond milk often, but I use it in baking/cooking, and you’re right! It can get expensive. Plus, I’m the only one who uses it, so I often don’t use it fast enough
I think I will try halfing this recipe, and keeping my fridge stocked w/ it! Awesome!

Anyone know how well almond milk freezes?

[Reply]
Amy Reply:
January 8th, 2010 at 8:08 am
@Stephanie, I have 6 pints of almond milk in my freezer right now. It thaws beautifully. There is usually some natural separation that occurs. This happens in the fridge, too, and even with store bought almond milk.

I don’t drink it often either but it’s divine in baked goods. Just pull it out of your freezer as needed.

[Reply]
Gloria
January 8th, 2010 @ 2:28 pm

I love almond milk and use in in many things… I was buying it but now that I have a VitaMix I want to make my own… soon as I get the almonds. I do not use much at once and would like to know… Has anyone has tried freezing it in portions? If so, How did it work? It would be so much more handy in about ice cube size for smoothies and oatmeal.

[Reply]
Stephanie
February 6th, 2010 @ 10:13 pm

I just made this recipe and it’s great! I was pleasantly surprised. I haven’t tried almond milk for drinking in awhile, just use it in cooking. But I liked it a lot! Has the consistency of milk, but definitely with the almond aftertaste. Thanks for sharing this recipe

[Reply]
Akilah
March 1st, 2010 @ 12:21 pm

Hi Amy,

I linked to your site and this post on my blog! Thanks for providing us with wonderful alternatives. I’m such a fan
http://www.execumama.com/?p=80

[Reply]
Cannibella
May 18th, 2010 @ 10:49 pm

Thanks Amy for this link you left at Elana’s, looks like a great recipe, can’t wait to try it.

[Reply]
Julia
July 3rd, 2010 @ 4:29 pm

I have been making my own almond milk for a couple of years. Use in shakes, on cereal, etc. Does anyone know how many colories in an 8 oz cup? I have never figured it out. Thanks for any help.

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