Totally Heavenly Homemade Vanilla Almond Milk
This is definitely a first for me.
I’ve never ever thought that one day, I would be making my own homemade almond milk.
Honestly, I remember going to my mom’s a few years back and she’d always have a bunch of almonds soaking… I also remember finding it very odd, and well, not very tempting: I liked my almonds roasted and salted, thank you very much.
She would, of course, tell me about how one could make their own almond milk using raw almonds, but I wouldn’t really pay much attention. You see, back then, I was way more into drinking beer than I was into drinking milk.
Oh, I could’ve easily entertained you for hours on the art of brewing your own beer and why home brewed beer was sooooo much better than store bought. But milk? No way. Even less so almond milk. Now THAT to me was just plain weird.
Besides, who drank milk anyway? It had no alcohol in it…
How times change. Look at me now. Here I am, making my very own almond milk at home.
AND LOVING IT!!!
People, I tell you, that stuff is U.N.B.E.L.I.E.V.A.B.L.Y good! I’m never going back to store bought.
I mean, I’ll still buy my usual unsweetened soy milk as back up, but you can be sure that from now on, I’ll be making a batch of this heavenly drink every single week-end.
It doesn’t really take that long to make, either. All you need is to make certain that you have at least a cup of almonds soaking.
The original recipe says that your almonds have to soak overnight, but really, I left mine to soak for well over 48 hours and all was fine. I guess one could also just leave their almonds in water and keep them in the fridge until the are ready to use them (so long as they don’t take a month, that is…)
So once your almonds have soaked for a sufficient amount of time, drain and rinse them…
Add them to your blender, along with water, vanilla and dates, and blend on high until nice, creamy and frothy… about 3-4 minutes each time. You might have to do that in several batches, depending on your blender size. I had to make mine in 2 batches.
Or, you could make half a batch… but I don’t recommend this. You WILL regret it and wish that you had made the full batch!
Once all your almonds have been liquefied, you will want to strain your milk (or not… the stuff is actually very good as is, only it’s VERY thick! Still, I think that I will be keeping some of it to make smoothies in the future. You know how I like a chewable smoothie!).
Use either cheesecloth or a fine mesh sieve and place it over a large pitcher. I opted to use both, but it was an overkill. One or the other will suffice. You can just let the milk drip and it will happen rather quickly, but if you’re impatient like me, don’t hesitate to help facilitate (and speed up) the process by pressing it down with a spoon.
Make sure to squeeze every last drop of liquid out of that almond meal, and this is what you will be left with:
– A great big bowl of wet almond meal (of course, you know me… I found ways to use that! And of course, I will fill you in very soon!)
– And more importantly, a great big pitcher of heavenly, delicious almond milk!
Now all that’s left to do is pour yourself a glass, sit back, and enjoy!
You can clean the kitchen later! 😉
Just this once…
Oh, and try not to drink the whole pitcher in one go! 😉
HEAVENLY VANILLA ALMOND MILK
Source : All Binge and No Purge
INGREDIENTS
(Yields 8 cups)
- 2 cups raw almonds, soaked overnight
- 8 cups water (not your soaking water)
- 2 whole vanilla beans, finely chopped (you could also use pure vanilla extract)
- 12 dates, pitted and soaked overnight (don’t discard the soaking liquid, you want to add it to your milk)
DIRECTIONS
- Drain and rinse almonds
- Add all ingredients to your blender and spin on high for about 4 minutes. You might have to do that in several batches depending on your blender size. I had to make mine in 2 batches.
- Once all your almonds have been liquefied, strain your milk using either cheesecloth or a fine mesh sieve placed over a large pitcher. You can just let the milk drip and it will happen rather quickly, but you can help facilitate (and speed up) the process by pressing it down with a spoon.
- Make sure to squeeze every last drop of liquid out of that almond meal.
- The almond milk will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (I dare you to keep it that long, though). One little thing is it tends to separate, so make sure to give it a good shake before each use.
136 Comments on “Totally Heavenly Homemade Vanilla Almond Milk”
Oh my goodness.. I have never heard of making homemade almond milk before! I’m definitely going to have to try this recipe at some point. Great blog by the way – I recently subscribed!
I love it! Can’t wait to try this recipe. Another bonus is throwing away less trash. I throw away one almond milk container a week on average.
NICE~~So you used RAW almonds but you need to cook the liquid?
I asked that cuz I make my own soymilk from soybeans thats soaked over night and I definitely have to cook the liquid for a least 20-30mins!
oh and since you said that this is a first for you! just giving you some ideas that you can try out!
black beans: taste just like soymilk but I believe its only in the color difference…not really sure because you can never trust the ones from the store. I am going over to whole foods tomorrow to pick some up so i can make it for thursday :)..all I know is black beans are actually alot better than soybeans 🙂
Another one is!! peanut rice milk my childhood favorite!
SHORT GRAIN RICE 50g
PEANUTS 15g
WATER 1 CUP
um…honey or sugar is up to you( i dont put any sweetener in it..love the simple smell without the sweetener)
~For the rice to come out soft FOR you to blend remember to soak it over night before cooking it
put all the ingredients in blender to liquefied AND you are DONE!
Hope you’ll have fun 🙂
Oh one more thing there’s soymilk maker out there you can get! and what it does is to strain the liquid for you! and you’ll leave with only the milk itself:) nice little machine!
Thats how I can make my own soymilk every week 🙂
Are you serious, you have to actually COOK soy milk? That’s weird! Why do you think that is? I’ll have to research that, I’m all curious now. That, and the black soy bean milk. I’d never heard of it before and I must admit that I’d really like to try it. But it must have the strangest color! Have you ever tried it?
Peanut rice sounds really yummy, but I can’t really try it at the moment, unfortunately. But I’m definitely keeping it in mind for later!.
