Almonds by Rune T on Flickr

Nut milks are a creamy, delicious drink for those who prefer to stay away from their processed dairy and soy counterparts.  Nuts are full of the good fats that our bodies need to build strong tissue and glowing skin, but eating lots of them can be tough on the belly!  This simple drink makes the health benefits of nuts easier to access, as well as providing a great alternative to other types of milks.

Health food stores sell packaged almond and other nut milks.  But why spend lots of money on the packaged and pasteurized version when you can make your own quick, living version?  You can use almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, hemp seeds, or my favorite, brazil nuts – or any other nut or seed that you have on hand.  Each has its own subtle flavor, which you can enhance by adding honey, agave or dates to sweeten if you like.

Homemade nut milk is healthier, tastier and easier than instant.

Almond Milk

Materials & Ingredients

  • A food processor
  • A good blender
  • 1 cup nuts or seeds
  • 3 cups water
  • a mesh strainer or piece of muslin/cheesecloth (optional)
  • A mixing bowl (optional)
  • A couple of large glass jars

Step By Step

  1. Soak nuts in a bowl with plenty of water to cover overnight or for at least 8 hours.  Drain and rinse thoroughly (this releases enzyme inhibitors that make the nuts harder for your body to break down, so they are now more digestible and nutrients more accessible).
  2. Place nuts in the food processor and whir for 30 seconds, or until the nuts are well ground.  Some fattier nuts will almost become nut butter in this time – that’s okay!  If you have a powerful blender, you can skip this step, and just chuck the whole nuts into the blender with water.
  3. Remove the ground nuts and place in the blender with water.  Blend for 30 seconds, or until the milk is white and well combined.
  4. Optional: Strain the milk through a strainer, cheesecloth or muslin into the mixing bowl.  Press down on the solids with a large spoon to get out all the liquid.  Note: This step is optional – I often drink my milk unstrained, especially when I’m using fattier nuts that dissolve better like cashew or brazil nuts.
  5. Pour the milk into jars.  Will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.  Use just like you’d use dairy or soy milk – on cereal, in coffee, in smoothies, in baking, or just for a refreshing drink.