Making Fresh Almond Milk

Published Dec 3, 2018 | Last Updated May 18, 2026

---

Making fresh almond milk might seem like a luxury until you do it a few times and see how easy it is. It really helps to have a Vitamix blender, but a regular blender is fine too. For someone who has just started to eliminate regular dairy, you may miss milk and want a substitute especially if you eat foods like cereal and smoothies. I have been buying almond milk for years and even got my husband to use it at home, but recently I have been enjoying making my own.

Store bought nut milks are fine and good to have as a backup.  They do contain gums and emulsifiers that help to keep the consistency of the milk together. I just recently finished a 30 day juice cleanse and after coming out of it, I did not want to muck up my digestion again with all the sugars and gums in store bought almond milk. So I have been making it part of my routine to soak some nuts every 3 days.

Ingredients for Homemade Nut Milk

• ½ cup raw almonds

• ½ cup raw Brazil nuts

• 2 dates

• water

• pinch of salt

• Additional flavorings (optional) ¼ tsp cinnamon 1 tsp vanilla extract or seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean

Why do I add Brazil Nuts

When I make almond milk, I always add a few brazil nuts. They are higher in fat, resulting in a creamier milk, and also have a very mellow flavor. Brazil nuts are high in selenium which is a crucial nutrient for the health of our thyroid gland. It is recommended if you have a sluggish thyroid, to eat 2 to 3 brazil nuts each day. (You can make this milk with all almonds if you prefer or can’t find brazil nuts.)

Soaking Improves the Quality of your Nut Milk

The best nut milk comes with soaking the nuts for 24 to 48 hours. You can get away with just a quick soak, but you will get far more milk out of a longer soak.

Using a Natural Sweetener

You can sweeten your almond milk with honey, maple syrup, or sugar if you want. I recommend adding in dates as your sweetener and they bring more qualities to your nut milk than just sweetness. Dates are a whole food, so they contain minerals, fiber and antioxidants. I always recommend you use ingredients as close to their orginal form as possible. The blender will take care of making sure your milk is completely smooth and creamy.

Tools you will need to make nut milk

Nut milk bag

Vitamix or Blender

Large measuring cup - this is the one in my pictures below

You will need a nut milk bag to strain the pulp as well as a large, 4 cup measuring cup to pour the milk into. A bowl works also, but I like using a measuring cup to strain the milk into because it has a spout and makes pouring out the milk much easier after. Here is a nice 4-cup glass measuring cup if you are avoiding plastic.

How to make homemade almond milk

Soak nuts by placing in a bowl and covering with water to about 2 inches above the surface of the nuts.  Ideally soak the nuts 1 to 2 days before blending. This helps to soften the nuts so that you get the most of out them. The softer they are the more easily they break down in the blender, which means better milk.  If you did not plan ahead, then at least soak the nuts for 2 to 3 hours before blending.

Drain soaking liquid and discard, then place nuts in blender and fill with filtered water to the 4 cup line.Remove pits from the dates and add them to the blender as well.  (If you have the time, let sit an hour, this also helps to soften the dates so they break down easier in the blender.)

Place lid on blender and blend on a low setting, for about 30 seconds, then increase to a high setting and blend for 1 full minute.

Set the nut milk bag into a large measuring cup. This will help to hold the bag in place. Pour almond milk into the nut milk bag.

 Close the top of the bag and gently lift out of the measuring cup or bowl, letting the milk drip out of the bag.

Once the flow starts to slow down, gently close one hand around the top of the bag, squeezing down on the pulp. Eventually, you will be using both hands to  twist the top of the bag to make it smaller and smaller, applying pressure on the almond meal inside to squeeze out as much milk as possible.

Discard the almond pulp and immediately rinse out the bag. Pour almond milk into an airtight container with a lid and store in the refrigerator up to 4 days.

Watch How to Make Almond Milk

Recipes That Use Almond Milk

Here are a few recipes to use your new homemade almond milk in:

Blueberry Cobbler Overnight Oats from Eating Bird Food

Almond Milk Cold Brew Coffee Latte from Love & Lemons

Dairy Free Vegetable Frittata

Dairy Free Almond & Date Chocolate Smoothie

Enjoy!

Printer-Friendly Recipe

Yield: 4 cups

Author: Andrea Sprague

Print

with imagewithout image

Fresh Almond Milk

This recipe combines brazil nuts and almonds with dates as the sweetener. You can make this with all almonds if you prefer. The best nut milk comes with soaking the nuts for 24 to 48 hours. You can get away with just a quick soak, but you will get far more milk out of a longer soak.

Prep time: 10 MinInactive time: 2 HourTotal time: 2 H & 10 M

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• ½ cup raw, unsalted almonds
• ½ cup raw, unsalted brazil nuts
• 2 medjool dates
• water
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Soak nuts by placing in a bowl and covering with water to about 2 inches above the surface of the nuts. Soak the nuts for at least 2-3 hours before blending. Ideally, you can start soaking them 1 to 2 days before blending. This helps to soften the nuts so that you get the most of out them. The softer they are, the more easily they break down in the blender, which means better milk.
2. Drain soaking liquid from the nuts and discard, then place nuts in blender and fill with filtered water to the 4 cup line of your blender.
3. Remove pits from the dates and add them to the blender as well. (If you have the time, let dates sit in the blender with the nuts and water for an hour – this also helps to soften the dates so they break down easier in the blender.)
4. Place lid on blender and blend on a low setting for about 30 seconds, then increase to a high setting and blend for 1 full minute.
5. Set the nut milk bag into a large measuring cup. This will help to hold the bag in place. Pour freshly blended almond milk into the nut milk bag.
6. Close the top of the bag and gently lift out of the measuring cup or bowl, letting the milk drip out of the bag.
7. Once the flow starts to slow down, gently close one hand around the top of the bag, squeezing down on the pulp. Use both hands to twist the top of the bag to make it smaller and smaller as the liquid drains out, applying pressure on the almond meal inside to squeeze out as much milk as possible.
8. Discard the almond pulp and immediately rinse out the bag. Pour almond milk into an airtight container with a lid and store in the refrigerator up to 4 days.

Tools you'll need:

1. Nut milk bag (this is the one I use)
2. Blender
3. Large measuring cup or pitcher (to squeeze the nut milk into)

use your fresh almond milk in these recipes:

---

Mexican Cacao Smoothie

Decadent Dairy Free Chocolate Pudding

Refreshing Green Smoothie

*Please note, some of the links on this site are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I can earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you. All of the products on my site are actually used by me. I do not recommend anything that is not in my own kitchen.