In addition to dehydrating up a storm, I had my first foray into homemade nut milk last week. You all know how I feel about dairy, so this girl does nut milk.
I have to say, making my own almond milk was a wee bit of work but so incredibly worth it. The taste was unreal.
I had been buying the 365 Brand of Unsweetened Organic Almond Milk from Whole Foods. It’s very good as far as pre-made nut milks go – in health and taste – but there are still ingredients in it that I don’t love. And people kept saying it was easy to make it yourself so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.
Now I know. They taste like two totally different drinks.
The real mess was the cheesecloth because you have to strain the almonds to get smooth milk. Cleaning the cheesecloth was a bit tricky so next time, I’ll go with a fine mesh metal strainer.
BUT! I also bought some cashews to try cashew milk. While the taste of almond milk is superior, cashew milk is SO much easier to make and still tastes great.
Cashews don’t have to soak as long, which is a huge plus if you forgot to soak and need some milk (um, that was me this morning!). But the best part is that you don’t have to strain them. Cashews are soft enough that they blend really well. Faster, easier, and less mess! This makes homemade nut milk a much more realistic option.
Everyone knows that almonds are a very healthy nut but what about cashews? Well, did you know that a couple of handfuls a day fights depression? Read more about it here.
Here are the two recipes…
ALMOND MILK
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of raw almonds (organic preferred)
- water for soaking nuts
- 3 cups of water
- a few shakes of cinnamon (optional)
- sweetener: 1-2 dates or figs (optional)
- sprinkle of ground vanilla (optional)
Preparation:
1. Soak the almonds in water overnight or for at least 6 hours.
2. Drain the water from the almonds and discard.
3. Blend the 3 cups of water, almonds (and whatever else you choose – I used only cinnamon) until well blended and almost smooth.
4. Strain the blended almond mixture using a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer.
Homemade raw almond milk will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
I soaked overnight and didn’t use dates or vanilla and it was amazing. A bit of cinnamon adds a nice flavor (I love cinnamon) and serves as an antimicrobial agent.
CASHEW MILK
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup of raw cashews (organic preferred)
- water for soaking nuts
- 3 cups of water
- sweetener (optional): fig, date, raw maple syrup, raw honey (unless you’re pregnant!), or coconut sugar (never agave!)
- a few shakes of cinnamon (optional)
- ground vanilla (optional)
- a dash of pink salt (optional)
Preparation:
1. Cover raw cashews with water and allow to soak for at least one hour.
2. Drain and rinse.
3. Place 3/4 cup of soaked cashews and 3 cups water into a blender or food processor and process until smooth, at least one minute.
4. Optional: add sweetener to taste if necessary.
Homemade raw almond milk will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
You can use more or less water to alter the thickness of your cashew milk, but in general, you want a 1:4 ratio of cashews to water.
You may also choose to strain your raw cashew milk. I, of course, did not.
**In my first round of cashew milk, I did not use any sweetener or salt. Just some shakes of cinnamon. It was good but not great. In my second round, I used some shakes of cinnamon and a fig. Better. In my third round, I used some shakes of cinnamon, a fig (fresh), and a sprinkling of ground vanilla bean. We have a winner!
Both milks are great on their own, in smoothies, or in oatmeal/cereal.
And I made an amazing shake that tasted like ice cream, so I’ll share that with you, too. 😉
KINDA LIKE ICE CREAM SMOOTHIE
Ingredients:
- 1.5 tbsp of organic peanut butter (My choice is Maranatha!)
- 1 banana
- 1 fig (dried or fresh, depends on preference and what you have in the kitch)
- a few shakes of cinnamon
- a cup of almond or cashew milk (use more or less depending on the consistency you like)
- ice
- 1 tsp of cacao nibs
Blend and drink, my friends!
Health Coach Jillian 