Learn how to make almond milk at home – it’s SO easy and tastes a million times better than store-bought! No need to soak the nuts overnight, my quick soak method works perfectly so you can have fresh, creamy almond milk in no time!
I don’t know about you, but if I see a recipe that needs me to soak anything overnight, I run away! I just can’t seem to think that far ahead. If I want to make something, I want to make it NOW, not tomorrow.
Which is why I’ve never made homemade almond milk, until now. Because I have discovered that there is no need to soak your almonds overnight to make almond milk. A quick soak is all you need!
Ingredients
- Raw almonds – No roasted almonds here, please, they must be raw.
- Water
- Optional: Pure maple syrup or dates, for sweetening and pure vanilla extract.
What else do I need?
There are a few things you need to make homemade almond milk, and luckily they are all very inexpensive. You probably already have what you need!
- A blender – A high powered blender such as a Vitamix is best for making nut milks, but a regular blender will do.
- Nut bag – I got a few of these nut bags and I love them. They make the process simple, and they clean up easily. You can also use cheesecloth or even a clean, thin tea towel, for straining the milk through.
- Glass jars for storing – I got this set of little glass jars, as well as these larger ones. The little ones are cute for individual servings (lunchboxes!) but the larger ones are convenient for storage.
How to make almond milk
It seriously couldn’t be easier! Soak, blend, store. For the printable, full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card. This is an overview with photos.
- In a small pot, add the almonds and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let them soak for 15 minutes.
- Drain the almonds, then add them to a blender along with 4 cups of fresh water and optional sweetener/vanilla.
- Blend for 1-2 minutes until creamy and white. If you are using a regular blender instead of high powered, you may want to blend a little longer.
- Get your milk bag/cheesecloth/thin towel out and place over a large bowl or measuring cup. Strain the milk through it, gathering it up at a top and squeezing to get every bit of liquid you can.
Flavor variations
- Vanilla – For vanilla milk, add vanilla extract and sweetener, to taste. I don’t like it too sweet, so I used 2 tablespoons maple syrup, but feel free to add more.
- Chocolate – Chocolate almond milk is so good! Add 3 tablespoons cocoa powder and more sweetener, to taste.
- Strawberry – Re-live your childhood by adding 1 cup of freeze dried strawberries or 1-2 cups fresh strawberries and more sweetener, to taste.
What to do with almond pulp
After straining, you will be left with almond pulp. You can discard it, but if you don’t want to waste it, there are many ways to use it up!
You can make almond meal from almond pulp. Or make some energy bites, cookies, crackers and more.
Storing almond milk + freezing
Store almond milk in glass jugs or other airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It really won’t last longer than that, because there are no preservatives like in store-bought nut milks.
If you don’t think you will use it all within 4 days, you can freeze it. I like to freeze it in an ice cube tray, and throw a few cubes into my green smoothie or peanut butter banana smoothie!
Does it froth for lattes?
My favorite thing about this milk is that it froths amazingly well for coffee! I’m talking way better than any non-dairy milk I’ve ever tried using the frother on my Breville.
I don’t generally care for almond milk lattes, but homemade is a game-changer.
Where to use homemade almond milk?
Think cereal, over granola, in smoothies, coffee, baking and anywhere else you would use milk. Here are a few recipes to use almond milk in:
How to Make Almond Milk – Quick Soak Method!
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 4 cups water
For vanilla almond milk
- 2-3 tablespoons pure maple syrup, or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Quick soak the almonds: Add the almonds to a small pot and cover with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let soak for 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can soak the almonds overnight.
- Drain the almonds, then add them to a high speed blender, along with the 4 cups of fresh water and maple syrup/vanilla, if desired, for slightly sweetened vanilla milk. Or keep it plain if you plan on using it for savory dishes.
- Blend on high for 1-2 minutes until creamy and white.
- Get out your nut milk bag, cheesecloth or even a thin clean dish towel. Over a mixing bowl or large measuring cup, strain the milk through the nut bag, gathering it up and squeezing well to get every last bit of liquid you can. Discard almond pulp, or save for using in other recipes.
- Transfer strained milk to glass jugs or other airtight containers. It will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator, and can be frozen if needed. Enjoy!
Notes
- Sweetener options: While I used maple syrup, you can sweeten the milk with a few dates or even a little granulated sugar. Add to taste, depending on your preferences, or leave out for unsweetened milk.
- Chocolate almond milk: Add 3 tablespoons cocoa powder and more sweetener, to taste. I added an extra 3 tablespoons of maple syrup, or 5 total, and my kids LOVED it!
- Strawberry almond milk: Add 1 cup of freeze dried strawberries (or 1-2 cups fresh strawberries) and increase the sweetener, to taste.
- If you are a smoothie fan, try freezing some almond milk in an ice cube tray, and adding a few cubes to your smoothie.
For me it’s not so much about wanting it “fresher” than ready-bought or what have you, it’s that it’s going to be cheaper as I’ve gotten bags of almonds from the food pantry that I have no other way to consume as I’ve got almost no teeth left. And also the food pantries almost never give milk or any reasonable facsimile thereof, so there’s that. Taking what I can get for free and turning it into a form I can actually ingest.
I thought the reason to soak almonds for 8 hours or overnight was to get rid of phytic acid, which can cause digestive issues.. If you’re doing a quick soak, surely that wouldn’t do the same thing?
I don’t soak almonds for any health reason, only to make them soft enough for blending. If you want to soak them overnight, that will work fine.
Do you use any specific almonds for your milk? There’s a ton out there, and I really want to make my own as Blue Diamond is way expensive and Silk sucks.
Any brand of raw, unsalted almonds will do just fine.
Thank you for the recipe. I’m going to make this
You are welcome! Enjoy!
Hi, do you think I could make evaporated almond milk this way solely by decreasing the water content?
Hmm I’m really not sure. It would basically be a thicker cream like milk, I’m not sure it would work the same as evaporated milk though.
Absolutely delicious fresh  almond milk made in under 30 minutes. Followed the easy recipe adding vanilla extract. I purchased a large nut milk bag which made the quantity very easy to squeeze and which filled a pint bottle. This will now be a regular thing with no need to purchase from shops. Bonus during lockdown. Thank you Nora.Â
Hi Karen. I’m glad the almond milk turned out delicious for you! Thank you for taking your time to share!
Hi Nora, this looks like a great recipe—I am trying to figure out if it is cheaper to make than store bought almond milk? Do you have any idea? Thanks in advance! Love your site
I’m not sure, I kinda think it’s not cheaper honestly! But it definitely tastes better. 🙂
This sounds outstanding…cannot wait to try!
Hi Lavinia. Let me know how it turns out for you! Happy cooking!
How much water do the almonds absorb while boiling and soaking? How many ounces is in a serving?
They absorb some water while soaking, but not much. You will dump that water out and use fresh to blend. I’m not sure how many ounces one serving is, but one serving is about 3/4 cup.
Make sure to rinse your almonds well after soaking if you’re not skinning them. Almonds seem to be really dirty and the dirty skins spoil the taste. Other than that comment, nice easy method to make delicious rich almond milk.
Thanks for the tip!