Easy Almond Milk and Chocolate Almond Milk

I work from home and go to school online, so I don’t often leave my house. Being able to make my own food saves time (and money) since I can’t just stop at the store on the way home from work. Almond milk is one of those easy things that you can make quicker than going to the store as long as you have some nuts soaking, which we always seems to have.

Homemade almond milk also tastes way better. It is creamier and fresher. You also do not have any added stabilizers to it. It is just almonds and milk.

For my plain almond milk, I don’t add any sweeteners because I like to use it for cooking too. If you want to drink it plain, you can add a date or two while you blend it to add sweetness.

My chocolate almond milk is naturally sweetened, so you don’t have to feel bad for this “treat”. I actually used the chocolate almond milk as the base of my overnight oats for this morning’s breakfast. If you want your chocolate almond milk sweeter, just add in more dates.

If you want to make more than 2 cups, then double the recipe. I prefer to make in smaller batches so it is fresher. I would suggest keeping in fridge no longer than 3 days.

MAKES 2 CUPS

Plain Almond Milk
INGREDIENTS
– 1 cup raw almonds, soaked overnight
– 2 cups water

Chocolate Almond Milk
INGREDIENTS
– 1 cup raw almonds, soaked overnight
– 2 cups water
– 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
– 6 large medjool dates

DIRECTIONS
1. Soak your almonds overnight in water or for at least 4 hours.

2. Drain and rinse your almonds well. 

3. Add all of the ingredients into a high-powered blender, and blend for 2 minutes on high speed.

4. Drain the mixture using a nut bag over a large bowl. You can let it hang and drip for about 1/2 hour or you can squeeze out all of the liquid using your hands. You want all of the liquid squeezed out of the mixture so you are left with just a dry pulp.

5.  Pour your milk into a sealable container and store up to 3 days in the fridge. You may want to shake the mixture before you use if it has settled a bit.

Notes:
I purchased my nut milk bag online on Amazon, but you can also buy at places like the Bulk Barn. It works much better than cheesecloth, which you can use in a pinch.

You can reserve the almond pulp to make cookies, crackers, and lots of other wonderful items. Check out recipes online. By using the pulp you will get more for your money and won’t waste anything.