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How to Make Almond Milk (Recipe + Variations)

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Simple Homemade Almond Milk Recipe
Wellness Mama » Blog » Recipes » How to Make Almond Milk (Recipe + Variations)

Almond milk is a healthy and inexpensive alternative to conventional dairy that you can easily make at home! Statistics show that many people are choosing dairy-free milks and other products due to allergies, concerns about sourcing, or just taste preference.

Why Make Almond Milk?

Like virtually every other food or drink, almond milk is both less expensive and healthier when you make it yourself. While there are decent store bought brands available now, many brands contain additives like carrageenan to remain shelf stable and a keep a consistent texture.

Almond milk is a low glycemic alternative to rice milk, and doesn’t cause problems with hormone levels like soy milk does. It can be used in place of regular milk in recipes and baking. It is easy to make and has a light taste.

We used almond milk when we were working on reversing our son’s dairy intolerance and I still often use it (or homemade coconut milk) in recipes, coffee, or to drink simply because it is so inexpensive and easy to make.

If you are dairy free, making your own almond milk is a great way to save money and avoid additives. As a bonus, you can use the leftover almond pulp to make almond flour for use in recipes! If you are nut free as well, coconut milk is another good alternative.

If you go through a lot of almond milk in your home, I have found that it is much faster to use the Nutr Machine. While it can be pricey (use code WELLNESSMAMA10 for a discount), it can pay for itself very quickly if you use it often enough!

How to Store Homemade Almond Milk

This recipe lasts approximately 4 days in the refrigerator. Our family easily consumes this much almond milk in a few days, but if you won’t use this, it is best to reduce the recipe and make less to use as you need it.

Simple Homemade Almond Milk Recipe

Homemade Almond Milk Recipe

This almond milk recipe is super simple to make at home in just minutes! It is customizable so you can adjust the sweetness and even add flavor, plus it is naturally dairy free, paleo, vegan and all around delicious! 
Calories 34kcal
Author Katie Wells

Servings

4 cups

Ingredients

Instructions

  • If desired, soak almonds for at least 12 hours in pure water with 1/2 tsp sea salt. This is an important step as it breaks down the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors and cultures beneficial enzymes in the almonds. The longer the almonds soak, the creamier the finished milk will be. (Side note: soaking nuts should be done before eating them as well. Soak nuts in salt water for 12 hours, rinse them, and dry in oven on lowest heat. See tutorial here.)
  • Drain the soaking water and rinse the almonds well. Do not keep this water to re-use as it contains phytic acid and is best to discard it. 
  • In blender or Vitamix combine almonds and pure water along with vanilla, sweeteners, or any other optional ingredients. See the notes below for some flavor suggestions. 
  • Blend 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Mixture will expand some, so make sure your blender is not full before starting it.
  • Strain mixture into a large bowl through a sprout bag, cheesecloth, or thin kitchen towel.
  • Pour into glass jar or pitcher and store in refrigerator for up to four days.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Homemade Almond Milk Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 /2 cup)
Calories 34 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 0.3g2%
Sodium 6mg0%
Carbohydrates 1.9g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 0.4g0%
Protein 1.9g4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notes

Reuse the Pulp: Save the pulp of the almonds, put on cookie sheet and dehydrate in oven on lowest heat until completely dry. Run through blender or food processor to make almond flour, which can be used in recipes in place of flour. Alternately, just store in the refrigerator for use in baking or smoothies.
Flavor Variations: Add ½ cup strawberries for strawberry almond milk, 1-2 TBSP cocoa powder for chocolate almond milk, or any other flavor you can imagine!
Imitation Store Bought Almond Milk: This recipe will produce a creamy almond milk that is much better than store bought almond milk (in my opinion). Most store bought milks only use 2% almonds so they are low calorie but you’re essentially buying water in a box. If you prefer this type of almond milk, you can reduce the amount of almonds to ¼ or ½ cup and use the recipe above. 

Like this recipe? Check out my new cookbook, or get all my recipes (over 500!) in a personalized weekly meal planner here!

Do you eat almonds? Ever used almond or coconut milk in place of regular milk? Tell me below!

Sources

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Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

275 responses to “How to Make Almond Milk (Recipe + Variations)”

  1. Carmen Avatar

    I agree with Bernadette. Any ideas how to fortify it with calcium, protein, or fats? My daughter (20 months old, gets constipated with dairy). I’ve been looking for an alternative, but haven’t found one that compares.

