Fast Easy Almond Milk - Classic

Want to learn how to make creamy, amazing, totally delicious-tasting almond milk is a flash? Good! Today I share my easy method and even a super easy TWO-ingredient recipe with a secret ingredient. (Intrigued?)

For these recipes.. You DO need a high speed blender like a Vitamix. And some sort of fine mesh strainer OR a nut bag. But that is it! Seriously, go from raw almonds in a bag to creamy-tastic almond milk in under 45 minutes. Annnnd GO!...

Chocolate almond milk:


Flavors (classic vanilla, cacao, sweet spirulina green, cinna coconut)










The basics... Full recipe below.




The best part about homemade almond milk: you can chug the bottle and not feel guilty that it is all gone. Because you can easily make more!

OK, so I love love love love love love homemade nut milks. Not only do they taste amazing, but they are perfect for adding to smoothies, drinking straight from the chilled glass bottle, pouring over top hot and cold cereal, using in baking and other recipes and you can even add your homemade nut milk to hot beverages like tea and lattes. I just had a black tea latte and NO the milk did not curdle! Yay.

What is the difference between my method and other methods? Well one thing really: THE SOAKING TIME.

Normally, raw nut milk recipes ask you to soak the raw nuts in salted water anywhere from 4-8 hours to overnight. And yes this is a great way to get soft, easily blendable nuts. But I have found that my method below really does work! So having fresh almond milk in a flash is totally possible...

The trick is to use very hot water to soak the almonds. This softens them quickly.

Secret Recipe: Coconut Almond Milk. The other day I tried something new and crazy. Instead of using water to make my almond milk, I used chilled natural coconut water! I was kinda shocked when it tasted amazing. The best part, it was pre-sweetened from the sweet coconut water flavor and bonus - it contained added nutrients from the coconut water like potassium, magnesium, manganese and more. So you can try either classic water-almond or crazy new coconut-almond. Both use the same method. And both can be flavored however you'd like.



Nut Milk Bag: If you have one. Use it. They do make things a bit faster. But this method below is super if you do not have special tools like a nut milk bag, but do have a strainer.

Fast Easy Almond Milk - Classic
vegan, makes 4-5+ cups of almond milk (depending on how creamy you want it)

Step One: Grab your ingredients and tools.

Ingredients:
3-5 cups of fresh (preferably chilled) water (coconut version below!)
1 cup raw almonds

also:
salt (pink salt is my fave)
variety of flavors..
raw cacao powder or cocoa powder
vanilla bean or vanilla extract
raw dates or maple syrup or agave syrup
spirulina
cayenne
more!..

Tools: High speed blender + mesh strainer or nut milk bag + 2 bowls + bottles to store nut milk + spoon for pressing pulp

Step Two: Soak.
Add your 1 cup of almonds to a bowl and fill with about 3+ cups of HOT HOT HOT water. Enough to cover nuts generously. You could use boiling or simmering water, but I just use the hottest possible setting on my tap. Add in a dash of salt and swirl water. Let this sit for at least 20-30 minutes. I think one hour is a bit better, but I have even tested a 15-minute soak that does work. Basically, the longer you soak, the less pulp you will end up with in the end.

Step Three: Drain and rinse.
Drain the soaking water and rinse your soaked almonds with cool water. A few of the almond skins may pop off and that is a good sign that they have softened a bit.

Step Four: Blend.
Add the soaked almonds and 3 1/2 cups of fresh water to your Vitamix. Blend on low for a good three minutes. Finish blend by carefully blending (lid on) on medium or high for a minute or so to really thrash those almond bits and churn the milk.

Step Five: Strain.
Place your fine mesh strainer or nut milk bag over a large mixing bowl. Slowly pour the blended mixture and using the back of a spoon to press the liquid through, moving around the almond pulp so that the liquid can drain through. This process takes a good 2-4 minutes. Once you are left with wetish dry almond pulp in your strainer, scoop the pulp BACK in the blender. Add in 1/2 - 2 cups chilled water to the blender with the pulp.

Step Six: Re-Blend. The Pulp.
Blend the pulp with the additional water on low-medium for a few minutes. This milk may be a bit thinner, but once you combine it with the first round milk it will all even out. *not re-blending pulp is optional, but I find it helps squeeze all that goodness out of the almond bits leftover from first straining.*

Step Seven: Strain Again.
Finally, strain this mixture the same way you did with the first round of milk. NOW, you should be left with just about 1/4-1/2 cup of almond pulp - very dry in texture. If your pulp still seems wet and milky, keep repeating the blend and strain steps until it dries out. Do not be afraid of adding more water. It will still be nice and creamy.

Step Eight. Flavor.
You are now free to rinse your blender and pour the smooth, creamy, strained almond milk back into the blender container. Add your seasonings and flavorings! Here are a few ideas:

Chocolate -> Add 1-3 Tbsp cacao powder + 1-3 Tbsp maple or agave syrup (or 2-3 pitted Medjool dates) + dash cinnamon and or cayenne + 1/8 tsp pink salt
Sweet Spirulina -> 1 Tbsp spirulina powder (I use Spirulina Pacofica!) + sweeten to taste with dates or maple/agave syrup + 1/8 tsp pink salt
Strawberry -> Add 1/2 cup fresh or frozen strawberries! (this will slightly thicken your milk with fiber)
Classic Vanilla Bean -> scrape 1 vanilla bean (add seeds from pod) + sweeten to taste + 1/8 tsp salt

And if you want to try my Coconut Cinnamon flavor do this:
Instead of adding water when blending your soaked almonds, add chilled coconut water! This blends up sweet, creamy, coconut-infused almond milk. I add cinnamon too.

...And guess what, you can totally do this same method with almost any nut you'd like. Try walnut, cashew or even pistachio! (These nuts quick soak best)

Good luck and tweet me your finished homemade almond milk pics!!! @lunchboxbunch

PS. If you are like, wait, *8* steps??? SO not easy! Watch my VINE video and see that I showed this recipe in *six* seconds :) Follow me on Vine too!

Pulp pressing, to squeeze out all the "milk"