How to Make Homemade Almond Milk

Hello, friends! I'm Ginny Mahar, your thyroid health and cooking coach and today, I'm thrilled to share one of my favorite DIY recipes that’s both delicious and perfect for anyone looking to cut back on dairy (or who needs to avoid it altogether): Homemade Almond Milk! 🥛

Whether you're sensitive to dairy or just looking for a dairy-free alternative to cow's milk, making your own almond milk at home is a game-changer. The recipe below is creamy, naturally sweetened with dates, and soooo much better than anything you can buy at the store. Plus, it's free from the thickeners, emulsifiers, industrial oils, flavorings, and sugars that you often find in store-bought versions. It also happens to be gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo, low-carb, and vegan. 

You might think homemade almond milk is difficult to make, but it's so quick and easy and requires just a few simple ingredients. I can't wait to show you how it's done. Let’s dig in!

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Why Make Your Own Almond Milk?

If you’ve been following along on my thyroid-friendly journey, you know I’m a big fan of making things from scratch whenever possible. Not only does homemade almond milk taste way better than what you can buy at the store, but it also gives you complete control over what goes into the finished product.

While not all Thyroid Thrivers need to avoid dairy, most will feel better and experience symptom improvement by doing so, according to Dr. Izabella Wentz. Dairy can be a common trigger for inflammation, especially for those of us with food sensitivities or gut health issues. While dairy isn't an inflammatory food for everyone, it is inflammatory for those of us who are sensitive to it. 

I had no idea how much better I would feel without dairy until I cut it out and realized it was indeed a dietary trigger food for me. For me, greatly reducing my dairy consumption and sticking to cultured types of dairy like small amounts of aged raw milk cheeses (Parmesan Reggiano, Asiago, Romano) or the occasional bit of buttermilk or yogurt in a recipe, I've been able to greatly reduce symptoms like acid reflux, joint pain, and bloating. I used to eat a lot of dairy and was even a cheesemonger in Seattle. These days, I feel bloated just thinking about drinking a glass of cow's milk! 

There are countless dairy-free milk alternatives available at the store, but many of them are packed with additives, lacking in nutrients, or don't jive flavor-wise with our favorite dairy-containing recipes. By making your own almond milk, you're opting for a cleaner and more affordable dairy alternative that still gives you that wholesome, creamy goodness of regular milk. You can control the flavor, the richness, and the ingredients so that you know exactly what's in it. 

Using Almonds vs. Other Tree Nuts for Milk

While I used almonds in this recipe and video, any tree nut would work. Try experimenting with cashews, macadamias, pistachios, pecans, walnuts, or a blend.

One reason I chose almonds is because they are fairly high in calcium. Unfortunately, much of that calcium does not end up in homemade almond milk. Store-bought almond milk is often fortified with calcium, bringing it up to levels comparable with cow's milk. With homemade almond milk, it's obviously not fortified. So, if you're eating almonds for the calcium, it's better to eat them whole. 

• Calcium in 1 ounce of whole almonds: 75 mg
• Calcium in 1 cup of unfortified almond milk: up to 30 mg
• Calcium in 1 cup of cow's milk: 300 mg
• Recommended daily value of calcium: 1,000 - 1,200 mg for adults

That said, homemade almond milk does offer some nice nutritional benefits:

• Vitamin E: Almond milk retains a significant amount of vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that supports skin health and protects cells from oxidative damage. Vitamin E can also combat inflammation and other effects of stress on the body. A cup of almond milk can provide up to 20-50% of the daily recommended value, depending on the concentration​ of almonds used.  

• Healthy Fats: Some of the unsaturated fats from almonds are present in almond milk, contributing to heart health and reducing inflammation.

• A Light and Lovely Option: While almond milk contains some of the healthy fats found in whole almonds, it has significantly fewer fats than whole almonds​. It's also low in carbs, especially when unsweetened. Overall, homemade almond milk is lower in calories than cow's milk and other common dairy-free milk alternatives like coconut milk (which can be very high in fat and calories). Almond milk contains just 30 - 40 calories per cup, so if maintaining a healthy weight or weight loss is a goal for you, almond milk could be a good choice.  

Ingredients and Equipment You'll Need:

Ingredients:

• Almonds (or any nut of your choice): Adds a naturally sweet creaminess to the milk.
• Sea Salt: Enhances the flavor of the milk.
• Dates: Naturally sweetens your milk without adding sugar.
• Vanilla: This is optional but can add a layer of warmth and aroma to the milk.
• Filtered Water: Filtering your water is a powerful way to reduce your exposure to thyroid and endocrine-disrupting toxins. The award-winning water filter I use at home is called the Epic Pure. You can get 20% OFF their products with the coupon code: HYPOCHEF.

Equipment You'll Need:

• Blender
• Jelly bag or nut milk bag
• Glass jars or bottles for storage

How to Make Homemade Almond Milk

1. Soak Your Almonds: Start by soaking raw, unsalted almonds in plenty of filtered water. You can soak them for a few hours or overnight in the fridge. Soaking not only makes the nuts softer for blending but also reduces phytic acid, improving nutrient absorption and activating enzymes that aid digestion. This step is key for making a creamy, smooth almond milk!

2. Blend: After soaking, drain and rinse the almonds, then blend them with fresh filtered water, a pinch of sea salt, and dates until smooth. This may take a few minutes of high-speed blending to completely pulverize the nuts and get the most out of your milk.

3. Strain: Strain the mixture through a jelly bag or nut milk bag to remove the pulp, leaving you with fresh, creamy almond milk that is perfectly smooth.

4. Store: Pour your almond milk into a clean glass jar or bottle and refrigerate. It’ll keep for up to 5 days, but it’s so good, it probably won’t last that long!

📺 Watch and learn how to make your own almond milk on my YouTube Channel! 

A Few More Tips for Your Best Almond Milk Yet

• Experiment with Flavors: Feel free to get creative by adding ingredients like vanilla bean, vanilla extract, cinnamon, turmeric, or even a little cacao powder for a chocolatey twist!

• Save the Pulp: Don’t throw away that almond pulp! It can be dried out and used in baking, added to smoothies, made into "pulp meal" (similar to oatmeal), or even turned into a natural face scrub.

• Invest in Good Equipment: A high-quality blender and nut milk bag make all the difference.

• Consider an Almond Cow: If you make nut milk often and want to make it as quickly and conveniently as possible, consider investing in an Almond Cow Nutmilk Maker—my Thrivers Club Members have raved about theirs!

How to Use Your Homemade Almond Milk

There are so many ways to use this delicious, freshly made almond milk. Here are a few ideas and recipes to try:

• Drink it straight!
• Use it to make smoothies like this Chocolate Protein Smoothie
• Add it to your coffee or tea (try it in a Matcha Latte!)
• Use it to make anti-inflammatory Golden Milk
• Use it to make chia pudding like this Horchata Chia Pudding
• Use it as a milk replacement in recipes. The flavor is fairly neutral, so it should work as a 1:1 replacement in most recipes. Try it in this Pumpkin Sage Macaroni and 'Cheese' recipe.

Thank you for joining me on this culinary adventure. If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends and family. And don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more delicious, thyroid-friendly recipes and tips!

Until next time, I wish you happy cooking, happy thriving, and the best of health! 🌱

Sources:

• https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/going-dairy-free-to-reverse-hashimotos/ 
• https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/top-9-takeaways-from-2232-people-with-hashimotos/ 
• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/almond-milk-health-benefits 
• https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/ 
• https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-Consumer/