SIMPLE ALMOND MILK

I discovered almond milk many moons ago when I was a young girl on holiday with my family in Italy. The traditional Italian version suitably called latte di mandorla is made with peeled almonds and sugar that is transformed into a paste and then mixed with water.

Almond milk has been a staple at cafes throughout Southern Italy for decades. However, its origins go further back to the 13th-century Middle East. From there, the recipe spread to Southern Europe, where almond milk was consumed mostly during religious fasts. Flash forward to today, and almond milk is the most popular dairy-free health drink.

Almond milk is one of my favourite drinks, and I prefer to make it myself. Most store-bought nut milk contains oil, additives and usually too much sugar. Yes, it’s convenient to buy premade nut milk from the supermarket, but premade nut milk is not as healthy as we are led to believe.

The only way to ensure that almond milk is 100% natural is if you make it yourself. The best part is that it’s so easy! You can make almond milk that tastes amazing in just five minutes and is much better for you.

Plus, you can control the consistency and sweetness. I make mine slightly creamy, so it has the same thickness as regular milk, and I sweeten it with dates instead of sugar. Dates are a natural sweetener, and their caramel flavour complements the almonds.

You can also substitute the dates with 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon or pure vanilla extract. Or you can combine all of them. Once you begin making almond milk at home, you can play around with ingredients and develop your own signature flavour.

I have compared the pricing of making almond milk at home versus buying it in the store, and making it at home always wins for pricing and quality. It’s easy to make, and all you need is a few ingredients, or you can stick to the basics and use almonds and water, although the flavour will be bland. There are no excuses why you shouldn’t begin making your own.

Almond milk is the perfect health drink and should be in everyone’s fridge! It can be served hot or cold and can be used in any recipe that calls for regular milk. It’s perfect for baking dairy-free treats, and adding it to coffee or tea will transform your cup into a delicious hue of creamy beige.

I also use this almond milk in all my smoothie recipes, but my favourite way to enjoy it is late at night in a healthy hot chocolate whisked with raw cacao.

JUMP TO RECIPE

HEALTH BENEFITS

Almonds are considered to be one of the most healthy ingredients on the planet. They are high in protein and fibre and contain calcium, vitamin E, B12, riboflavin and niacin. Studies show that almonds can also lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

Making your own almond milk has health benefits because it won’t contain any of the unwanted ingredients found in supermarket brands. The additives found in packaged almond mix are literally ‘added in’ only for the sake of the product to have a long shelf life. None of those extra ingredients needs to be in your body and, in most cases, will do more harm than good.

Using dates as the sweetener in almond milk is a good choice because dates are high in fibre and are a natural source of fructose. Most importantly, dates don’t spike blood sugar levels, so using them as a sweetener is a safe choice for those with diabetes.

HOW TO MAKE ALMOND MILK

Today with a blender, we can whip up simple almond milk in less than 5 minutes. Plus, unlike the original version, we don’t need to peel the almonds. In this recipe, we will blend them with the skin intact.

All you need for the ingredients is a cup of raw almonds, 3 dates, pure vanilla extract or cinnamon (optional), sea salt and filtered water. The tools you need are a cheesecloth, nut milk bag or tea towel for straining, a large glass bowl, and a glass container with a secure lid to store the almond milk in. A funnel is also helpful for pouring.

You will need to begin this recipe the night before by soaking the almonds in the fridge. Measure out 1 cup of whole raw almonds and then cover with 3 cups of water. Make sure that the almonds soak for at least 8 hours.

The next day when you are ready to prepare the almond milk, discard the water from the almonds, rinse them and then add them to a high-speed blender. Add in the dates or your sweetener of choice, a pinch of sea salt and 4 cups of filtered water.

If you have large Medjool dates, then 1 will be enough. I find Medjool dates are soft enough not to need rehydrating. However, if you have regular small dates, you will need to soak them in a glass of hot water for 15 minutes before adding them to the blender. Make sure to take out the pits!

Blend all the ingredients for 2 to 3 minutes until it looks creamy. Once it’s ready, strain the almond milk into a cheesecloth, nut milk bag or fine clean tea towel directly into a large glass bowl.

You will need to use your hands to squeeze out all of the almond milk from the cloth. It’s best to do this a little at a time so that none of the pulp gets inside the bowl otherwise, you will have gritty almond milk. Also, make sure you use clean hands so that you don’t contaminate your batch.

Once you’ve squeezed out all the almond milk, pour it from the bowl into a clean glass bottle with a secure lid. Using a funnel is helpful if the spout is narrow.

That’s it your done in less than 5 minutes! Keep this almond milk in your fridge and shake before serving. It will last for up to 5 days, but always keep it refrigerated, or it will spoil more quickly.

SHOP MY FAVOURITE PRODUCTS TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
♡ This is a great eco-friendly nut milk bag it’s made in Canada with unbleached organic cotton.
♡ It’s handy to strain the nut milk directly into a bowl with a spout like this one.
♡ Once the nut milk is ready I pour it into my clear glass bottle using a funnel.
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