That carton of store-bought almond milk in your fridge door? It’s surely convenient. But flip it around and read the label. You’ll find gums, stabilizers, and a sneaky sweetener or two hiding behind a small font size.
But homemade almond milk puts you back in charge. With soaked almonds, water, a blender, and a good-quality nut milk bag, a fresh batch takes about 15 minutes to make (plus an overnight soak), and you decide how sweet and thick it gets. This guide covers how to make almond milk at home, from the first soak to the last squeeze.
Why Make Almond Milk at Home?
Three good reasons to learn how to make almond milk, and one honest side note.
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Sweetness on Your Terms: Skip the sugar or stir in a date. Nobody else gets to decide how sweet your morning coffee tastes.
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Ingredients You Choose: What’s in almond milk from a carton? Often gums and added sugar. The ingredients in almond milk you make? Almonds, water, and whatever extras you want.
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Small Batches, Big Flexibility: Make just enough for coffee, smoothies, cereal, and overnight oats. Want thicker consistency for lattes? Just tweak the ratio.
Here’s something to know, though: preparing homemade milk takes time, and it isn’t automatically cheaper than a carton. Raw almonds cost real money. So, think of DIY almond milk as a kitchen ritual with a payoff in freshness and control instead of a budget hack.
How Is Almond Milk Made? (The Short Version)
Factories grind almonds with water, strain out the solids, and often add stabilizers and sweeteners. That’s how almond milk is made at scale. And how do they make almond milk last for months on a shelf? Heat treatment and a few preservatives do the trick.
So what is almond milk made of at its core? All you need are a handful of almonds and some water. Among other things, you need a good, hardy blender along with a nut straining bag or cloth.
What You Need to Make Homemade Almond Milk
The almond milk ingredients list is short, and it requires tools you probably already own.
Ingredients
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Raw Almonds: One cup of unsalted and unroasted almonds per batch. If you want to know exactly how many almonds it takes to make almond milk, the answer is roughly 100 to 120 per cup.
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Filtered Water: Four cups for blending, plus extra for soaking.
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Optional Extras: Dates, vanilla extract, cinnamon, or a little bit of salt (about a pinch). Almonds, water, and salt make a classic 3-ingredient almond milk.
Kitchen tools
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High-Speed Blender: It gives the smoothest results. A standard blender will work.
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Nut Milk Bag: This one’s the hero here. Fine mesh holds back the pulp and is easier to clean than cheesecloth. Here are some premium-quality nut milk bags that will make the whole process much easier.
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Cheesecloth: You can make almond milk with a good-quality cheesecloth too. Typically, a grade 90 cotton cheesecloth for fine filtering so you don’t get any pulp in your almond milk.
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Bowl or Jug: It should be wide enough to hold the open bag while it drains.
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Airtight Storage Bottle: Use a clean glass bottle that has a tight lid.
How to Make Almond Milk With a Nut Milk Bag in Easy Steps
This homemade almond milk recipe makes about 4 cups. Here’s how almond milk is made in six steps.
Step 1: Soak your almonds overnight
Making almond milk starts the night before. Cover a cup of almonds with an inch of water. Soaking softens them, so you can blend them more easily and smoothly to make creamier milk.
The easy overnight route: cover the bowl with a towel or a breathable cloth bowl cover and leave it on the counter for 8 to 12 hours. Keep it in the fridge if your kitchen runs warm.
Step 2: Drain and rinse
Pour the almonds into a strainer and rinse under cool water. Then toss the soaking water. Don’t try to drink it, as it can taste bitter and carries phytic acid, a compound that interferes with mineral absorption. The almonds should be plump and squishy.
Step 3: Grind the almonds with water
Put the almonds and four cups of filtered water into the blender. That 1:4 ratio is your starting point. Want richer milk? Use about 3 cups of water (reduced amount). Prefer lighter? Go for 5 (increased water amount). Pulse a few times, then blend on the max setting for about 1 to 2 minutes, and stop when the water looks white and opaque.
Step 4: Strain the mixture using a nut milk bag
Open the bag in a big jug or bowl and fold the rim over the edge. Pour in the mixture slowly, lift the bag, twist the top closed, and squeeze gently from the top down until the pulp feels almost dry. A gentle squeeze is enough. You don’t need to press hard.
Step 5: Customize the flavor
Wondering how to make almond milk taste better? A tiny pinch of salt wakes up the almond flavor. From there, customize according to your taste:
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Unsweetened: Leave it as is. Unsweetened almond milk suits coffee and cooking.
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Vanilla: Stir in some vanilla extract (about 1 teaspoon).
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Cinnamon: Add 1/4 teaspoon for a cozy note.
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Date-Sweetened: Blend 1 to 2 pitted dates with a cup of the milk, then stir it back in.
Step 6: Transfer and refrigerate
Pour the milk into a clean, airtight bottle, label it with the date, and slide it into the fridge. Shake before you pour every single time. Make sure to consume it within 3 days because homemade almond milk does not have preservatives.
How to Get Smooth, Creamy Homemade Almond Milk
Even good recipes can sometimes not go as planned. So here are some tips to prepare smooth milk.
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Avoid a Grainy Texture: Soak long enough, blend for a full 1 to 2 minutes, and strain twice if pulp sneaks through.
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Adjust the Quantity: Less water means thicker milk; more means lighter. Drop to 3 cups of water or blend in a spoonful of almond butter.
