Homemade almond milk is not only simple to make but better for you and cheaper to make. A lot of store bought brands of almond milk and other non-dairy milks have some not so great ingredients in them, here’s a great post on why store bought is not always best. I usually buy almonds in bulk, usually from Costco so the cost works out cheaper rather than buying small bags from the supermarket. Almond milk is great for those with dairy intolerances looking for a way to still have milk in their diet.
Some Health Benefits of Almonds
- Almonds contain monounsaturated fats (the same kind found in olive oil)
- They are a rich source of Vitamin E.
- Almonds also contain magnesium, calcium, potassium and copper.
- And they are said to be great for your complexion
Having said that it’s important to prepare almonds, like many other nuts properly. This means soaking the almonds over a period of time in order to make them more easily digestible. It’s also important not to over do it on the nuts due to the high levels of omega-6 fat that many nuts contain (one of the reasons to limit your intake).
I treat my homemade nut milks like a treat and don’t have them all the time, if I do it’s a drop in a cup of tea or sometimes a coffee, or to make the occasional chia pudding with. I find that too much nut consumption for me causes digestive distress and to be honest I don’t always want them enough to warrant going through the process of soaking and then drying the nuts to make them easier to digest. Having said that as I mentioned above homemade almond milk is usually my go to when I want to have something with milk and I usually always just make a small batch to store in the fridge for about a week and then I’ll be good for a while before I’ll feel like making some more again.
Here’s the how to…
Homemade Almond Milk
What you need:
- 1 cup raw almonds.
- 1 tsp vanilla extract.
- Pinch Sea salt/Himalayan salt.
- Filtered water.
- Mixing bowls.
- Fine mesh strainer.
- Blender.
- Cheesecloth/nut milk bag.
- Pyrex measuring jug (4 cup).
- Glass jars/bottles for storing.
- Raw honey/maple syrup (optional).
How to make it:
Place raw almonds into a mixing bowl and cover with filtered water.
Add in a pinch of salt and stir to mix.
Cover with a kitchen towel or a plate and let soak over night.
The next morning drain the almonds through a fine mesh strainer and rinse the almonds under cold water.
Your almonds should look plump and soft and this stage.
Remove the skins from the almonds, which should slide off fairly easily and place peeled almonds into a clean mixing bowl.
Once all the almonds are shelled, add 2-3 cups of filtered water to a blender (depending on how thick or thin you want the milk to be).
Place almonds into the blender along with the vanilla extract and some sweetener of choice (if you want).
Blend until all ingredients are well incorporated.
Line your measuring jug with cheesecloth or a nut milk bag and carefully pour the blended almond milk in (you might have to do this a bit at a time).
Squeeze the milk out of the cheesecloth/nut milk bag until the almond milk drains out and you’re left with the almond pulp.
Pour the homemade almond milk into your desired containers and store in the fridge for up to a week.
The leftover almond pulp can be used later for baking or dry it out in the oven to make your own almond flour.
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Hi Rosemary, thank you so much for your kind words! I was starting to think that maybe the recipes were too basic and no one would get anything out of them but you comment made my day and made me realise that there are people out there that the series will benefit! I know what you mean about the store bought stuff, it’s sad that they sell it for such a high price when you can make it yourself at home! Seriously they charge an arm and a leg for some of this stuff!
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the series and I will definitely be adding to the list. I really appreciate your feedback 🙂
I just have to tell you, I am LOVING this ‘basics’ series that you’re doing. I’ve made the coconut butter and almond milk so far, and WOW. I had no idea it was so easy, AND so cheap to make. And amazing tasting, too! To be honest, I feel a little silly for ever having paid $4 for a carton of this stuff with all kinds of weird ingredients when I could make it myself at home for pennies and a little patience. The coconut butter was extraordinary too, and so incredibly simple to make. (Can I just say, if companies can charge $12/jar for something that easy to make, I am in the wrong career!) Keep up the good work; I am excited to see what comes next! Thanks for all the hard work that you put into this blog; you are making my life so much easier and changing my perceptions of what things need to be bought and which can be made. 🙂
Sure, you don’t NEED a Vitamix but I use mine pretty much everyday so I can justify the cost of it 🙂
I make almond milk, but use a cheap “normal” blender to do it. I can’t justify the high cost of a vitamix at the moment. Don’t let the lack of a vitamix put you off making almond milk or coconut milk….
Thank you!
Thank you Lilla! By the way my husband and I just came back from Budapest! I will be blogging about that soon 🙂
Thanks Nikki! That’s very sweet of you to say 🙂 I love my Vitamix and while it seems like it’s a lot of money, which it is, I use mine practically everyday for some purpose and LOVE it! So yes I would definitely suggest you get one, so much fun to be had with it 🙂 Thanks about the blog! No nothing yet but hopefully in future 🙂
The pics are perfect!!!
Wow! You’re soo talented!
This looks so refreshing. I have been on the fence about investing in a Vitamix and the ability to make home made almond milk definitely helps to push me in the “Yes” direction. Your blog is looking very beautiful lately. Any cook books in the works?