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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.
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?
Okay, I’m totally in love with this! I’m a green smoothie addict and juice daily, so why have I never thought of this!?? Thanks for sharing Megan!!:)
I’ve made it 24 hours in advance, but any longer than that and I’d probably freeze it to be on the safe side.
Interesting! I love green juice and I love almond milk BUT together? I will have to try it out 🙂 I usually like my green juice straight up to absorb the enzymes and nutrients directly into my system. I guess this would be a great afternoon filling snack rather than detoxing elixir – there is room for both I suppose 🙂
Thanks for trend report!
about how many handfuls or cups of greens total would you say you used? romaine heads vary in size! thanks. great idea!
I’d say it was about 3 cups of romaine.
I’ve never heard of green milk before but I do like green monster smoothies, so will try this on the weekend.
This looks great! My only question is…how long will this keep in the fridge? Will it last as long as my homemade almond and coconut milks? I don’t generally have time to make milk on a daily basis so I make enough for a few days at a time. Wondering if I can just do this one instead. I know when I make green juice even in my masticating juicer it is best to drink same day. I LOVE the idea of getting more nutrients into my food/drinks! Thanks so much!
I don’t think it would last as long as normal almond milk, since the fresh greens would spoil faster. I’ve made it a day in advance, but I’m not sure how much longer it would be good. Maybe you could freeze the bottles and thaw them one at a time overnight? That’s what I do with my green juices when I need to save time!
Ok, I just tried to make this. I can’t say I followed the recipe at all since I didn’t have most of the ingredients but I did use your general idea. I didn’t have nuts, so I used raw sunflower seeds. I used swiss chard, celery and romaine as my greens. And I did use the vanilla and dates. It was such a wonderfully refreshing change from my morning juice or smoothie, which I’ve been skipping a lot lately, so this gives me an alternative. It’s a bit of work, so I’m not sure how often I’ll do it, but I really liked the taste, so I’m sure I’ll make it again every once in a while. Next time, though, I’ll use a lot less celery since my drink seemed overpowered by that flavor. Great idea! Thanks!
Oooh, I can’t wait to try this. You always have such good ideas Megan, thank you so much!! It’s exactly what I’ve been craving lately: I was tired of smoothies, but green juices wouldn’t fill me enough and almond-milk-based milkshakes lacked vitamins… This is the best of both worlds! Thanks again 🙂
Just made it using homemade coconut milk and what greens I had on hand: spinach, cabbage, celery and spirulina powder. Thankfully i had the dates! It was very refreshing and filling. Thanks for the great idea, Megan!
Yum! I have a suggestin for nut milk bags if you are a sewer? I purchased 1 1/2 yards of mesh netting at a hardware store – it was more than enough to make several nut milk bags and I still had leftovers. Cost was less than $5 for a bunch. Thank you for this vibrant recipe 🙂 !