Welcome to my newly created category, called Make It Yourself (MIY). I’m pretty sure this acronym will catch on just like DIY did, right? Yeah, I didn’t think so.
This time, though, I’m going to show you how to make delicious, dairy-free almond milk. Since going Paleo a year ago, and knowing dairy sensitivity comes with Celiac Disease, our family doesn’t drink cow’s milk. That’s not to say I can 100% give up on cheese though I do try; my nickname growing up was mouse and I’m trying REAL hard not to live up to it.
I found this recipe from Everyday Paleo‘s website and am in love…Sarah Fragoso has yet to let me down with her Paleo posts of inspiration and amazing cookbooks.
This recipe was really easy, though it requires some prep work, and is fun to have your 2-year-old help squeeze the bag (and make a total mess).
Almond Milk
Note: this is a two day process so you do have to plan ahead
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 2-3 cups of water
- 3 dates (Medjool are best)
- ½ tsp organic vanilla extract
- 1 nut milk bag (you can use cheese cloth and a strainer if you can’t find a nut milk bag)
Day One
Soak one cup of raw almonds in a bowl of water for 12-24 hours in the fridge.
Day Two
Drain the almonds you had soaking for 12-24 hours, add them into your blender (Vitamix) along with 2-3 cups of water (the less water you add the more creamy the almond milk will be-I did 2 ½ cups), dates without pits, and vanilla extract. Blend for a minute or two. Once it is completely blended and mixed, pour your almond milk through the nut milk bag (or cheese cloth and strainer) into a bowl. Squeeze as much of the liquid from the nut milk bag as possible. Once all the milk has drained through the bag you can either toss the remaining almond pulp or lay it on a cookie sheet covered in foil and dry it out in the oven at 175°F until it is all dried out and you will have your own homemade almond meal.
This recipe makes about 2-3 cups of fresh almond milk that will keep in the refrigerator for about three to four days. Make sure to store it in an air tight container.
Tips: I bought my cheesecloth from Bed Bath and Beyond, but know you can find them at any cooking store or even most grocery stores. Also, it can get a bit messy when squeezing, so don’t get discouraged if bits of the pulp make it in there–it’s just added texture.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with almond milk. We use it just like you would with cow’s milk-you can put in your mashed potatoes/cauliflower, add them to smoothies, put them in your cereal, etc. I have noticed my hubby’s migraines are less frequent since cutting out milk. I found this delicious recipe from Little Dog Lost that inspired me to make my own ‘cereal,’ since grains are a no-no with Paleo.
Coconut “cereal & milk”
- 1 oz (about 1 cup) organic unsweetened coconut flakes
- ¼-½ cup slivered almonds
- ½ cup strawberries (or any kid of berry)
- coconut milk, coconut cream, milk, half & half, cream, almond milk, etc.
- stevia (optional)
1. In a dry pan, toast the coconut chips and slivered almonds over medium high heat. Keep shaking and stirring so the chips brown, but don’t burn. Transfer the chips to a bowl or bowls to cool a bit.
2. Wash, stem, and slice the strawberries.
3. If using stevia, stir it into the milk and stir. Stevia tends to leave little super sweet pockets of sweetness, so mix well.
4. Top your cereal with the strawberries, then pour in the “milk.” If your “milk” is too thick, you can dilute it a bit. (I added some homemade almond milk to mine.)
There you have it, two easy recipes and your own homemade almond milk that will spare you the added sweetener and carrageenan. Enjoy!
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