    Any suggestions? Possibly getting these nutrients from additional food sources?

    Katie, any insights? Thanks!

    1. Susie Avatar

      My granddaughter has the same issue. Vanilla Flax Seed Milk is working for her! She can even have bananas now….her all time favorite. 🙂

        1. sparrow Avatar
          sparrow

          it’s super simple, similar to this recipe. i use 1/3 c of flaxseeds to 4 c water. blend the mixture, strain out the pulp, and sweeten/flavor if you like (i use 2-3 dates and 2 tsp vanilla). it’s really yummy.

  2. Jennifer Avatar
    Jennifer

    Hi Katie, thanks for all your information. I have been making almond milk for a while and love it but I have a friend who says if the almonds aren’t peeled they can be bad for you. I have never peeled them before but I notice in your picture they are peeled. Would like your thoughts please.

      1. Anna Avatar

        I’ve just made my first batch of almond milk today! May I just ask you if you ever blanch the almonds first to get the skin off? Do they come off just as easily after a 12hr soak? And is there an easier way to take the skins off than having to squeeze each one individually? Many thanks.

  3. Bernadette Avatar
    Bernadette

    There isn’t a substantial calcium content in this homemade version. The commercial almond milks all have added calcium in them to qualify as a milk substitute. I don’t know if anyone has tried fortifying this, but it sounds like it might be a good idea.

    1. Terry Avatar

      5 stars
      Calcium supplements are not necessarily good. There is controversy on this subject. You may want to Google “calcium supplements good?”

  4. Jen Avatar

    Would this be a good alternative for a baby who is no longer nursing? I would be concerned about the high omega-6, so would walnut milk be a better option? Or maybe alternating between several? My first two weaned to store bought milk, my next two weaned to raw milk, this one I’ve nursed the longest but she’s kind of self weaning and I’m having a hard time figuring out the best option. Right now I just try to give her yogurt every day.

    1. Linda Avatar

      Coconut milk is amazing. It has a very healthy profile. However, have you thought about pumping your own milk for a while? You can freeze it, and then begin to mix it with coconut milk as a transitional drink.

  5. Roberta Avatar

    Hi,

    Great recipe Katie.

    This article has some really good information on nuts in general and phytic acids for those who are concerned. Mercola is a much trusted website for health.
    https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/05/11/eating-nuts.aspx

    Chris Kresser’s article seems a bit too harsh and to start counting mg of phytic acids just seems a but too much.

    Macadamia nuts seem to be the best option and don’t need to be soaked and I’m sure the almond milk is fine too because it the almonds are soaked.

    Cheers!
    Roberta

  6. Chaylin Avatar

    I have a question….any way to make this chocolate almond milk? I introduced my 3 year old to almond milk and she prefers it over cows milk. She’ll drink the vanilla I buy but she would rather have the chocolate and the store doesn’t always have it…..

  7. Mackenzie Anderson Avatar
    Mackenzie Anderson

    I am so confused about dairy! Some people say drink raw milk, some say it’s very dangerous. Some say drink almond or coconut milk. I am trying to take one step at a time towards a more natural lifestyle. What kind of milk does your family drink? Thank you!

      1. Cori Avatar

        I have also been told that almonds are goitrogenic foods are foods that interfere with iodine absorption and therefore are not great for restoring Thyroid health? Do you know anything about that?

      2. Cory Avatar

        I started having thyroid issues and realized it was a candida problem. Maybe check that out if you havent (im sure there a good chance you know your issue well) Just mentioning in case. My assumptions of having a candida problem were confirmed when I started a candida diet I got the die off reactions before that I learned I had almost all symptoms of systemic candida(the list is long) many of them are the same symptoms of hypothyroidism

        1. Jen Avatar

          Hi Cory,
          Would you mind sending the link or info about the candida program that you chose? Thank you.

  8. Tiffany Avatar

    Hi Katie
    I love your website and refer to it often. I am getting a lot of mixed information about drinking almond milk. Some say (on Paleohacks q and a) not to drink it because it is high in Omega 6s. Others (Chris Kresser) talk about the phytic acid levels in nuts. I am concerned because my daughter cannot drink a lot of dairy with out skin irritations so we drink almond milk. I can not find information on how much phytic acid is in 1 glass of almond milk. Any ideas? If 3 oz of almonds = 1200-1400mg of phytic acid then 1 cup of almonds = 8 oz = 3600+mg phytic acid…So would 1/2 cup serving of almond milk have 450mg of phytic acid? Chris Kresser recommends 100-400mg/day of phytic acid or less is tolerable. Any thoughts?

