Moooove over cows – there are some new milks in town that are delicious and dairy-free! I am talking about nut milks.
Nut milks are a great non-dairy alternative to cow’s milk without the dairy proteins that typically cause inflammation and even allergic reactions in some people. Nut milks are easy to digest, taste great, are affordable and easy to make, environmentally friendly and sustainable, and just plain tasty.
Dairy and I have not gotten along for some time now. I can drink cow’s milk; it won’t give me purple spots on my face or anything like that but it just doesn’t agree with my digestive system.
On top of that, I don’t enjoy ingesting the hormones and antibiotics cows are subjected to, and don’t like supporting the general mass farming practices. Nut milks have been a staple in my diet for years but recently, I have been inspired to create my own unique recipe blends at home.
My almond milk latte addiction has gotten slightly expensive and with a high power blender, you can easily make these at home and spice them up with all kinds of add-ins and flavors.
Quick Tips To Keep In Mind
- Pre-soaking nuts before blending greatly reduce straining and leftover pulp. This is especially true for nuts that have an outer skin like almonds, brazil nuts, or walnuts. I recommend soaking for at least an hour or two prior to blending.
- Nut milks have a shelf life. Mine don’t last for more than 2 days in the fridge normally. Like anything else, your end product is as good as the ingredients you start with. The higher quality nuts and freshness will affect how long your nut milk lasts.
- When making these at home you can adjust the consistency to your desired thickness by either adding more nuts or removing water. My advice is to follow the recipes here or others you like first, then add more filtered water to your preferred taste.
- You will see lots of suggestions on filtering or straining out “pulp” or sediment from your blend. I have found that no amount of straining with totally rid your nut milk of pulp, especially if you don’t have a really high power blender. My suggestion is to blend your recipe and let it settle in a mason jar in the fridge. The sediment will stay at the bottom and there are actually some great recipes and use for the pulp as well.
- Dates are a great natural sweetener. Dates are full of health benefits and actually offer anti-inflammatory properties, unlike real sugar. This fruit has been linked to the reduction in blood pressure and risk of stroke, as well as promoting brain, heart, digestive, and pregnancy health. If you prefer a sweeter milk, add more dates or eliminate them altogether for no added sweetener. Dates will cause the milk to be slightly thicker so you can also adjust the water to your desired thickness.
- Experiment and have fun with different combos of nuts in recipes. All of the recipes below use one type of nut per recipe. However, I have blended up cashews and macadamia nuts, or almonds and pistachios when I had them on hand and I have never been disappointed. Using just a plain fresh nut milk in your morning coffee or to an afternoon tea is heavenly!
- The blends below or the blends you create are a great healthy snack or even a full meal. These are packed with good fat and protein as well as a host of other delicious, nutritious ingredients.
Strawberry Dream
Ingredients
- 1 cup macadamia nuts
- 4 cups filtered water
- 1 cups fresh dates pitted
- 1 cup strawberries
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Other add-ins that are good with this one are cocoa powder and honey.
Cashew Superfood
Ingredients
- 1 cups cashews
- 4 cups filtered water
- ½ cup pitted dates
- ¼ cups dried or fresh blueberries
- ¼ cups goji berries
- 2 tbs maca powder
- ½ tsp vanilla
Green Almonds
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup almonds
- 1 cups pitted dates
- ¼ cups chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon maca powder
- 1 tablespoon spirulina
This one may need honey or additional sweetener depending on your taste. I prefer things less sweet but maca does have a strong and slightly dry bitterness so it tends to need something to balance it out for most.
Directions
- Simply add ingredients and blend on high for 1-2 minutes.
- Store in mason jars in the refrigerator.
- Enjoy within a day or two as these don’t have preservatives and will go bad.
