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All you need are two ingredients—almonds and water—plus a few minutes of effort to make almond milk. The hardest part of this recipe is cleaning the equipment when you’re done!
You could probably use any recipe online and end up with something that tastes better than the store-bought version. What makes my version special is how many times I’ve experimented with it.
As a result, I can show you how to adjust the flavor, the creaminess, and even how to skip the extra equipment to streamline the process. Be sure to read my extra tips below!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review
“I was skeptical at first because I’ve honestly never made almond milk before!! I can’t believe how easy it is and it’s delicious!!! I am using it as my coffee creamer!” – Jeanette
Homemade Almond Milk Ingredients
You only need two ingredients to make almond milk:
- Almonds. I tend to use almonds that are not roasted or salted so that the almond milk will have a neutral, mild flavor. However, roasted nuts will work as well. There’s no need to buy blanched almonds (with skins removed), since you’ll be removing the pulp later anyway.
- Water. This is the liquid used for blending this dairy-free “milk.”
You can also make it more flavorful by adding a teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup, or up to 4 pitted Medjool dates for sweetness. For a richer consistency, you can also add up to a tablespoon of coconut oil.
Try my Vanilla Almond Milk and Chocolate Almond Milk for flavor variations.
How to Make Almond Milk
Step 1: (Optional)
Soaking almonds ahead of time can make them softer and help them break down more easily in your blender. Research doesn’t necessarily support the idea that soaking nuts improves digestion or reduces anti-nutrients, so this step is mostly helpful if you don’t have a powerful blender.
To soak almonds, add them to a large jar or bowl and cover with at least 2 inches of water. This allows room for them to expand as they soak. (I usually use 2 cups of water to cover 1 cup of almonds.)
Let them soak for up to 8 hours, then drain away the soaking water by pouring the almonds into a fine mesh strainer.
Step 2:
Whether you soaked the almonds or skipped that step, add the almonds to a high-speed blender, along with 4 cups of fresh water. Secure the blender’s lid and blend until the almonds are broken down and the mixture looks creamy, about 60 to 90 seconds.
There should be almost no visible almond pieces when the blending is complete.
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Step 3:
Arrange a nut milk bag or cheesecloth over a large bowl, then pour the blended almond mixture into the bag.
Carefully squeeze the bag to remove as much liquid as possible from the almond pulp.
Detoxinista Tip
If you don’t have a nut milk bag, make Almond Butter Milk instead. (It takes about 1 minute with no straining.)
Almond Pulp Recipes
Use the leftover almond pulp to make Almond Pulp Hummus or Almond Pulp Brownies. Both of these recipes have been developed using the wet pulp immediately after making a batch of almond milk, so no extra effort is required.
Step 4:
You can use the almond milk right away, or add any extra flavorings to taste, such as vanilla, maple syrup, or a pinch of sea salt.
Note: It’s best not to add flavorings, such as vanilla or cocoa powder, before straining out the pulp. In my experience, cocoa powder can clog the bag, so you won’t get as much milk out. It also changes the flavor of the pulp, making it less suitable for use in other recipes later.
Storage Tips
Transfer the almond milk to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or you can freeze it for up to 3 months. Because this recipe doesn’t call for preservatives, it won’t last as long as store-bought milks do. (You’ll be able to tell it’s gone off when the smell or flavor goes sour.)
Be sure to make only what you’ll drink in a week, or plan on freezing the leftovers. You can easily scale the recipe as needed!
Recipes with Almond Milk
Now that you’ve mastered making almond milk, here are some easy ways to enjoy it.
Anywhere you use regular milk, you can typically substitute it with almond milk. Homemade almond milk even creates a luxurious foam for lattes!
How to Make Almond Milk (and use leftover pulp)
Ingredients
- 1 cup almonds (not salted)
- 4 cups water
Instructions
- Optional Step: To soak the almonds before blending, cover them with 2 cups of water in a large bowl or jar, and let them soak for 4 to 6 hours. (This step may help with blending later if you don't have a powerful blender.) Drain the almonds through a fine mesh strainer before moving on to the next step.