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Strain Without the Mess: Keep the bag in the bowl and squeeze over the bowl instead of over the counter.
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Sweeten Without Overpowering: Add a little sweetness at a time. Also, a pinch of salt makes the almond flavor pop.
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Expect Some Separation: Homemade almond milk has no stabilizers, so solids can settle. Shaking will fix it.
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Shortcut Options: Out of almonds? Here’s how to make almond milk from almond butter. Just blend 2 tablespoons into a cup of water. You can also use almond flour. Simply blend 1/4 cup almond flour with a cup of water, then strain.
What Can You Do With Leftover Almond Pulp?
Don’t toss that pulp. The Almond Board of California’s trend research points to growing interest in upcycling almond pulp at home. Here are some ways you can put that pulp to use.
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Oatmeal and Smoothies: Stir in a spoonful to give them a little body.
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Pancake and Muffin Batter: Fold it in for a nutty texture.
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Energy Bites and Granola: Mix with oats, nut butter, and honey.
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Almond Meal: Dry it in an oven for about 2 or 3 hours, until completely dry, then use it in suitable recipes.
Quick storage note: fresh pulp is moist and perishable. Refrigerate it quickly and use it within a couple of days, or freeze it. Dry it thoroughly before storing it as a dry ingredient.
How to Use Homemade Almond Milk Every Day
Now that you know how to make almond milk, below are some instances where you can use a fresh jar:
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Morning Coffee and Lattes: Warm the milk gently first, then pour the coffee in slowly.
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Matcha: Whisk the powder with a splash of hot water, then add cold milk.
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Overnight Oats and Cereal: Stir equal parts rolled oats and milk, then chill overnight. For a warm bowl, just simmer oats in milk.
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Smoothies and Shakes: Blend 1 cup with frozen fruit and a spoonful of nut butter.
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Pancakes, Muffins, and French Toast: Make them the way you do. Just do a 1:1 swap for dairy. Out of buttermilk? Just stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice into 1 cup of milk and wait 5 minutes.
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Creamy Sauces and Soups: Swap it in for dairy milk and heat gently so it doesn’t split.
Quick texture note: Homemade almond milk can behave differently from the carton kind. With no stabilizers, it may separate in hot coffee or run thinner in recipes.
Almond Milk Recipes Beyond the Glass
Ready for more? These almond milk recipes are worth the detour:
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Chia Pudding: Here’s how to make chia pudding with almond milk. Whisk 3 tablespoons of chia seeds into 1 cup of milk and chill overnight.
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Boxed Pudding: Whisk it into cold milk and chill it for pudding.
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Ice Cream: Blend frozen bananas with a splash of milk until smooth. You can also add coconut cream and churn.
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Yogurt: Simply take a probiotic starter, a thickener like agar, and add them to the almond milk. Then let it sit for some time.
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Cold Foam: Here’s how to make cold foam with almond milk. Just Chill and froth. Expect looser foam than dairy.
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Creamer: Blend a cup of almonds with 2 cups of water, plus a date and vanilla.
How to Clean and Care for Your Nut Milk Bag
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Empty the Pulp Right Away: Scrape it out before it dries and sticks.
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Rinse Thoroughly: Flush the mesh from both sides with cool or lukewarm water.
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Wash by the Label: Follow the manufacturer’s care instructions. Some bags tolerate a machine wash while others don’t.
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Dry Completely: Hang it up somewhere airy. A damp bag in a drawer invites mold.
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Check Regularly: Sniff it and look for lingering odors, stains, or tears. Replace it if the smell won’t go.
How Long Does Homemade Almond Milk Last?
Once you know how to make almond milk, the next question is how long it lasts. Short answer: homemade almond milk has no preservatives and isn’t shelf-stable, so the fridge is where it stays.
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Make Small Batches: Plan to finish it within a few days. Three is the safe day limit when it’s been chilled the whole time.
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Refrigerate Quickly: Go straight from bag to bottle to fridge. Don’t leave it out for more than 2 hours.
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Know the Spoilage Signs: A sour or off smell, a slimy texture, or visible mold means it’s time to throw it out. When in doubt, always toss it.
Is Almond Milk Healthy?
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Sugar, Protein, and Fortification: Unsweetened versions run low in sugar, but almond milk has far less protein than dairy or soy milk. Many cartons add calcium and vitamin D. But your homemade won’t contain any.
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Water Footprint: Almond milk water usage is a fair concern, since almonds are thirsty crops. The amount of water required varies by orchard and region conditions. At home, making a gallon of almond milk needs about a gallon of water, plus extra water for soaking almonds.
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The Healthiest Pick: Which milk alternative is the healthiest depends on your goals. Homemade almond milk is a healthy dairy-free option. It’s naturally low in calories and lets you control the ingredients, making it easy to avoid added sugars and additives. However, it’s lower in protein than some other plant-based milks. Other options, such as soy, oat, coconut, and rice milk, offer different nutritional benefits depending on your needs.
Conclusion
Store-bought almond milk gives convenience, but a jar you made yourself is better. Just soak, rinse, blend, strain, and chill. That’s how to make almond milk with a nut milk bag, and you don’t need any gums or preservatives.
Do it once, and it starts becoming a habit. Swap in hazelnuts or pecans, and now you know how to make nut milk of every kind. Want to start with almond milk, though? Just grab raw almonds tonight. And tomorrow, a fresh glass of homemade milk could be waiting.
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