Thanks a bunch for all the information! It’s appreciated! 😀
Now I’m off to do a little bit of research…
lol yes you do have to cook soy milk! cuz the raw soy bean is poisonous!
and when you cook it relases this “bubbles” like um…soap bubbles
once th bubbles are all gone you know it’s done :)! If your soymilk is really rich in flavor the surface of the milk will form a skin on top once it cools down( love to eat those and you can make alot of different dishes with it too)
for the black beans not just yet…I am making it tomorrow and I’ll let you know 🙂 got to soak it over 24hrs first!
I dont know if its gonna have a weird color…because the black bean is just the skin is black the inside of the bean is still white. I really hope it taste different than soymilk 🙂
Poisonous? Really? Oh my! That’s a bit scary…
I did do a little bit of research and apparently, the color of the milk is no different when you use black soy beans. Now I’m really curious and I really have to try making my own soy milk… Can’t wait to hear about your experience! 🙂
This looks absolutely beautiful. I bought some almond milk last week after reading people raving about it and thought it was absolutely disgusting (!) – I think that must be the difference between shop bought and homemade as yours does indeed sound heavenly. Have bookmarked this recipe to have a go at making the real stuff this weekend 🙂
Funny, I never cared for storebought almond milk eiter… and liked it even less after checking out the ingredients on the label… The list is way too long to my liking and sugar is way too high on that list too!
Can’t wait to hear you impressions after you tried this! Please, please, let me know how you liked it! 🙂
Looks beautiful…! Which blender do you use? I was under the impression that the only blender strong enough for the task of making nut milks was the Vitamix, which is not in my budget and I’ve been wanting to make my own almond milk for as long as I can remember…!
Thank you Jo! My blender is a Kitchenaid, nothing too fancy or extremely powerful, so you don’t need to break your budget in order to make your own almond milk at home. In fact, the almonds are quite soft after having soaked for an extended period of time. What is truly important is that you have access to a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth, if you want to do a good job at straining the milk.
Hope you get to try this soon and please, let me know how it worked for you! 🙂
It’s also important to buy raw ‘unpasteurized’ almonds (online), as all almonds raw, and otherwise in the US are sprayed with a chemical that is known to cause cancer.
Wow! This looks soooo good! Thanks for making it look so easy!!! As usual your photos are beautiful.
Thanks Karin! And thanks for saying that I made this look easy. I was under the impression that I might have given the wrong idea that it was fairly messy and complicated, so I’m especially happy to hear you say that! And glad you like the pics too! 🙂
Am doing this with you all, so excited to see what you come up with for the remaining meal. Also, froze the nut butter. Cashew froze okay (as in just okay!) pumpkin seed butter froze like a dream. Maybe it made a difference that I added a touch of veg oil to the pumpkin seed butter???? Who knows………..!!! 🙂
Hey Claire, good to know! Thanks for sharing that information, I really appreciate. 😀
Now you got me wondering if that almond meal would freeze well. I will definitely try that! (I get the feeling that I will be generating a lot of that meal…) 😉
Hi Sonia ~ This recipe looks great! I am lactose- and soy-intolerant, so almond milk is a staple in my home. I have two questions…(1) How much vanilla do you recommend using if you opt for the extract instead of vanilla beans? (2) I assume the dates are used to add sweetness. Is this correct? Could I use fewer dates if I were watching sugar intake? Thanks again for sharing! 🙂
Hey Jennifer! Being a huge vanilla fan myself, I tend to use A LOT, but as a general rule of thumb, I tend to use about a teaspoon per liter of liquid, so in this case, you would be using 2 teaspoons. As for the dates, they indeed add sweetness, as well as that little extra bit of flavor… of course, you could adjust quantity to suit your needs, or you could even plain leave them out. They are entirely optional!
Hope you like the milk if you end up making it, and please, let me know if that’s the case! 🙂
Making Almond milk has been on my list for literally years. ;P Your beautiful step by step process inspires me to actually do it! 🙂 Thanks.
Ooooh, I’ve been wanting to make almond milk for ages now! The process has always scared me off for some reason. That and a magic bullet is my only blender, but maybe I could still make it work…. It really looks so delicious, I can’t wait to give it a try, especially with dates in it – yum!
Ooof… I think you could probably pull it off with a magic bullet, but you’re looking at A LOT of batches! I hope you are more patient than I am! Really worth taking the time, though. I’m all out and I already want to make more. Not sure I’ll be able to wait for the week-end. I’ve got a couple of cups of almonds who will be taking a nice bath as of tonight! 😉
Let me know how things went if you try it, Heidi!
I’ve made almond milk a few times but I never strained it because I didn’t want to waste the almonds. And so my almond milk was mushy… not really something I like. I guess now that I’m making a lot of things with almond flour I can just put the meal in the oven and make almond flour. Or I’ll wait to see what you do! 🙂
Funny you should say that Erin, that’s one of the things that I was planning on trying. Dry it in the oven and see if I can turn it into almond flour. Guess it wouldn’t have a super long shelf life, especially because of the dates that get mixed in, but I think that it’s definitely worth trying. Whoever tries it first lets the other one know, alright?
And for the record, even if one was to chuck the meal, it would still be less expensive, not to mention much better, to make this at home than to buy the commercially prepared stuff.
I’ll let you know if I try it! I’ve never seen almond milk here so I’m not even able to get the storebought stuff. Making it is my only option.
That looks amazing! I don’t think I’ve ever even tasted almond milk I have to confess but you’ve already converted me. I love almonds and o yes I can see this do really really well in a smoothie too!
DELICIOUS!! Why do I feel like entering my hand inside the screen and grabing your drink? The tea I’m drinking right now feels like stale baguette compared to that almond milk I’m coveting right now (tel un enfant devant une patisserie en train de saliver devant un éclair au chocolat! 😉
I’m definitely going to soak some almonds tomorrow.
BTW, do you think this process might also work with walnut (my second favorite nut) or the properties are not the same for this to work out?
