Homemade almond milk is healthier, creamier, and way more delicious than storebought! And it couldn't be easier to make. Plus, I share a few delicious ways to use up the leftover almond pulp so nothing gets wasted!
We have a few 'food rules' in our house -- one of them is if there's something we eat or drink on a regular (or semi-regular basis), we buy the healthiest highest quality version of it that we can.
And if I can make a healthier version myself without it being too big of an inconvenience, I will. This helps us avoid unnecessary or questionable ingredients like emulsifiers, thickeners, added oils, etc.
And I'm happy to say that this homemade almond milk recipe uses 100% raw natural ingredients and even foams up like a champ in cappuccinos!
If you love nuts or homemade nut milks, you might also enjoy these candied pecans, Aunt Betty's pecan tassies, or this delicious pumpkin-spiced pumpkin seed milk.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's healthier than store-bought
- Incredibly fresh and flavorful compared to store-bought
- You control the ingredients - no additives, no oil, no preservatives
- It's customizable - adjust the sweetness, flavor, and creaminess
- It's budget-friendly, especially if you buy almonds in bulk
- Perfect substitute for dairy milk in cooking and baking recipes
- Easy to make ahead, portion, and freeze
Ingredients
While you can make almond milk with just almonds and water, dates and a pinch or two of salt add balance and enhance the flavor. If you're on a low-sodium or low-sugar diet, omit them. Alternatively, you can add more dates for a sweeter almond milk.
- raw almonds (with or without skins)
- water (I like to use cold water, but room temperature is perfectly fine)
- dates, pitted (optional, but recommended)
- dash of salt (optional, but recommended)
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Making homemade almond milk (or any nut milk) is incredibly easy as you can see below!
1. Soak raw almonds in cold water overnight, drain, and rinse them.
2. Blend all the ingredients together in a Vitamix or other high-speed blender for 1-2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
3. Strain the mixture through a nut milk bag or fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth and use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Hint
If you don't own a high-powered blender like Vitamix you may want to strain the almond milk twice. This helps removes any remaining almond bits and results in a silky texture that's perfect for your morning coffee or favorite smoothie recipe.
If you want a thinner almond milk increase the water ¼ cup at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Alternatively, you may add ½ cup less water for thicker almond milk.
Find detailed instructions in recipe card.
Substitutions
- Cashew Milk: Substitute cashews or macadamia nuts for a different flavor profile
- Pumpkin Seed Milk: Head here for that recipe
- Pistachio Milk: Substitute raw pistachios for almonds for a beautiful flavor & color
- Maple Syrup or Honey Almond Milk: Substitute dates with maple syrup or honey
- No-Sodium Almond Milk: Omit the salt
- Low-Sugar Almond Milk: Omit the dates (almonds are naturally low in sugar)
Variations
- Vanilla Almond Milk: Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Chocolate Almond Milk: Blend in 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- Cinnamon Almond Milk: Add ¼ teaspoon or more ground cinnamon
- Pumpkin Spice Almond Milk: Add up to ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice seasoning
- Turmeric Almond Milk: Add up to ½ teaspoon or more turmeric powder or fresh turmeric to taste
- No-Added Sugar Almond Milk: Omitting dates or other natural sweeteners gives you the perfect non-dairy milk for savory dishes like curries, creamy soups, and baking recipes that call for regular milk or cream.
Meal Prep Make Ahead Almond Milk
- Soak almonds in bulk, drain, rinse, and portion them into freezer-safe containers. When you need to make a batch of almond milk, remove them from the freezer to the counter for 20-30 minutes to take the chill off. Use as instructed!
- You can also portion and freeze homemade almond milk in glass jars or other airtight containers. Just be sure to leave about 1-2 inches of headspace at the top so it has room to expand as it freezes. Place the frozen jar in the fridge overnight to thaw and give it a good shake before using.
Equipment
- Vitamix or other High-speed blender
- Nut milk bag or fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth (what I use)
- Large carafe, pitcher or bowl
- Glass jar or other airtight container for storage
Storage
Store almond milk in an airtight container in the refrigerator (I use a repurposed glass jar with lid). It will keep fresh for 5 to 7 days when kept in a consistently cold area of your refrigerator and if you don't leave it out for long periods. Give it a good shake before using it, as it can separate slightly.
