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If you’ve been skeptical to try green juice, this green milk is for you. Even though it looks green, it tastes like vanilla almond milk!
Green milk is simply a combination of green juice and almond milk. The almond milk adds protein and healthy fats to the mix, making the fat-soluble vitamins in the vegetables more easily absorbed by the body, and it also makes this drink more satiating than a regular green juice. Green milk is typically more palatable for those who don’t care for straight vegetable juice, particularly this recipe which is naturally sweetened with dates and a splash of vanilla.
I believe it was Dr. Robert Young, author of The pH Miracle, who was the first to develop the concept of green milk, but the idea has taken off and is now widely available at many juice bars across the nation. I only recently tried my first sip of green milk at a local juice bar, and now I’m hooked! Of course, green milk at a juice bar can run $10-12 a bottle, so making it at home is far more economical. Plus, you can customize the flavor however you like!
Rather than using a juicer AND a blender to make it at home, I’ve streamlined the process– using only a blender to pulverize the almonds, vegetables, and water all at once. Cleaning one machine is way better than cleaning two, don’t you think? You could drink the mixture as a smoothie if you like, but straining it through a nut milk bag creates a super-smooth and creamy green milk that is hard to resist. Even your picky family members will love it!
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Easy Green Milk (Vegan & Paleo)
Serves 2
Inspired by Juice Served Here
Ingredients
3 cups water
1/3 cup raw almonds*
1 romaine heart, roughly chopped
2 cups fresh spinach leaves
2 kale leaves, stems removed
4 Medjool dates, pitted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (alcohol-free, if desired)
3-4 ice cubes
*For best digestion, soak raw almonds for 8-12 hours in the fridge, then drain and rinse well. I don’t always do this myself, if I’m in a hurry, but they do taste better this way and blend easier, too.
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Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients in a high-speed blender, and blend until completely smooth. (The ice helps keep the ingredients cold.)
Pour the mixture into a nut milk bag (I use this one) and strain into a large bowl, gently squeezing all of the liquid out of the bag. Discard the pulp or save for another use. (Perhaps it could be used for a grain-free cracker?)
Pour into two glasses and serve immediately.
Ingredients
- 3 cups water
- 1/3 cup raw almonds*
- 1 romaine heart , roughly chopped
- 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
- 2 kale leaves , stems removed
- 4 Medjool dates , pitted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (alcohol-free, if desired)
- 3-4 ice cubes
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a high-speed blender, and blend until completely smooth. (The ice helps keep the ingredients cold.) Pour the mixture into a nut milk bag and strain into a large bowl, gently squeezing all of the liquid out of the bag. Discard the pulp or save for another use. (Perhaps it could be used for a grain-free cracker?)
- Pour into two glasses and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Notes:
- These vegetables make for a delicious combination, but feel free to use any other veggies you have on hand.
- Same goes for the nuts– any type will work, or try seeds (like sunflower or hemp) for those with nut allergies.
- For a sugar-free drink, you can always omit the dates and use a few drops of liquid stevia to taste.
Enjoy!
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Reader Feedback: Have you ever tried Green Milk?
Thanks for this idea- I’ve never heard of it! I was wondering if there is any way to prepare this in advance, or would making it then freezing it be the only option? I ask because this seems like a great addition to breakfast but my mornings are already too busy to make this before work. Thanks!
This is a great idea 🙂 Thanks for bringing it to our attention 🙂
One question about the soaking…Don’t you have to add an acid (like apple cider vinegar or lemon juice or even whey) to the water when soaking almonds for them to sprout? (Not that I’ve ever been able to actually sprout ANY almonds on the market, but I guess that’s not what we’re going for (?))
Thanks!
I have heard that, but my intention with soaking usually isn’t to sprout the nuts– I just soak them to remove their enzyme inhibitors, which can negatively affect nutrient absorption. It also makes them a bit easier to blend for those with conventional blenders! Sprouting is typically difficult with almonds, since they won’t sprout if they are pasteurized or if they have any little nicks or cuts in their skin.
Hi Megan!
Really appreciate your website–look forward to your book:) Heading out on a camping trip and wondering if I can make the Green Milk for several days and it still be good to drink? Many Thanks 🙂
It might last a few days if you freeze it before you go? It’s best to drink it as soon as possible, but I’ve made it 24 hours in advance myself, and it tasted perfectly fine the next morning.
Could you just use almond milk instead of the almonds?
Absolutely!
Green milk hasn’t hit the UK but I like the sound of it – green juice never quite fills me up and makes lots of mess for a snack so this look like a good alternative. I needs nut bag – my muslin cloth is getting slight worse for wear !:)
Yum – I want some now!!! This is my own version of chocolate “milk”.
http://existentialevolution.com/2013/01/chocolate-milk-smoothie/
Is there a reason why you wouldn’t strain the juice and drink the fiber?
This particular mix wouldn’t make the best smoothie because the texture is SO fibrous– it packs in a lot of greens! The point of this drink is to be lighter on digestion while providing all the nutrition of the vegetables, and its super-smooth texture makes it more palatable. If I wanted the fiber I’d just use one of the other green smoothie recipes I’ve posted. 🙂
Thank you for introducing me to green milk! This is such a neat & logical concept; it makes sense that it’s taking off! I look forward to trying it :0). Can you recommend a budget-friendly nut milk bag or sub? A lot of people recommend paint strainer bags or fabrics from the fabric store, but those worry me as they’re not made to be food safe. I wonder if cheesecloth would work, but I don’t know if that is more likely to have pesticides/herbicides. Thank you for any ideas or advice you can give me. But I also truly understand if you don’t have time for this, as you’re a busy mama & have your cookbook coming out – phew, that’s plenty!! Thank you for this recipe, & your constant hard work on this blog!!
The one I use is only $10 and has lasted over 2 years so far– I think that’s a pretty affordable deal! http://amzn.to/1jz60aI
Megan,
I hope I’m not asking a question you’ve been queried with a dozen times before, but where did you get this milk bottles? SO cute!
I actually got them from a local juice bar– they serve their juices in those cute glass bottles, and then I re-use them. 🙂
Looks refreshing!!