Let’s GO NUTS! In 4 quick Steps (and under 10 minutes)—Learn how to make homemade Almond Milk!
When I first heard of almond milk, I honestly didn’t know what to think! I wasn’t sure if it was “milk”, like would it be comparable to growing up with drinking Vitamin D milk (eeeks!), and how in the world do almonds turn into milk?
Then I tried it, and LOVED it. I was immediately hooked—and the best part, my belly felt way better compared to when it was digesting lactose. Almond milk is actually really good for you as it is rich in Vitamin E, Magnesium, Potassium, and Calcium.
I have been drinking almond milk for several years now and I enjoy trying different brands available at the grocery store. However, I have learned how important it is to read the label before you buy!
Many of the almond milk cartons sold in the refrigerated section or those sold as shelf stable have additional ingredients that make it not-so-healthy! Let’s take a quick peek at the example below.
It is always important to keep an eye on the Calories, Total Fat, Total Carbohydrate, Fiber, Sugar, and Protein numbers listed on nutrition fact labels AND to read the first 5 ingredients…before you buy it! WHY? This will tell you what this product contains the most of.
INGREDIENTS: ALMONDMILK (FILTERED WATER, ALMONDS), EVAPORATED CANE JUICE, CALCIUM CARBONATE, NATURAL VANILLA FLAVOR WITH OTHER NATURAL FLAVORS, SEA SALT, POTASSIUM CITRATE, CARRAGEENAN, SUNFLOWER LECITHIN, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, VITAMIN D2, D-ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL (NATURAL VITAMIN E).
So, here we have “Evaporated Cane Juice” listed as ingredient #2 where you can clearly see, in just ONE cup of this almond milk, there are 13 grams of sugar! In addition to the sugar, you then have 14 grams of carbohydrates that are derived mainly from the high amount of sugar. Which is basically saying, this evaporated cane juice added to give it a sweet taste is actually about to spike your blood sugar level …to a no-good-level!
The good news is this is NOT the case for all almond milks! Most almond milk brands have selections between Vanilla (sweetened-as in example given above), Original, and Unsweetened Vanilla. If you stick with Unsweetened you are better off as this has no additional sugar added and only 1 or 2 grams of carbs. And to me, it tastes plenty sweet! My favorite is Almond Breeze- Almond Coconut Vanilla (Unsweetened) or Almond Breeze Vanilla (Unsweetened). The example above is Almond Breeze Vanilla, which is simply to illustrate the difference when reading labels, even within the same brand.
So, this got me to experiment with trying to make my own!
To my surprise, it is actually super easy and can be done in less than 10 minutes. Not to mention, it is far less costly as you just need to buy almonds (preferably in bulk).
First of all, you want to make sure to soak your almonds. It is best to soak them overnight, 8-12 hours. However, if you are in a pinch, you could get away with just a few hours. So, why soak the almonds?
Nuts, grains, and seeds contain nutritional inhibitors, and toxic substances like phytic acid (outer layer) and tannins. When you soak them, it helps to neutralize enzyme inhibitors and produces beneficial enzymes that aid in proper digestion.
Buckle up, here we go:
Step 1 (the night before): Soak 1 cup of raw almonds. Simply pour into a bowl and top off with enough water to cover the top of the almonds.
Before you begin-
Grab a bowl, cheesecloth or nut milk bag, blender, and mason or glass jar with a lid to ensure a tight seal.
- 1 cup raw almonds (soaked in water for 8-12 hours, overnight)
- 4 cups filtered water
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- Small pinch of pink Himalayan or sea salt
- 2 drops of liquid Stevia (Sweet Drops is my favorite brand)
In 4 Easy Steps:
Step 2: Rinse soaked almonds and place into blender with 4 cups filtered water. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes on the highest speed. You will begin to see the mixture turn white.
Step 3: Take the cheesecloth or nut milk bag and place over your bowl. Begin to pour the mixture over top, go very slow as it will begin to seep and go to the bottom of the bowl. You may need to gently squeeze the cloth to get the remaining liquid out. This can take about 5 minutes.
Step 4: After you remove the cheesecloth or nut milk bag, you will see the almond milk at the bottom of the bowl. Rinse the blender and pour the milk along with cinnamon, salt, and stevia and blend for 1 minute on low. Then pour it into your jar.
TA-DA! Finished product AKA Almond-Milk-Awesomeness!
Options: try adding maple syrup, dates, coconut, or vanilla extract for extra awesomeness
Fasten that seatbelt and head over to the store to get you some almonds! Let me know how you like it!
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