How to Make Almond Milk
Learn how to make almond milk at home! All you need are almonds, water, and a blender. That’s it! Homemade almond milk has a simple ingredient list and doesn’t contain gums, thickeners, and emulsifiers, like many store-bought options.
We’re getting back to basics today with homemade almond milk. Almond milk is a popular dairy-free, vegan-friendly nut milk, and I’m thrilled to show you just how easy it is to make almond milk at home.
When it comes to nut milk, I’m personally a fan of my homemade cashew milk recipe. But I also understand that some may have a sensitivity to cashews and depending on where you live in the world, cashews can be more expensive and harder to find.
Almonds on the other hand are readily available, cost-effective and this almond milk recipe is just as easy to make. There’s only one slight difference – you need to strain it.
Almond Milk Ingredients
There’s just two ingredients in homemade almond milk – raw almonds and water! But you can tweak the recipe to your liking with a splash of vanilla extract or sweetener, like maple syrup, honey, or pitted dates.
Which Almonds are Best to Use?
The best almonds for homemade almond milk are organic, raw almonds. You don’t want almonds that are roasted or salted, as that oil and salt will end up in your milk, altering the flavor. But you can always add a pinch of sea salt to your milk, if that’s your preference.
How to Make Almond Milk
You’re going to love how easy this recipe is! And there’s really just three steps to making almond milk at home – soaking, blending and straining. Here’s how you do it:
- Soaking: Place the raw almonds in a glass bowl and cover fully with water. Remember that the almonds will absorb some water as they soak. Let them soak overnight, then drain and rinse them.
- Blending: Add the almonds to a high-powered blender, like my favorite Vitamix, along with 4 cups of fresh, cold water. If you’d like, you can add a splash of vanilla extract, a pinch of salt and a sweetener of your choice, like maple syrup, honey or 1-2 soaked dates. Or you can keep it unsweetened. Turn the blender on high for 2 minutes and blend until it’s creamy and smooth.
- Straining: Use a nut-milk bag or cheesecloth to strain the almonds into a bowl. Then pour the almond milk into an airtight container and store it in the fridge.
Do you really need to soak the almonds overnight? I think overnight is best for the creamiest almond milk. But you could get away with soaking the almonds for a minimum of 4 hours. Alternatively, you could soak the almonds in boiling hot water for 1 to 2 hours.
How to Store Almond Milk
Homemade almond milk will last for up to 3 days in the fridge, though it’s best fresh. So I don’t recommend making a large batch or more than you’ll think you’ll use in a couple of days. And it’s so easy to make when needed, there’s really no need to make extra!
Almond Milk Recipe Video
While it’s easy to make this almond milk, it always helps to watch a quick tutorial video. Just click play below!
Can You Do Anything With the Leftover Almond Pulp?
Yes! Place the leftover almond pulp (also known as almond meal) on a baking tray and bake at 200°F (100°C) for 2 to 3 hours until it’s dry. Then it can be used as a topping on yogurt, chia pudding and used in homemade granola and other baking recipes.
More Dairy-Free Milk Recipes To Try
- Cashew Milk
- Oat Milk (that’s not slimy!)
- Banana Milk
- Hemp Milk
I can’t wait to hear what you think of this easy homemade almond milk recipe. Make sure to let me know in a comment below!
How to Make Almond Milk
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw almonds, soaked overnight
- 4 cups cold filtered water, plus more for soaking
Optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, honey, or 1 to 2 soaked and pitted dates
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- After the almonds have soaked overnight, drain and rinse them. Then, place the almonds in your high-powered blender along with the water and any optional add-ins.
- Blend the ingredients on high for 2 minutes, or until creamy.
- Strain the almond milk through a nut-milk bag or a few layers of cheesecloth into a bowl or large measuring cup.
- Pour the almond milk into an airtight storage container and place in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Lisa’s Tips
- These are my favorite glass jars for storing homemade nut milks and this is my favorite nut-milk bag. I also recommend this brand of raw, organic almonds.
- When I’m straining the almond milk, I prefer to strain it into a large measuring bowl as it’s easier to pour into a storage container without spilling.
