There are several reasons why you should start making your own almond milk. Perhaps you are lactose intolerant and you want to enjoy some cereal, or maybe you’re vegan. It’s also really hard (and expensive) to find quality, grass fed organic milk at the grocery store. Or maybe you’re worried about all of the artificial preservatives and chemicals in commercially available almond milk brands, and want to try your own recipe. Whatever your reasons, you’ve come to the right place! Today, we’ll show you 3 easy and delicious recipes that you can make at home.
Before we start, let’s talk a little bit about the benefits of almonds and coconut in your diet.
Almonds
Magnesium is the key component in almonds. These nuts are a natural and tasty snack, loaded with a lot of health benefits. They have plenty of minerals and oils that our body needs in order to stay fit. Below you can find some of the benefits that almonds have to offer:
- Magnesium found in almonds promotes gastrointestinal health.
- They reduce blood sugar, thus helping with diabetes.
- Prevent heart attacks and hypertension.
- Good source of protein and monounsaturated fats.
Coconuts
Coconut is a great fruit that offers a lot of great benefits for your body. Below you can find some of them:
- Lauric acid in coconut can help to stave infections and kill bacteria.
- Coconut oil makes you feel fuller, and the fats present (medium chain triglycerides or MCT’s) are burned directly as fuel!
- HDL (good cholesterol) in coconut can help reduce the risk of heart attack..
As we can see, both almonds and coconuts are packed with a lot of health benefits. Both promote cardiovascular health and may prevent heart attacks. They are also a healthy alternative to many other beverages.
Now, let’s get to the point and take a look at different recipes that you can implement:
Basic Almond Milk (for use in the recipes)
- Soak 1 cup raw almonds for at least 4 hours. (Soaking makes the nutrients in the almonds more bio available for your body, and it also makes them easier to blend.)
- Place almonds in a high-powered blender, and blend, gradually adding up to 4 cups of cold, filtered water.
- Add 1 teaspoon of salt
- Pour almond milk mixture through a strainer lined with cheesecloth. (You can save the leftover almond pulp, and dry it out in the oven to use as a great flour substitute!)
- Refrigerate and enjoy!
Recipe #1
The coconut almond milk in this recipe contains as much calcium as cow’s milk, and the coconut’s fatty acids help to stabilize your blood sugar.
Ingredients
- 14 oz. whole coconut milk. You can either get it yourself from a coconut, or get it in a can from store. If you buy canned, make sure it’s BPA free!
- 2 ¼ cups of Basic Almond Milk.
- 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. If you want a sugar-free version, add 1/4 teaspoon Stevia powder instead.
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- 1 teaspoon of dolomite powder for added calcium.
Instructions
Mix all ingredients together in a saucepan, heat it over medium heat until the powder (if you added it) is dissolved. Refrigerate.
Recipe #2
This recipe is a little heavier on almond milk. It might be a little less frothy, but equally tasty.
Ingredients
- 20 oz. of raw almond milk.
- 10 oz. of whole coconut milk.
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder.
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar (Remember, for a sugar-free version use 1/4 teasp Stevia powder).
Instructions
Mix the ingredients and stir vigorously. Enjoy it cold or in a smoothie with crushed ice!
Recipe # 3
This recipe is great if you are into making your own milk from scratch, as it requires a little more effort.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds, soaked them in water as described above.
- 2 cups of water.
- 2 cups of coconut milk.
- 2-4 pitted dates.
- 1 whole vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon.
- A pinch of salt, to enhance flavor.
Instructions
- Place almonds in a bowl and cover them with the water. If possible, soak them overnight.
- Place almonds with water in a blender. Add to it vanilla extract, dates and the salt.
- Blend it at high speed for a minute or so.
- Add the cinnamon after blending, and mix.
- Pour the milk into a glass container and store it. It should last for 3-5 days.
- You can strain the milk to remove the almond bits; however, we suggest you drink it right away for most benefits.
- If you decide to strain it, don’t discard the almonds. They can be used in cereal, granola or can be eaten with honey.
You don’t have to limit yourself to only to cow’s milk! If you are looking for a healthy change, or if you want to get the most out of your milk, we recommend that you start making your own coconut almond milk today! It is delicious, packed with a lot of nutrients, and the best of all, it’s really good for your body. As you can see, these recipes are simple and easy to follow, and don’t take much time. Do you have any favorite almond milk recipes? Please share in the comments below!