    1. Janet Avatar

      soaking the almonds before processing reduces the phytic acid.

  9. Nina Avatar

    I accidentally used the same water that I soaked the almonds with to blend. Is this okay?

    1. Theresa Avatar
      Theresa

      Soaking them is to help remove the digestive enzyme inhibitors so if you used the same water you just put the same inhibitor back into what you consumed. In the future replace with different water.

  10. Alexandra Avatar
    Alexandra

    Hi Katie, Do you remove the skins after soaking? Is this where remaining phytic acid will be found in the almonds after soaking? I just did this and the almond milk became much smoother and sweeter than when I keep the skin. Thanks for any insight you might have on this. Best!

    1. Linda Avatar

      I pop the skins off before I blend the almonds. The milk is then a bit less grainy, and a brighter white. However, keeping skins on hurts nothing at all!

  11. Joanne Gaglione Brown Avatar
    Joanne Gaglione Brown

    I tried this but it wasn’t at all creamy. I added cocoa, stevia, and vanilla. The flavor was fine but it tasted more like water. I’m drying out the almond for flour. How long does it keep for?

    1. nina Avatar

      Change your ratio, add more almonds less water. It should keep for ~3 days once opened, 7 days if unopened.

    2. Elishevah Avatar
      Elishevah

      I wondered about the taste. I’m trying to figure out if it’s cheaper to make my own almond milk or just buy it. When I googled Almond Milk recipes (including this one) all of the water/almond ratios were way different, ranging from 6 to 12 cups of water per pound of almonds. Since 3 cups roughly equals 1 lb of almonds, this recipe calls for the equivalent of 12 cups of water per lb. of almonds. It’s a little hard to figure in the added benefit of being able to make almond flour with the pulp.

      1. becky Avatar

        The problem is store bought almond milk only has a few almonds in it. It’s mostly water. It’s a crime to even call it almond milk. Plus most have sugar and carrageenan, which are not good either. I don’t think there is a store bought one that is any good.

        1. Patricia Darby Avatar
          Patricia Darby

          This is true. When I called Silk they refused to convey how their almonds are pasteurized.
          The almonds it self is pasteurized with PPO plus additives carrageenan to prolong shelf life. Hence, cancer found in kids and adults from store bought milk.

      2. Aaron Avatar

        Or 1 cup of almonds per 4 cups water, so 1/5 of it is pure almonds.

        Becky, that explains why this version has 12.5g of fat per cup compared to the brand that I buy’s 2.5g per cup.

        1. John Sturgess Avatar
          John Sturgess

          If you have read recent article on Almond Milk like on Dr Mercola’s Web Page you will see that a few Almond Milk Companies use barely 2% almonds in the milk they sell, less almonds less fat… your paying for water in a box.

          1. Trudy Avatar

            I agree!!! I am in the UK and when I recently purchased an organic almond milk by Rude Health I realised,after reading the ingredients list,it contained just 1% almonds!!! The rest was rice and water!! I was also not impressed to see sunflower oil in it too! I don’t know how they are even allowed to call it almond milk!
            Trudy

          2. Aaron Avatar

            The nutritional information can usually tell you a lot about what you’re buying. 😉

      1. Jennifer L. Avatar
        Jennifer L.

        Hemp milk, hazelnut milk and cashew milk are other possibilities. Hemp milk doesn’t taste great to me plain, but if I add some coconut oil or coconut milk it helps balance out the strong flavor. Straining it helps too.

      2. Jennifer L. Avatar
        Jennifer L.

        If you start soaking the almonds and find you don’t have time with 24 hours to do something with them, rinse them, add fresh water and pop them in the fridge. They’ll still soak without becoming moldy. You can still make milk with slightly sprouted almonds. Just be sure to use within another day or two.

        1. Patty Avatar

          If needed after soaking almonds, remove skins and pop in freezer. They will not mold and will be available to make milk with. Another benefit of frozen almonds is it helps with temperature of milk when using high speed blenders.

  12. Kim Avatar

    Thanks for all your fantastic tips/info etc! They’re very enlightening!Do you know how to make Almond butter? I can’t seem to source any locally.

