Homemade nut milks are easy to make. Almond and cashew nut milks are both favourites, or you could try hazelnut, pistachio, peanut, walnut, Brazil or macadamia. Sunflower or pumpkin seed milk is also an option, as is oat milk.
Simply soak the nuts in pure or filtered water overnight at room temperature then drain, rinse and blend with fresh pure or filtered water. The resulting milky liquid then needs to be strained through a nut bag or piece of muslin. Don’t waste the nut meal left in the nut bag or muslin/cloth as it can be used in smoothies or to make granola, muesli or cookies, or even dehydrated into flour. Some say the initial soaking of the nuts isn’t strictly necessary as they can be blended straightaway in water but it produces a creamier end result. Also, since some nuts contain enzyme inhibitors, which make it difficult for the body to absorb their nutrients, it makes sense to soak them.
This recipe uses three times the quantity of pure or filtered water to nuts for an everyday but still rich milk, but you can reduce the quantity of water to make a thicker milk or even a cream substitute. You can sweeten the milk with honey, dates, agave or maple syrup, but it is just as good unadulterated. A sprinkling of ground cinnamon or nutmeg and a splash of vanilla extract make delicious additions, too.
If you regularly make nut milks it may be worth a small investment in a nut milk bag, which makes straining and draining the nuts from the milk that much easier; and you can also use it for sprouting seeds.
How to make almond milk
150 g/1 cup shelled almonds
750 ml/3 cups pure or filtered water, plus extra for soaking
1 Put the almonds in a large bowl and cover with about 2.5 cm/1 inch pure or filtered water. Cover with a plate and leave to stand overnight. The next day, drain the almonds and rinse them under cold running water.
2 Put the soaked almonds in a blender with the 750 ml/3 cups pure or filtered water and blend on a high speed for about 2 minutes, or until the nuts are broken down into a fine meal and the water is creamy white.
3 Strain the almonds through a nut milk bag or a muslin-lined/cheesecloth-lined sieve, reserving the strained milky liquid in a bowl. Gather up the sides of the bag or the muslin/cloth in the sieve and squeeze to extract as much liquid as possible into the bowl containing the milky liquid. Pour the milk into a lidded container or bottle and store in the fridge up to 3 days. The nut meal left in the bag or muslin/cloth can be used as instructed on the left.