- Add the almonds and 4 cups of fresh water to a blender. Secure the lid and blend on high-speed for at least 60 seconds, until no pieces of almonds are visible and the mixture looks creamy.
- Pour the almond milk through a nut-milk bag or cheese cloth, squeezing well to extract the milk. You can save the remaining almond pulp for another recipe (see the full post for ideas) or discard. If you would like to flavor the almond milk with vanilla or chocolate flavorings, this is the time to whisk in any additions.
- Store the almond milk in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. (You can freeze leftovers, if needed, for up to 3 months, too!)
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this almond milk recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below, letting me know how you like it!
Tried this and added a sprinkle of cinnamon and a half teaspoon of vanilla and a teaspoon of honey. Heaven in a glass! Yummy!
I was eating out of a can of mixed nuts today, I buy the deluxe mix without peanuts…I was thinking I really need someone in the house that likes almonds because they are what is left…I like them but cannot chew roasted ones with dentures. We use almond milk almost exclusively…so now I know what to save my almonds for!
Hi there.. I really want to do this but I’m having a hard time figuring out how this is more cost effective. It’s of course better than the store bought kind but it seems crazy expensive. There are approximately 4 cups per pound of almonds.. if you need 1 cup to make 4 cups, and drink a cup a day, then you would need about 2 cups of almonds per week. So about 2 lbs per month – the cheapest I’ve found of organic, raw almonds is $20 for 2 pounds. That is very expensive for a month of milk! Am I doing something wrong?
How much are the Trader Joe’s organic raw almonds?
I don’t know how many cups of almonds makes a pound but currently I’m buying Almond Breeze, which is about four cups a box and each box after taxes comes to just around five dollars when it’s not on sale. Twenty dollars would get me four boxes (sixteen cups) of Almond Breeze. So by your estimate, $20 would get me double the amount of almond milk to last the whole month! Yay!
I pay about $3 for a half gallon of Almond Breeze so I totally agree with Essie. Making it your self is unfortunately much more expensive. My family didn’t like the taste either but I haven’t tried the sweetened version. I just wish it was cost effective.
I just finally tried this recipe, and I can’t believe how easy it was! The almond milk came out so delicious- better than any store-bought version I’ve ever tried!
Awesome!
I’m sorry if you’ve already answered this but can you use a food processor to make this or does it have to be a blender?
Thanks for the great recipes!
I’ve never tried it myself, but I bet it would work!
Just FYI, from my experience, a food processor did NOT work for this. The speed from the processor was too fast with all the liquid so it essentially just swooshed the almonds around in circles without blending much.
For those of us who were such almond enthusiasts in the past that we’ve become allergic to them (so unfortunate!), would other nuts or seeds work with this recipe? I’ve heard of people making cashew milk, but i’m not sure if the process would be the same.
Maybe use the pulp for some muffin that use almond meal instead of flour. I just made the almond milk plain, and it doesn’t taste that good to me. I like almond milk from the store, unflavored. I’m not sure what I did wrong. Raw almonds, soaked overnight, rinsed, blended with 4 cups cold water. I didn’t strain it, but the texture didn’t bother me. It had almost a bitter and watery taste. Any ideas on what I did wrong? I will try to reblend it with maple syrup and see if it improves.
The flavor of the almond milk depends on the flavor of the almonds you use– mine usually taste slightly sweet on their own, so my almond milk tastes slightly sweet, too! Straining the milk might make a difference, since you’d be removing the skins with the pulp… maybe they could affect the flavor? I hope adding some maple syrup helps!
So ANOTHER question 🙂 ! I am loving making my own milks. When I make coconut milk, the residual rises to the top and requires skimming…it look suspiciously like coconut oil/butter,I rubbed some into the back of my hand and it absorbed. I was wondering if I whipped this up in the food processor if it would work as either. What do you think???
Can you use panty hose for straining the pulped almonds?
I’ve never tried it myself, but I’ve heard it works well!
I am so enjoying this recipe. My question is when making coconut milk do you need to throw out the liquid it soaks in, or do you use it?? I understand with the almond milk that you throw it out and why, (because I read the whole thread 🙂 ) , but not sure about the coconut milk!
I think the soaking water for coconut could be used– it would probably add to the flavor. 🙂