I don’t know Élise… quite frankly, I like the idea, ‘cos I too am a big fan of walnuts, but I’m afraid they might be a tad too bitter to make milk out of. But you got me real curious and now I really feel like giving it a try! Hazelnut sounds heavenly too!
Oooooooh… Hazelnut milk sounds just like the kind of milk I’d want to use to make hot cocoa. And I’ve been craving hot cocoa big time for the last few days now…
Now I definitely have to try this!
Thanks a bunch for the inspiration!
OMG I love everything hazelnut! Forget walnuts, hazelnuts are even better.. ok it’s more like I’m a nutaholic and can’t decide which is my favorite and it changes on any given day. Thank to all and any deity for that gift of mother nature lol
Anyways, I made the almond milk this morning and drank a glass warmed up with some cocoa powder, honey and vanilla extract.. It was creamy and soooo good for the soul. I don’t have any hazelnut, but I’m definitely trying that one next week. If you make it before then, let me know!
I have this evil plan to revisit one of my favorite chocolate cookie recipe ever this weekend, and make it Lent friendly of course… to do that, I am planning on using hazelnut meal, so I’m thinking I will “milk” my hazelnuts first, and THEN use them for the cookies. Which means this hazelnut milk will be happening in not even 24 hours.
I will certainly let you know how it is! I get the feeling that it will be goooooood.
Looks like we both share the same
lovecrazy obsession for nuts! 😉Élise, I just made the hazelnut version of this milk. I used the same ratio of nuts to water, same technique, too. The only difference is I didn’t use the dates this time, for I thought hazelnuts were flavorul enough on their own, and I didn’t want any sweetness added to this milk.
Well… I have to say that the results are… ABSOLUTELY, INSANELY, INCREDIBLY FANTASTIC!!!!
This milk is a thousand times better than the almond, as if it were possible. I am telling you, it’s just unreal. À se rouler par terre! Je te jure. You have to try it, and of course, let me know what you think. I have a thought for you every time I have a sip (straight from the container, of course… I’m the only one drinking this here, so hey… who’s gonna stop me! 😉 )
Try it, seriously… I urge you too!
Mmmm I LOVE homemade almond milk! I also add macca powder to mine, I love that flavor!
I have an awesome “cheese” recipe on my blog for the left over pulp!! 🙂
CHEESE??? OOOOH! You definitely have my attention! Do you have a direct link to that?
And I like the idea of adding macca powder. I also thought that cardamom could be delicious! Thanks for the tip! 🙂
This looks delicious! I cannot wait to try it. Do you have any idea what the fat content is? The fat content of store-bought almond milk is pretty low, but I wonder when you make it fresh how much fat remains in the milk. I know almonds are mostly comprised of good fats, but there are a lot of almonds going into the milk so I am curious how much fat would be in a cup of the fresh milk. Thanks!
Unfortunately, I have absolutely no idea. I too was wondering about that… like what part of the almond goes into the milk and what part stays behind in the meal. I am guessing that the nutritional information of the milk would be fairly similar to store bought, at least as far as fat and protein contents are concerned. The rest might differ quite a bit because of the addition (or non-addition, shall I say) of sugar and other ingredients that are added to commercial almond milk. I’ll try to do a little research on the subject. 🙂
How much water do you use to soak the dates? I’m very interested in trying this recipe and want to make sure I do it right!
Thanks!
Just put them in a little bowl and cover them with water. I’d say I used probably a quarter of a cup…
Excellent! I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now, and I’m glad I stumbled upon this. Thank you! I do have one question though, when you say “raw” almonds, you mean just the non roasted variety right? There isn’t a special kind of raw almond that I should look for at the store?
Anyways, looks really tasty!
That is correct, Saki. I do mean the non roasted variety. Just look for almonds that have not been processed, i.e. roasted, smoked, dry roasted, salted, coated in sugar… just good ole plain almonds!
Hope you do give it a try and like it as much as I do! (careful, it’s addictive! 😉 )
Just wazzed up my soaked almonds tonight, YUMMERS!!! I’m now waiting with baited breath to see what we can make from the mulched up almonds. Me and my brother were thinking of a protein bar type thing, maybe a little tofu…………???? Its in the freezer so I hope it freezes ok (I put EVERYTHING in the freezer!!)
Ooooh, protein bar type thing would be a good idea! What I made thus far are mini carrot muffin bites, they were pretty good! The recipe should be up sometime next week. I used the rest of it in my morning smoothies (I do have smoothies every day, so that’s pretty convenient!)
I haven’t tried freezing it, of course, it’s one of the options that I want to test. Oven dry would be another one. I get the feeling that I will have plenty of meal to experiment with over the course of the next few weeks / months…
Glad you liked the milk, Claire, and thanks for your feedback! 😀
hi Sonia,
follow up for that black soymilk! I did made it! and it taste/smell is similar to peanuts! kinda weird but it is XD After the milk is up to a boil, you are suppose to cook for 10 more mins and you are done! but I am abit of paranoid of it not been fully cooked so I let it cook for 10-20 mins MORE and it turns out the botton is all burned but it still taste good thou!
the color is like um…how would I say this! it’s grey! a cool grey color! it doesnt bother me, I think it’s kind of cool 🙂
And black soy milk is alot thicker than soymilk! hinds the burn at the bottom of the pot. How thick? um…a texture similar to pudding? and I actully look up what you can add to the black soymilk and it turns out you can grind it with peaunt, black sesame to have even better taste than just one flavor..and the excess left overs..um….black bean meal?? lol I dont know! but yea you can cook like rice, noodle, soup with it…and maybe add in like cake or cookies 🙂 because black bean you can eat it like a meal or like a dessert 🙂 hahaha
over all I like it! 🙂 my next test is to add the milk with oatmeal! 🙂
OK, now you got me real curious. This weekend, I’m trying hazelnuts, but next week-end, I’m definitely trying black soy beans. I might not cook it for quite AS long, though! 😉
Thank you so much for all the information! I truly appreciate your taking the time to fill me in! You truly rock! 🙂
Hi!
