How to Make Almond Milk

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Learn how to make almond milk at home! All you need are almonds, water, and a blender. That’s it! Homemade almond milk has a simple ingredient list and doesn’t contain gums, thickeners, and emulsifiers, like many store-bought options.

Almond milk in glass jars

We’re getting back to basics today with homemade almond milk. Almond milk is a popular dairy-free, vegan-friendly nut milk, and I’m thrilled to show you just how easy it is to make almond milk at home.

When it comes to nut milk, I’m personally a fan of my homemade cashew milk recipe. But I also understand that some may have a sensitivity to cashews and depending on where you live in the world, cashews can be more expensive and harder to find.

Almonds on the other hand are readily available, cost-effective and this almond milk recipe is just as easy to make. There’s only one slight difference – you need to strain it.

Almond Milk Ingredients

There’s just two ingredients in homemade almond milk – raw almonds and water! But you can tweak the recipe to your liking with a splash of vanilla extract or sweetener, like maple syrup, honey, or pitted dates.

Blending almond milk ingredients in a blender

Which Almonds are Best to Use?

The best almonds for homemade almond milk are organic, raw almonds. You don’t want almonds that are roasted or salted, as that oil and salt will end up in your milk, altering the flavor. But you can always add a pinch of sea salt to your milk, if that’s your preference.

Making almond milk in kitchen in a blender

How to Make Almond Milk

You’re going to love how easy this recipe is! And there’s really just three steps to making almond milk at home – soaking, blending and straining. Here’s how you do it:

  1. Soaking: Place the raw almonds in a glass bowl and cover fully with water. Remember that the almonds will absorb some water as they soak. Let them soak overnight, then drain and rinse them.
  2. Blending: Add the almonds to a high-powered blender, like my favorite Vitamix, along with 4 cups of fresh, cold water. If you’d like, you can add a splash of vanilla extract, a pinch of salt and a sweetener of your choice, like maple syrup, honey or 1-2 soaked dates. Or you can keep it unsweetened. Turn the blender on high for 2 minutes and blend until it’s creamy and smooth.
  3. Straining: Use a nut-milk bag or cheesecloth to strain the almonds into a bowl. Then pour the almond milk into an airtight container and store it in the fridge.
Squeezing almond milk through a nut milk bag

Do you really need to soak the almonds overnight? I think overnight is best for the creamiest almond milk. But you could get away with soaking the almonds for a minimum of 4 hours. Alternatively, you could soak the almonds in boiling hot water for 1 to 2 hours.

Pouring homemade almond milk into a container

How to Store Almond Milk

Homemade almond milk will last for up to 3 days in the fridge (though it’s best fresh). So I don’t recommend making a large batch or more than you’ll think you’ll use in a couple of days. And it’s so easy to make when needed, there’s really no need to make extra!

Common Questions

Can you do anything with the leftover almond pulp?

Yes! Place the leftover almond pulp (also known as almond meal) on a baking tray and bake at 200°F (100°C) for 2 to 3 hours until it’s dry. Then it can be used as a topping on yogurt, chia pudding and used in homemade granola and other baking recipes.

Can you turn this into chocolate almond milk?

You sure can. Just add ¼ cup cacao powder to the almond milk, and blend until smooth.

Pouring almond milk into a glass

More Dairy-Free Milk Recipes To Try

I can’t wait to hear what you think of this easy homemade almond milk recipe. Make sure to let me know in a comment below! Your comment will help others in the community.

How to Make Almond Milk

5 from 46 votes
Prep: 8 hours
Total: 8 hours
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

It's really easy to make homemade almond milk from almonds and water. You can then add a sweetener, pinch of salt and vanilla extract if you'd like. Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen!

Video

Ingredients 
 

  • 1 cup raw almonds, soaked overnight
  • 4 cups cold filtered water, plus more for soaking

Optional

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup, honey, or 1 to 2 soaked and pitted dates
  • pinch of sea salt

Instructions 

  • After the almonds have soaked overnight, drain and rinse them. Then, place the almonds in your high-powered blender along with the water and any optional add-ins.
    Blending almond milk ingredients together in a blender
  • Blend the ingredients on high for 2 minutes, or until creamy.
    Homemade almond milk in a blender
  • Strain the almond milk through a nut-milk bag or a few layers of cheesecloth into a bowl or large measuring cup.
    Squeezing almond milk through a nut milk bag
  • Pour the almond milk into an airtight storage container and place in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Lisa’s Tips

  • These are my favorite glass jars for storing homemade nut milks and this is my favorite nut-milk bag. I also recommend this brand of raw, organic almonds.
  • When I’m straining the almond milk, I prefer to strain it into a large measuring bowl as it’s easier to pour into a storage container without spilling.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 107.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 3.9g | Fat: 9.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.7g | Sodium: 31mg | Fiber: 2.3g | Sugar: 0.8g
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Keyword: almond milk, almond milk recipe, homemade almond milk, how to make almond milk
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

Recipe originally posted September 2018, but updated to include new information.

