It’s official – almond milk is now the #1 preferred alternative to non-dairy milks. A title that soy milk used to have bragging rights to now goes to America’s second favorite nut.
What’s a good thing for the almond industry could also be a good thing for consumers since 93% of soybeans in the United States are genetically modified. A scary, and sobering thought to consider too is that the soy milk, tofu or even soy lecithin you’re eating is lab-grown…
Which reminds me of this article discussing lab-grown beef. Would you eat a hamburger you knew didn’t come from a cow?
Yet some continue to eat and drink soy products that we can’t be sure came from a natural source? That would make a good water cooler topic, in case you needed one.
Almond milk being the sixth non-dairy milk I’ve researched in the past month, reading and deciphering labels has nearly become a piece of cake. It’s just unfortunate that I’m having to research these foods in the first place, you know? Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to turn a blind eye to the labels and trust that the food we eat is actually food? Believe that products deemed safe by the governmental powers that be are actually safe to consume?
Commercial Almond Milk
I really want to say that commercially made almond milk is the best of the non-dairy milk alternatives available. My friends drink it, my dad drinks it… heck, I was buying it regularly until the end of last year when I started using kefir in my smoothies instead!
Unfortunately, commercial almond milk looks no different than many other non-dairy milks:
- Coconut milk contained synthetic vitamins, minerals and carrageenan. Oh, and it’s EXTREMELY expensive.
- Hemp milk contained synthetic vitamins, minerals and carrageenan. Although less than coconut milk, it’s still too rich for my blood.
- Cashew milk likely has unhealthy canola oil added to help with the consistency, in additional to synthetic vitamins and minerals. It costs more than hemp milk too, so it’s definitely not a frugal option.
- Rice milk, like the others, contains synthetic vitamins and minerals too. It may contains lots of sugar as well, and the price is marked up nearly 300%.
- Peanut milk isn’t widely available on the commercial market, which is probably a good thing. If you do find a container on the shelf, be wary: it appears that peanut milk is mainly produced in China (which doesn’t have the same standards as the U.S. and isn’t inspected well (if at all) upon import).
Do you see the pattern here?
- fake, synthetic vitamins (which our bodies don’t recognize nor know how to process)
- carrageenan (a known toxin that causes inflammation in the body)
- unnecessary additives (oils, sweeteners)
Almond milk is just the same. Although unsweetened, this brand contains carrageenan and four artificial vitamins. This brand is organic, and you’d expect it to be better, but it too has carrageenan and artificial vitamins. In fact, the only leading brand that DIDN’T have carrageenan is this one, but there’s seven synthetic vitamins and minerals to make up for that.
Trader Joe’s carries a few brands of almond milk for $2 or less per 32oz container. That’s way better than any of the prices on Amazon, but there’s no guarantee that any of the brands at TJ’s don’t contain the same dangerous additives. The only way to avoid the toxins is to make it yourself.
Homemade Almond Milk
The process for making homemade almond milk is very much like other non-dairy milks with one big exception – straining is a must. Almonds will not completely grind up in the blender, even if they’re soaked, so you must strain out the larger pieces to achieve a smooth, chunk-less milk.
The resulting almond meal can be dried (in an oven or dehydrator) and used in homemade granola bars, muffins, oatmeal or almond hummus! It will add an almond flavor without having to actually use whole almonds.
- 1 cup almonds
- 4 cups filtered water, plus more for soaking
- Measure almonds into a container and cover with filtered water. Allow to soak overnight. This softens the nut considerably and makes it easier to blend, leaving less particles of nut in the finished milk (plus you get some of the benefits of soaking nuts too!).
- Drain nuts and place in a blender. Add 4 cups of filtered water and blend until smooth, approximately 1 minute. A second blend may be necessary, since almonds are a tough nut and are hard to completely grind.
- Strain through a fine mesh strainer or nut bag. The pulp is great in homemade granola bars!
- Store milk in the refrigerator and enjoy cold.
For one cup: ¼ cup almonds, 1 cup water
Additional Recipe Notes
The resulting, strained almond milk is pretty thick on its own. Add additional water if you prefer thinner milk, or create vanilla almond milk by adding 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. You can even mimic the specialty milks by combining almond and coconut milk together.
Price Breakdown:
Here’s a rundown of how much it costs to make homemade almond milk:
- 3lb almonds in bulk (Costco) @$4.23/lb
- 3 cups in one pound
- 1 cup per quart of homemade almond milk
- total cost $1.41
Other non-dairy milk alternatives that may interest you:
This may be a dumb question but what is filtered water? Just water thru like a brita filter or do I actually buy a bottle of filtered water. Sorry I just want to clarify before I try this! thanks!
A brita filter works fine. You just don’t want to drink the tap water, even if it tastes fine. There’s all sorts of icky stuff you can’t see. 🙂
While I like the thought of making my own, and it isn’t too difficult, the cost is pretty much even with buying a carton for me, so it’s ‘one of those things’ I don’t think I will do much. We buy Silk Unsweetened, so at least it doesn’t have carrageenan in it, though it of course isn’t ‘perfect.’ It is $2.69 for a half gallon, so when there is a coupon it’s great. My almonds at Sam’s are about the same as your from Costco so it’s a wash.