Great recipe. Your note says not to discard the soaking liquid of the dates – but did you use it in the recipe or are you suggestion to use it for something else?
Thanks for clarifying!
Good point, Judy. I actually mean to use it in the recipe, along with the dates. That liquid is just super sweet and contributes to the great flavor of the milk. So just throw it in there! 🙂
Okay, I just saw this recipe last night and thought: “This looks WAY too difficult!” Upon reading though, it really is a SIMPLE RECIPE!
So I made it today. But to be honest I didn’t follow all of your instructions. First I put 1.5 cups of raw almonds (180 grams) in a small bowl and covered them with water. Then I covered the bowl and microwaved on high for 2 minutes. After that I drained the almonds and placed them in a large food processor and blended for 1 minute until they resembled coarse crumbs. Next I added 2.5 cups of water in intervals and blended for a few minutes (I would have used more water, but I didn’t have any more room!). This created a foamy mixture like you said.
After THAT I made a “fake” strainer using a piece of paper towel, a vegetable strainer and a lot of squeezing. That along with some luck produced almond milk!
I love that it’s not high in sodium like the salt-laden store brands, and I think it even tastes better!
Two questions:
1. Do you have any idea what the nutritional difference is between homemade and store brands? Like calories, fat, etc?
2. Any hints on what you made out of the leftover almond meal? I have a big bowl of it and I can’t wait to see your recipe 🙂
Oh… I probably should have said thanks! It was a great recipe and I’m so glad you posted it. LOVE your blog 🙂
Alright! Glad you were able to make this happen in your own way! Isn’t it soooooo much better than the storebought stuff? Worth the extra effort, if you ask me. Unfortunately, I have no idea what the nutritional difference would be between the 2 versions. I would assume that they are pretty similar… but still, I have no idea what is the ratio of almonds to water that they use, and what the nutritional value of the other “add-ons” are, so it’s very hard to tell… Quite frankly, I still prefer to drink this super clean home made version, even if I can’t tell the exact nutritional value. I just KNOW that it’s good for me, and that’s all I really need to know! 😉
As for the leftover almond meal, I will have a few recipes coming. I did make some mini muffin carrot bites, used some in my morning smoothies, and might have created the most decadent chocolate cookies today. I have yet to cook them , but the batter is awesome. Oh, and I also dried some in the oven at like 175F for about an hour, and it looks like I’ve got myself some great flour that I’ll be able to keep in the cupboards. I guess there will be quite a few posts coming on the subject! 😉
Oh, and you are very welcome. Super happy to hear that you appreciate my blog. I appreciate your visiting it, and your leaving me great feedback like that! 🙂
I’ve always wondered how easy it would be just to make your own milk instead of buying it. I am really excited to give this one a try.
Oh, and I’m excited about you giving this a try! 😀 Can’t wait to hear your thoughts. Please, please, share your impressions once you’ve tried it. And maybe a playlist too, why not? 😉
I just tried this and it’s really tasty. I found I didn’t have prunes so I used dried apricots instead. Will try the prunes next time. Thanks!
Oops, I meant dates! Although I suppose you could use whatever dried fruit that you like to change it up.
I figured that’s what you meant… alhough you are quite right. I guess pretty much any fruit would do. Apricots must be spectacular! But now I’m thinking I will try prunes next time. I just happen to LOVE prunes. Thanks for inspiring me. I think your little typo will turn into a major win for me! Not sure I’d have thought about it myself! 🙂
You’re welcome! Let me know how it turns out. 🙂
Was just wondering if you can freeze the milk?
I don’t know, Lana, quite frankly, this was my first time ever making home made milk, so I haven’t experimented with it much. I know regular milk freezes well, I guess it’s something I’d have to try eventually! I’m making home made soy this week-end, I might try and make a bigger batch and freeze some of it… I’ll definitely let you know! 🙂
Hi Sonia,
This is AMAZING!! I seriously doubt I will ever buy commercial almond milk again… and think about all of the different nut milks to make!
I bought a nut milk bag after the first time making it, which made the job quicker and less messy – now I’m pretty sure I’ll be making this AT LEAST once a week =).
A nut milk bag??? I didn’t even know such a thing existed! I will definitely have to look into that! 😀 Mind you, a fine mesh sieve works wonders too, it’s just a little messy to squeeze the last bit of liquid out of the meal.
Happy to hear that you too are sold. I’m also planning on making my own on a regular basis now. It’s just sooooo much better.
Not sure about soy, though. Just gave that a try this week-end, and I think that I’ll stick with storebought! 😉 I shall post all about my experience soon!
I just got my nut milk bag delivered today so I have my almonds soaking already for tomorrow! I need to go out and buy the dates later and start them soaking. For the dates, you said don’t discard the soaking water. Do you mix that in when you blend the almonds? I’m excited to try this because I’ve been buying almond milk. Can’t wait to see if this works out for me!! Pretty soon I’m going to only be eating/drinking things that are found on your blog…hahaha!!
Made this yesterday and my almond milk tastes sour. I’ve never bought it before — Is that how it’s supposed to taste? Yucky. Please tell me what I could have done wrong. Thanks.
No way, Teresa! Not at all what it’s supposed to taste like… heavenly does NOT taste sour! 😉
Your almonds must have gone bad… probably not rancid, because then the taste wouldn’t be sour, it would be more, well, rancid! Now, as for why your almonds went bad on you, there could be many influencing factors. I’ve never had that happen to me, so it’s kind of hard to say. I’ve only had the pulp go sour on me after it had been sitting in the fridge for 6 or 7 days. Maybe whole almonds will also go bad if soaked for extended periods of time without changing the water? How long had you kept them in the water for? And did you keep them in the refrigerator or on the counter? Were they near a source of heat, perhaps? I really wish I could be of more help…
I’m real sorry to hear the first batch didn’t turn out for you, but really, all I can say is you should definitely give this another try… it’s totally worth it I tell you! I now make this recipe every single week and couldn’t live without it anymore.
