How to Make Your Own Almond Milk (2 Easy Ways)

A Whole Foods Market specialist once shared a great tip for saving money on healthy eating: make your own almond milk. Dairy-free milks can be pricey, so I had to try it.

As luck would have it, we ran completely out of milk (every kind) the next morning, so I put her method to the test.

Method 1: The 2-Minute Almond Butter Shortcut

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons almond butter (look for one with just almonds and salt, or buy it from the bulk section)
• 2 to 4 pitted dates, depending on how sweet you like it
• 2 cups filtered water
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Put everything in a blender and blend until completely smooth.

That's it!

With two dates, mine was just lightly sweet, which is perfect for cereal, coffee, and oatmeal. Add more dates if you plan to drink it on its own.

Make it chocolate

Blend in 1 tablespoon of raw cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder for chocolate almond milk.

Here are my two versions: chocolate on the left, vanilla on the right.

Method 2: The Classic Soaked-Almond Way

For a creamier, more traditional almond milk:

1. Soak 1 cup raw almonds in water for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse.
2. Blend the almonds with 4 cups fresh filtered water for 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Strain through a nut milk bag or a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth, squeezing out all the liquid.
4. Blend the strained milk with dates and vanilla to taste.

Save the leftover almond pulp to add to oatmeal, smoothies, muffins, or energy bites.

Tips

• Shake before using. Homemade almond milk separates naturally because it has no stabilizers. Just give it a stir or shake.
• Serve it cold. It tastes best chilled.
• Store it in the fridge in a sealed jar and use within 3 to 4 days.
• It's cheaper, especially with almonds or almond butter from the bulk bins. See our guide to the bulk foods section.

Next time you run out of milk, skip the store run and blend up your own!