Easiest Homemade Almond Milk Recipe
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This Homemade Almond Milk Recipe is going to rock your world–because it’s literally the easiest recipe out there. No fuss and no mess–just easy almond milk. You’ll see what I mean!
Making processed food substitutes can help you save a ton of money on your whole foods budget. And it doesn’t have to take a bunch of time either.
I’m all about easy.
I make my own Homemade Chocolate Chips, Cream of Rice Cereal, Pumpkin Spice Creamer, and Homemade Ketchup.
All of those taste great, and are very simple to make.
But today I’m sharing with you the Easiest Almond Milk Recipe Ever. Seriously.
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The Need for Easy Recipes
My “cooking philosophy” has evolved over the years. Health-wise, but also “simplicity-wise.”
Maybe you can relate.
I used to, pour-over cookbooks (especially the dessert section – cough-cough), dreaming about all of the amazing things that I could make. Then I’d try a fancy recipe like Stuffed Chicken Breasts or Candy Cane Shaped Cookies Dipped in Chocolate.
Well, it’s not that this busy momma doesn’t still like to play in the kitchen, but times have changed.
My life is busier than ever while we homeschool and I work on getting my family to be as healthy as possible.
So now, I’m more looking for recipes and tips that will get good yummy food on my table with as little effort and time as possible. (Cause I already am stressed out to the max way too busy :-).)
So….today’s recipe is an example of one way I’ve managed to save a ton of time in the kitchen, while still making something good.
Why Is Almond Milk Popular?
- Dairy allergies are on the increase.
- Lactose intolerance is on the increase.
- People living a vegan lifestyle want alternatives to dairy for cooking, baking and drinking.
Why Make Your Own Homemade Almond Milk?
- The obvious – save money.
- Save time and money by not running out the store because you’ve run out of milk (or a dairy-free alternative). (See the price of gas going up – oh, my heart be still. Every trip you can save is money in the bank!)
- Life a more sustainable lifestyle – less packaging and less waste. Even if they ever figure out a way to recycle those aseptic cartons, you can bet that it will be a super labor intensive.
Ever since my oldest was diagnosed with a life-threatening allergy to dairy (at 3 months of age), I’ve had to find ways to make allergy-free substitutes for drinking and for baking. But this method makes it super easy.
To be fair, this method won’t match the super-creamy store-bought, aseptic packed almond milk you are used to. But it gets the job done lickety split. And it’s pretty good.
Just yesterday both of my sons asked for some. They said it’s not quite as good as my Homemade Coconut Milk, but good nonetheless.
How Much Can You Save?
Just so you can feel super good about yourself and your new frugal tip to help with your budget, here are the real numbers: Of course, this all depends upon where you buy it and your cost for almonds.
Almond Milk bought in bulk, buying 4 32 oz containers at Amazon, costs $2.43 for 4 cups.
Homemade Almond Milk (using a price of $4 per pound for almonds) costs $1.27 for 4 cups (plus your water cost, of course.) Savings: 48% That’s not as amazing of a savings amount compared to my Homemade Coconut Milk, or Homemade Rice Milk, but saving almost 50% is nothing to sneeze at.
So there you have it – motivated to save time and money (and be environmentally conscious at the same time)? I hope so!
And just so you know, all this doesn’t mean that I’ve given up on that caramel recipe yet either :-).
How to Store
Store this homemade almond milk in the fridge. It should keep for up to 3 or 4 days.
You could alternatively freeze it in cubes to use in your beverages or for making frozen treats in a high speed blender.
What to Do With Leftover Pulp
If you do choose to strain your almond milk, why waste all of that solid almond pulp goodess?
Good thing is–you don’t have to!
You can dehydrate it in a dehydrator or an oven on low. Then pulse in food processor (or blender) to make into a finer powder.
The resulting almond meal can be tossed on cereals, put in smoothies or shakes, or used in most any recipe that calls for almond flour.
Recipes for Leftover Almond Pulp Turned to Almond Meal
Here are some great recipes to use your leftover pulp/meal in.
