Not a fan of cow's milk? Avoiding soy? Or are you simply looking to try something a little bit different without losing out on the nutrition and taste? Homemade Nut Milk is a fantastic dairy-free milk alternative. It can be used in the same way as all other milk for your cooking, baking, and drinking needs. It's also low in calories and gluten-free! Perfect for vegans and non-vegans alike.
We use homemade nut milk in lots of recipes, our favorite one at the moment being this Easy Almond Milk Rice Pudding.
How To Make Nut Milk At Home
Have you ever picked up a jug of Almond Milk in the supermarket and looked at the ingredients?
Chances are you will find a whole lot of 'extras' jammed in there.
They really don't need to be, and making your own Homemade Nut Milk will mean you keep your drink preservative and additive-free.
Just be sure to give the jug a good ol' shake before drinking up, as homemade milk tends to separate. It's all fixed with a good shake though, promise!
The process for making homemade nut milk is simple:
- soak some nuts,
- wait,
- blend,
- and strain.
It's easy and cheaper than store-bought (if you buy nuts in bulk).
What Nut's Can Be Used To Make Nut Milk?
What nut's can you milk?
Any!
I have used almonds, pistachios, pecans, macadamias (expensive, but oh so yummy), cashews, brazil nuts, hazelnuts and walnuts to make nut milk.
The sky is the limit.
And the best thing is, nut milk is super versatile and can be used in almost any recipe calling for dairy milk or plant-based milk.
The main difference between what nuts you use will be whether they need to be strained once they are prepared.
See below for notes on specific nuts.
How Long Do The Different Nuts Have To Be Soaked?
The soaking time for the different nuts varies, but as a rule of thumb, I go with overnight.
If you are looking for the quickest option then these times will work for you:
- 8-12 hours for almonds, hazelnuts, macadamias, peanuts and pine nuts;
- 4-6 hours for walnuts and pecans;
- 2 hours for cashews;
- No soaking required for pistachios and brazil nuts.
To soak, just pop the nuts in a glass jar and cover completely with filtered water.
Cover the jar and pop it into the fridge for the required amount of soaking time.
Drain, rinse and proceed with your nut milk making.
How To Sweeten Homemade Nut Milk
There are a number of options for sweetening your new milky creation.
After the initial blend and draining through a nut milk bag, you can add in:
- 1 Medjool date (pit removed);
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup;
- 1 tablespoon agave syrup
- 1 tablespoon raw honey.
Pop everything back into the blender for 2 minutes and then store the nut milk in the fridge.
Various flavorings can be added to enhance the flavor of the milk as well. On occasion I like to add:
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract;
- a dash of cinnamon;
- a dash of turmeric;
- some unsweetened cocoa.
Just use your imagination and make that milk work for you and your family and whatever flavor combination that entails.
How To Use Homemade Nut Milk
Now what are you going to do with that wonderful nut milk now that you have made it?
Quite simply, it can be used anywhere you would use any other type of milk, whether that be in cooking or in baking or in making a creamy smoothie.
Check out some of these delicious recipes:
- Blueberry Almond Milk Smoothie
- Dairy Free Maple Spiced Chia Overnight Oats
- Overnight Raspberry Chia Pudding Recipe
- Berry Baked Oatmeal from The Healthy Home Cook
Have you tried making your own Homemade Nut Milk? I would love to hear from you so be sure to leave a comment and let us know how you went. Happy drinking.
Recipe
Thick and Creamy Homemade Nut Milk
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw, unsalted nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, pecans, macadamia, walnuts) see post
- 3 cups filtered water, for soaking
- 4 cups filtered water, for blending
- Optional extras: see notes
Instructions
- Soak the nuts in 2-3 cups water overnight (see notes for variations)
- Drain and rinse the soaked nuts. Pop into a high powered blender with 4 cups of fresh water (not the soaking water) and blend for 2 minutes until smooth.
- Pop a nut milk bag over a large bowl or measuring jug (I prefer to use a measuring jug as it is easier to pour out the milk into another container without spillage)
- Pour the contents of the blender into the nut milk bag. Leave to strain for 10 minutes. Gather the nut milk bag and squeeze the contents - keep squeezing until liquid stops coming out
- Pour the nut milk into a glass storage jar and keep in the fridge for 3-4 days (can also be frozen for about 2 months)
Notes
- 8-12 hours for almonds, hazelnuts, macadamias, peanuts and pine nuts;
- 4-6 hours for walnuts and pecans;
- 2 hours for cashews;
- No soaking required for pistachios and brazil nuts.
Cat says
I made it and added a few drops of Monk fruit and a small pinch of salt. It was great but thin.
Why do you have to throw away the soaking liquid?
Donna says
Hi Cat, great question! Soaking nuts and grains leeches phytic acid causes them to leech phytic acid. This can impair digestion and steal minerals from the body, which is why we throw the liquid away and blend with fresh water.
Rachel Willock says
I am so excited to try this! Thank you for sharing! I do have a question, after squeezing, are the contents remaining in the milk bag usable for anything else? I tried to find a use for everything I can, trying to reduce waste.