    1. Michelle Avatar
      Michelle

      Kim,
      You do not need any water to make almond butter (except for pre-soaking). Just throw them in a food processor and let it go for about 10 minutes. At first it looks like it’ll just be dry, chopped up nuts but it transforms into a beautiful butter in no time. Sometimes I add a little coconut oil for extra flavor. I do this with walnuts as well. Yummy. (I do find it’s helpful to let the nuts dry before trying this.)

      1. Heather Avatar

        Roast almonds first and then put in food processor while still warm. They’ll turn into almond butter really fast,

    2. Kim Avatar

      just put almonds in a high speed blender (I use a vitamin) with a little olive oil and blend away!

  13. JuliaJ Avatar

    If you’re soaking more than 1 cup of almonds, do you add more water/salt per cup of almonds?

  14. Michele Zagorski Avatar
    Michele Zagorski

    My daughter has a sensitivity to almonds. I’m having a hard time finding a good substitute other than oat milk. Any suggestions?

      1. Michele Zagorski Avatar
        Michele Zagorski

        yes, but I wanted something with a decent amount of protein. it seems the nut milks (other than almond, which is what we’ve been using for years and now can’t) and other grain milks (she’s also gluten sensitive) don’t have much or any protein. soy is out. just looking for options i may have overlooked. thanks!

          1. Dennis Avatar

            Flax seed presents a more serious phytoestrogen problem than soybeans.

          2. Teresa Smith Avatar
            Teresa Smith

            Is it better to take off the skin? I’ve read before that the skin has a property that makes it harder to absorb the nutrients. Any thoughts?

          1. Brianne Avatar

            I think you can use Katie’s recipe with almost any kind of nut or seed! Like the above commenters, I’ve heard that hemp is great. I usually do a mixture of unsweetened, shredded coconut PLUS either sesame seeds, raw cashews, raw macadamia nuts, or raw Brazil nuts. The taste is slightly different every time (but always good)!

        1. Nina Avatar

          Mix your nuts and seeds! How about a walnut hemp seed sunflower seed milk coconut milk? 🙂 I’m being silly, but seriously just mix it up.

        2. Kathy Avatar

          you can add some Quinoa into her diet. It’s taste is mild and has about as much protein as rice. You can add some into her salads, her oatmeal etc. I like using it as a side dish, made with sauted onion and chicken broth (can add in some chick peas). Beans and rice is a nice protein addition. Just make sure to use a nice mix so that she gets a complete protein. It’s not usually necessary to get protein from drinks.

        3. Christie Avatar

          Goat milk is pretty good. Has a bit of a different flavor than cows milk, but it’s still pretty good!

  15. Dusty Avatar

    Thanks for the response.  One more question.  Can the almond flour be substituted for flour on a regular basis in your grain free diet?

    1. Linda Avatar

      Yes, but be careful of the ratios. almond flour soaks up a LOT more liquid than regular flour.

      1. Aaron Avatar

        Yup. If its like coconut flour, you’ll want to use 1/4 to 1/3 of the normal, unbleached flour called for in the recipe.

      2. Aaron Avatar

        Do you have any nutrition info on this? According to my packaged almonds, this recipe would have about 10g of fat per cup, which seems a little high(somewhere between whole milk and light cream).

        1. Becky Avatar

          Personally, I don’t worry about fat content. All fat is not created equal and fat from almonds is good for you. Of course, if you are concerned or on a restricted diet, just add more water and blend it in. If I were you, I would make the milk according to the recipe, strain out the almond pulp, and THEN add additional (filtered or boiled!) water–just to make sure the consistency is right.

        2. Anne Avatar

          I just want to add that fat does not make you fat. Carbs do. Atkins is right. The TNT Diet explains it well and Paleo is another word to Google to get more information. The governments food pyramid is not a healthy way to eat. I use almond milk because cow milk has too much sugar/ carbs.
          Thanks for this recipe, BTW!

    2. Lia Avatar

      I use it for pizza crust, breading for chicken and fish, and supplementing regular flour!

  16. Dusty Avatar

    If you drain the water you soaked the almonds in, do you reuse it or do you get new?  If getting new, do you use 4 cups again or a different amount?  Thanks!

    1. Wellness Mama Avatar
      Wellness Mama

      I guy them from our local co-op when I can, but if not, there are several places online, like Wilderness Family Naturals and even Amazon that carry soaked, organic almonds, which have lower phytic acid.

