Are you someone who has a sensitivity to dairy, or do you just enjoy alternative milk options to cow’s milk, like almond milk? Have you wanted to know how to make almond milk but wondered how on earth you could milk an almond anyways?
Years ago I started making almond milk after cow’s milk made my stomach hurt. We have both cow’s milk and almond milk, but I stick mostly to the almond milk. I find the subject about whether milk is healthy or not such a controversial subject. Many of us grew up being told to “drink our milk” for strong bones and teeth. But in recent years there has been more studies on how it may not be as healthy as once thought. Actually, many people suffer health issues when drinking milk.
We’ve also since learned that we can get our calcium from a variety of leafy greens, beans, and other foods.
On the flip side, raw milk has been proven to have many health benefits. But many of us do not have access to raw milk. So for me, almond milk is a great alternative.
Of course, having said all of this, I am not a doctor. 🙂 All my information just comes from years of research, as I love to study and research all things. And like I said, my family does drink cow’s milk in this house, but it is out of enjoyment and not because they need to drink it to meet their daily nutritional requirements.
All that aside, whether you drink cow’s milk or not, it doesn’t mean you can’t add almond milk to your diet for pure enjoyment. 🙂
To make almond milk, you will need almonds, some kind of sweetener like dates, honey, or maple syrup, and vanilla. I like to use dates as my sweetener. If you really wanted, you could leave out the vanilla and sweetener, but it just won’t taste as good. 🙂
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You also need a blender, and something to strain the milk through. I use cheesecloth, but in the past I owned a [amazon_textlink asin=’B00KLT6X9W’ text=’nutbag ‘ template=’ProductLink’ store=’simplelifeofa-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’43a179c8-40ee-11e8-85d7-03db38dafbd5′]which was my favorite straining method. You could also use a fine mesh sieve.
How to make Almond Milk
Soak a cup of almonds overnight. Make sure the almonds are natural and unsalted. I stick them in a mason jar, cover them with cold water, and leave them on the counter until the next day.
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After they’ve soaked overnight, I drain them and give them a rinse.
Then I put them in my blender, with 3 cups of water. I blend it on high for 1 minute, because I find the Vitamix a powerful blender, but if yours doesn’t have as much power, I recommend blending it for two minutes.
Also, side note. As I was going through my pictures I thought to myself, “oh no! the blender cord is showing.” Because how tragic would it be if people knew I plugged in my appliances, right? 🙂 In my real life there are ugly looking cords in various places in my house. Mostly because I obviously haven’t found that perfect Pinterest link to tell me how to hide them. A project for another day I guess. 🙂
Okay, so after you have blended your almonds and water, you want to strain it through either a cheesecloth or nut bag or fine mesh sieve.
Use your (clean) hands to gather and twist up the cheesecloth (or nutbag) and squeeze out all the milk you can. You don’t want to waste a single drop! 🙂
After you have strained it you can leave it as it is, or you can add a little sweetener and flavor. I use dates and vanilla. You could use honey or maple syrup as well.
Toss the milk, 6 dates, and a teaspoon of vanilla back into the blender. Blend for another minute.
Toss the finished almond milk into some jars and store in the fridge. I love to make almond milk and use it in my coffee or smoothies.
But what about that almond meal? You don’t have to throw it out. You can roast it in your oven on the lowest setting. Spread it out on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper and allow it to roast for a few hours, until dry and crumbly. Once it is completely dry you can use the leftover almond meal in muffins, cookies, granola, or whatever else you can think of.
Happy Milking! 🙂
Almond Milk
Ingredients
- 1 cup natural, unsalted almonds
- 3 cups water
- 6 pitted dates
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Cover almonds in cold water and soak overnight.
- The next day, drain the almonds and rinse.
- Toss the almonds and 3 cups of water in a blender. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes.
- Strain the almonds and water through cheesecloth, or a nutbag. Twist up the cheesecloth or nutbag with your clean hands and squeeze the milk out until completely strained.
- Place the strained almond milk back into the blender and toss in the dates and vanilla. Blend again for 1 minute.
- Store finished almond milk in the fridge.
