This article was originally posted on my old blog, Foodscape, after running out of cheese cloth and milk at the same time. Luckily, there are many nut milk bag substitutes that can be used. In fact, after learning how to make almond milk without nut bag options, I’ve come to prefer it. Once you learnhow To Make Almond Milk (and other milks) without cheesecloth, you might find you prefer the sturdier options too.
In my experience, most people either don’t know how to make nut milk or think it’s too much trouble to make. For those that live busy lives, I totally understand that it can seem time consuming. A while back I would’ve even agreed. That is, until the taste test from store bought to homemade plant based milk.
I used to use my amazing juicer for nut milk, however, this is probably the worst way I can think of making nut milk. Why? It’s really messy, you have to do it in batches because the juicing containers don’t hold that much, and you still have to strain it anyway. Not worth it. Now I make nut milk (after soaking the nuts) in about 5 minutes with my Vitamix.
Any high speed blender will do. But before we begin, let’s talk about why it’s worth the trouble making your own nut milk. Homemade doesn’t have any chemical preservatives, it’s fresh, and customizable to any flavor you want.
My favorite nut milks are: vanilla, lavender and plain. I will walk you through all of these!
Making nut milk can be broken down into 3 easy steps: soaking, blending, straining. Any other steps are really about how you want your nut milk to taste.
Macadamia milk
I really only like macadamia nut milk when it’s in my coffee. Therefore, I turn it into a coffee creamer and reduce the amount of water to create a thick cream (typically from 1:3 to 2:3), then sweeten it with maple syrup. It is extremely buttery and delicious, but I still prefer my next two for most of my dairy free milk endeavours.
Cashew milk
One of my favorite “I’m in a hurry” milks because you don’t need to soak overnight, they only need a minimum of 2 hours of soaking. They also don’t need to be strained after blending. There is no skin! So, a high-speed blender or Vitamix can easily pulverize cashews without small pieces being left behind.
Almond milk
Wins the flavor contest for me. Almonds also win because of nutrition. They have a really high vitamin E content!
If I’m running out of nuts, I may make a thinner milk by adding an extra cup of water. It’s really up to you. Some people prefer to blanch the almonds so the almond flavor isn’t so strong, but that’s the reason this is my favorite milk choice–I love amaretto! ♥
Oat milk
Not my favorite, but it’s probably the most cost-effective choice. I don’t like that it’s slimy when you strain it (it helps to strain it twice)…that weirds me out. But once you flavor it, it’s pretty tasty. Worth trying at least once to see if you like it. *Update: I’ve recently learned NOT soaking the Oat milk at all will cut the slime. Still need to try that but I’ve updated this tip into the chart below.
Rice Milk
I LOVE rice milk, but I prefer to make almond milk and cashew milk on a regular basis. Rice milk is there to change it up. One thing to note is rice has a fair amount of arsenic in it, in fact, rice milk exceeds the arsenic limit allowed in our water. Best to make this at home if you like it, but make sure you soak in water and dump at least 2x for minimal arsenic, and use Thai jasmine, rice from California, or basmati rice. I’ve learned to avoid rice grown in Texas because the fields there have too much arsenic in the ground from pesticides and the like (I believe from cotton fields).
Coconut Milk
Ratio is 1:2
You can use shredded coconut or fresh coconut meat. You can boil or not boil. It’s all preference.
I made a chart for you guys on some of my favorite milks and how to make them. Don’t be afraid to try something new and change it up! I am a fan of moderation, so changing it up gives you a variety of nutrients, flavor and experiences. You’ll also find that you like different milks for different things.
I put no soaking for hemp milk because it doesn’t contain a lot of phytic acid. If it becomes your favorite milk and you make it every week, then soak it for a 1/2 hour like oats.
How To Make Almond Milk without cheesecloth
Prep Time
12 hrs
Cook Time
10 mins
Keyword:plant based, almond milk
Ingredients
- 1cupalmondssoaked overnight
- 3cupswater
- 4dates
- 1tspvanilla
- 1pinchsaltI like himalayan pink salt or sea salt
Instructions
How to make nut milk: Instructions with pictures 🙂
Recipe Notes
- Grab a cup of almonds...
- Soak overnight in water
- Take your soaked almonds and rinse them off. DO NOT reuse this soaking water since it contains enzyme inhibitors, phytic acid, etc. Also, generally floating almonds at this stage mean they are rancid. Toss those.
If you’re in a hurry, you can use blanched almonds instead of soaking them overnight, but the flavor will alter slightly since the almonds will no longer be raw--it will taste less like amaretto and more mild. Blanching is done by boiling water, then adding the almonds to the pot for about 5 minutes, then draining, then following the rest of the steps. - Fill your Vitamix/high-speed blender with 3 cups of fresh water and the rinsed almonds. If you want to sweeten with dates, I like to add them here so they get strained after. I add 4 dates.
In the summertime I also will add lavender before I blend so they get strained out too. Lavender makes the most amazing leftover almond pulp too! It smells soooo good! 1 tablespoon of lavender flower buds is typically all I need.
- Strain the almonds through a nut milk bag, fine cheesecloth, or a thin cloth. My favorite nut milk bag alternative is my handkerchief. It's a super fine weave but it will still let you strain liquid through it. My handkerchief is really old so I'm not really concerned about dyes and stuff, but probably best to choose a fabric with little dye.
- Pour the liquid into a bowl with your cheesecloth, fine mesh, or strainer of choice.
- Make sure you gather all the ends up so the liquid is forced through the bottom.
- Squeeze!
- That's all folks! You have made your own homemade almond milk. After it's been strained I add a pinch of salt and whatever flavors I want (cacao, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, strawberries). Salt acts as a preservative and also gives it a little extra sweetness.
For the leftover meal, I usually use it as a body and face scrub/moisturizer in the shower. But…it’s a little messy and clogging if you don’t have good plumbing. Use sparingly.
You can bake it into almond flour, add it to your shakes, etc. Sometimes I’ll bake muffins right after and use the meal for a gluten free flour option.
There you have it! From here, most people store their milk in a mason jar. I like to use the old glass milk jars from the store.
