How to Make Almond Milk
Published 3/15/2024
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Making the best homemade almond milk is easier than you think! All you need is raw almonds, vanilla bean, dates, and a nut milk bag to make this vegan, gluten-free, and paleo-friendly date sweetened almond milk.
This recipe was inspired by a coffee shop we used to frequent in Minneapolis called Penny’s. They made the best vanilla almond milk that we had to remake when they shut down a few years ago!
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“The single best recipe for almond milk I’ve ever tried. Bravo and thank you!” – Annie
Why in the heck did it take us so long to make our own homemade almond milk recipe? Well, it finally happened and we are so excited about it.
We were inspired by a coffee shop in downtown Minneapolis called Penny’s (that recently shut down — SAD). It is a chic + cozy coffee shop with a great patio. When we worked there for the first time, we ordered almond milk lattes with their homemade date-sweetened almond milk! LIGHTBULB.
A quick rundown: Homemade almond milk is easier than you might think. All you have to do is soak raw almonds in water overnight to soften them. Then, blend the almonds and water (+ any flavors you desire) until the almonds turn into a pulp and then strain it through a nut milk bag to get the milk. The almonds to water ratio is 1:2. So, if you have 3 cups of almonds, use 6 cups of water.
Ingredients You Need to Make Almond Milk
- Raw almonds: we recommend raw almonds because they are mild in flavor.
- Dates: we’re using dates for sweetness. Make sure your Medjool dates are soft so that they blend well.,
- Vanilla bean: this is the cherry on top! If you don’t have vanilla bean, feel free to use vanilla extract.
- A *pinch* of salt: salt brings out the natural flavors of the almonds, dates, and vanilla.
kitchen Tools you’ll need
For this recipe, you’ll also need to make sure you have a high-speed recipe on hand along with a nut milk bag for separating the pulp from the milk.
How to Make Almond Milk
Step One: Soak Almonds
This par takes a bit of time, but we recommend soaking your almonds in water for at least 24 hours. This will soften the almonds and make them blend more easily.
Pro Tip: If you’re in a time crunch, you can flash boil raw almonds by bringing a saucepan of water to a boil (with enough water to cover ALL the almonds), and pouring the almonds in once boiling. Remove from heat, and continue to let soak for 1-2 hours, or until the almonds are soft.
Step Two: Blend
Add the softened almonds, dates (make sure to remove the pits!), vanilla bean, salt, and water into the blender. BLEND, blend, blend, until smooth.
Step Three: Strain
Pour the mixture through a nut milk bag and SQUEEZE. You may need to do this in a few rounds by pouring 1/2 or 1/3 of the liquid into your nut milk bag at a time to avoid spilling.
Make sure you have a container that is big enough to catch all your almond milk when you’re straining the almond milk from the nut pulp!
Don’t have a nutmilk bag?
Try using a tea towel or a thin kitchen towel in place of a nutmilk bag! The goal is to separate the pulp from the almond milk.
Step four: ENJOY
Enjoy your almond milk in your Chemex coffee, overnight oats, smoothies, cereal and more — the options are endless! How do you like to enjoy almond milk?
Other Ways to Flavor Almond Milk
If you don’t have dates, no problem! You can use other all-natural sweeteners to add some sweetness (or none at all!). Here are some other ideas:
- Honey
- Agave nectar
- Coconut sugar
How to Store Homemade Almond Milk
Store your homemade almond milk in an air-tight container in the fridge. Make sure to use it within 7 days.
How Long Will Homemade Almond Milk Last?
Homemade almond milk will last up to 5-7 days when stored in an air-tight container in the fridge. Because homemade almond milk isn’t shelf stable like many store-bought almond milks, it’s best when enjoyed fresh!
Homemade Almond Milk
Ingredients
- 1 lb. raw almonds, 3 cups
- 6 cups of water, + more for soaking
- pinch of salt
- 6-15 pitted medjool dates, optional
- 1/2 vanilla bean paste or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
Instructions
- First, place 3 cups of almonds in a large bowl. Then completely submerge them with water and let soak for 24 hours.*
- After 24 hours, your almonds should be soft(er). Strain and rinse. Then, place in a high-speed blender.
- Add 6 cups of water, a pinch of salt, 15 pitted medjool dates, and the paste from 1/2 a vanilla bean.
- Blend on high for 1 to 2 minutes, or until everything in the blender has been pulverized.
- Using a nut milk bag, strain the almond milk from the nut pulp, squeezing out as much milk as possible. Then, transfer into jars.
- Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Tips & Notes
- Serving size: 1/2 cup
- For a quicker softening option: bring a pot of water to boil, and pour in raw almonds. Remove from heat, and let almonds soak for 1-2 hours, or until soft.
- Medjool dates and vanilla are optional flavorings for our homemade almond milk recipe. Start with 6 dates and go up from there depending on how sweet you like it.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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