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As the new year begins, I am really trying to eat a healthier, more natural diet. Veggies, fruits, organic anything…I am focusing on eating things that will make my body feel good! And lucky for me, and many others who also are interested in healthy, whole food eating, there are tons and tons of amazing websites, blogs, and Instagram accounts dedicated to just that. I have been doing some research online and I have found a few recipes that I am dying to try.

Today, I will be showing you how to make your own, homemade vanilla almond milk. Almond milk is a great alternative to traditional milk as it is a non-dairy milk that contains an extra dose of healthy proteins! Plus, it tastes great. It is a little bit sweet and has a nutty taste to it thanks to the almonds. I personally love putting this vanilla almond milk in my coffee or oatmeal!

Making almond milk isn't terribly difficult, I only warn you to set aside two days to complete the process because you need to soak your almonds. All of the recipes I found suggested that you soak your almonds (in water) for at least eight hours. This soaking process plumps and softens the almonds, making them easier for your body to digest. 

Once your almonds are ready to go, you are set to begin your almond milk-making adventures. To make the milk, you will either need a blender, or a food-processor. I actually used a nutri-bullet which worked well too. All you need to do now is add all of your ingredients into the blender/food-processor. 1 cup of the pre-soaked almonds, 2 cups of filtered water, 1 vanilla bean and you are set! Depending on how sweet you like your milk, you can add stevia, agave or any other sweeteners. You can also add a little bit of cinnamon for a slightly different flavor. It is all up to you and is very simple to alter if you want to change things up a bit. 

 

This picture directly above shows how the blended mixture will look. It is a thick, slightly goopey mixture and definitely not what milk should look like! But not to worry, you aren't quite finished yet! You actually need to strain this mixture with a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. I had my sister help me out with this part because it requires a few hands in my opinion. 

I had my sister hold the cheesecloth over a bowl as I slowly poured some of the mixture on top. Only part of the milk will filter through on it's own so I actually gathered the cloth together so that I could squeeze the rest of the liquid out. I repeated this process until I had used up all of that first mixture. You should end up with a bowl of yummy looking almond milk! You will also have the leftover almond meal from the cheesecloth (the stuff that wasn't filtered through into the milk). You can either throw this out, or use it in cookies, oatmeal, granola…there are many options! 

I then poured my milk from the bowl into a bottle for easy use! 

Just remember to use the almond milk within a few days of making it due to the fact that is is completely natural and was not pasteurized. Enjoy! 

Ingredients
1 cup raw almonds, preferably organic
2 cups water, plus more for soaking
Sweeteners like honey, sugar, agave syrup, or maple syrup, to taste, optional

Equipment
Bowls
Strainer
Measuring cup
Blender or food processor
Fine-mesh nut bag or cheese cloth

Instructions

1. Soak the almonds overnight or up to 2 days. Place the almonds in a bowl and cover with about an inch of water. They will plump as they absorb water. Let stand, uncovered, overnight or up to 2 days. The longer the almonds soak, the creamier the almond milk.
2. Drain and rinse the almonds. Drain the almonds from their soaking water and rinse them thoroughly under cool running water. At this point, the almonds should feel a little squishy if you pinch them.
3. Combine the almonds and water in a blender. Place the almonds in the blender and cover with 2 cups of water. 
4. Blend at the highest speed for 2 minutes. Pulse the blender a few times to break up the almonds, then blend continuously for two minutes. The almonds should be broken down into a very fine meal and the water should be white and opaque. (If using a food processor, process for 4 minutes total, pausing to scrape down the sides halfway through.)
5. Strain the almonds. Line the strainer with either the opened nut bag or cheese cloth, and place over a measuring cup. Pour the almond mixture into the strainer. 
6. Press all the almond milk from the almond meal. Gather the nut bag or cheese cloth around the almond meal and twist close. Squeeze and press with clean hands to extract as much almond milk as possible. You should get about 2 cups. (See Recipe Note for what to do with the leftover almond meal.)
7. Sweeten to taste. Taste the almond milk, and if a sweeter drink is desired, add sweetener to taste.
8. Refrigerate almond milk. Store the almond milk in sealed containers in the fridge for up to two days.