Nutrition
Recipe originally posted September 2018, but updated to include new information.
A few questions:
I don’t have a Vitamix blender; my Oster blender seems very powerful, but do you know if it’s powerful enough?
Never heard of a nut-milk bag? do you have suggestions?
Where is a reputable organic almond supply to order from?
(the milk jugs are cute…where to buy?)
I haven’t tried using an Oster blender, but you can try! As for a nut milk bag replacement, you can also use a very thin dish cloth instead.
So creamy
Hi,
Thanks for your great recipe. I have one question, if I peel the almonds before I blend them, do I still need to strain it or it can be used just like cashew milk?
I use peeled Almonds to make my milk and I do have to strain afterwards. Remember, Cashews are much softer than Almonds.
How long does the almond milk last?
This will last for up to 3 days in the fridge!
Perfect go to recipe! Very easy
Excited to try this but will need to ask Santa Claus for the Vitamix. Off work since back surgery. Money is tight. I have Celiac and Hashimoto so I definitely try to stick with healthy homemade foods. Thanks for these great ideas.
Daphyne Johnson RN
Can the almond pulp be turned into almond butter?
I haven’t tried doing that, but if you do let me know!
Hello,
Do you leave the soak almond on the counter or in the fridge ?
Hi there! I normally just soak out on the counter.
Thanks for the great recipe. Could you please share how long can you keep the almond milk in the refrigerator after making?
You can keep it between 2-3 days in the fridge. Just watch out for spoiling :)
Hi Hi
I am learning to make my very own Almond Milk.
Oh dear, I bought Roasted Almonds.
Can I still use them or it needs to be Raw?
I will not be adding any sweetener of any kind just a pinch of salt.
Hope that works well too.
Please advise.
Thank you.
Jacqui
Hi Jacqui – this recipe is best with raw almonds versus roasted. You can read my notes above.
Lisa,
You’ve helped me take my healthy cooking to a new level. I’ve learned a lot from you. Your style is simple, healthy, tasty, and makes sense. Thank you for sharing your talent.
So happy to hear that Veronica! I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes :)
How much calcium do you think would be in your homemade almond milk? I drink 2 glasses a day of store bought for the calcium. Thank you. And I love every one of your recipes. Getting ready to make your granula now.
Hi Pamela – unfortunately, that I don’t know. You might want to look at online nutrition information for raw almonds, and deduce from that. But I’m sure that store-bought is also fortified with calcium, so homemade would likely be less either way. Happy you’re enjoying my recipes! :)
u can add 1tbsp white sesame seed with on cup almond for extra calcium and vitamin .hope u like
My dreams came true and I was gifted a Vitamix this past Christmas. This is the first recipe I made and with Lisa’s help, it was a huge success! Thank you!
Love it! Make a double batch almost weekly. Much simpler than oat milk which I was making previously.
Wonderful! So glad you love this almond milk recipe. Great idea to keep a batch on hand in the fridge.
How did you figured out the almond milk nutrition facts?
divided the total Calories by 8?
Hi there- this recipe makes about 4 cups of almond milk and the nutrition facts are always for 1 serving. Hope that helps!
Hi ..Made the recipe this evening.. I do have a question I placed it in the fridge and went to check on it & the water was on the bottom .. is this normal and do you shake it each time before drinking?
Hi Lisa- Yes! It’s totally normal for nut milks to separate. Just give it a good shake before using :)
Hi Lisa,
This was the first almond milk recipe I tried and it turned out yummy using the nut milk bag. Creamy and light tasting. I use it in recipes and to make protein shakes. Thank you!
Hi Chrissy – Happy to hear this recipe turned out to be a success!
Hi there! Thanks for your lovely videos! Can I freeze the almond pulp and then use add it to oatmeal?
Yes, absolutely! And I’m so happy you’re loving my videos. :)
My daughter loves to use almond milk for her Iced Coffee drinks. We made this and it came out great!
