How to Make Almond Milk

While I love the convenience of store-bought almond milk, sometimes it’s fun to make it yourself!

This recipe allows you to control the amount of sweetness and infuse flavors as well as play around with the thickness. It’s my go-to when I’m craving homemade dairy-free milk.

Ingredients

1 cup raw almonds (soaked overnight in cool water // or 1-2 hours in very hot water)

5 cups filtered water (less to thicken, more to thin)1 pinch sea salt

2 whole dates (optional // pitted // or other sweetener of choice // omit for unsweetened)

1 tsp vanilla extract (optional // or sub 1 vanilla bean, scraped per 1 tsp extract // omit for plain)

2 Tbsp cocoa powder (optional // for “chocolate milk”)

1/2 cup berries (optional // for “berry milk”)

How to Make Almond Milk

Making homemade almond milk starts with soaking almonds overnight in cool water. 

The water is then drained out and the almonds are added to a blender along with fresh water, salt, and any additional add-ins (such as dates for sweetness or vanilla, cacao powder, or berries for flavor variations). 

After blending the mixture for 1-2 minutes, the milk is poured through a nut milk bag into a mixing bowl. And then squeezed to extract all of the liquid.

How Long Does It Last?

How long it lasts will depend on a variety of factors such as how well you sterilize your equipment, the freshness of your ingredients, and the temperature of your fridge.

We find that on average, DIY almond milk lasts 4-5 days. 

If it becomes sour before then, make sure to fully sterilize your equipment before use by running it through the dishwasher or pouring boiling water in your jars (make sure the jars aren’t too cold when you do this or they may crack). Also, make sure to soak your almonds overnight in the fridge rather than at room temperature.