I’m guessing I had left the almonds in the fridge too long. I had soaked them, drained them, and stored them covered for about a week while waiting for my vanilla beans to arrive. I wish I would have tasted an almond before I started blending. Good to know that’s now how it’s supposed to taste, or I wouldn’t try it again! It may still be a while until I give it another go. The straining took me forever and was such a mess. Maybe I need one of those nut bags. Thanks so much.
Right! That is EXACTLY what happened. For some reason, you can keep dry almonds for a very long time, or you can keep them in water for a fairly long time too, providing that you change the water regularly and keep them in the fridge, but you can’t keep soaked almonds exposed to air for more than a couple of days. So if you had actually kept your almonds IN water while waiting for your vanilla to arrive, as opposed to draining that water, you would’ve been fine.
So by all means, Teresa, do give this another try! And yes, bag could be good idea. I like to use a very fine mesh sieve, but it is a bit messy. I’m thinking I should invest in bags, since I do make this on a weekly basis. As a matter of fact, I have a mixture of almonds and pecans that are currently waiting to be made into milk… This should be good! 🙂
Hi, I just made this today and it was AWESOME! I didn’t have any figs or vanilla bean (just vanilla extract), so it was just pretty much almonds and water, which sounds pretty boring. But it surprisingly wasn’t. I drunk a whole glass and didn’t even realize it. Thanks for the recipe. I’ll be making it again, but next time I’ll follow your recipe to the tee.
So glad you liked, Rae. I’ll let you in on a little secret… now that I make this milk on such a regular basis, I don’t even bother with the dates anymore. I just do what you did, almonds and water, and sometimes will add the seeds of a vanilla bean to the finished milk. I think it’s just AS delicious! But I have to admit that the dates do add that little something!
Thanks a bunch for taking the time to leave such great feedback! I truly appreciate that! 😀
Thank you for posting such an awesome recipe! I, however, followed it and didn’t even get one glass out of it before it was sour. I bought my almonds and soaked them the same day for almost 24 hrs. Then made the milk and put it in the fridge, at which point it was fine but to warm to want to do more then taste. The next time I took it out, 12 hrs later and it’s horribly sour and intense. I made an entire, very expensive gallon…. I don’t understand. This makes me want not to do it again, this try was expensive waste of time and money. 🙁
hey I have made almond milk several times according to instructions and for some reason it is only lasting me 1 day in the fridge..the next day it smells sour and i have to throw it away..do you have any idea why this is happening?
thanks 🙂
Very strange, that makes 2 of you now… Alicia seems to be experiencing the same thing. I never had that problem and make this milk on an almost weekly basis now (although I don’t even add the dates anymore). Do you rinse your almonds and use fresh water to make the milk? Did your almonds get to stay out of the water for an extended period of time after soaking?
Perhaps it would be best to put the almonds in the fridge while they soak, especially during the warmer summer months and not soak for longer than overnight or 8 hours…
Three of us. Mine too went bad after one day in the fridge. I didn’t soak the almonds (other recipes, including the Vita Mix, don’t have the almonds soaked).
Yes I did use good water. Bottled water and I let them soak in the fridge. I also sterilized the jar. Nothing worked. Does the jar have to be well sealed? I even tried soaking them for no more than 8hrs caus some say it goes bad faster if so :/ might it be the fridge temperature? Maybe it should be colder?
Hi Jennifer,
You mentioned you used good bottled water to soak but you didn’t say if you threw that water away after soaking. You have to discard the soaking water, rinse the almonds thoroughly and then use completely new water to make the milk. If you are doing this, then I have no idea why it goes sour so quickly. I have been making this for months now and have had no problems at all. Hope you get it figured out.
Honor
I was getting sour almond milk too, and googled it to see why. My milk would go bad every time I made it within hours. I found your recipe/blog and started reading all of the comments. I found several of the people having the same problem. I read many suggestions, tried most of them and then figured out what the problem was. For me, it wasn’t bad containers or soaking the almonds for too long, it wasn’t bad water or non sterilized contaminants, it was old crappy almonds. After trying everything else, and nothing worked, I bought different (fresher) almonds from a different store, and my milk was great and lasted nearly a week for the first time ever. So, if anyone has this problem, try different nuts from a different store. 😉 Cashews also work and last a lot better and are just as yummy with your recipe. 😉
Thanks a bunch for taking the time to share your experience, Brenda. Bad nuts resulting in bad milk would make a lot of sense! Nuts do go rancid so rapidly, sometimes they’ve gone bad before they even make it to our homes.
Definitely something to keep in mind! 🙂
I’ve been doing this for a while and not adding dates, as I am watching my sugar intake. The natural almond flavor is great. I have had it go sour on me relatively quickly, but more like after 3-4 days, not 1 day… I make almond flour with the pulp by dumping it into a non-stick pan and drying it out slowly. Then I grind it in my coffee grinder. I use this in my baked goods. It is way cheaper than buying almond milk and almond flour!
Hey Anna,
To be honest, I don’t even use the dates anymore either. I find they aren’t that necessary after all. And I like to keep my pulp clean for future usage. Love the idea of using a pan to dry it out. I’ll have to give that one a try. Thanks a bunch for the idea!
Funny, I only had the milk go sour on me once… after like 3 days. I wonder why it happens? I now soak my almonds in the fridge, because it’s so hot and humid, so I’m guessing that helps…
Hi, I found this blog because I was trying to figure out why my almond milk would sometimes be sour soon after making it. I was thinking maybe it was the dates? I’m going to make my next few batches without them and see how it goes.
I don’t know, Laura. Frankly, I’ve had that happen to me once, and I hadn’t been using the date. I think it’s got more to do with the way the almonds are handled. Now that it’s real warm outside, I soak my almonds in the fridge to make sure they remain nice and fresh. Also, once the almonds have soaked, they can’t stay out of the water for too long, even if they are in the fridge. They go sour really fast. Also make sure that you discard the soaking water and rinse them really really well before adding them to the blender. And refrigerate the milk as soon as possible once it’s ready.