Donna says
Hey Rachel, yay, enjoy making your own homemade nut milk! Yes, absolutely, I am all for using everything as well. I always use mine for crackers, but you can find a bunch of other recipes to use up the nut pulp here: https://almondcow.co/blogs/pulp-recipes. Enjoy
Sue says
What do you use to thicken the almond milk
Donna says
I don't add anything extra to thicken it, with a ratio of 4:1 water to nuts it should turn out fairly thick (for a milk). If you like it a lot thicker, say if you are using it for a creamer as opposed to milk, then I usually do a blend of 1:1 water to milk. it depends on what you are using it for, but as a rule of thumb 4:1 works well, less water to make it thicker.
Amber says
I completely agree with you! If someone had told me four years ago that I would be drinking almond milk, let alone making it, I would have thought they were crazy! Have you ever added dates to your almond milk to sweeten it?
So good!
Whole Food Bellies says
Oh I have, so yummy Amber!! I tend to make it plain these days, as I use it for savory cooking as well - but if I know its going to be just for breakfast and coffee, then dates will definitely find their way in there!
Caroline says
Excited to make this! Thanks
Whole Food Bellies says
You are very welcome Caroline!
Joann Woolley says
following from #foodpornthursdays - I would love to give this a try - I know nut milk can have a lot of benefits and my daughter has milk sensitivity so I am pinning this for later!
Whole Food Bellies says
I started making it due to milk sensitivities as well, and it has made a huge difference! I hope you enjoy
Domesticated Momster says
I have wanted to try making nut milk but just haven't ventured into it yet. I love making anything from scratch so that I know exactly what is in it. Thanks for once again sharing and linking up to #foodpornthursdays! It's return bloggers like you that keep it going! #bloggerlove
Whole Food Bellies says
Thanks for including me, I have loved being involved 🙂 Hope you enjoy the nutmilk if you give it a go!!
annabelt - geeks diet says
Ok I am definitely going to try this! Great idea - thanks for sharing!
Whole Food Bellies says
You are very welcome Annabel 🙂
Becky says
You come up with the most innovative recipes! I love how you start by saying you'd have thought someone was crazy milking their own nuts lol But it is a really great idea and I love making my own because it cuts out buying food that's been processed. It is delicious too! 😉
Whole Food Bellies says
Thanks Becky 🙂 Haha I threw that comment in there just for #foodpornthursdays 🙂 Definitely, anything that can cut out on processed foods is good in my book - especially if it is quick and easy!
lifestyletalks.wordpress.com says
Gosh! I didn't know it was that easy to make!
Whole Food Bellies says
I know, it's ridiculous hey 🙂
Becky says
I've always wanted to make my own nut milk but just never have. Definitely want to try it now!!
Whole Food Bellies says
I hope you do Becky, it's so easy!
Tirralan - Tinseltown Mom says
Great recipe! I never tried nut milk, but would definably give it a shot. This recipe sounds amazing.
Whole Food Bellies says
Thanks Tirralan 🙂 You should definitely give it a shot - so yummy!
Valerie says
I've never made homemade nut milk before but this looks easier than I imagined it to be. Will definitely be trying this soon!
Whole Food Bellies says
It's so easy Valerie! I hope you give it a go 🙂
Emily | Rainbow Delicious says
I love nutmilks (and am not vegan) but have really only made cashew and almond milk so far. I really appreciate you sharing the soak times... it's time to find my nutmilk bag in my pantry and make this a habit again!
Whole Food Bellies says
You are very welcome Emily, I have the times pinned to the side of the fridge 🙂 Yeah, I think once you are in the habit of having a few things soaking on the bench it almost becomes like second nature!
Rowan says
You are amazing!! I have pinned this as it is genius. Thank you
Whole Food Bellies says
Haha thanks Rowan 🙂
Elizabeth says
Hemp. I would've never thought of that. That's such a great idea though to get even more good stuff out of our food.
Whole Food Bellies says
Thanks Elizabeth! I was going through a 'put hemp in everything' stage for a while there - I decided to keep it in the milk as it just gives it so much more flavour and goodness with no extra effort - big tick in my book 🙂
Joanna says
This looks really easy! I love milks made from nuts, especially almond:)
Whole Food Bellies says
So easy Joanna 🙂
Kate says
we have been working hard at avoiding dairy - this is a great recipe - thank you!
Whole Food Bellies says
You are very welcome Kate! It can be hard to avoid dairy to start off with...especially cheese 🙂 I am about 90% there, but my husband has no intention of joining me, so I always have temptation in the house!
Farrah says
Nut milk is awesome! :]! I've been meaning to get a nut milk bag so I can make my own at home!
Whole Food Bellies says
It makes it so much easier Farrah - I was using cheese cloth for a while, but the clean up was ridiculous!
Bethany says
Yes! I've been wanting to make but milk for a long time, awesome tutorial!
Whole Food Bellies says
Thanks Bethany! I hope you enjoy - I am a wee bit addicted now 🙂