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

5 from 46 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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158 Comments

  1. I love all your recipes and have been following your social media for a long time! First time to do this milk, do you recommend nylon or cotton bags for straining it? Thank you! xx5 stars

  2. I just got done making this recipe, and we all love it! It’s literally the best freshest almond milk as you can get it and you can put your own ingredients in knowing what your drinking is healthy. I only added a pinch of Celtic salt and we like it. I need to get off of whole milk for health reasons so I’m so happy to find this alternative for milk and that i can make it right here at home! Thank you so much Lisa for sharing this recipe.5 stars

  3. Make this regularly. Savea a bundle and like you said easy and fast. Couldn’t find my nut bag so I used a bag from my Set of 15 Reusable Mesh Produce Bags – Eco-Friendly – Washable and See-Through – with Colorful Tare Weight Tags – 3 Sizes that I bought on Amazon. The set of 15 bags is about the same price as the nut bag. I like having more than one bag since I make the milk often and I use the other bags for produce.5 stars

  4. Super easy! I make this all the time. I feel so much better making my own foods and not worrying about added chemicals.5 stars

  5. Hi Lisa, I discovered your site yesterday and am thrilled with your clear presentation of the information.
    I have a question regarding the almond milk recipe. I have been making almond milk for quite some time now and my process is to bland the almonds in boiling water for 1 minute. Then I slip the skins off and proceed to soak overnight before rinsing and blending. This makes a clearer milk.
    So is my removal of the skins lessening the nutrition of my almond milk?
    Thanks
    Mary

  6. Love my Almond Milk. I ran out of Vanilla extract and had a panic attack. So I looked for an alternative and low and behold I could use Maple Syrup. I had organic and that made my day. My milk was great. Question. Can our Almond Milk be frozen?? Thanks for all you have made. It has my life so much easier. and healthier.5 stars

    1. It might work, but I would double-check to see online if others have made it in a Nutribullet.

    2. I have a nutra bullet also. I don’t think it would work because the machine doesn’t like a lot of liquid at one time. I suggest if that’s all you have to use. Do it in smaller batches. Also they sell a plant milk maker on Amazon for under $100. I’m going to get one of those. No staining the pulp after. Easier process I believe.

  7. Thank you for these great tips, including what to do with the almond meal. I might also use the almond meal in a vegetable loaf. Your how-to and tips are really appreciated. I haven’t made my own almond milk YET, but I’m going to go soak my almonds right now and make it in the morning.

  8. I really enjoy you site. You are very creative, organized, and keep things very simple. Your portions and recipes make it easy for a single person to eat healthy and not feel over whelmed with guilt of wasting food. I have recommended your site to many clients looking for guidance in a healthy life style. Thank you.5 stars

  9. Just a word of warning. This recipe is absolutely delicious, the best almond milk ever and easy to overdo it. I learnt this the hard way after about a month. I thought I had found a dairy replacement for life. I used it in smoothies, coffee, recipes. After a few weeks are started having chronic joint pain in my knees and ankles, then one morning I could not stand or put weight on my joints. After a trip the the ER it was deemed that I had high oxalate levels. Cut out the almond milk and it returned to normal in a few days. Your body can get rid of the oxalates but in high levels they can cause an adverse reaction. The shop-bought almond milk has barely any almonds in it. The homemade version is the opposite. The moral of my experience is ….practice moderation!!

    1. Happy to hear you found a much better alternative with this homemade almond milk! And yes, it’s all about testing different things to see what makes your body feel good and happy.

    2. Thank you!  Some of us need to know that because of kidneys!  I have a kink in my kidney and it can get stopped up.  I try to use low oxalate as much as possible.  Do you know if it is just almonds that are high in them?  I have a problem with walnuts too! I go easy on the spinach as well.

  10. Great recipe!

    How did you determine the calories for this drink (milk vs pulp) ?
    I am strictly tracking calories and want to make sure I am not exceeding my calorie allotment.5 stars

  11. This recipe makes creamy and clean tasting almond milk! I do have a question. How much sweetener would you recommend starting with so it’s not too sweet? 5 stars

  12. Very good!!! I recommend the pinch of salt for make it more tasty.
    Also i did a chocolate version with 2 tbsp cacao and 1 tbsp maple sirup… Delicious and healthy hot chocolate 😋
    With the pulp I found a really good recipe of cookie, it gives me about 8 cookies.

  13. Do you use the same water to blend with as the water the almonds soak in? Or after 24hrs, strain the water out and add fresh water? Just wondering

  14. Just bought my first Vitamix 6500 and I am excited to make your almond & cashew milk’
    My husband likes cow’s milk in his coffee and I would love to make milk for him to use in coffee.
    Do you have any suggestions Lisa?

  15. I just made my first batch, and don’t think I’ll be able to go back to buying it from the store now! Have you ever tried mixing almonds with some cashews for the milk?5 stars

  16. simple to make
    it is more cost effictive for me as I dont like regular milk
    and i don’t drink alot of milk.
    It is good Thank You Lisa5 stars

  17. Hi!
    I just made this and something is wrong I think. I followed the recipe exactly. I put it into my A3500 Vitamix and put it on high for 2 minutes. After straining it, it looked good but when I tasted it, it had a soapy taste! Do you know why that happened?

  18. Love this recipe! Just made almond milk for the very first time! Question: I dried the pulp, but how do I store it until I have enough to make cookies?5 stars

    1. I actually haven’t tested using the pulp to make cookies yet. But if you do, please let me know!