The Best Homemade Almond Milk With 5 Healthy Variations
Once you make your own dairy-free almond milk, youll forget about that store-bought stuff. When you craft it at home, theres no lecithin, carrageenan, gums, or other additives. Its just pure, delicious, and nutritious almond goodness.
That said, Ive included all types of options with this homemade almond milk recipe, including sweetened, vanilla, creamier, and calcium-fortified versions! Yes, you can fortify your own dairy-free milk. There really are no rules. But I do have some tips and answers for some FAQs.
The Best Almond Milk Recipe
This almond milk recipe is easy to make. Just throw raw almonds in your blender with some water, and add your preferred flavors and sweeteners.
The Best Almond Milk Recipe
If youre wondering how to make almond milk this almond milk recipe is the best one I have tried. This homemade almond milk is rich, creamy, delicious, and is dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and paleo-friendly.
I make a different plant based milk every few days to mix things up for nutrition and flavor diversity. But, unsweetened almond milk is my go-to, because its loaded with nutrients, is alkaline, mild in flavor, and rich and creamy.
Commercial almond milk is widely available, and is fantastic as a convenience product for use in recipes. But, is largely bereft of nutrients, and often contains additives and preservatives.
How To Make Almond Milk
With this homemade almond milk recipe, you can control the quality and integrity of the finished product the freshness of the nuts, the sugar levels, and the texture. Furthermore, fresh raw almond milk contains live enzymes with no additives or preservatives.
Flavor Your Almond Milk
Once youve made the base recipe, mix things up and flavor the milk to your preference. Chocolate or strawberry milk is always popular. Turmeric milk makes an incredibly anti-inflammatory sleep tonic to drink before bed.
Soak Your Almonds For Activated Almond Milk
Strain or Dont Strain Almond Milk
Let me know what you do with your almond milk.
Dishes You Wont Even Realize Use Almond Milk Instead Of Dairy
Your favorite recipe can almost certainly be replicated, if not enhanced, by using this non-dairy staple.
What cant almond milk do? Creamy, decadent, packed with vitamins, and completely vegan, this dairy-free substitute can easily be swapped for its cow-derived counterpart, works well with sweet and savory dishes, and is low in calories and carbs, yet high in flavor and richness. When cooked or baked, unflavored, unsweetened almond milk may not even be distinguishable from dairy milk.
Your favorite recipe can almost certainly be replicated, if not enhanced, by using almond milk in place of traditional milk. Or, if you’re looking for inspiration, try any of the dishes belowno dairy requiredand see if you can tell the difference.
Swap almond milk into your favorite French toast recipe for a flavorful, custardy treat. Let the almond milk and egg mixture soak into your bread, and for an extra treat, consider vanilla or even chocolate almond milk for a fun morning twist! Play around with spices and different types of bread to keep your almond milk French toast endlessly interesting. Better yet, the culinarily ambitious can whip up some almond milk dulce de leche as a sweet topper.
While theres no denying the nutritional upside, a handful of almonds for a snack is not the most exciting. But an almond milk smoothie? Transportative!
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Vegan Cheese Spread From Almond Pulp:
This recipe will vary based on how much almond pulp you use so I highly recommend that you do it to taste. If youre looking for a visual be sure to check out this video. I used a generous half cup of almonds and made five cups of almond milk. I had a little under half a cup of pulp, and these are the general measurements I used to make the dip.
- 1/2 a cup of almond pulp
- Juice of one medium lemon
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons of additional herbs
Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and spread on crackers or use as tasty dip!
Using Almond Pulp In Recipes
Below youll find an assortment of both sweet and savory recipes that all incorporate leftover almond pulp in them.
From almond pulp cookies to more unique uses like hummus and falafel, youre sure to find some way to use up your leftover almond pulp!
I absolutely love making my own nut milk at home because it gives me the power to control the ingredients in the milk I drink.
When you make your own almond milk, there are no fillers, emulsifiers, added sugars and weird preservatives you cant pronounce.
And now that you have all the information on how to use the resulting nut pulp, theres no reason to not start making your own nut milk as well!
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Almond Butter Baked Oatmeal
The creamy, nutty flavor of almond butter gives this baked oatmeal delicious flavor. Mashed bananas, vanilla extract, and cane sugar give this dish sweetness and flavor oats are folded into the mixture with milk and then baked to perfection. Baked oatmeal is soft, warm and comforting like a traditional bowl of oatmeal, but offers the convenience of batch cooking and ability to cut into portions.
Zero Waste Almond Orchards:
Almond trees capture and store a significant amount of carbon over their 25-year life cycle in a process called carbon sequestration. Almond farmers are pioneering climate-smart agriculture through whole orchard recycling.
At the end of the almond orchards lifecycle whole almond trees are ground up and incorporated back into the soil which extends that carbon sequestration by storing it in the soil, helping to address climate change.
The almond farmers are completely zero waste on farm too! There are three parts to the almond: the hull, shell, and kernel. We eat the kernels, but what about the hull and the shell?