Serving
Serve your almond milk chilled over ice, use it as a perfect non-dairy substitute for milk in your morning coffee or tea, pour it over cereal, or use it as a base for healthy smoothies. It's also great to use in baking recipes or for making creamy dairy-free or vegan and vegetarian soups!
Top Tips
- Soak your almonds overnight for the highest nutritional value, and digestibility, and for the creamiest milk
- Use filtered water for the best taste
- To make the best almond milk cappuccino, heat almond milk and use a milk frother to make it foamy, and then add it to your coffee. This miraculously keeps the almond milk from separating in your coffee as you drink it.
- Don't discard the almond pulp - use it in baking, smoothies, or to make almond pulp hummus (see photo of hummus in the FAQ section below)
FAQ
Yes! Using roasted almonds will impart a nuttier roasted flavor (which can be especially tasty for spicy or warm almond milk drinks).
Most sources will tell you to use up homemade almond milk within a 3-5 day window, but mine usually lasts for at least a full week. Keep in mind, I don't let the milk sit outside of the fridge for long periods of time and we keep our fridge nice and cold.
When in doubt, do the 'smell test'. If almond milk has any smell other than how it smelled when you first made it, toss it.
Yes! You can use the quick soak method for soaking almonds which saves time, but it does use more water.
Here's how to quick soak almonds: Add almonds and 3 cups of water to a small pot. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and soak for 15 -20 minutes.
In a pinch, you can use raw unsoaked almonds to make almond milk. However, the almond milk will not be as smooth or silky if you don't soak them first. And
Soaking almonds before making almond milk is important not only because it makes them softer (which creates a smoother silkier almond milk) but it does some very important things for your body including:
-makes them easier to digest
-enhances nutrient and antioxidant availability so your body can absorb more of the good stuff
-reduces the Phytic acid (an anti-nutrient that can hinder the absorption of essential minerals in almonds) among more benefits
I always recommend soaking almonds first. To meal prep and save time, soak almonds in bulk, drain, portion, and freeze soaked almonds. Pull them out of the freezer to temper before making almond milk.
Yes! Simply portion and freeze homemade almond milk in a glass jar or other airtight container. Place the frozen jar in the fridge overnight to thaw and give it a good shake before using.
Do not throw out the leftover almond pulp after making milk! You can add the pulp to smoothies, use it in baking, to make healthy protein balls, add it to pancake batter, or use it to make delicious, creamy hummus that miraculously tastes almost just like real chickpea hummus see photo below!
More Easy Nut Recipes
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Easy Homemade Almond Milk (Zero Waste Almond Milk Recipe)
- Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Homemade almond milk is healthier, creamier, and way more delicious than storebought! And it couldn't be easier to make. Plus, I share a few easy and delicious ways to use up the leftover almond pulp so nothing gets wasted!
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds, soaked overnight (150g)
- 3 cups cold water (720g)
- 3 dates, pitted (optional, but recommended)
- Dash of salt (optional, but recommended)
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Soak raw almonds in water overnight, covered. Drain, and rinse them.
- Add water, almonds, dates, and salt to a blender (in that order). Blend on high for 1 minute (for Vitamix) or 2 minutes (regular blender) until smooth and creamy.
- Strain the mixture through a nut milk bag or a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
Notes
- For quick-soak almond method, see main post for details.
- For a sweeter almond milk, add a few more dates.
- Substitute maple syrup or honey for dates if you prefer.
- Make homemade vanilla almond milk by adding 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Make cashew milk by substituting them for the almonds.
- Use the leftover almond pulp to make raw vegan almond hummus (see main post!), protein balls, add it to pancake batter, smoothies, or your baked goods.
- If you don't own a high-powered blender like Vitamix you may want to strain the almond milk twice. This helps removes any remaining almond bits and results in a silky texture that's perfect for your morning coffee or favorite smoothie recipe.
- If you want a thinner almond milk increase the water ¼ cup at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Alternatively, you may add ½ cup less water for thicker almond milk.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Soaking Time: 8 hours
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ cup
Food Safety
- Use clean utensils and containers
- Store almond milk in the refrigerator promptly after making
- Discard if it develops an off odor, flavor or appearance
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Becca_PI says
This milk has such a clean, pure taste! No ultra processed weird additives or emulsifiers like store versions either. LOVE it!
Jean J. says
This tastes so much fresher than carton almond milk! The natural sweetness really comes through. Used the pulp in energy balls for my kid's lunch boxes and they loved them:)