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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!

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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. Lisa T. Avatar
    Lisa T.

    It’s hot in SoCal and we don’t have AC in our home. Should I refrigerate the almonds while they are soaking? Or is it ok to leave them out regardless of the heat? Thnk you!!!

  2. Debra ponte Avatar
    Debra ponte

    Great will do.
    Any suggestions for SINUS INFECTION?wow never had this w/HEAD COLD
    and they exasperated my Asthma,any info would help.thanks doll,DEBRA

  3. Catalina Avatar
    Catalina

    5 stars
    There is this almond milk that my family and I drink- “Califia Farms” and we drink the unsweetened almond milk which means there is no sugar. But that’s not all, this brand makes their milk carrageenan free and it’s only 35 calories for an 8 oz serving! They also do things like juice and coffee but I have yet to try them. They are really big too so, chances are you can find it in your grocery store if you look around.

  4. Janice Avatar
    Janice

    Hi! I’ve blanched my almonds, is it necessary to discard the soaking water, if I’ve already removed the skins? Also, can I add some sesame seeds for extra calcium and may-be some sunflower seeds?? to make it creamier. Thanks for any feed back, I’m new to this!!

  5. regina Avatar
    regina

    In the beginning o the post Katie you state if your nut free you can make cocoNUT milk.. Last I knew coconut is as much of a nut as an almond, correct?? I dont now maybe there is something about the coconut that makes it different than other nuts?
    Anyhow….. I love your method , its one of the easiest ones I have tried. And everyone in my house loves it. My 5 year old son was kind of a hard sell but he is coming around and has started asking for it instead of cow milk. WE had a discussion about what dairy milk is for and the first time he asked for almond milk instead of cows milk he then confidently informs me that he doesnt want cows milk because he is not a baby cow… I laughed so hard I had tears.. It was awesome.

  6. Nicole Avatar
    Nicole

    4 stars
    I love that the recipe eliminates waste. It tells you how ti make almond milk and gives you a use for the left over pulp, turning it into almond flour. How many days is the almond milk good for once made if stored in the refirigerator in a glass jar with a lid?

  7. Shauna R Avatar
    Shauna R

    Awesome recipe! I just tried it for myself and created a video tutorial for all of the visual pppl out there like myself. My husband and toddlers love it so much we no longer buy milk, we make it!

  8. Jenny Avatar

    Organic sprouted almonds are $5.75 per cup. That would make a gallon of this milk $23 dollars a gallon.

      1. Elizabeth Avatar
        Elizabeth

        5 stars
        Jenny and Sara,
        Buy raw organic almonds and sprout them yourself. I found some at Costco and I just did this. They made even better fantastic almond milk. It was easy. I had read how to sprout or activate other seeds at VidyaLiving and checked there for the time needed to activate (sprout) almonds.
        I followed the Wellness Mama recipe, but changed my soaking method.
        Do the first soak for 12hrs (I add 1TBSP Bragg vinegar to the soak water).
        Then rinse almonds and refill water + more Bragg vinegar.
        Soak for another 12 hrs. (The almonds will look like there’s a slight tale at their tip when sprouting.)
        Rinse and you’re ready to make almond milk.
        I do blend on medium (1min) before I crank up my vitamix to high. This will be cheaper than buying those packaged activated and dried nuts. Doing it yourself makes it even more delicious milk. (Save those packaged nuts for handy on the go eating if you buy them.) I usually peel the skin on about 1/3 to 1/2 my DIY sprouted almonds, since I do want some of the goodness from the almond skin’s vitamins to remain in milk and almond pulp. I squeeze the almond to pop the skin or rub almonds together inside a towel to loosen skins.

  9. Emily Kenyon Avatar
    Emily Kenyon

    How many servings does this make? Is there anyway to ascertain the nutrient make up of the milk once its made (i.e. protein, fat, etc.)? Since the almonds are drained it seems like just calculating the nutrient make up of 1 cup of almonds would be in accurate.

    Thanks!

  10. Ro Avatar

    My family is from South America and we use coconut milk/water as a substitute for milk. However I do find it a bit difficult to get organic coconuts by my area to make the milk. So recently I have used the almonds and its just as good! I add a little honey to my coconut milk and vanilla to the almond milk.

  11. Sarah Avatar

    5 stars
    I tired this and it tastes sour the next day! I did leave it out and noticed it had separated ….. Which seemed odd. Any suggestions?

  12. Sara Avatar

    So it would cost $23 to make a half gallon of almond milk and 1 cup of flour if you bought the almonds from radiant life like you suggest? That seems expensive and unsustainable? Is this right?

  13. Teresa Avatar

    Hi. After the almonds have soaked and I have removed the skins, is it necessary to dry them in the oven? I have just made the milk after soaking. I just wanted to know if there are any health benefits from drying them in the oven. Thanks!

  14. Stephanie Avatar
    Stephanie

    I’ve made almond milk before but it only lasts a few days in the fridge and ends up being tossed out. We simply don’t use enough and the store-bought stuff lasts longer so there ends up being less waste and, therefore, cheaper. But of course there’s all the added junk to store-bought that we don’t want. Any ideas on how to make this last longer? Or, will it still work to make 1/3 the recipe?

    1. Tere Avatar

      Stephanie, I live alone and what works for me is making a batch of 1 cup of almonds to 3+ cups of water about every other day. I’ve read that almond milk lasts for three or even four days. I think the clue to avoid throwing out almond milk gone bad might lie in what kind of commitment is made to completely wean from cows’ milk. Once you’re 100% with almond milk, you will learn what batch size works best for your family – depending on how many you are and how often you like to drink it – and stick with it. There’s really no reason to go back to cows’ milk once you know the facts. As I always say, cows’ milk is great… for calves.

  15. Kathy Crawford Avatar
    Kathy Crawford

    I use Braggs Apple Cider Vinager for soaking my beans, nuts and seeds.

  16. Tere Avatar

    I’ve been looking all over the Internet for tips on cooking with homemade almond milk. Not much luck; all the links point out to commercial almond milk, loaded with stabilizers, artificial flavoring and synthetic vitamins. I have a recipe for an Asturian (Spain) rice pudding that calls for 45 minutes of cooking the rice in milk, orange peel, vanilla and other flavorings over low heat. I was wondering if almond milk would be suitable for this recipe.

    1. Aaron Avatar

      The results would be different but cooking is life and trying new ways of doing things. Try it out yourself and have fun with it.

  17. Jessica Avatar

    No link for :
    (this step reduces the level of phytates- here is a good tutorial)

4.62 from 49 votes (11 ratings without comment)

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