Confession: I don’t particularly care for drinking almond milk straight; I find a sort of bitterness to it. That is a work in progress. But added to recipes such as pancakes or breads or smoothies in place of regular milk, I love it! Experiment with this recipe, straining more if needed, adjusting flavor with vanilla. Have fun with it.
- 1 cup raw almonds (or any other raw nuts or seeds)
- 3 cups filtered water
Soak almonds in water 10-12 hours.
Blend* soaked almonds with three cups of filtered water until smooth. If using the Blendtec, try the Whole Juice setting.
*My particular favorite blender is the Blendtec which is fantastic for everything from smoothies to soups to salad dressings and beyond. I use mine at least twice a day and wholeheartedly recommend it!! Pricey but you will never need another blender again.
You will see bits of the pulverized almonds in the mix…it has such a comforting, wholesome look to it, like oatmeal. Now pour the blended mix into a cheesecloth or nut milk bag (which I prefer as it has MUCH better straining and is very reusable) over a bowl or pitcher.
Gather the cheesecloth or bag and gently squeeze the milk from the pulp. It is silky smooth and very soft, again so comforting. If using cheesecloth, you may have to double-strain depending on the amount of pulp you are comfortable with. At this point, if you are adding the pure vanilla, you may gently whisk some in to taste.
Sample your milk and see what tweaks you might need, pour into mason jars or other homey storage and keep chilled for up to 7-10 days.
My favorite smoothie made with this almond milk and Juice Plus+ Complete Mix:
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup filtered water
1 frozen banana*
generous handful of leafy greens..spinach, kale, chard, a mixture of them all…Tower Gardens are perfect for this**
1 teaspoon of my favorite almond butter
1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
ice cubes depending on how icy you like your smoothies
Blend with your Blendtec until smooth and play with the ingredients as you’d like. I would love to hear about your variations!!
*I love slicing up bananas and freezing them in ready-to-go bags for my smoothies…just do it on a grocery day and you are all set! They make smoothies deliciously creamy and cold when frozen.
**Grow greens and so much more yourself with your very own Tower Garden! Kiddos also have so much fun picking them…let me know if you are interested and I will set you up!
a little gypsy wind... 