- Edible Cookie Dough – called “dangerously addictive” by a taste tester
- Healthy Green Bean Casserole – so much better than typical recipes
- Sugar-free Twix Bars – your childhood favorite made healthier
- Grain-free Meatballs – no bread or breadcrumbs needed!
- Eggnog Cookies – so tasty, they’re absolutely not just for the Holidays
More “Quick and Easy” Pantry Staples
If you like saving money and easy recipes, you will love these other options.
– Powdered Sugar – works with any type of sweetener
– Powdered Egg Replacer – works in almost any recipe
– Homemade Vegetable Broth – doubles as an amazing all-purpose seasoning
– Homemade Coconut Butter – great for so many recipes and saves tons of money
Recipe Notes
1. Appearance: This recipe uses whole almonds. If you want your almond milk to be more uniform in appearance, you can use blanched almonds. Otherwise, you will have specks of the almond skins in the resulting milk.
2. Stir and Serve: If you don’t strain the milk (the way I typically don’t), you can either stir the solids into the mix as you wish or use the solids for another purpose.
3. Soak First: Some people make almond milk from soaked almonds, but I don’t do that. I know it might sound counter-intuitive to dry the almonds before making milk, but I soak and dry a lot of nuts at a time. Then I store them and keep them on hand for snacking, making almond butter, or making this almond milk, or almond meal…you get the picture. This way I always have soaked nuts at the ready for making milk instead of having to time my soaking and milk making together.
4. If you are doing a food plan like Trim Healthy Mama, a more acceptable proportion is 1/2 cup almonds per 4 cups of water. You can thicken the resultant milk with glucomannan if desired. This recipe is an “S” for THM.
5. Notes on Stevia / other sweeteners. Stevia is very very sweet. You can read here for more information on how to use it. You can omit the sweetener or use another one as desired.
6. Other Milks: You can use this method for making other nut-based milk as well – I personally haven’t made these (mainly since my son is allergic to all nuts except almond and macadamia – and those macadamias are super pricey!) but you could definitely try:
- walnut milk
- pecan milk
- hazelnut milk
- cashew milk
7. Sweetener Options: You can substitute any other healthy sweetener for stevia. If using stevia, see How to Use Stevia.
8. Flavoring Options: For flavorings, chocolate or carob, as well as cinnamon, are great options, but the sky’s the limit!
Easiest Homemade Almond Milk Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender.
- Blend ’til smooth. In my Vitamix, I blend for approximately 2-3 minutes. This machine it totally worth it!
- Strain milk through a nut milk bag or cheesecloth, if desired. I don’t bother – I’m just too busy :-)!
- Pour and enjoy.
Notes
- Appearance: This recipe uses whole almonds. If you want your almond milk to be more uniform in appearance, you can use blanched almonds. Otherwise, you will have specks of the almond skins in the resulting milk.
- Stir and Serve: If you don’t strain the milk (the way I typically don’t), you can either stir the solids into the mix as you wish or use the solids for another purpose.
- Soak First: Some people make almond milk from soaked almonds, but I don’t do that. I know it might sound counter-intuitive to dry the almonds before making milk, but I soak and dry a lot of nuts at a time. Then I store them and keep them on hand for snacking, making almond butter, or making this almond milk, or almond meal…you get the picture. This way I always have soaked nuts at the ready for making milk instead of having to time my soaking and milk making together.
- If you are doing a food plan like Trim Healthy Mama, a more acceptable proportion is 1/2 cup almonds per 4 cups of water. You can thicken the resultant milk with glucomannan if desired. This recipe is an “S” for THM.
- Sweeteners. Stevia is very very sweet but you can omit the sweetener or use another one as desired.
- Other Milks: You can use this method for making walnut, pecan, hazelnut, or cashew milk.
- Sweetener Options: You can substitute any other healthy sweetener for stevia. If using stevia, see How to Use Stevia.
