If you are yet to make almond milk and you're umming and ahhing as to whether you can a. be bothered or b. manage the task, please stop deliberating and give it a go. This almond milk recipe is as easy as recipes come.
Making almond milk is ridiculously easy I promise. All you need is some almonds (no sh*t Sherlock), filtered water, sweeteners/salt/spices (if you so wish), a high powered blender and a nut milk bag (or an old stocking/clean chux/muslin cloth).
Easy as. But more on that a little further down.
Some of you may be wondering why you would make your own almond milk in the first place, and that's a good question that I shall now answer.
- It is good for you! Almonds are full of the healthy stuff. Among many other benefits they are said to: lower bad cholesterol, reduce heart attack risk, build strong bones and teeth, provide healthy fats, lower the rise in bloody sugar and insulin after meals. The list goes on (and that's reason enough for me).
- It is dairy free therefore providing a fantastic alternative to those of you with dairy intolerance's, leading a vegan lifestyle or simply looking to reduce your dairy intake.
- It is free of refined sugars, additives and preservatives that you will often find on the back of a store bought pack.
- It is considerably cheaper than buying it off the shelf!
- It is hugely versatile. Use almond milk in place of dairy milk in smoothies, baking, chai tea, coffee, desserts. It has minimal flavour (unless you add it) so complements other flavours well.
But then, why wouldn't you make almond milk? Well you wouldn't if you had a nut allergy and of course you would be careful giving it to young children for that very reason. I can't think of any other reason actually.
I prefer my almond milk white so tend to use blanched almonds but by all means use raw almonds with their skin on.
You'll need:
3 cups filtered water
1 cup blanched or raw almonds (soaked overnight in filtered water and a pinch of salt)
Sweetener, to taste (a couple of teaspoons of maple/rice malt syrup, you could also use a medjool date, raw honey or stevia)
Optional additions: cinnamon, salt, cardamon
Blend all of the ingredients in a high-powered blender until silky smooth, a good minute or two. Using a sieve or a nut milk bag, drain the milk into a jug.
The left over pulp can be blended again with another 2 cups of water, dehydrated to use as almond meal or as an exfoliating body scrub!
Store your milk in the fridge in an airtight bottle and use within 5-6 days.
Once you've got your head around almond milk, why not now wrap it around Vanilla Infused Sesame Milk? This stuff is the bomb! Or perhaps you'd like to use it prepare the rather delicious Overnight Maple & Spice Steel-Cut Oat Porridge you see below?