Being zero waste on farm means using every part of the almond tree and theres a lot of fantastic pioneering in this space.
Traditionally the hulls are used to livestock bedding and the hulls are used for livestock feed. However, almond hull and shell components are being researched for mushroom cultivation, strengthening recycled plastics, producing feed sources for poultry, soil amendments, supplemental winter food sources for honey bees, and even for brewing beer! Not a single part of the almond tree goes to waste.
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How To Make Almond Meal From Leftover Almond Pulp
To make almond meal with your leftover almond pulp, preheat your oven to 200°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Spread the almond pulp out onto the parchment paper in as even a layer as possible.
Bake for about 2 hours, stirring every 20-30 minutes as it bakes. The end result should be dried almond pulp but not golden brown or toasted looking.
Keep an eye on it towards the end as baking times can vary oven to oven by as much as 20 minutes.
Let the baked almond pulp dry completely then add to a blender or food processor.
Blend or process until a fine flour results. It should only take about 10-20 seconds for this consistency.
Do not over blend or itll start clumping up as if it was about to become almond butter!
I love some homemade almond butter but thats not what were going for here.
To store the almond meal youve just made, transfer to a jar or air-tight container and keep for up to 1 month unrefrigerated.
If you used 1 cup of almonds to make your almond milk, youll get about 2/3 to 3/4 cup of almond pulp and then almond meal. The perfect amount to use in one of your favorite baked goods or other recipes!
Some of my favorite recipes that use almond meal are:
Using Almond Milk For Cooking
Almond milk is a great substitute for cows milk while cooking. I often swap out cows milk for almond milk and I dont notice a flavor difference. My general rule of thumb with cooking is that most milks can be used interchangeably! Of course coconut milk has a more pronounced flavor and can be thicker than other milks but in general, swap away!
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Why We Choose Almond Breeze Almondmilk
I have loved Almond Breeze for a long time. Henry CANNOT get enough of the taste of milk, but sometimes dairy hurts his belly. Almond Breeze is our non-dairy alternative of choice that allows for moms and families to live and lead a healthful, active and better-for-you lifestyle. I know as a mom Im personally so grateful that I can trust their product as being THE BEST.
Almond Breeze uses only the highest quality Blue Diamond almonds to make their almondmilk products. Their almonds are grown right in California, you can read more about their co-op of growers, meet some actual families that grow your almonds, and hear why theyre the absolute experts in almonds HERE.
Health Benefits Of Almond Milk
Is almond milk good for you? The short answer is yes!
Almond milk is great for anyone who has a dairy intolerance, wants to cut out dairy or wants a lower calorie milk option. Almond milk is rich in Vitamin E and healthy fats, and some brands fortify their almond milk with vitamin D and calcium as well . I personally reach for the unsweetened almond milk to stay away from added sugars or make my own using the recipe below.
Almond milk is a great dairy-free alternative for a variety of recipes. Its low in calories and rich in vitamins and minerals. While its easy to grab a carton from your local grocery store, I prefer homemade almond milk! The taste is exponentially better and its so simple to make.
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Were Nutty For These Sweet And Savory Almond Recipes And Were Pretty Sure You Will Be Too
Loaded with energizing protein, beneficial fats and fiber, vitamins and minerals, almonds are often our go to snack. Check our more benefits of almonds here. Not to mention, they take dairy-free or even vegan recipes to the next level with their umami-like flavor qualities. So, from breakfast to dessert, with everything in between, here are a few of our favorite sweet and savory almond recipes to help you cook and eat smart.
The Best Spicy Pasta Recipe
This recipe has become a favorite in our home. It has become a recent obsession of the family, and we can literally eat it all day long. Plus, it is probably one of the few dishes my husband would not notice the absence of meat. Heres why I think youll love it as much as we do:
- Filled with flavor The sauce is bursting with flavor from the jerk seasoning.
- Cheesy / Tomatoes The combination of the tomatoes and the cheesy sauce work so well together. The grape tomatoes are juicy and adds and extra depth of flavor!
- Perfect For Date Night I dont know about you, but we have not had a proper date night in so long, this recipe is great for a cozy dinner with red wine.
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Almonds From Fish To Savory Pies
For fish lovers, almonds properly shelled and cut into thin sheets become the fitting cover for salmon fillet, generally baked in a marinade of citrus fruits and ginger but also more simply just with a drizzle of oil. We cant forget the fantastic contribution of almonds to savory pies either. A typical is savory pie is with almonds, gorgonzola, and vegetables where its entire surface is skillfully covered with this seed accurately cut into thin sheets. Almonds harvested between August and September become the pivotal ingredient for an infinite number of savory dishes where their only limit is the chef’s imagination.
