This isn’t the type of milk that belongs on your breakfast cereal.
It’s so sweet and delicious, it can be enjoyed all on its own!
Naturally sweetened with dates and loaded with rich vanilla flavor, I have a feeling I’ll be enjoying this cold and creamy treat all summer long.
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Vanilla Almond Milk
makes 4 cups
Inspired by Pressed Juicery
Ingredients:
1 cup raw almonds, soaked for 6-8 hours
4 cups filtered water
3-4 Medjool dates (soft ones, if possible)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Directions:
Drain and rinse the soaked almonds, then toss them into a high-powered blender with the 4 cups of water. Blend until creamy, then strain using a nut milk bag.
Return the strained milk to the blender, and add the dates, vanilla and sea salt. Blend until the dates are completely broken down, adjust the flavor to your liking, then transfer to a container to store in the fridge.
Serve chilled!
- 1 cup raw almonds, soaked for 6-8 hours
- 4 cups filtered water
- 3-4 Medjool dates (soft ones, if possible)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- Drain and rinse the soaked almonds, then toss them into a high-powered blender with the 4 cups of water. Blend until creamy, then strain using a nut milk bag.
- Return the strained milk to the blender, then add the dates, vanilla and sea salt. Blend until the dates are completely broken down, adjust the flavor to your liking, then transfer to a container to store in the fridge.
- Serve chilled and enjoy!
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Hope you enjoy it!
I’m so glad you possted this recipe. I just read your “what I ate” from yestrrday on my email and was hoping you would post this because it sounded so good. I cannot wait to make this!
It’s delicious! I hope you enjoy it!
Thank you! I will make this soon!
Homemade nut milks are the best! I used to make my own almond milk all the time and when I got a little tired of the flavor, I tried hazelnuts. Wow. It was amazing. You should try that one sometime, too!
Hazelnuts sound like a great idea! Of course, then I’d be tempted to add some cocoa, too, to make it Nutella flavored…
OH MY this sounds so good! I love the idea of adding dates to it, that is totally new to me.
Thanks so much for another amazing post, you are AWESOME!
This looks so delicious…I usually drink the TJ’s vanilla unsweetened so this will be so much better! Yay!
I have major food waste neurosis though…I can’t throw away the pulp, I’ll feel guilty about it all day, same reason I can’t make juice…it’s leftover from when I was poor. Any ideas for what to do with it? Or do I just need to suck it up and compost it?
For the juice pulp, I’d try one of these recipes:
Meat(less) balls: http://detoxinista.com/2011/07/italian-meatless-balls/
Juice Pulp Burgers: http://detoxinista.com/2011/04/beet-this-burger/
Carrot Cake: http://detoxinista.com/2011/09/recipe-makeover-detox-carrot-cake/
For the almond pulp, I haven’t had much success myself. I haven’t had the patience to dry it in my dehydrator, and the wet stuff hasn’t created anything recipe-worthy in my kitchen. However, I think Gena has had some good ideas if you want to check them out:
http://www.choosingraw.com/3-creative-uses-for-almond-pulp-raw-bread-raw-zucchini-and-almond-hummus-and-raw-chocolate-protein-fluff/
http://www.choosingraw.com/vanilla-almond-sugar-cookies-another-creative-use-for-almond-milk-pulp/
Hope that helps!
Thank you, thank you for adding Pinterest to your site! I read you every day and so enjoy your recipes. I look forward to “pinning” your posts to my boards and sharing them with friends so they can find your site and enjoy these healthy and delicious recipes too.
Have a wonderful day!
Oh my gosh that looks so good. I guess I’ll need to buy a nutmilk bag. And yeah, any ideas on what to do with the pulp?
Check out my comment above– I think there are a few good ideas in there.
Thank you so, so, much for your wonderful and healthy recipes! I always look forwards to reading your blog posts!
I love making vanilla almond milk! I never add dates to mine though, I guess that’s what makes it a better actual milk drink alternative. For some reason I can’t drink any milk, not even almond milk, reminds me to much of the real stuff I guess hah
I am so excited to try making my own Almond milk! I just have to get through what I have packaged already, then I’m going to try this recipe!
Hey this sounds delish! Does it combine as nuts/seeds category? Not sure since regular almond milk is neutral. Thanks!
Yes, technically it does combine in the nut/seed category, since the dates aren’t strained out. However, since the pulp is so diluted in this recipe, it probably won’t impact digestion too much, as long as you don’t drink copious amounts at one time.
Megan, super yummy, just the perfect amount of sweet. Thank you!
I just made my own homemade pecan/ almond butter! it tastes great, and its raw!
I know thats not related to almond milk, but I just thought I’d let you people know … its exiting to make organic, raw goodness from scratch! Plus almond milk and almond butter aren’t that far from eachother..one is just more watery!
[...] Are you wondering how to make your own almond milk? I’ll refer you to my friend, Megan over at Detoxinista. [...]
That recipe sounds delicious! But I was wondering what was the difference between mixing all the ingredients together and adding the dates and vanilla only after the milk is strained. Does it changes the flavor? Make it sweeter maybe?
I mixed the dates and vanilla afterward because I was trying to mimic the flavor and texture of the version available at Pressed Juicery. I think you could probably blend them all together before straining, and it would work just fine! Maybe the result would be slightly less sweet, from the straining of the dates, but I think it’s worth a shot!
I actually blended the dates before straining; the sweetness level was perfect for me, about halfway between unsweetened and sweetened storebought.
I like to drink my homemade almond milk warm. For a rich and creamier taste, you could bring the almond milk slowly to a boil on the stove or in microwave afterwards. It’s sort of like pasteurizing it (who knows what particles gets in there after all that straining and squeezing through the nut bag…)
Anyway, it almost tastes like hot chocolate. Delicious
I love warm almond milk, too! Yum.
I LOVE your website!! I was wondering how long this can last in refrigerator once made…if I make a large batch. Thank you!!
Mine usually lasts 4-5 days in the fridge– after that, you can tell that the taste changes!
I put my almond pulp in my dehydrator and it dries out the clumps and then I put it in my Blendtec and use it as almond flour!!! Works great and I love that I’m not wasting any! (I usually put my almond pulp in little Pampered Chef glass prep bowls and then into the freezer until I have about 1 or 2 cups of the pulp before I dehydrate it).
I really like this idea! I have a Vitamix at home so I think this will be easy. Thanks!
I blanch my almonds for a less than a minute in a tiny bit of water pop them out of their skins no need to strain. Homemade almond milk trumps that store bought stuff (which is good at times) any day.
I use a similar recipe (1.5 c nuts to 4 cups of water) with a variety of other nuts…. Brazil and walnut are delicious and nutritious.
Hazelnut is also good. I tried it with Sunflower Seeds not so good