Who doesn’t love a little cup of slightly sweet, creamy almond milk with a hint of vanilla? An iced almond milk latte, add whip and a sprinkle of cinnamon? OR, a warm golden milk? YUM. I mean seriously, even the most loyal of milk drinkers will momentarily convert for a cup of the good stuff. In our house a bottle of this disappears within days, so the almond milk recipe below is for a good 1/2 gallon. If you are the only drinker of this liquid treasure, may I suggest that you halve the recipe. It’s super easy to scale up or down and requires only a few ingredients. The best homemade almond milk with the creamiest texture is easy to make and done in only 4 simple steps.

Here’s how it’s done

Step 1: Soak the almonds

First, soak 2 cups of raw almonds overnight in the fridge, leaving room for them to expand a bit. Alternatively, if you’re in a hurry, heat enough water to cover the almonds with some room and leave them to soak at least 3 hours in hot water. If you’re anything like me though, the bowl of soaked almonds may sit for even two nights, because I just can’t bring myself to be so rigid about plans. It’s okay. It still works.

Step 2: Blanch the almonds

Okay, now here’s what you’ll do to will make this the best almond milk ever. This is the secret step and why this recipe is different from most. Take the skins off the almonds! Trust me on this. It’s not necessary, but I highly recommend not skipping this step. Doing this will make your almond milk so smooth, creamy, and flavorful. All you do is pop the skins off while they are still in the water. Take yourself out to the rocking chair on the porch and pop them off like Ma Ingalls trimming beans. Just embrace the monotony for a few minutes. It’s so worth it!

*to note, you can absolutely use pre-blanched almonds and skip this step to save time, but in the spirit of keeping costs down and avoiding any additional processing, I suggest the DIY method for this recipe.

Step 3: Blend the almonds

What you have now is a beautiful bowl of silky almonds. There ya go, now we’re ready to roll. Next you’re going to strain and rinse your almonds and place them in a high speed blender (we love our Vitamix) with 8 cups of filtered water. For our blender, this is MAXED out, so you may need to do this in two batches depending on your blenders liquid capacity. One cup of almonds to 4 cups of water is the preferred ratio for making the best rich, flavorful almond milk. This is the part where you add flavor, if you’d like. For a hint of vanilla and a touch of sweetness, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract or powder, and a few dates or maple syrup. Blend it all up for a couple of minutes to make sure it’s nice and mixed.

Step 4: Strain the almond milk

Next you’re going to separate the almond milk from the almond meal. Grab a nut milk bag, large tea bag (here’s what we use, it’s the same as we use for kombucha making), cheesecloth, or a loosely woven kitchen towel. Use one hand to hold the bag open over a large bowl and pour half of the blended almond mixture into the bag, allowing it to drain. Use your free hand to squeeze the sides gently to encourage it a bit. Finally, once all of the liquid is drained, remove and reserve or discard the almond meal. Repeat with the second half and pour in to a fridge-friendly container, like this glass milk bottle.

Hot tip – freeze the almond meal and throw it into smoothies for an extra protein boost, thaw and add to energy balls, or our favorite – surprise your chickens with a little treat!

Step 5: The best Homemade Almond Milk

Fresh, wholesome, almond nut milk is perfect for making lattes, drizzling over oatmeal for breakfast, or blend it up with a frozen banana and some cacao powder for an afternoon treat. The very best part (besides the deliciousness) about making almond milk at home is that it’s so much better for you than store bought. No gums, emulsifiers, or boxes means you can feel good about drinking it.

How To Make The Best Homemade Almond Milk

Krista

The recipe as shown will make a 1/2 gallon or 8 cups of almond milk, which is equivalent to 2 "boxes" of typical store-bought almond milk. This will keep in the fridge for about 5 days, so scale the recipe to your liking. In our house though, it never lasts that long!

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Soaking Time 8 hours hrs

Total Time 8 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Equipment

• High Powered Blender
• Cheesecloth, Loosely-Woven Kitchen Towel, or Nut Milk Bag
• 1 Medium-Sized Bowl
• Airtight Container (Jar, pitcher, or jug to keep Almond Milk in)

Ingredients

  

• 2 Cups Raw Almonds
• 8 Cups Water
• 1/2 tsp Fine Salt
• 5 Pitted Medjool Dates (optional)
• 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup (optional)
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract or Powder (optional, more to taste)

Instructions

 

• Place the almonds in a large bowl and cover with water, leaving room for the almonds to expand a bit. Let soak in the fridge 8 hours or overnight or alternatively, use very hot water to soak on the counter for at least 2-3 hours if you're in a hurry to get this on the table or need an almond milk latte that very afternoon.
• Peel the almonds by popping the skins off while the almonds are still submerged in water. I like to drain the soaking water and fill it with lukewarm water to help the process along – the skins come off easier that way and it's just nicer on your hands. This step is optional but highly recommended for the creamiest, most flavorful almond milk! To note, you may use blanched almonds and skip this step entirely, but in the sake of keeping cost down, we prefer to put in the bit of extra effort for this recipe.
• Rinse the peeled almonds and add to a high-speed blender and fill the blender with water until you hit the 8 cup mark. Add salt, dates or maple syrup, and vanilla if desired, and blend for 1-2 minutes. You might have to do this in two batches depending on your blender's liquid capacity. (In our Vitamix this is maxed out – 8 cups works but is pushing the limits). Set aside.
• Strain the almond milk by grabbing a large bowl and a nut milk bag, large tea bag, cheesecloth, or loosely woven kitchen towel. Holding the bag or towel over the large bowl (see pic above), pour the almond and water mixture through the bag and let the liquid drain into the bowl, squeezing gently, allowing the almond milk to separate from the almond meal. Work in batches, starting with about half and discarding or setting aside the almond meal from the bag before starting the second and final round.
• Pour into a fridge-friendly, airtight container and enjoy cold or gently heated (overheating will cause curdling). If you'd like, save and freeze the almond meal to use in smoothies, energy bites, or to make crackers with!

Notes

Nutrition information is an estimate and is for basic Almond Milk with no additions. Please note that this is not my original recipe, but is my personal version of many well-known recipes for making almond milk.

Let me know how it turns out! I’d love to hear. And if you take a pictures, tag me on Instagram! It would be so fun for me to see. If you enjoyed this Homemade Almond Milk recipe and would like to try making more of your own fridge staples, check out more recipes here!