So soy milk is out. What to pour over your oats now? Well, the answer is simple—and so much more delicious and nutritious than any supermarket packaged non-dairy milks that are often laden with preservatives and goodness knows what else.
Making your own almond milk at home takes a small amount of preparation, and not only leaves you with great tasting milk, but also the peace of mind knowing exactly where it came from.
As with any recipe, you can change this around to suit your specific taste. Even add some raw cacao for a chocolate drink like no other. Here is the basic recipe I use to make my very own fresh almond milk. Enjoy!
Raw Almond Milk
1 cup of soaked raw almonds
Spring water for soaking
3 cups of spring water (for actual milk)
3 to 6 pitted dates
• Almonds are best soaked overnight in a refrigerator, but if you’re in a rush, soak for a couple of hours and you’ll still be on your way to making a fabulous milk. Be sure to rinse them before using.
• I usually soak the dates in spring water for half an hour or so, but this isn’t always necessary if you’re using soft dates.
Blend the soaked almonds with the spring water until smooth. Then strain that mix through a strainer or cheesecloth (I find a strainer much easier to use). You can also save the left over pulp to sprinkle over cereal or use in baking recipes. Waste not, want not!
Place the almond milk back into your blender, throw in the dates and blend until smooth.
And, voila, there you have it, fresh almond milk. If you prefer a thinner or thicker milk, simply add or take away water as desired. Your milk will last in the refrigerator for about three days. Be sure to shake before using.
To make vanilla almond milk
Add the seeds from 1 vanilla bean or a natural sweetener such as agave or stevia.
One last tip: You can also add your almond milk to a green smoothie recipe to make it that much more delicious.
Pics courtesy of www.thehealthyeatingsite.com
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I used to make almond milk all the time–until I found out my son was allergic to them. He’s allergic to soy, and I’m vegan (not counting honey–it’s originally from plants, so for me it’s okay), so what do I do? Give up drinking milk? No way! I mix nuts. Cashews, walnuts, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, whatever I have on hand. Cashews will make a decent milk all by themselves, but I’m not too keen on the flavor. By adding other nuts, I cover up the cashew flavor and get more variety. I actually sweeten my milk with honey, but it could be sweetened with anything, even stevia. And yeah, the 1:3 ratio is the best.
These are great tips, thanks Lisa! I love brazil nuts and they’re SO good for you. They are really high in selenium, zinc and protein. Selenium is said to be a powerful antioxidant too.