An almond milk recipe

I almost shouldn't call this a recipe, because it's stupidly easy to make. But I thought I would share, in case you're still buying your almond milk and didn't know how to make your own. Almond milk making started happening a lot when baby was in my belly, and it's become a weekly thing. We make our granola and our almond milk on Sunday or Monday, and then we're all set for the week.

You only need 2 things; a nut milk bag or a cheesecloth and a blender. I use this bag and a Vitamix, that I bought with Amex points. I used to use a KitchenAid and this bag, which worked perfectly fine too.

Almond Milk 

1 cup raw almonds 

4 cups filtered water (plus some for soaking)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon honey or pure maple syrup 

A dash of cinnamon 

A dash of sea salt 

Soak almonds in water overnight. Strain. Add almonds and 4 cups water in blender and blend. Add remaining ingredients, blend until combined. Strain almond milk through the nut bag into a bowl or pitcher. Once most of the liquid has passed through, give the bag a squeeze for those last drops. Chill until icy cold.

Some notes:

The measurements for the flavoring are very loose. It's usually a splash of this, a dash of that. Make yours to your liking. 

Many extracts include corn syrup. Don't buy those ones. Read labels and invest in a good extract. Or, make your own, with some booze and vanilla beans. If you do, buy the vanilla beans in bulk. It will save you loads. 

Homemade almond milk will last approx. 3-4 days in the refrigerator. 

Use it over granola, to make ice cream, or in smoothies. Almond milk and medjool date smoothies make yummy desserts.

I use the leftover almond meal to make a bath scrub with honey and oats. You can also dry it out in the oven or with a dehydrator to use in recipes. There's also a raw brownie recipe floating around on the interwebs that I've heard is really good.

Enjoy.