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Unsweetened Almondmilk For Dairy Free Chicken Curry
Im obsessed with cooking with Almond Breeze Almondmilk. You might remember me using their Almondmilk Blended with Real Bananas for our favorite Easy Banana Pancakes a few months back. I love that almondmilk is nutritious AND delicious. Almond Breeze Unsweetened Original is my go-to when cooking anything savory that I still want to pack a creamy punch. Other health benefits include:
- Only 30 calories and has no added sugar.
- Excellent source of calcium
- Gluten-free, lactose-free, and has no saturated fat and no cholesterol.
- A refreshing and delicious alternative to dairy that tastes great on its own, with a creamy smooth texture and hint-of-almond taste.
Its a dream in this Dairy Free Chicken Curry. Its still super creamy, has just a slight nutty taste, and is better for you to boot! WIN! You can swap it 1:1 for dairy in your favorite creamy recipes!
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How Long Can You Store Almond Pulp
Freshly squeezed almond pulp will last about 5-7 days in the refrigerator.
Ive gone longer than that, but things can start to go funky after about a week given the moisture content of the almond pulp.
With the suggestions and almond pulp recipes below, you should have no problem using the leftover almond pulp within a week!
If you do have trouble using it up in that timeframe, you can always freeze almond pulp as well.
I like to use ice cube trays to do this for nice little pre-portioned cubes of almond pulp to use when needed.
Almonds With Meat From China To The Middle East
The gastronomic journey of the almond world, although famous and super tasty, doesnt stop at first courses. Tradition has found a thousand uses for this seed which hasnt only taken root in Italian cuisine, but others too. One of the most famous Chinese dishes in the world is in fact almond chicken, where meat morsels are cooked with onion and soy sauce then sautéed together with toasted almonds. Not forgetting from the Middle East lamb with plums and almonds with the accompaniment of couscous, another absolutely delicious dish.
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Healthy Almond Milk Chicken Curry Recipe
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This tasty Light Almondmilk Chicken Curry is a perfect healthy weeknight meal that the whole family will love! This easy to make recipe is packed full of flavor and mild in spice. Made with almondmilk for a creamy chicken curry that is dairy and gluten-free.
We are huge fans of curry in our house, it doesnt take long to make a batch and they are so full of flavor it feels like a real treat! Its so easy to make your own curry paste as a base for the dish so that you get a really fresh and vibrant flavored meal. This recipe is mild in spice, so perfect for kids and adults alike. In our humble opinion, its the best chicken curry recipe!
Vegan Cream Of Broccoli Soup
Vegan cream of broccoli soup? Sounds like an oxymoron, but you can make your favorite comfort food while still eating vegan. Once again, its all about the cauliflower and almond milk. Check out this recipe from Healthful Pursuit and see what we mean. To make your soup, all you need to do is combine cauliflower, broccoli, almond milk, and onion powder. Cover and cook in a saucepan until the good stuff is thick and creamy, and then serve immediately.
Ingredients:
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 4 cups cauliflower florets 1 medium head of cauliflower
- 3 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 3 cups broccoli florets, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
Directions: Add oil, onion, salt, and pepper to a large saucepan. Saute on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, adding a couple of tablespoons of water throughout the process to avoid from burning.
Add cauliflower and milk. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover for 10 minutes, or until florets are soft. Add in half of the broccoli. Pour mixture into the jug of your blender. Puree until smooth. Return to pot.
Stir in remaining broccoli and onion powder. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes, until thickened. Serve immediately.
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Is It Ok To Boil Almond Milk
The number one question people have when it comes to cooking with almond milk is whether or not its OK to boil almond milk. Though almond milk might be fundamentally different than cows milk, the process of heating it up is pretty much the same.
To heat almond milk, add water to the bottom of a pan, then place another boiling pan on it. Put both on medium-to-low heat, adding the almond milk to the top pan. This is called double boiler heating and ensures that the almond milk gets heated gradually.
In order to heat almond milk, you could also use the microwave. Pour almond milk in a microwave-safe container. Heat the almond milk for 30 seconds at a time.
Whether you are heating almond milk by way of double boiler or microwave, it is important to not let almond milk actually boil. Almond milk may easily burn and burnt almond milk can be bitter and change the taste.
Chicken Breasts With Green Chili
Next up is a chicken dish from Eating Well that stars a sauce made from almond milk, broth, green chiles, scallions, and garlic. The green chile-almond sauce tops seared chicken breasts and is creamy but still dairy-free. Chicken breasts dressed with said sauce is the perfect meal to serve on a weekday when youre pressed for time and your energy levels are low. Prepare the deceivingly healthy dairy-free dish and enjoy leftovers for days.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
Directions: Combine almond milk, broth, green chiles, scallion whites, almonds, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook the mixture until reduced by half, 20 to 30 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender or puree in a blender until smooth.
Sprinkle chicken with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook half the chicken until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Cook the remaining chicken until browned.
Add the first batch of chicken back to the pan. Pour in the sauce and cook at a low simmer, turning occasionally, until all the chicken is cooked through and tender, 4 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Stir cream into the sauce and pour the sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with the reserved scallion greens and sesame seeds.
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