I first tried making homemade almond milk a couple years ago, after many of you told me so many amazing things about it. It’s so creamy! It’s better than store bought! It’s a cinch to make! Homemade almond milk is the best!
And you know what? My first couple tries didn’t exactly knock it out of the park. Two words come to mind: hot mess! I used a cheesecloth and things didn’t go very smoothly, if you catch my drift. I’m sure some of you have a lot more finesse with a cheesecloth, but I did not seem to be one of those people.
This time, I finally took the plunge and purchased a nut milk bag (feel free to giggle). Also called sprouting bags, these mesh straining bags make homemade nut and seed milks (among other things) a total breeze. I cannot wait to explore its many uses.
This time around, my almond milk making process was indeed a breeze.
Here are some step by step photos to show you my process. You should also know that every time I type “step by step” NKOTB starts playing in my head. I don’t even mind it.
We are going to soak a cup of raw almonds overnight or for 8 hours or longer. Sometimes if I’m in a time crunch I just soak them for 1 hour or so and it still turns out fine. Rinse and drain the almonds and pop them into your blender along with 3-4 cups of filtered water (I like 3.5 cups water in this recipe).
Which nuts do you think your body would rather digest – the dry, hard as a rock nuts or the plump, juicy nuts?
Sorry, that sounded all weird and awkward.
My favourite flavour combo is a whole vanilla bean, a couple Medjool dates, cinnamon, and a pinch of sea salt. Oh my lanta. It’s intensely vanilla flavoured with notes of caramel and cinnamon. The secret to an intense vanilla flavour is blending an entire vanilla bean. Just chop it up and toss the whole bean into the blender. You’ll be left with some amazing vanilla almond milk. Of course you can always use vanilla extract or liquid sweeteners too. If using the dates and/or vanilla bean, add them along with the almonds and water. If you simply want to add a liquid sweetener or vanilla extract, you can add them now or at the end. Your call.
Blend for 1 minute on the highest speed. Let’s go TURBO mode!!!!
Turbo mode scares me.
Place your bag over a large bowl and slowly pour in the milk. Thank you Eric for moonlighting as a hand model once again.
A lot of the milk will filter right through the bag without any effort.
But to get all of the milk out, you’ll need to do some gentle squeezing to encourage the milk through. This process took me a few minutes. As you can see in the photo on the right, I was left with about 1 cup of almond pulp.
I rinsed the blender out quickly and poured the milk back into the blender. I do this because I find it easier to pour the milk from the blender into the jar rather than from a large bowl into the jar. If you have a wide mouth funnel feel free to use that.
Check out those tiny specks of vanilla! I blended in a bit of cinnamon and a pinch of fine grain sea salt for even more flavour enhancing. Tell me, what’s better than Vanilla Cinnamon Caramel flavour?
Nothing.
You can use the almond pulp for all kinds of things like oatmeal, hummus, homemade granola, smoothies, cookie or muffin batter, crackers, or you can even dehydrate it and then blend it up to make almond meal. Oh, and you can freeze it too.
Man oh man, it tasted so lovely straight from the blender. I can assure you, it gets even better as it chills in the fridge.
I’ve never been a big milk drinker, but this almond milk had me going back to the fridge again and again and again for little sips. I can’t promise I’m organized enough to make this on a regular basis, but it’s a fun option to have up my sleeve when I’m feeling motivated or just want a special treat.
Vanilla-Cinnamon Almond Milk
Yield
3 1/2 cups (875 mL)
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Total time
Creamy, lightly sweet, and so satisfying—homemade almond milk is a true luxury! My favourite flavour combo is a whole vanilla bean, a couple Medjool dates, cinnamon, and a pinch of sea salt. The secret to an intense vanilla flavour is blending the entire vanilla bean; just chop it up and toss the whole bean into the blender. Not to worry if you don't have one on hand though: a half a teaspoon of vanilla extract will work just fine in a pinch. This milk is delicious served with cookies, cereal, in a smoothie, or simply on its own.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds, soaked
- 3 1/2 cups (875 mL) filtered water
- 2 to 4 pitted Medjool dates, to taste*
- 1 whole vanilla bean, chopped or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract*
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- Small pinch fine sea salt
Directions
- Place almonds in a bowl and cover with a couple inches of water. Soak the almonds in water overnight (about 8 to 10 hours). For a quick-soak method, soak the almonds in boiled water for 1 hour. Rinse and drain well.
- Place drained almonds into a blender along with the filtered water, pitted dates, and chopped vanilla bean.
- Blend on the highest speed for 1 minute.
- Place a nut milk bag over a large bowl and slowly pour the almond milk mixture into the bag. Gently squeeze the bottom of the bag to release the milk. This process can take a few minutes so be patient!
- Rinse out blender and pour the milk back in. Whisk in the cinnamon and sea salt.
- Using a funnel, pour into a large glass jar and secure lid. Store in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. I recommend storing in the coldest spot in the fridge (typically the back) rather than on a door. Shake the jar very well before drinking as the mixture separates when sitting.
Tip:
- * If your dates or vanilla bean are dry/stiff, soak in very hot water for 30 minutes before using. Drain well. You can use another sweetener of your choice like maple syrup instead of the pitted dates.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
You might be wondering – If I don’t have a nut milk bag can I use a fine mesh sieve? Yes you can. I did a trial using my sieve. I didn’t find the milk got as smooth compared to using a nut milk bag, but if you strain it several times, it comes out decent. Also, feel free to try a cheesecloth, but I’m definitely not the person to give you advice using that method.