- Flavoring Options: For flavorings, chocolate or carob, as well as cinnamon, are great options, but the sky’s the limit!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is merely an approximation. Optional ingredients are not included and when there is an alternative, the primary ingredient is typically used. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts since they have been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
What’s your favorite way to use almond milk?
I make almond milk using almond flour. I put 44g in a quart mason jar, add 1/2tsp of Himalayan salt, then fill almost to the top with very hot water. I shake it vigorously, then put in the fridge for at least a day.
I then pour it into a nut milk bag, drop it until a 6L pot on medium-low heat, and then add water to the 2l mark.
The hot water seems to bring about a solvent action.
Finally, I add .75-1.5 tsp (depending on application) of (I have always used NOW Foods) stevia powder, and 80g of Sparrow Cocoa.
I stir it with a whisk until the cocoa has been fully assimilated, then I pour it into a 1/2 gallon jar.
I combine it 50/50 (always by weight) with brewed coffee. I drink at least 500ml of this every day. When cold, I just drink it. When making it hot, I add another 1/8 tsp of stevia powder, and after hearing, 2 TBS (which works out to 19-20g) of plain Collagen (gelatin) powder, and stir until it’s fully dissolved. It’s rich, very tasty, and of course, very good for you. ✌️
Hi Dennis – interesting – what do you do with it in the pot? Are you saying that you do or don’t squeeze it?
Do you have any recipes for the almond meal you are left with if you strain it?
Hi there. Just to clarify, what’s left after making the milk and straining is almond pulp. You basically will have to dehydrate the pulp and then process it to make it more fine but then you have basically a course almond flour that you can use in loads of recipes. I will be updating this post with more photos etcetera about that. But in the meantime, I put a list of some recipes on the blog that it should work in – go check them out :). I think the cookie recipe is my favorite.
How long will this milk keep for in the fridge?
I just update the post for you with a section on storage – thanks for reading and for asking!
Definitely easy. Put ingredients in the blender and blend for 2minutes. Pour into a small pitcher and store in refrigerator. I like this almond milk on my cooked cereal every morning.
So glad you liked it! We make this coconut version all the time! https://wholenewmom.com/easiest-coconut-milk-recipe-improved/
How much is a “scoop” of Stevia?
Hi there! Sorry about that–the information must not have transferred over when we put in a new recipe card system. It’s in the post now. Hope you enjoy it!
How much milk does this recipe make?
Sorry that wasn’t in the recipe. It makes four cups. We have since updated the recipe to include the fact. Enjoy!
I have almond meal a friend gave me. What amount do I use to make almond milk? I am new at this since I have found through a saliva test that I am allergic to soy, gluten, dairy and eggs. The only physical signs I have are constipation and occasional rhinitis. Thanks!
About 4/5 of a cup of almond meal should be equal to about 1 cup of almonds. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate all your research. I learn something new every time I go to your site.
You are so welcome and thank you!!!
Wow! I made your almond milk recipe today (my first time making almond milk EVER) and it’s insanely good!! I actually ran to our hardware store and bought 1 gallon paint strainers and holy crow they worked great. Strained every bit of pulp. Creamy and delicious! I didn’t add any sweetener but I did add a tiny bit of vanilla extract. Amaze-balls!! I’ve been looking for an easy way to make almond milk for yogurt and I can’t wait to get started! I did just make chocolate almond milk with organic cacao and a bit of stevia and I feel like I’m 8 years old guzzling chocolate milk after school. Thanks again!!
Hi there -so glad you liked it! I would just be concerned that the paint strainers aren’t food safe. I did just add some links to nut milk bags and cheesecloth that would be safe for this purpose. Hope that helps and thanks for the kinds words!
Hello again, Adrienne!
Thanks for your quick replies.
I like to think I stay up to date on many issues, but this is a topic I’m total ignorant of! I’ll definitely be doing some investigation into the source of my almonds. Does soaking or roasting the almonds help to remove some of the hideous chemicals?
So glad I fell onto your site. I’m always looking for ways to improve the quality and safety of my lifestyle, along with my family’s. My children are all grown, but we still share trends and news with each other to stay as healthy as possible.
