I resisted making almond milk for years. I kept hearing it was easy, but somehow, I couldn’t get my head around it. I don’t like processed almond milk, so I thought, “how good can it be?” Wow! Not only is it simple, it is delicious. To me it tastes like melted vanilla ice cream. Does it get any better than that?
Yes, it does, because it is actually really good for you too. Almonds are a rich source of Vitamin E, calcium, folic acid, as well as the minerals magnesium, selenuim, phosphorus and zinc. Almonds are wonderful for maintaining skin elasticity as well as helping to lower cholesterol and being a good source of protein. Dates play a big role here too. They are a rich source of vitamins and minerals including iron, potassium and calcium and are a awesome natural sweetener.
Almond Milk
Ingredients:
- almonds - 1 cup, raw
Almonds are a rich source of Vitamin E, calcium, folic acid, as well as the minerals magnesium, selenuim, phosphorus and zinc. Almonds are wonderful for maintaining skin elasticity as well as helping to lower cholesterol. They are also a good source of protein.
- water - 4 cups
- vanilla extract - 1 tsp
- himalaya salt - a pinch
- medjool dates - 2
Dates are an amazing source of dietary fiber, and iron as well as tannins, which are known to be anti-infective and anti-inflammatory. These plump and sweet fruits are so rich in essential vitamins and minerals that they are the food of choice when breaking a fast. They are also a great source of quick and easy energy.
- raw cacao powder - 1 tsp (optional; for chocolate milk)
Raw Cacao is rich in cell-protecting anti-oxidants, as well as containing a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. This wonderful bean not only makes everything taste good, it makes us feel good too.
- honey - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Instructions:
Put 1 cup of raw almonds in a bowl, Fill with water.
Put the medjool dates in a separate bowl. Fill that with water.
Soak them both overnight (or for at least 4 hours)
Rinse the nuts in cool water a few times. Do NOT use the water that the nuts have been soaking in. It will make the milk taste bitter. Rinse the nuts until all of the frothy bits are gone.
Put the nuts, the dates AND the date water into the blender. Make sure to take the pits out of the dates before blending.
Add 4 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and a pinch of himalaya salt.
Blend
Strain the almond milk though a cheesecloth, a strainer with a paper towel, or a nut bag (yes, there actually is something called a 'nut bag'. I can't help but giggle when I say it) . That gets out all of the almond bits, so your milk is silky smooth.
If you want chocolate milk, add 1 teaspoon of raw cacao powder and put back in the blender. Sometimes you need to add a 1/2 teaspoon of honey. Taste to see how you feel about it.
Save the nut bits as you can use them in you baking. You can mix them into cookies, breads or oatmeal.
Almond milk has the consistency of skim milk. You can use it anywhere you use milk. You can put it on cereal, in hot tea or coffee, in smoothies or, in a cup by itself just to drink.
On a cold day I make it into a nutritious hot chocolate.
This recipe yields approximately 4 cups of almond milk. The almond milk separates naturally, so give it a quick shake before you drink it. It will last for for 3-4 days in the fridge.
This is a great recipe. Thanks!
I love almond milk and is a great dairy substitute on cereal.
As for a nut bag, well what can I say it made me smirk as well,hehe, though only after it was pointed out, and I had to do a double take (is that indicative of an immature mind on our parts though–I wonder sometimes…). Oh well, good recipe either way.
What I was wondering is what is himalaya salt–how is it different from regular salt?
Himalaya salt comes from an area of the world that was covered by ocean many millions of years ago. As a result, it has all the positive properties of natural salt, like the mineral content, without any of the junk we have polluted our ocean with in the last hundred years.