Make Your Own Almond Milk [video]

Today I'm going to teach you how to make homemade almond milk. It's surprisingly easy, and making it yourself gives you more access to the vitality of almond milk, or its prana. The first time I made almond milk, I thought to myself, "Why have I not been doing this all along?”

In Ayurveda, fresh homemade almond milk is thought to create harmony in the body and mind. Almond milk is tridoshic, which means it can be balancing for most people, but it's particularly nourishing for vata dosha, which means that it helps soothe the nervous system.

Almond milk is also considered a rasayana, or a rejuvenative. Almonds are sweet and slightly bitter, which means they are grounding and nourishing without causing too much heaviness in the body.

This homemade almond milk deeply nurtures all the tissues of the body, which means it's a big ojas builder. It's delicious on its own, mixed into your morning oats, or blended with a morning beverage.

 

Almond Milk Recipe

You can easily adjust the proportions to make as much almond milk as you want, especially if you drink it every day.

One quick note about raw almonds: when almonds are salted and roasted, they are usually pasteurized first, in addition to drying and roasting. Because of this, there is inherently less prana. Use organic raw almonds for the most vitality and freshness. 

Ingredients

• ¼–½ cup raw almonds, soaked overnight
• ½ teaspoon natural mineral salt
• 1–2 cups fresh water
• Dates (optional)
• Vanilla bean (optional)
• ½–1 teaspoon cardamom, cinnamon, or both (optional)
• Cheesecloth (optional)

Directions

Start by soaking the almonds overnight in 2 cups of water with ½ teaspoon of mineral salt added.

After the almonds have been soaked, rub the almonds between your fingers to remove the skins for better digestibility. They come off relatively easily thanks to the soaking. You can discard the soaking water.

Next, add the almonds and 1–2 cups of water to your blender. At this stage, you can add extra goodies for flavor according to your taste. For this recipe, I added pitted dates, vanilla bean, cinnamon, cardamom, and an extra pinch of salt.

Blend thoroughly, making sure that you have the lid on.

If you like a thicker almond milk, you can stop there and drink it as-is, or you can strain it.

To strain, pour the mixture through a cheesecloth and colander. This stage can take a while, so you can help the process along by using a spoon, or you can start to take the corners of the cheesecloth together and give it a little squeeze.

Notes

If you don't have time to soak, you can use what I like to call “the quick-boil” method. Boil a couple cups of water, pour it over the almonds, and let them soak for 15–20 minutes. Then proceed.

If you're using vanilla bean, de-vein it to get the “good stuff” from inside the bean pod, then add it to the blender. (A little bit goes a long way.)

To pit dates, slice each date down the center, then remove and discard the seed. Slice the rest of the date into thin, even strips and add to your blender.

For spices, most recipes call for cinnamon, but I also like cardamom, which brings in a little more balancing action for vata and kapha.

 

Enjoy your fresh glass of almond milk as a snack, alongside a meal, or in your favorite morning beverage. Your almond milk will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container.