An Alternative to Dairy - Almond Milk

For those of you that are lactose intolerant or perhaps vegan, there are lots of alternative milk products on the market that contain no dairy. Over the last few years, I’ve cut back on dairy considerably and I’ve tried many different milk-like drinks including rice, hemp seed, and almond milks.

Many are good, but can often contain added, unnecessary ingredients or sugars that I would rather not consume on a daily basis. So to get around this, I’ve been making my own fresh almond milk at home. It’s very easy, requires only a few ingredients and can be tailored to your taste preferences. There are several variations online to the recipe I use below. I've also made a video to illustrate the process:

Almond Milk

1 cup shelled, raw almonds

3-4 cups filtered water

¼ tsp sea salt

4 medjool dates, or other sweetener (can add more if a sweeter milk is desired)

Soak the almonds for several hours or overnight in filtered water in a glass jar in the fridge. Change the water once or twice during that time.

Drain the almonds and place into a blender. Add enough water to bring the volume up to 4 cups, then add, sea salt, and pitted dates.

Blend on high for one to two minutes. Strain the milk using a fine strainer. Add cinnamon or other spices if desired.

Store the milk in an airtight container in the refrigerator and shake well before use. The leftover almond pulp can also be used as an addition to a variety of dishes or recipes including pancake or muffin batters, dips, spreads, stuffings, smoothies, oatmeal and yogurt.