Hemp milk is a creamy dairy-free milk, that also happens to be nut-free, too! It’s the perfect alternative to almond milk or oat milk, and it’s easy to make at home.
Benefits of Hemp Seeds
Why is hemp milk good for you? Hemp seeds are a complete source of protein, containing all of the essential amino acids your body needs.
Here’s what else you’ll love:
- The protein found in hemp seeds may digest better than other plant-based source, including varieties of nuts, grains, and legumes. (Especially when using hulled hemp seeds!)
- The essential fatty acids found in hemp hearts may help with PMS symptoms, and possibly with symptoms of menopause, too.
- Hemp seeds appear to have a good ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids, which may be important when it comes to your body’s immune response.
Hemp hearts are also very easy to blend, so you don’t need a super-powerful blender to make this plant-based milk.
How to Make It
There are just 3 simple steps to make homemade hemp milk.
- Blend. Add everything to the blender, and blend until smooth.
- Strain. Pour the blended mixture through a fine mesh strainer or nut milk bag, to remove any sediment.
- Enjoy! You can drink this right away, or let it chill in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it.
I use pitted Medjool dates to sweeten this hemp milk recipe, but you can use maple syrup, if you prefer. There will be less to strain out that way!
Storage Tips
How long does hemp milk last? You can store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Since this recipe has no preservatives or stabilizers, it may separate as it sits in the fridge. Be sure to shake well each time you’re going to use it, to make it creamy again.
Variations
- Chocolate Hemp Milk: Add a 1/4 cup of cacao powder, plus 4 to 5 tablespoons of maple syrup, for a sweet chocolate drink.
- Strawberry Hemp Milk: Add 1 cup of fresh strawberries, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 to 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, then strain well after you blend it. This milk will only last 3 days in the fridge, so only make what you’ll use by then.
More Dairy-Free Milk Recipes
Hemp Milk
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups filtered water (32 ounces)
- 1/2 cup hemp hearts (70 grams)
- 2 large Medjool dates (pitted; or 1 tablespoon maple syrup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 grams)
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until the hemp hearts are completely broken down, about 60 seconds.
- Pour the milk through a fine mesh strainer or nut milk bag, to remove any pulp. (There won't be a lot strained out, so this is optional if you don't mind a bit of sediment in the bottom of your cup.) Serve right away, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this Hemp Milk recipe, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it! And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too.
do you know or do you know where i could find the nutritional information for homemade (strained) hemp milk?
do you think it would have a similar nutritional profile to conventional hemp milk in terms of calories (not counting added vitamins)?
thanks
It was included in the article. You must’ve scrolled past it
Such a great idea for hemp milk! It’s so expensive at the store otherwise. Same goes for almond milk, it’s just so much cheaper, not to mention it tastes better when homemade.
That looks amazing!! Hemp seeds are amazing nutritional powerhouses!
Question—is hemp hearts different from hulled hemp seeds?
Nope, hemp hearts are simply raw hulled hemp seeds.
I just made some zucchini almond carob unsweetened brownies last weekend, using 2 batches of leftover almond pulp. They were so good! You can always try making brownies with the left overs 🙂
There’s almost no pulp left in the bag when you make hemp milk, but I do love using up my leftover almond milk pulp in recipes!
I like almond breeze coconut almond milk im almost completey off daily milk. Its sweet so id rather drink the cocoa almond then regular
I personally love almond milk, rice milk and coconut milk. Could you please add a recipe for coconut yoghurt at some point? Would love that!
my favorite (or rather most convenient) is almond milk. it’s the one thing I actually like in my morning yerba mate. I tried that brand of hemp hearts, so yummy. got it at whole foods. good idea for adding cocoa! can date sugar be used in place of dates?
I haven’t tried it myself, but I assume date sugar could be used if you prefer!
i am absolutely going to make this!!
I have never tried hemp milk, but this looks good! I have a question though, what do you do with the leftover hemp seeds? They are such an expensive little treat I would hate to have that go to waste
Unlike making homemade almond milk, there is almost nothing left in the bag when making hemp milk. The hemp seeds are so small, they practically dissolve during the blending process, so nothing is wasted!
I make many types of non_dairy milks. I spread the leftovers out over a cookie sheet, leave them to dry, and then freeze in labeled plastic bags. The flavor really comes out if it is lightly toasted. Excellent for fruit or salad toppings. Also use in baked goods ( brownies, zucchini bread, etc.) and as toppings for pies or crumbles.
I have tried home made hemp and flax milk and didn’t care for either. The taste was just too strong and they even changed the way that recipes taste. Our favorite is coconut milk (made my first batch last night and it has changed my world!) with almond milk as an alternative for variety. I think I’ll try hemp milk again with this recipe just as a base for green smoothies. My toddler cant have dairy, soy or wheat, so trying to make sure that he gets everything that he needs in his diet feels so challenging sometimes. Your site has helped a lot. Thank you!
Can you share your recipe for coconut milk?
I’ve never tried hemp milk but I really want to. Almond milk is my go-to alternative, though I haven’t tried making it myself as yet.
I made this and there was hardly anything left in the milk nut bag- which is a good thing! I didn’t feel like I was wasting anything. I may try it with 3 cups of water to make coffee creamer.
Do you presoak your hemp seeds? For us Weston Price followers we soak all our nuts and seeds but I’ve never worked with hemp seeds before and wondered if this applied.
My too, I’m wondering if it’s better to soak the hemp seeds.