There are many, MANY times where buying something is comparable, or better (in various ways) than homemade. I could make my own chocolate chips… but the ingredients are expensive and we don’t eat them that often anyway. I could make my own marshmallows, but they’d still have corn syrup and we only eat them twice (if that) each year. If you don’t come out ahead making your own almond milk, then find comfort in knowing you’re not alone! We all have to do what’s best for our own families, right?
PS – love seeing you ’round my part of town Helen! 🙂
Aww thanks, I was already a reader before we ‘met’ at KS 😉
Made almond and coconut milks yesterday. None of us liked the almond – it tasted too much like, well, almonds LOL even with honey and vanilla in it. Added honey and vanilla to coconut. Hubby LOVES it. He doesn’t like the small chunks though, after I removed the hard fat. So next time I might chill, remove, blend again. See how he likes it then since it is SO cheap and SO easy
Is there a reason to dump the water the almonds were soaked in instead of using it for part of the water used to make the milk?
I can’t find a scientific reason, other than some gross-looking residue comes off the nuts and sits in the water. Plus if the broken down phytic acid resides in the water, then you’d still be consuming it in the milk. I also think the water wouldn’t taste very good, creating a less than yummy milk. 🙂
Thanks! This is all very new to me :).
The reason is because when you soak the almonds, it releases the “antinutrients” into water and you don’t want to drink the antinutrient water. 🙂 Antinutrients can interfere wth the much needed mineral absorption (minerals found in nuts). Phytic Acid is just one type of antinutrient, which is found in nuts. The reason nuts contain phytic Acid is to prevent from sprouting before they are ready. You can Google the word and it will probably explain it better for you. 🙂
IM just wondering how long almond milk should last in the fridge? Do u know?
Homemade almond milk should last anywhere from 1-2 weeks in the fridge. It might last longer, but I haven’t tried it personally. Merry Christmas Raylene!
Hello Tiffany,
What happens to the skins on the almonds do they soak off or do you have to remove them? Thanks!
Hi Sheila!
Nothing happens to the skins. They soften like the rest of the nut and get blended up in the milk. Some stay behind when you strain, but some just disappear. 🙂
Are these raw almonds?
They’re from Costco, and I didn’t check to see where the almonds themselves originated from. I’m in California and law prohibits the sale of truly raw almonds in CA.
Hi I was wanting to make almond milk with almonds from Costco but then I read that the almonds from Coscto are gassed with those toxins! So I did some research and learned that I have to get them from TJs or Whole Foods. Ugh so expensive!
Hi Debbie! Do you have a link where you found this? I know that most almonds come from California, and CA requires pasteurization of almonds, but different facilities accomplish this in different manners. I’d love to know more about where Costco is sourcing their almonds!
*Costco
Hello . I’ve noticed that there is 4% of DRV of Total Fat in Silk per 8 ounces yet there is 25% of DRV of Total Fat in 8 ounces of homemade almondmilk . Even though it is a “good fat” wouldn’t it be healthier to go with the store bought if one were to consume a lot on a daily basis ?
To be honest with you Matt, I don’t count calories or % DV of any nutrient. When we’re eating good, healthy foods, our bodies tell us when we’ve had enough – not labels. I also believe that it’s important to get nutrients from a variety of sources. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend drinking soy milk because of the likelihood it being made from GMO soybeans, so I would go with the homemade almond milk.
Thank you for the information . I hadn’t realized how scary some of the ingredients in store bought almondmilk were . I’m making the switch to homemade now . Keep the great information coming (:
Thanks Matt!
What’s wrong with GMOs?? Over 2000 peer-reviewed studies have come out stating that they are indifferent from their conventional counterpart all the while lowering herbicide & pesticide usage.
Hi Joe – no long terms studies have been conducted on GMO’s, and the short-term studies aren’t too promising. Here’s another post where we talk about it more, along with a recommended resource:
https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2014/06/whats-cheaper-fresh-corn-frozen-corn-canned-corn/
Is it possible to use almonds that are sold peeled and sliced already? What is the difference than using raw whole almonds for homemade almond milk?
In general, it’s always better to use whole, raw anything whenever possible in order to retain as many of the natural nutrients and enzymes, but if you only have access to the bits/pieces types of almonds, you can still make almond milk. 🙂
What kind of blender do you use to make your non-dairy milks? I think my blender is a pretty standard size, with about 6 C capacity marked on the carafe, but 4 C of water and nuts or coconut builds too much pressure and causes an unfortunate volcanic eruption! I’d have to do smaller batches of 2C water and half cup of nut or coconut; which makes the process feel more burdensome and time consuming.