Hope this helps!
I love almond milk so thanks a ton for this recipe! Before I try it though, I was wondering if the dates are necessary? I am not a big fan at all, just wondering what role they play in almond milk and if I do in fact need them or not?
The original recipe said not to leave them out, but to be honest, I’ve been making it tons of time without the dates and I don’t miss them one bit. They just give a little bit more flavor to the milk and make it a little bit sweeter, but they’re absolutely not necessary. So just skip them. Almonds and water is all you need, really! 🙂
I don’t like almonds so my opinion isn’t really valid but I put my yucky vanilla protein powder in this and it tasted exactly the same! I mean, the protein powder didn’t change the taste of the almond milk. And it was creamy! Not chalky like in my smoothie. Yippie!
So then I looked up more about protein powder and found some Stevia sweetened chocolate whey and some other protein stuff that’s totally sweetener free. Then I went on a journey to go get it. And here I am drinking my chocolate almond protein milk. Woohoo! Thanks Sonia. 🙂
Erin, you just made my day, gf! This makes me so friggin happy! Thank you so much telling me all this!
And for the record, not only is your opinion ALWAYS valid, but it’s also highly regarded! So please, keep on sharing! 🙂
Oh, and just you wait… before you know it, your yucky protein powder will have become your trusty, beloved, indispensable protein powder! 😉
Well the yucky protein powder was the one I had up until today. It smells like playdough and it has aspartame in it. Surely you want me to get rid of the aspartame powder? 🙂
And I don’t know, if someone made a recipe of mine, like chocolate brownies, and then they say, “I didn’t really care for this, but I don’t like chocolate.” I would think, “Uh. Why did they make it? Of course they wouldn’t like them! How dumb.” But I was forced to make this so I could have pizza! And because I had to make this, I think I’ll make it again because it’s so nice with the protein powder. Yay!
Why of course, I want you to get rid of nasty aspartame!!! Good girl for chucking it.
And I do see your point. Still, I always value your opinion! 🙂
Are you hooked on almond milk now? 😉
I made this today – and it was absolutely beautiful, thank you so much! I’ve just discovered a dairy intolerance after a lifelong cow’s milk addiction…I’m so thrilled to find something I can substitute that’s healthy and tastes so amazing 🙂
I just made an ice-cold banana smoothie with it, and my kids (also total cow junkies) couldn’t tell the difference. That’s a win 😉
So happy to hear this recipe works for you too! Thank you so much for letting me know, I truly appreciate that! 🙂
Hi Sonia,
I was on a mission to find dates at the local farmer’s market, but I just read you’ve been leaving them out, so I might too! Does it really taste just as sweet without the dates? And were you using dried or fresh dates?
Silly question- the 2 vanilla beans, do you chop it with the skin on or do you scrape it first? I want to try to keep the almond meal and try to make almond flour with it too!
Thanks!
It doesn’t taste AS sweet, Faleshia, but it tastes just as good, that’s for sure! 🙂 I used dried dates for this one. As for the vanilla beans, I used the whole pod, didn’t even bother scraping the seeds. They do get pulverized, so unless you have a thing against using the entire pod, I say go for it. Why waste perfectly good vanilla? 😉
And if you prefer not to have any vanilla at all in your almond flour, you can always scrape the seeds and add them after you have strained the pulp. Or you could leave it out altogether… 😉
Hello,
this almond milk was so delicious! LOVE that it was sweetened with dates
is there anything I could do with the finely ground almond that we sifted out though? I dont want to waste it..
Glad you liked the milk, Bridgette! Thanks for letting me know.
As for using the leftover pulp, I have posted a couple of recipes that you could try, or you could just dry it in a very low temp oven until it’s all nice and dry, then store it in an airtight container and use just like you would almond flour.
I’m going to try your recipe, but I’m very wary! I tried a different similar recipe and the resulting almond milk was nasty and soury.
I soaked the almonds in filtered water in a glass bowl sitting on the counter for 48 hrs. I guess I should do only an overnight soak and in the fridge?
I also read a comment from a different recipe that the almond skins can make a more butter milk, so I might remove them…
Ill post back to let you know!
Hope it works out for you! 48 hours on the counter does worry me a bit… the fridge would’ve definitely been a better option! And as far as removing the skins, I never did that and never found my milk to taste bitter in the least. I look forward to getting your feedback! 🙂 Fingers crossed that all went well for ya!
I have made about 6 good batches so far but my last batch is a little sour after a week (stored in a refrigerator). I think I might have soaked the almonds for too long.
For my next batch I am going to make sure my glass container is complete sterilized and maybe used boiled water (cooled first) in case the sour taste is the result a benign bacteria. I am using Brita filtered tap water.
I don’t know that it matters but I double miked my pulp (ran it through the blender and cheese cloth twice) and I could see that I got almost twice as much butter compared to previous batches once it separated.
Well, Nick, a week is about as long as this milk will keep… I’d even say that it’s stretching it. 5 days is a very good average.
Of course, it always helps to use very clean equipment, and not to let the almonds soak for too long, especially not at room temperature if it’s very warm outside. It’s better to put them to soak in the fridge, and change the water a couple of times if you can. This will all help keep your almond milk longer.
I’ve done hazelnut milk with almond and date and will try your almond milk recipe next. Do you know anything about the nutritional value of either the milk or the meal that remains? I have seen nutritional value of almond meal but I wonder what it would be after soaking and straining. any thoughts?
Sorry, Deborah, I have absolutely no idea. I’ve been wondering the same thing for a very long time… but never really found the answer. I wish I could be of more help. Sorry about that!