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Hi Megan, I just made this two days ago. It’s delicious in my smoothies. I ran out of Whole Foods store-bought almond milk, so made this instead. I still prefer almond milk, but it’s nice to change the non-dairy milks around. Homemade is always better. It just tried the hemp milk in a latte, and it didn’t turn out good 🙁 But, that’s ok. I’ll stick to almond milk for hot lattes, and hemp milk for smoothies!
I just made my fourth batch (or 5th?!) and am hooked! Whole foods kept selling out of my favorite hemp milk (the only one without carageenan) so looked for a recipe. This is so delicious, healthier and cheaper. My husband even loves it. I can’t make enough!!!
Thank you!
Love hemp milk, Plus the hemp hearts you are using are from the province of Manitoba in canada.
Much better tasting then store bought!
i used my bullet blender which comes with strainer lids of 2 sizes. the smaller strainer size worked wonderfully and no seeds ended up in my milk jar. the best part: no milk bag to clean.
A great idea for the pulp is to compost it, even if you don’t garden, just add it to the soil to nourish the ground! I see that Megan says that the pulp left is so little but whatever is left you can toss it in a planter. Thanks for this recipe. I’m going to do that right now!
I Love this recipe!!!! It’s so easy AND yummy!!! I quarter the recipe and make it fresh in my Nutribullet every time I crave it……..which really means “every day”!!! :)) Thank you for this awesome recipe!!!
Hi Megan! I just bought your book “Everyday Detox” and currently reading your blog too!! lol. I have a question about hemp milk, How much hemp milk your toddler drink in a day? You give everyday i?, it’s safe to give 2 o 3 cups everyday? I am asking because I am planning to give to my baby of 19 month old. Thanks and you are doing a great work, plz keep doing! 🙂
I’m glad you’re enjoying the book! I actually don’t give my son any type of milk to drink. We will use it in smoothies every now and then, but I breastfed him until he was 3 years old, so I didn’t feel supplementation was necessary. Other than smoothies and the occasional fresh green juice, he only drinks water as a beverage.
Thanks for this wonderful recipe. It tastes delicious. FYI I inadvertently left the hemp hearts soaking for a couple of days in the fridge and when I whizzed them discovered there was hardly any pulp to speak of. I didn’t even need to strain it. It all went into the bottle with no waste! Even better!
Definitely going to try this tip, so no need to strain! Yum. Btw not sure what calorie counter you’re using but by my calculations should be about 190 kcal per cup with the largest dates and Manitoba Harvest organic hemp hearts
Thank you for your recipe and opening this discussion about tasty nutritional hemp-mylk. I find there are only a few tablespoons of pulp left in the straining-bag and it tastes just like delicious whipped cream! easy to use up. The other thing to appreciate about homemade hemp and nut mylks is that the tetra-paks that store-bought mylks are packaged in are not recyclable in most areas, so it is good for our planet too!
Thank you Megan
Has anyone used this milk for cooking and baking?
Thank you for this recipe.. really wanted to like this but it just has a strange taste to me. I know someone who loves this recipe though so everyone’s tastebuds are different.
I still prefer almond or coconut milk.
I’m a sucker for coconut and brown rice milk; naturally sweet from the rice and creamy from the coconut.
Is it necessary to strain it or can it just be poured in a bottle from the blender?
Do you need to soak the hemp seeds like how you make nut milk? Thanks
I don’t soak them!
I Lovvve hemp milk and have been making/using it for several years now. One thing I do differently when I make it is Not filter out the pulp… I find the hemp bits are soft enough to leave in and don’t really interfere with the drinks and foods I make with it. And, the extra fibre is good for my digestion!
Has anyone added in some coconut to this? like half coconut half hemp what measurements did you use?
Have you tried frothing this? I wonder how it would steam. Have you tried?
I haven’t tried that yet!
Can’t you just drink it without straining.
This is a really interesting recipe. I’m a long-time cheese addict, and now that I’ve been forced by dairy intolerance to give it up I’m trying desperately to find an alternative that has a similar taste. I’ve found out how to make homemade “cheese” using soy milk, but I’m not comfortable with soy milk because it causes inflammation. Apparently the amount of protein is a key factor in the potential success of the “cheese”. Having read this hemp milk recipe I’m going to combine hemp with almonds for a higher protein milk and make my cheese with it! I’m going to make it into kefir then follow the cheese-making instructions. Wish me luck!🙏
That sounds awesome Ann!! I hope it turned out nicely!!
Can you use an immersion blender to make hemp milk?
I always use my immersion blender for this recipe. I start blending the hemp hearts with just 1 cup of water and gradually add in the rest. I’ve never added dates though so that might be an issue if you planned to sweeten this way.
The Best Recipe Ever! I use this recipe all the time now and ditched the box carton I use to buy (which is soooo expensive and it’s mostly water!). I searched the web for Hemp milk recipes that did not suffice. This recipe makes a rich, creamy and flavorful 34 oz. jug of deliciousness! Thank you Megan, you have saved us from throwing away our money, this is my treasure keeper!
Very good! No need to strain.
I just made this with added ingredients to make it a iced golden milk version and WOW! Placed the water. Hemp hearts, honey, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, and a little vanilla, then blended it all together. Easy and perfect! I love that it’s an option that is even more clean ingredient than store bought organic oat milk.
I cut half a banana, a little cinnamon and a little ginger powder and blended all with hemp hearts with water – delicious