Hi Annie! I just replied to your email, but I use a Blendtec. You can read my reviews about it here:
https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2014/01/story-blendtec-ended-shopping-cart/
Hi Tiffany,
Do you strain the “pulp” after blending the milk?? Do you find it too thick otherwise? I haven’t tried it yet however that would be very wasteful.
Thanks,
Kaneez
Hi Kaneez! Yes, I strain the almond puree in this milk. I use it in oatmeal or to make granola bars.
Thanks for your response. Do you have the recipe for the granola bars which use this “almond pulp”??
It is wet so I am assuming it can’t be stored for too long in the fridge without spoiling.
Kaneez
You can dry out the almond meal by spreading it out thin on a parchment paper lined pan. baking in [email protected] 225° for 1/2 to 1 hour.
Directions above for this almond milk do not say to strain the almond pulp though. I would pour it thru cheesecloth and ten squeeze the cheesecloth to get every last drop of milk out of it.
I tried rating the recipe but when I clicked the 3rd star, it automatically rated it 5 stars.
I would not rate this 5 stars because the directions are incomplete. It doesn’t say how to drain the pulp or that you even should drain the pulp.
Leaving the straining out is a typo on my end Paula – fixing it now!
I just found your recipe . Thanks.
Kaneez
I make almond milk regularly and NEVER strain it. I like the little bits of almond left in the milk. I don’t drink it from a glass; I use it in smoothies and on my homemade granola. The bits of ground almonds left in there are a nutritious addition. Why bother to strain it unless there’s some compelling reason it has to be smooth? I suppose if you are using it in coffee that might bother you, but almond milk makes coffee taste weird, anyway.
This sounds great and easy! But can you explain how to dry in the oven (I don’t have a dehydrator) the resulting strained-out almond meal to use further? And how would I store it? Thanks in advance!
Hi Crystall! Turn your oven on as low as it’ll go, line a pan with parchment paper and toast as you would granola. Stir often, and crack the oven door if it cooks too fast (i.e. more black than brown, uneven cooking). When it’s completely dry, store in a container with a lid like you would breadcrumbs. Enjoy!
This sounds nice, thanks for posting up this recipe for us.
Simon
Do you have to soak or would boiling be better?
Soaking softens the almonds, and if you do it long enough, it’ll activate the enzymes make them alive again. I wouldn’t boil – that would be cooking them and defeating the purpose of soaking!
thanks for your easy recipes and DIY your very helpful, thanks so much:)
Hello Tiffany,
Is there a way to add calcium to your homemade almond milk recipe?
Thanks for sharing all of your wonderful healthy ideas!
Ellen
Hi Ellen! I haven’t tried adding calcium to the homemade milks, so I’d recommend a supplement instead. Honestly though, many people get plenty of calcium through foods but are actually deficient in magnesium. Just something to think about! 🙂
When my son was little he was allergic to milk so he drank Almond Breeze. OK I didn’t know about this stuff back then. (He’s 8.) I went to a workshop this week and met a woman who turned me on to not drinking milk, although I knew I had to stop all on my own. I found a link to your website on some other site. I am going to try making this. I tried drinking my son’s almond milk but spit it right out because I couldn’t handle the creaminess of it. Adding more water could allow me to handle the creaminess. Thank you for your easy recipe. How long should the almonds be soaked for? I get over night but I am new to this and need an overnight hour amount. Thank you!
Hi Jennb223! Anytime you see “overnight,” assume it’s at least 8 hours, up to 12. 🙂 Welcome to Crumbs – I’m glad you found us!
Hi Tiffany,
Thank you for the recipe. Do we need to refrigerate, if not how long will it last without refrigeration.
Hi Leonie! Yes, you do need to refrigerate homemade almond milk.
I’ve been making almond milk for a couple of months now and we like it so much better then store ones. I’ve been wondering though, do you have the nutritional value of homemade vs store bought? I know their won’t be fake/synthetic vitamins, but what else is there? Do I just look up almond’s nutritional value and then “thin it out” to account for the water or is there something less (or more)…? Thanks for the help!
That’s what I would do Nathalie. If you know how much almonds you start with, and then how much pulp you have at the end, you can determine how much almonds and water you actually have in the batch and use that to find the nutritional info.
Two things…
1) I usually/frequently make almond milk from almond butter and water — quicker that way — but do also make it starting from soaked almonds. Either way, I “never” strain it.
2) The one exception — when I do strain it — is if I want to make almond milk plus almond yogurt. If I’m doing that, I’ll start with soaked almonds, filter it through a nut-milk bag, but don’t press/squeeze really hard, then put the pulp in a bowl with (if needed) enough of the milk or some plain water until it’s a “yogurt” consistency. Then, I’ll add 1-2 Tbsp of store-bought, unsweetened, live-cultures yogurt, stir to mix, then put it into my yogurt maker to incubate it 8-12 hr, then refrigerate it.
Wow – that’s great thinking JSC! I’ve also heard that adding a probiotic capsule + gelatin can make DF yogurt, but I haven’t tried that one yet!