Hi Jon- So glad this recipe worked wonders :)
Hi! I tried making the almond milk and added some sweetener but I find it tastes like cardboard. I’m not sure what to do 😩
I’m not sure either. It sounds like you may have had almonds that were going bad. You could always try my cashew milk recipe and see if you like that better. :)
Would you be able to use a coffee filet to strain the pulp? Thanks!
Hi Christine – yes, you could use a coffee filter.
bonjour j ai enfin acheter un vitamix ,je peu enfin faire toute les bonne recettes que vous proposer.ce matin j ais faites le lait d amende sais juste incroyable la faciliter avec votre site ,merci d etre la pour nous montres toute ces mervielle que vous faites .je suis une abonner combler.
Please, can you tell me how did you calculate the calories per serving in this recipe? The part of the leftover pulp is what I can’t figure out. Thank you!
Hi Gabriela – The calories are for about 1 cup of almond milk. This excludes the leftover pulp!
I am blown away!!
I have been making your cashew milk for chia pudding for weeks now, and love it in the pudding but don’t care to drink it plain. I have bought almond milk at store for years but never liked to drink it plain.
Yesterday I made your almond milk for first time and I cannot stop drinking it! It’s best plant-based milk I have ever had. I will never buy from store again.
Thank you so much for sharing all of your recipes!
Hi Liz – Congrats on your first batch of almond milk! So glad this recipe turned out well for you and that you can skip store-bought versions now :)
My husband loves how fresh and tasty the almond milk is. Takes little time and more healthy. I will be making this for him all the time :) Thank you!!!!
Hi Dani – wonderful! I’m so happy you and your husband love this recipe. :)
This was the first recipe I made from Lisa and it was so easy and delicious. I halve the measurements to make weekly and add to my coffee, smoothies or just drink plain. Be sure to use good water as that can affect taste. No tap water if it’s not delicious tasting on its own and be sure it’s cold (I made those mistakes the 2nd time I made this almond milk). For sure a staple food prep and am never going back to store bought if I can help it. Thanks Lisa!
Hi Jennifer – So glad you found this recipe easy to make and delicious! And interesting about the water – thanks for sharing that quick tip!
Hey Lisa! Thank you so much for all you do. I’ve had made nut milks in the past but it would go bad really fast, and the worst part – I couldn’t get it foamy to put in my coffee. Any idea how to do that? Store milks usually have canola oil or other “great” stuff to make it happen. Thanks!
I left the almonds soaked overnight in the fridge. Would it work?
That’s fine.
Hi !
I have a hard time finding organic raw almonds in the O.C area. Can you recommend where you get yours?
Thank you in advance!
Hi Jen- I normally purchase mine from Whole Foods :)
Just found your website, love it….I can’t afford a Vitamix. Will other blenders do the job?
Hi Estella – Welcome to the Downshiftology community! As long as you have a high powered blender, you’re good to go :)
I did the recipe and it turned out really great. I used rice sirup to sweeten it. I am a new member from Germany and are looking forward to try more of your recipes in the future :-)
Hi Tina – Glad this tutorial worked out for you :) Can’t wait for you to whip up tons more new Downshiftology recipes!
Thank you!!
Hi Raysa – Enjoy the recipe!
Hi. What is the shelf life of your almond milk recipe?
Hi Denise – it’s mentioned above, but it will last for up to 3 days in the fridge. :)
I have a couple of questions : Do you refrigerate the almonds that are soaking overnight in the bowl or do you leave them out on the counter room temperature overnight?
Where can I buy that milk jar and cheese cloth?
Hi Mary – You can leave them soaked either in the fridge or on the counter. I usually just pop it in the fridge though. As for the milk jar and cheese cloth, these can be found in the Shop Page on my website!
Hi, I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. I was wondering what brand of almonds you use? The above link is not working.
Thanks.
Hi Sonya – I just fixed the link. :)
Would you be able to do a recipe/video for Oat milk – oatmeal milk?
Hi Jacqueline – I definitely have that on my to-do list :) So stay tuned!
So I have a question when soaking the almonds over night do you keep them at room temperature or put the in the fridge overnight?
Hi Samuel – You can do either one!
Is the nutrition facts not including the optional ingredients?
Thanks
Hi Sarah – no, the nutrition info does not include optional ingredients.