I suffer from scleroderma, and my children all have an autoimmune disease as well so maybe we’re a little more aware of things than the average bear!
Thanks again for writing and sharing this valuable information. Do you live in Michigan? If so, where? I’m in Macomb County in southeast Michigan, so no, I won’t be growing my own almonds. (Plus I definitely do not have a green thumb!)
Happy Fall!
Christel
Hello Cristel! You are so welcome. I’m trying to stay on top of things.
Soaking and roasting will not help. Some say that apparently there is no trace of it after they gas them but I don’t know. I’m trying to up my game about organic purchases and so right now our almonds come from a very good source.
I am so sorry about your scleroderma. I was at a convention this month where a woman shared how she helped her sister who had a very bad case of that and was given, I think, 2 weeks to live. My close friend has it as well most certainly.
I am in MI. I’m sorry about the autoimmune issues. I hope you will find things to support your health here. And no, we’re not growing almonds here either and I have a brown thumb too. 🙁
Sorry…not sure what ppo is?!
Christel
Sorry about that – a spray that they often put on almonds. You can read more here: https://wholenewmom.com/reaching-out/almonds-health-salmonella-food-pasteurizatio/
Where are you finding almonds at $4 a pound! Please let me know ASAP.
They are more now (it’s been awhile since I wrote this post) but I buy my almonds in bulk typically from Country Life Natural Foods. I was then doing a bulk raw almond buy, and this last year I got them for about $5.50 a pound grown organically via a group buy in my area. It’s work but they are great!!
Now they are 8.40 a pound at Country Life Natural Foods…. still can’t qualify this to make my own almond milk 🙁 Way to expensive for organic!
208$ plus shipping for 25 pounds of almonds! Wowza that is PRICEY! I’m pretty sure Whole Foods has better sales in their bulk department!
Hi Ethan.
You don’t have to buy organic if you don’t wish to. Country Life is just one option and they have free truck delivery if you are in their delivery service area once you have $400 or more for an order and they have expanded a great deal.
As for your assumption about Whole Foods, you are incorrect. I just called and their price is a whopping $13.99 a pound in the bulk dept at the store nearest to me and I suspect that’s pretty standard nationwide especially since Amazon owns them now. Hope that helps.
I am sooo fortunate as a local fresh market near me has almonds (nonorganic) on sale rather frequently for 2.99/#. That’s when I stock up!
That’s a good deal! Do you know if they put PPO on them or not?
You mention that homemade almond milk is cheaper and reduces environmental waste. I think the more important idea here is that store bought almond milk is filled with processed, dangerous and cancer-causing ingredients that are allowed to be in our foods because the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is ruled by lawyer’s and lobbyists whose sole objective is to increase their clients profits. If Almond Milk manufacturers want to make money, stay relevant and be able to produce enough supply to keep up with the demand of the U.S. population, then they have to add preservatives in their items because they are Keeping Up With Commerce, so to speak. Preservatives in all almond milk brands (EVEN THE ONES THAT SAY ” ALL NATURAL ” NO “PRESERVATIVES” include preservatives) The problem is, the lawyers for those companies who $way the FDA, they create the legal definition for the word ALL NATURAL and PRESERVATIVE. It’s all a marketing agenda to make the consumer (like you and I) feel good, but in reality if you just google “definition of natural flavor” or “definition of preservative” and maybe even try to research what carrageenan is (after you’ve sorted through the sites written by Big Companies who want us to think carrageenan is safe)…Other ingredients in almond milk that are unsafe are the synthetic vitamins added to it. You know that almonds are FILLED with great nutrition- high in protein, vitamin E….and SO MUCH MORE. Why would you need to add Vitamins to it that were CREATED in a LAB by some “scientist.” Also, what is in natural flavor?
Hi Sarah – gosh so sorry for approving this comment so late and replying so late. I had hundreds of comments to go through but it’s taken way too long. I agree that there are marketing concerns and things in store bought products that I would rather not consume! Natural flavor can be OK and also now. You’re right to be concerned!