Hi, I followed your recipe and was surprised how easy it was to make, and what heavenly taste it had. But as others told, mine gone sour the day after. Soaked them overnight on the counter but changed the water twice. Rinsed them well, used new mineral water for the milk and kept it in an empty bottle of mineral water in the fridge. I was really disappointed. I want to try again, but this time I’ll soak them in the fridge. Hope it will be better, though I think it is really weird.
That is so very strange. I’ve never had this happen to me. I’ve had it turn sour once or twice, but after 4-5 days, not the very next day. I guess soaking in the fridge must be a good idea as a preventive measure. I think I’ll update my recipe and include this as a step. I’m way overdue to make a fresh batch of almond milk myself… I’ll put it to the test!
Mine also went sour the next day and I actually came on line to see if it had happened to anyone else, hoping for a reason why.
I have been making almond milk for about two months and up until three days ago I wasn’t having any trouble with my almond milk at all, love it. I don’t add anything because I prefer to have mine natural.
Anyway three days ago I made some almond milk up and it only lasted two days, it was horrible. I thought the same thing as Avigail so the next time I soaked the almonds in the fridge.
That is the almond milk that didn’t even last a day and had a terrible residue sitting on the bottom of the bottle, no amount of shaking moved it so it was thrown out.
I would recommend leaving almonds soaking in the fridge if the weather is warm though.
My next thought was the almonds because I bought some from a different store, and already blanched, I was using those when the milk didn’t last.
I was peeling mine, easy if you soak then for 6 hours or more and was trying to find an easier option so bought them already done.
I have put this to the test this afternoon with a new lot of almond milk with almonds from yet another store. I didn’t peel them this time either, milk isn’t as white and flavour is a tiny bit bitter however still don’t need anything in it so all good so far.
Hmmm… could it be that only raw almonds can be used to do this? Maybe blanched almonds don’t work? I’ve only ever used raw almonds and never bothered to peel them… You might be on to something!
And now, I think I need to make me a batch of this delicious milk. It’s been way too long! 😀
Why does regular almond milk (After strained with no vanilla/sugar) taste kinda sour? it was super unexpected
Hi – I’m so disappointed. I tried my first batch of almond milk and it is horrid!!!! I didn’t have dates but I followed the rest of the recipe. I used Costco Kirkland brand almonds. Could that be the problem? Help!
If it’s horrid Sloan, then I guess the almonds are definitely to blame, but not being there and not having witnessed any of what went on, it’s very difficult for me to say what went wrong… Real sorry to hear it turned out that way, though.
Sonia, thanks for getting back to me… .So I googled and this is what I found… Costco almonds (and others) are sprayed with PPO (propylene oxide). PPO is “a chemical so nasty that it was banned by both the National Hot Rod and American Motorcycle Racing Associations, where it had been used as a fuel before being deemed too dangerous!!! Might want to share with readers. Read more here. http://foodidentitytheft.com/trying-to-avoid-almonds-that-are-gassed-heres-a-little-guide/
OMG really? Yikes!!!! Thanks for sharing the info, I sure will pass it along!
I have some store bought Almond Milk in fridge and it’s only the afternoon and normally I drink a glass at night. I have Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS and what it does is help my body to relax more and helps me sleep. I do get a better sleep but when I run out I can tell a difference. Besides this I thought I’d mention that studies have been done that having almonds (almond milk works also) at night helps you feel more uplifted when you wake up. It can improve depression but what I feel is less grouchy when I wake. I am not ok till I have had my coffee LOL..but not the case if I drink my almond milk at night. I don’t have a blender but if I did I would make the hazelnut milk. That sounds so good. The vanilla milk I really do enjoy the store bought. I am happy however to have found this recipe and who knows in the future I may try this. I would want to use the leftover almond for something though. If I had a blender at home I would be making hazelnut and then a nice cup of cocoa. Yummy. Still wondering about the walnuts? If raw honey was added which has many benefits for health do you think it would lighten the bitterness of the walnut? Or what about a 1/2 and 1/2 combo walnut milk with another nut? Of course what is added makes a difference as well. I’m nut a date fan so I would have to use some raw honey or something to give a little sweetness. Thanks as always for sharing.
I used to make half almond/half walnut and it was by far my favorite. I didn’t find it to be bitter at all. I think that soaking the nuts really help with that. And raw honey can be used instead of dates, that’s for sure, although in the end, I didn’t even bother adding any sweetener at all.
As for the leftover pulp, you can dry it in the oven at the lowest possible temp and then use it as flour.
p.s. have to drink a glass of almond milk right now LOL..also I meant I’m NOT a fan of dates so I would have to consider raw honey or something else. LOL
Ok that comment about the Almonds being sprayed scares me now will try a small batch first, but my real question is do you think roasted almonds will work they were like $2.00 a pound cheaper, and since I’m on a very limited budget, I bought them.
Apparently, it can be done, Lori, though I’ve never tried it myself. I take it the toasted almonds must confer a delicious taste to the milk. Now I’m curious and may end up trying it for myself. Please do let me know how it turned out if you do try it before I do. 🙂
I actually researched nuts a while back and almost all are heavily sprayed with pesticides. Needless to say, I switched to all organic almonds, peanuts, and cashews after that.
Right on! Organic definitely is the way to go! 🙂
No wonder I’ve never been over the moon with my homemade almond milk – I only added two dates. I’ll be trying again with TWELVE and I’ll probably suck it all down in one go. 🙂 I can’t wait to try again. Good thing I have access to bulk organic dates!
Thank you for this post! I’m def. going to try making my own almond milk with your recipe.
Can you tell me though – where do you get your raw almonds? I want to get good organic raw almonds. I was looking on Amazon, but am not sure about that they have on there. So I was just curious if you had a good source for ordering some online.
Thanks! 🙂
I get mine from a local bulk distributor, Melanie, but you sure can get them online. Nuts.com is a very good source, and so is Amazon.com.
I live in Mexico, and I was looking for a good homemade almond milk.