What about the cost?
Homemade almond milk can be cheaper than store bought or it can be more expensive; it really depends on your ingredients. When I see bulk almonds on sale, I like to stock up and buy a big bag. Pop a bag in the freezer to ensure they stay fresh.
To avoid almonds sprayed with the chemical propylene oxide, please see this article and this handy guide to common brands that do and do not use the chemical. If you are concerned about propylene oxide on your almonds be sure to check with your almond retailer to see what sterilization method is used.
Have you ever made homemade almond milk before?
Where do you buy almonds? Any good deals out there in store or online?
I love your tutorials, Angela – you do such a great job with them. I’ve never made my own almond milk before, but I would like to try it sometime – as with all food, I love to make my own versions so I know exactly what goes into it! Also, congratulations on being included on the Greatist list of the top health and fitness blogs – that’s so awesome, and you really deserve it!
You make it look so easy to make :) Looks delicious
I use a paint strainer bag, found at hardware or home improvement stores, when I soak my wheat in order to plant it and grow wheatgrass. I wonder if this type of bag would work to strain the almond milk, too. I will be making, instead of buying, my almond milk from now on. Thanks for the lesson – and for nudging me to do what I have been meaning to try for a long time.
Where do you go to buy raw nuts in bulk? Most of the nuts in my local grocery store are roasted or are salted and the raw ones are expensive and in small packages.
I buy them usually at Ontario Natural Food Coop (Im a member) or Bulk Barn
I make Almond Nut milk all the time – even have a nut milk bag! In fact, my recipe is almost exactly like your recipe – dates, vanilla, and cinnamon. However, I’ve never added a pinch of salt. I’m going to go soak some almonds right now and give it a try tomorrow. Thanks for sharing!
BTW…I make your detox salad all the time. YUM! :)
I just made this and I’m so happy with how it turned out! It was so easy too! I think I’ll be doing this quite a bit in the future. Also, we have the same Vitamix… and turbo mode is totally scary.
Making this today! Thanks for sharing!
I love almond milk but HATE that store bought versions are fortified (the added calcium does not digest well for me). Your version inspired me to make chocolate almond milk. I added 1/4 cup dutch processed cocoa, 4 dates, and 1/2 teaspoon homemade vanilla extract. I swear it tastes just like melted ice cream. SO GOOD! Thanks for the inspiration!
Made this yesterday. I normally make raw almond mylk, but this was my first time adding a whole vanilla bean. Interesting idea and it works!
Another pro of making homemade almond mylk: your hands get silky smooth after milking a nut mylk bag! All that almond mylk running down your hands has got to be good for the skin!
Hi great recipe! I just wanted to share. I used a reusable produce bag. They look just like the nut milk bags. Only cheaper and in my eyes more useful! I also just used a normal blender and had no problems! Thanks for all your great work. Do you have a specific recipe you use your almond pulp in? Could I use it in your gf pb choc chip cookies?
Hi Angela,
Loved the post and the light streaming in all the pics! I have never heard of a “nut milk bag”. I did try the almond milk once with a cheesecloth but got stuck with a huge load of the crushed, almond residue and I was not too happy with it. I do love my vitamix and I am thrilled that I can make so many smoothies in a jiffy! I get my almonds from the Whole Foods bulk bins!
Shobha
Hi,
First of all thank You for Your page and all the detailed pics, they look fantastic and are motivating me to actually try something. Like the almond milk. I thought I could never ever create tasty almond milk. But I saw your pics, and thought looks easy. And I just did it like on the pics, without exact amounts of ingrediants. I just used water, a lot of almonds and a lot of dates (I know I have to be cautious, because since I got a juicer this year I cannot fit into my pants:( And it tasted fantastic!!!! But I really have no idea what to do with the rest of almonds that are left now. I put it into oven to dry it a little bit, but still don´t know what to do and I don´t want to compost it.
Please help with a detailed recipe!
Yours,
Daniela
Hi Angela! You make homemade almond milk look like a breeze. I wonder if hazelnut milk would work in the same way? I’ll try it out and let you know. I love my dairy free milks :)
Thanks for the great article!
I bought some thick organza at the fabricstore to make my own nut bag. Works like a charm!
This recipe is amazing. So creamy and the perfect amount of sweetness. Thanks Angela!
Thank you for those links at the end. I’ve heard of the Almond issue, but had never read up on it. Now I have. You’re awesome!
Isn’t this too fat to drink on a regular base?
xLaura
Angie, where did you get the screw top glass milk bottle? It looks so cool with the almond milk in it…thanks
I think it might have been from a store called Solutions? Not 100% sure though!
I just bought a Vitamix nut milk bag through Amazon but previously had made my own almond milk using almond butter and an immersion blender. Your post is very timely for me; I appreciate the exquisite photography at every step and am happy to know I’ll need to soak my almonds tomorrow morning (even sprouted almonds?) when I drink my last cup of the almond butter + water + date sugar “milk” I’ve been enjoying for years (recipe compliments of a friend who developed it, so I can’t share it).
Just finished my second batch of this milk. LOVE IT!!!! The first time I made it I couldn’t find dates at my store so I used Agave Nectar and it was good. This time I used 4 dates and Yummo-O!! Also, I have been doubling the recipe and it has turned out wonderful. Thank you so much for the tutorial.