Hi Sarah,
I really enjoy your site and love this simple and delicious tutorial for almond milk. I make a double batch weekly for the family and even the kids love it! I was wondering if you know how long you can expect to keep the baked almond pulp- I also like to run mine in the food processor afterwards for a more breadcrumb like consistency :) thanks in advance!
How much almond milk does this recipe make?
About 4 cups of almond milk.
Thank you! Is there anything I can do with the water that the almonds soaked in? Can you blend the almonds in this water?
I wouldn’t. When you soak the almonds the lectins and phytic acid (anti-nutrients) are leached into the water. That’s why you want to add clean water after you’ve soaked them. :)
Hey Lisa, just made the almond milk, and it turned out great. What can I do with the pulp? :)
Hi Lynette – I have a few tips listed above in the post. :)
I am living Wheat Belly lifestyle. How do I figure the carbs n fiber? I need net carbs. Thanks!
Hi Marilyn – I’m not an expert on figuring out net carbs but I believe its, carbs – fiber which would be 1.7 grams for one cup of almond milk.
You recommend a $600 blender to make almond milk, a little overkill no.
I recommend the Vitamix in general, not just to make almond milk. I use my Vitamix daily for a variety of recipes, including nut milks, nut butters, sauces, dips, spreads, frozen yogurts, soups and more (you can find them all on the “Recipes” section). There’s really no other kitchen product with that much versatility and power, so yes, I do think it’s worth the investment and not overkill. :)
Thanks for the recipe!
I just made mine and it turned out great!
Almonds aren’t cheap where I live so I’m glad that it makes so much with so little almonds. And I love that you can also use the pulp! No wasting!
Thanks again!
You’re welcome, Megan! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! :)
Hi! I love this recipe and tried making the almond milk it home. Turned out really well! I don’t like the thin consistency, and want to make a thicker milk. Can you recommend a way to do that? Would I double the almonds to water ratio? Add something to make it thicker?
Hi Aditi – I would recommend using less water to make the almond milk thicker. You’ll have try out in order to get your perfect consistency, but hopefully this helps! :)
Can I half this recipe in the 64 oz. container?
Yes, no problem.
Thanks for posting this recipe! Re the optional add-ins, can I replace the 1 tbsp of maple syrup with 1 tbsp of Date syrup?
Yes, no problem. :)
Just did it ! I am so happy that is so freaking easy to make and so delicious ?I use almond milk every morning in my green smoothie and it never tasted better!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you ??????
Yay – congrats Vanesa! Glad you enjoyed the recipe. :) x
Thank you so much for this recipe!!! I love the taste, I also find It a bit to watery, I will add less water next time as you suggested. I just wanted to ask you if it is normal that it kind of separates the water and the almonds when it is in the fridge. As soon as I sake it It looks good again but when I open the fridge doesn’t look very appealing . I want to make sure I am not doing anything wrong . Thanks
Hi Nuria – It is normal to see more almond pulp after it’s been sitting in the fridge. If you want to reduce the amount of almond pulp, make sure you strain the almond milk before storing away :)
Can you make this in a ninja blender?
Yes, that should work.
I really like almond milk, it’s one of the dairy-free milk substitutes that I think has a particularly lovely flavour. Good tip to use good quality organic almonds, for a recipe like this, it really makes a difference.
Yes, it’s definitely one of the most popular nut milks and easily available. Though homemade almond milk is always best. ;)
What a fantastic idea! What could be better? It looks incredible! Thank you!
Homemade is always best. :)
Great lesson and the video helps too. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed the video Ginny. :)
This is such a great easy to follow recipe! Homemade is always better too!!
Yes, it’s so easy to make almond milk at home and most don’t realize how easy it is!
The leftovers would be Almond Flour! I use mine usually for when I want some extra protein in my usual non-weekend breakfast of oatmeal, greek yogurt, and honey. Weekend breakfast is Fruity Pebbles. No almond flour.
Yes! Though it tends to be more of an almond meal, which is not as fine a texture as a blanched almond flour used in baking. You can always pulse blend it though to make it finer. :)