Almond milk – or any nut milk for that matter – macadamia, cashew and hazelnut are also favorites – has quickly become my go-to dairy substitute. It’s easy, it doesn’t taste offensive, and it doesn’t need a sweetener to taste good. It’s my top recommendation for a milk substitute for our folks on the Real Food Reboot.
But have you checked out the labels of the stuff sold at stores? Here’s a snapshot I took of the ingredients in a common store-bought brand of unsweetened almond milk:
Egads!!! Fillers, stabilizers, synthetic vitamins, and that nasty carrageenan (highly inflammatory). Yuck.
It SO doesn’t have to be this way. And it’s ridiculously easy to make.
(Naked truth moment: we have a recipe for almond milk in The Naked Foods Cookbook that we have officially retired. It was unnecessarily complicated. Over time I’ve simplified more and more, and now we’re down to the absolute basics.)
So here is the simplified, uber-easy, two-ingredient recipe. You’ll need:
Raw almonds (here are ones I like)
Filtered water
And a little equipment:
A high powered blender (this is my favorite and worth every penny)
A nut milk bag (here’s one)
Here’s how to make it:
Step 1: Put 1 cup of raw almonds in a large bowl, covered with filtered water. Make sure the almonds are completely covered with about 1-2 inches of water above the top of the almonds. Leave out at room temperature overnight (minimum 8 hours, up to 24).
Step 2: Put the soaked almonds in a strainer or colander and rinse them well.
Step 3: Put the almonds along with 5-6 cups of filtered water in your blender, and purée until you’ve made a “milk”.
Step 4: (this step is optional, but nice if you want a smooth, bit-free milk) Pour your almond milk through your nut milk bag into a big pitcher or large quart-size mason jar (like this). This will strain out the bits, and leave you with smooth, creamy almond milk.
Refrigerate and voila! Almond milk! Now wasn’t that easy?
If you want to spice it up, add a dash of vanilla and one pitted date while you’re blending to make it a touch sweeter. You can also substitute unsalted and raw macadamia, cashew, or hazelnuts for different types of nut milks. Serious yum.
On average, how much milk does this make? How long can this be stored/does it last refrigerated? Can you freeze it?
It makes about a quart and a half, and it will last, refrigerated, for about a week (maybe more, but I usually drink it within that time)
Can you do anything with the leftover pulp?
@Shelli – GREAT question. Absolutely — and you’re reminding me I need to go edit this post to add that piece in. You can use it in smoothies or for baking.
I’m curious how you would calculate the nutritional value, since you discard the pulp. I made this today and LOVE it! I’m buying a nut milk bag today! Thanks for a great recipe!
I have read mixed things about peelingl the almonds after soaking. What is your opinion?