  17. Jamie Avatar

    Thank you for this recipe. I am going to try it tomorrow. Do you know if there is any calcium content in this milk? Thanks for your site it is really helping me transition my family to a more whole foods/Paleo style of eating!

      1. Nysia E Avatar
        Nysia E

        is that fresh or store bought? store bought they often add calcium supplement to the milk.

      2. Nysia E Avatar
        Nysia E

        Just looked up for almonds as that would be your best marker… 1 cup of almonds has 378 mg calcium, so you would have to decide how much water you used to make your almond milk to determine how much calcium per cup of almond milk. 🙂 also some will always remain behind with the pulp. but if you eat that,too,then none is lost. 🙂

    1. debra Avatar

      Katie,

      Hard to believe your a mom.
      You are as cute as a button and the information you give out! Amazing I am going to do this now that you gave this dreadful into on ingredient! I will make my own w/my Vitamix, thanks to you.
      Every wk I was purchasing both COCONUT and ALMOND milk-no more. Thanks doll I will read every bit of info you email me.

        1. doxie Avatar

          I believe that was meant as a compliment. A rather nice one at that. Esp the cute as a button part.

          Cant wait to try, im already addicted to making my own coconut milk.

      1. Tricia Avatar

        5 stars
        Thank god she’s a mom! I wish there were more mothers like her! haha This Katie chic is such an inspiration! 🙂

    2. pashya Avatar
      pashya

      Katie, LOVE that you describe the process of making almond flour from from the strained out bits………you did not say anything about the brown skins……..whether or not they need to be removed or become part of the “flour”. I really have appreciated your information…Thank You.

      1. Lydia Avatar

        You can used blanched almonds so there is no skin, it also takes away the slightly bitter taste that you get with the skin.

    3. Katrina Mathis Avatar
      Katrina Mathis

      I can’t seem to figure out how to start my own comment… How much does this recipe make? Like a gallon,quart, a liter?

      1. Najeeb Avatar

        The recipe calls for 4 cups of water. Each cup is 8 fluid ounces, so that’s 32 oz of water, so it will make a bit over 32 oz of almond milk, accounting for the volume of the almonds. 32 oz is a quart, and very close to a liter. A gallon is 128 oz (4 quarts), so that’s far away. It pays to know your units!

        1. Tracu Avatar

          Unfortunately I don’t know my units very well, do you have any suggestions as to where on the web I could go to get a print out of unit conversions?

    4. Margo Avatar

      4 stars
      Hello Miss Katie! It is August 2015 & I finally made almond milk! Thanks for your recipe! I used 2 cups of almonds & couldn’t believe how much almond was left in my strainer…it just wasn’t making much milk…so I decide to save the almond bits, add water again & blend & see what happens. I did this about 3 times, added less water with each batch as no not have watery milk…it worked great & I have about 2 liters of milk! Very little almond left! I added pure vanilla & stevia! HELPFUL TIP: you can just pour milk over a normal bowl strainer & just put a bowl underneath the strainer to catch the milk! 2 year old daughter loved it!!! Love & health from Iowa! Margo ?

    5. Margo Avatar

      5 stars
      Hello Miss Katie! It is August 2015 & I finally made almond milk! Thanks for your recipe! I used 2 cups of almonds & couldn’t believe how much almond was left in my strainer…it just wasn’t making much milk…so I decide to save the almond bits, add water again & blend & see what happens. I did this about 3 times, added less water with each batch as no not have watery milk…it worked great & I have about 2 liters of milk! Very little almond left! I added pure vanilla & stevia! HELPFUL TIP: You can just pour milk over a normal bowl strainer with paper towel on bottom & just put a bowl underneath the strainer to catch the milk! 2 year old daughter loved it!!! Love & health from Iowa! Margo ?

    6. Ernest Avatar

      I use a nutraBullet 900 to make the almond drink and the results is so refined that there is no need to strain the mixture. Also I soak the almonds in hot water for 5 minutes and then remove the the brown skin and as a result I get a really white creamy mixture. Am I losing anything in removing the skin after soaking the almonds in hot water for 5 minutes, it comes off quite easily ?

      1. Jen Avatar

        5 stars
        A+ Thank you! This is a very fast way to remove the skins, with less processing time.

4.62 from 49 votes (11 ratings without comment)

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