How To Make The Best Homemade Almond Milk
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!
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.