Making your own nut milk at home is easier than you think. With just a few simple steps, you can make a nut milk that’s healthier and more delicious than what you’ll find at the store. You can even customize your own flavours. All it takes is a few supplies and two ingredients: water and nuts.
What nuts can you make nut milk from?
Any nuts can be made into nut milk! Cashew and almond are the most common, but whatever nuts you like best can be turned into milk. Buy raw, unsalted nuts as they take best to the soaking and blending process. The fresher the nuts, the creamier and more flavourful the milk.
How to make your own nut milk in three easy steps:
Step 1: Soak. Place nuts in a bowl, cover them with enough water that there’s about an inch of excess at the top. Place on the counter or put in the fridge and cover with a towel. After they’ve soaked for at least 12 hours, drain the water and thoroughly rinse the nuts off. Soaking longer will yield creamier milk, so soak for up to 48 hours if you can. Soaking activates enzymes within the nuts and makes the nutrients in them more easily absorbed by our bodies. Discard your soaking water. Remove the skins if possible. If you’ve chosen nuts like peanuts or hazelnuts you can simply rub them between two towels after soaking and the skins should just slide right off.
Step 2: Blend. A good general ratio of nuts to water is 1:4, meaning that for every cup of nuts, you need four cups of water. If you like it thicker, add less water. Add a pinch of salt. If you’re adding flavouring or sweetener, now’s the time to do it. We’ve got some flavouring suggestions below. In your blender, food processor or Vitamix, pulse for a but to get it moving around and then blend on high for a few minutes until it’s nice and smooth.
Step 3: Strain. Using a nut milk bag, cheesecloth, or thin kitchen towel, pour the contents of the blender through the cloth, straining them into a container below. Secure the cloth around your mixture and squeeze all the excess milk into your jar. (Hot tip: you can also use the leftover pulp to make nut flour, which you can then use in place of wheat flour. Just spread the pulp on a baking sheet and place in the oven on low heat until it’s completely dry, then blend it up until you get the consistency of flour.)
Now you’re left with a creamy nut milk you can enjoy for the next few days. Store your milk in the fridge and it should last for about the next four days to five days. If separation occurs, just shake it up.
Flavouring your nut milk
Here are some suggestions for flavouring your nut milk:
- Combine different nuts to create a nut milk blend
- Add sweeteners like maple syrup, honey or Majoule dates
- Add vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom or any other spice
- Add fresh turmeric
- Add raw cocoa along with sweetener to make chocolate milk
- Matcha tea powder is another option
- Berries like strawberries, blueberries and raspberries work well
- For a more effervescent flavour add rosewater or orange blossom water
Do you make your own nut milk at home? What are your favourite nuts to use and do you make any special flavourings of your own? Got any nut milk tips you want to share? Let us know in the comments below.
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