How To Make Almond Milk

Wondering how to make almond milk at home? You can make your own creamy, flavorful, and delicious almond milk at home with just a couple simple steps. See below for my step by step instructions!

Homemade Almond Milk

Homemade almond milk is one of my favorite things to make at home. I know it’s easy to just grab a box off the shelf at the store, but after you see my post and see how easy it is to make almond milk at home in only a few minutes, you’re going to want to ditch the store-bought almond milk! Even better is that there are no additives or preservatives added when making almond milk at home.

What are the Benefits of Homemade Almond Milk?

• Almond milk is naturally lactose-free. If you’re unable to consume dairy-milk, this is a great alternative.
• One serving of almond milk can have up to 6 grams of protein.
• Almond milk has less calories than regular milk.

What You’ll Need

The ingredients

• almonds
• filtered water
• maple syrup: I like to sweeten mine with maple syrup but if you want to use a different sweetener, feel free to
• vanilla extract: I recommend that you use real vanilla extract and not the artificial one – a little drop goes a long way!

The equipment

Bowls
You’ll need a bowl to soak your almonds in as well as a bowl to catch your almond milk when straining.

Blender 
I use a Vitamix to blend my almond milk but you can use any high power blender of your choice.

Strainer
After soaking the almonds, you’ll need a strainer to strain your almonds. I use a simple fine mesh strainer

Cheesecloth or nut milk bag
You’ll need to squeeze the almond milk after blending and you’ll need a cheesecloth or nut milk bag to keep the almond pulp from falling in. I highly recommend purchasing this. If you’re unable to, you can find some super thin fabric at home but a cheesecloth or nut milk bag is the easiest to use. If using a cheesecloth, I place it on top of the fine mesh strainer to keep it in place while I pour the almond milk through.

Jar for storing
You’ll need an airtight jar to store your almond milk in the fridge.

How to Make Almond Milk

• In a large bowl, soak the almonds in water overnight or for up to 24 hours.

• When the almonds have finished soaking, strain and rinse the almonds.

• Add the almonds into the blender along with filtered water and blend for 1-2 minutes, until the almond milk has become creamy and smooth.

• Place the cheesecloth or nut bag overtop of a bowl or large measuring cup and pour half of the almond milk through. Using your hands, squeeze the cheesecloth or milk bag to “milk” the almonds. 

• Remove the almond pulp after you cannot squeeze any more milk out of it anymore and repeat the previous step with the second half.

• When done, stir in the maple syrup and vanilla extract. Transfer to an airtight jar and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Shake well before using.

Why it’s Important to Soak your Almonds Overnight

Soaking your almonds overnight softens them, making it much easier to blend and squeeze afterwards. Imagine trying to squeeze liquid out of a hard almond! It doesn’t take much effort to soak the almonds before bed to make milk in the morning so don’t skip this step.

What to do with Leftover Almond Pulp from the Almond Milk

Don’t throw that almond pulp away! You can use the pulp in baking things like breads, cookies, and granola, or you can even blend it into a smoothie. It can be stored in the refrigerator up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 1 month.

To make almond meal from almond pulp, place the pulp onto a parchment lined baking tray and bake at 200F for 2-3 hours until it’s dry, stirring every 30 or so minutes. Let the almond meal cool then quickly blend it for 10-15 seconds in the Vitamix again so it becomes a fine flour. Store in an airtight container when done. You can use almond meal for gluten-free baking!

How to Use Almond Milk

Other than drinking it, here are some ways to use up almond milk:

• blended into smoothies
• to make chia pudding
• added to coffee
• to make oatmeal/overnight oats
• froth it for lattes
• into soups
• baked into muffins or pancakes

What Does it Mean if my Almond Milk has Separated?

Nothing! Just give it a good shake before you drink it to combine it back. Store-bought almond milk separates as well but at a slower rate as there usually are stabilizers added in. 

What Type of Almonds Do I Use for Almond Milk?

Raw organic almonds are best for this. You don’t want to use salted and roasted almonds to make almond milk as it adds salt and oil to your milk.

How Long Does Homemade Almond Milk Last?

It should last 4 days in the fridge if stored correctly, however, we more often than not drink it all before 4 days are up!

How to Flavor Homemade Almond Milk

I add in maple syrup and vanilla extract to my almond milk, however you can add other sweeteners such as dates (into the blender) or raw honey. You can also add spices such as a pinch of cinnamon.

How To Make Almond Milk Creamier

To make creamier almond milk, you can adjust your almond to water ratio. The less water you add, the creamier the almond milk becomes.

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