I found your recipe in Pinterest. But I have a doubt, what is a “date”? I read in some comments that they used raw honey instead of “dates” but I wanna know what is “date” haha 🙂
Just wondering if you happen to know where most of the fat ends up… in the milk or in the pulp…. because I was wondering if I would be able to use the pulp when making nut butters (thus, hoping for more of the oil content to be in the pulp)…. have you tried using your pulp in nut butters, maybe mixed with other whole nuts?
PS. Just came across your blog via nut butters on Pinterest and I am loving!!!
I doubt the pulp would ever turn into nut butter, Nicolette. Most people turn it into flour by drying it out in the oven at very low temperature, or in a dehydrator. As for adding it to other nut butters, I wouldn’t do that, at least not without drying it out first. The moisture content would be way too elevated and would probably cause the nut butter to break, plus it would render it perishable. I think flour is the better option! 🙂
Hmm good thought. I do however usually add almond milk itself to my nut butters when making them as a way to double the volume for little cost (nuts being so darn expensive and all!!) and my last batch lasted over 3 weeks without going bad (can’t say just how long it would have last as I inevitably ate it all 😉
I typically add the almond milk after my nuts have turned fully into butter then I continue to process until the milk is fully incorporated. I also use flavored stevias for different tastes. My last creation was Roasted Almond + Raw Cashew + Brazil Nut butter with chocolate stevia!!! SOOOO Incredible!! And once the milk is fully blended in it doesn’t separate.
I am gleaning so much nut butter-spiration from your blog!!!
This sounds nice, thanks for posting up this recipe for us.
Simon
I read the recipe with interest. I peel my almonds and soak them overnight. In the morning I mix the almonds vs. water 1:4 with my magic bullet 🙂 I use the stuff on the bottom in my morning smoothies. I tried once unpeeled almonds, but the slightly bitter taste bothered me.
Try a different kind of nut maybe, Katja? Cashews work great and have a very creamy flavor to them, hazelnuts are richer, nuttier in flavor. If you want to stay away from dairy but still like to use milk from time to time, it’s worth giving them a shot!
The Recipe is so delicious and tasty. I have tried many such similar recipes but none have worked so great for me. Thanks a lot for those detailed and step by step instructions that made it easier to get the job done in no time. I love almond milk and I am greatly fascinated by its health benefits around us. Here I also have some info regarding almond milk that will be a great value to all its readers.
http://www.body-in-balance.org/blog/nutrition/health-benefits-almond-milk/
Have you tried this without the dates? I’m not doing any sugar/carbs except for some berries a couple of times a week.
Yes, yes I have, Paula, and it’s still just has heavenly! 🙂
I’ve made this about 4 times already, and I’m not tired of it! The ratios are the best I’ve tried, and it really, truly is heavenly. Thank you!
Aw, thank YOU Charla! I’m real glad to hear you’ve adopted this milk as a fave! Thanks for taking the time to let me know about it, I greatly appreciate it! 🙂
A dangerous thing to do with the almond meal. So stinking good. Does need to be super dry to absorb the oil and egg or you will have crumbly yums. I freeze them and they are perfect for dunking in warm chai. I also put Nutella in the middle instead of incorporating dark chocolate.
https://minimalistbaker.com/almond-meal-cookies-with-chocolate-chips-and-coconut/
I really want to like homemade almond milk. I’ve bought it for a few years and I have now tried making it from blanched almonds, almond flour and almond butter and it doesn’t taste good, period. From the almond butter it is tan and too strong an almond taste (I like hazelnut flavoring in my coffee and the almond butter milk complete covers it) and slightly sour. From the blanched almonds it looks like but is sour from the outside (and I keep my almonds refrigerated). The almond flour was the least awful but all much worse than store bought. Any suggestions?
Have you ever tried using another kind of nut, Diane? Cashews, for instance, have a really rich and creamy flavor that may be more to your liking… Or maybe try toasting your almonds before turning them into milk.
To be honest, though, I now make my almond milk in a Vitamix and don’t even bother soaking the nuts overnight anymore. If you own a Vitamix, this is very well worth trying.
Typo: I meant from the blanched almonds it looks nice,(like store bought or dairy milk) but is sour from outset (not outside). I add a little honey, vanilla and salt (not in the almond butter variety) but I am forcing myself to use it, not enjoying it.
Hi Sonia! Loved your post! I thought you may want to know what I do with the almond meal after making my almond milk. I add a heaping tablespoon of it, while still wet right after making the milk, to 2/3 cup of corn flour. Add enough water to make the dough leave the sides of the bowl and not too much. Keep the dough workable so you can pick it up and it’s not sticky. Then I make corn tortillas. It adds just the right amount of crunch for soft tacos or quesadillas.
Thanks for the tip, Christine! I don’t personally consume corn flour, but I’m sure that many others who do will find that pretty useful! 😀
I’m wondering whether you’ve ever tried it without filtering out the almond meal?
As I said in the post, Lynette: “Once all your almonds have been liquefied, you will want to strain your milk (or not… the stuff is actually very good as is, only it’s VERY thick! Still, I think that I will be keeping some of it to make smoothies in the future. You know how I like a chewable smoothie!)”
Hope this helps!
Hey, I made almond milk and did not liked the flavour at all (I did put vanilla in it). It tastes like almond but a little “bitter”. What to do? Because I am lactose intolerant and can’t take dairy. But it is difficult to adapt with this almond milk due to its bad taste. Help me
I’m not too sure what to say, Hansa. I don’t find that almond milk tastes bitter at all, but your perception might be completely different. Did you soak and rinse the almonds several times? If it’s the taste of almonds you don’t like, perhaps you could try using another nut, like hazelnuts or cashews…
Hi,
Sorry but I don’t get
“don’t discard the soaking liquid, you want to add it to your milk” when do you use this? You use fresh water with the soaked almonds in the blender don’t you?
Yes, you discard the almond soaking liquid and use fresh water, but keep the liquid in which the dates have soaked. Hope this clarifies things for you!