almond milk Vita-Mix « Eating Clean Recipes

How to Make Almond Milk (Recipe)

By Jen, on June 30th, 2011%

I use a lot of almond milk. It tastes great and works well in all sorts of recipes- everything from smoothies to muffins.

Sure, you can buy almond milk- but it tastes fresher and more delicious when you make your own almond milk. Don’t worry, it’s easier than it sounds.

The first step is to soak raw almonds in fresh cold water. Soaking the almonds plumps them up and makes them easier to blend. Be sure to use fresh, high-quality almonds. Stale or rancid almonds will make bad tasting milk. Fresh almonds make a slightly sweet and nutty tasting milk- creamy and delicious.

Place 1/2 cup raw almonds in a bowl and cover with water. Cover the bowl and soak the almonds in the refrigerator about 8 hours. (I usually soak the almonds overnight.)

Drain and rinse the soaked almonds. Place the almonds and 2 cups fresh cold water in a blender container. Cover and blend until as smooth as possible. A high-speed blender works best for this, I use a heavy-duty Vita-Mix blender.

Strain the mixture to separate the almond milk from the almond solids. I use a fine mesh strainer to strain the nut milk. A cheesecloth-lined colander or a nut milk bag can also be used to strain the mixture. This recipe makes about 2 cups almond milk.

I add a few drops of pure vanilla and a pinch of sea salt to the almond milk. If desired, the almond milk can be sweetened with a natural sweetener like maple syrup. Store the milk in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh 2 to 3 days. (The almond milk will separate upon standing. Shake or stir well before using.)

I hate the thought of throwing out the almond solids so I keep looking for ways to use them. I’ve had success stirring a spoonful or two into oatmeal, breakfast quinoa and muffins. The almond solids should also be kept tightly covered in the fridge. Let me know if you have other ideas for using the almond solids in recipes.