How to Make Almond Milk in a Slow Juicer or Blender
In an ongoing quest to offset all the cheese and beer that goes down my gullet in the name of research, I’ve attempted to step up my healthier efforts at breakfast.
But after scaring the bejeezus out of myself by reading too many conflicting reports on how much soy we should be ingesting, I’ve kicked soy milk to the curb in favor of almond milk.
So why not make it at home?
The first ingredients on any box of almond milk are water, almonds, and evaporated cane juice (aka sugar) before devolving into a somewhat uneasy list of preservatives and stabilizers.
I’m sure the beer is going to get me long before the tricalcium phosphate does, but I should at least make the effort.
After all, the only two ingredients you need to make homemade almond milk are raw almonds and water. How hard could it be, anyway?
Well… that depends.
I used to use my Vitamix blender to make homemade almond milk, which was super easy but also super frustrating.
The easy part was blending the almonds, but the frustrating part was straining the pulp from the milk. It wasn’t difficult, per se, but kind of messy and I always had a lot of almond meal left over to deal with.
Then I discovered that you can make homemade almond milk—actually any kind of nut milk—with a slow juicer.
Slow juicers, AKA masticating juicers or cold press juicers, are masters at extracting liquid from ingredients.
Instead of using a blade to chop and shred at high speeds, this type of juicer uses an auger to grind and crush whatever you’re feeding into it, pressing the liquid through a filter to strain out pulp and bits.
They can be pricey, but I love my slow juicer for its efficiency. I recommend both the Hurom H101 Easy Clean and Kuvings EVO820 Whole Slow Juicer models.
And now that I know how to make homemade nut milk in a juicer? Game over. The process is so easy—I barely need to life a finger.
The almond meal that’s pressed out is so dry, it’s like every drop of nutty goodness went into the milk.
Densely creamy and rich on the tongue, it doesn’t taste like something you’re choking down just to reap the health benefits.
This is something you could use in place of half and half. This is good.
Watch the video to learn how to make almond milk in a slow juicer as well as with a blender, and read more below.
How to Make Homemade Nut Milk in a Slow Juicer
The process of making nut milk in a slow juicer is almost too easy to describe.
Soak almonds in water for 4-6 hours, then drain.
Turn on your juicer and start adding handfuls of almonds through the feeding tube, dribbling in fresh water between handfuls.
You’ll see the almond milk start to churn in the bowl and the almond meal slowly snake its way out of the pulp chute. (I know, kind of weirdly gross terminology, but that’s what it is.)
When all the almonds have been crushed, open the cap on the juice chute and watch your gorgeous almond milk spill out into the cup.
Yay! You can strain that milk once through a fine mesh strainer to catch the minuscule amount of pulp that made it through, or just leave as is.
It’s really that simple, and there’s not that much mess at the end. (Though that all depends on how much you hate cleaning your slow juicer.)
How to Make Almond Milk in a Blender
If you only have a blender, you can still make homemade almond milk, or cashew milk, or hazelnut milk, or whatever. You’re just going to have to strain it yourself.
Soak your nuts for 4-6 hours, then add to your high-powered blender (not one of those cheapo models) with 1 1/2 to 2 cups water.
You’ll need more water for this method to give the almonds enough liquid to be strained. So the texture of the finished product will be slightly different here.
Blend until the almonds are completely smoothed into a puree, then strain. But not through cheesecloth—it’s not the easiest way!
Instead, buy a set of flour sack towels—they’re washer/dryer friendly and can be used for lots of other fun culinary projects, like making your own kombucha or ricotta, or covering dough as it rises.
Place the flour sack towel in a big mesh strainer, then place that over a bowl. Pour in the almond puree and let it drip through.
This will take some time. and you’ll have to squeeze the towel to really get the full amount of almond milk extracted from the almond meal.
And once you’re done straining your almond milk, you’ll have a towel full of almond meal. Whatever are you going to do with it?
Well, the internet can help you with a lot of recipes.
But one of the easiest is to spread the almond meal loosely on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake it at 300 degrees F for about an hour or until it’s dry and crumbly.
Then transfer it to an airtight container and use it in your granola, smoothies, or breakfast cereals, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Or you can compost it, but that seems like a bit of a waste.
So it’s up to you as to which method you want to try.
But trust me, if you can make homemade Cheez-Its, you can make homemade almond milk.
Use this method for other nut milks as well!
Homemade Almond Milk
Homemade almond milk is creamier and fresher than storebought. Here's how to make almond milk in either a slow juicer or a blender.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (5 1/2 ounces) raw almonds
- water
Instructions
To make almond milk in a slow juicer / masticating juicer:
- Soak 1 cup almonds in enough water to cover them completely for 4-6 hours, then drain.
- Fill a measuring cup with 1 cup fresh water (you may not need it all).
- Use the regular juice filter on your juicer—not the options for smoothies or sorbets, if your juicer has those attachments—and make sure the cap on the end of the juice chute is closed.
- Turn the juicer on and start adding almonds to the feeding chute in handfuls. Add water about 1/4 cup at a time to help the juicer crush the almonds.
- Depending on your preferred taste and texture, you may not want to add the full cup of water, but you'll need at least 2/3 cup.
- When all the almonds have been crushed in the juicer and you've added the water to your preferred consistency, open the juice cap and let the almond milk pour into the juice cup.
- Turn the juicer off.
- You can strain the almond milk through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the small amount of pulp residue in the milk, if desired, or leave it be.
- Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To make almond milk in a blender:
- Soak 1 cup almonds in enough water to cover them completely for 4-6 hours, then drain.
- Place a large strainer over a large mixing bowl, and line the strainer with a flour sack towel. (This setup gives the almond milk room to drain and holds the towel in place.)
- Add the almonds to a high-powered blender with 1 1/2 to 2 cups water.
- Blend, starting on low speed and slowly increasing the speed to puree the almonds.
- Pour the almond puree into the flour sack towel.
- Let the almond milk strain for 10 minutes, then lift the towel out of the strainer.
- Over the strainer, wring and squeeze the towel gently and patiently until the last drops of milk make it into the bowl.
- Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: .5 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 1Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 2mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g
The nutritional information above is computer-generated and only an estimate.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on March 14, 2011 and completely updated with new information, photos, and video on May 22, 2021.
FTC Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Good. Food. Stories. receives a minuscule commission on all purchases made through Amazon links in our posts.
My favorite part of homemade almond milk: You get that creamy goodness, but with very few calories. (Or at least this is my presumption, based on reading the nutrition facts statement of unsweetened almond milk.)
This looks awesome! I have been on a health kick lately too. I’m trying to loose some weight. I’ll have to see how expensive the raw almonds are at my local store. I can’t wait to try it!
I am amazed by your initiative. I, too, switched to almond milk after hearing that it’s better than soy, and I feel so tempted by your description of homemade almond milk. But can I see myself putting in the effort. I’m not so sure…
I am glad that even you have a line when it comes to time-consuming food projects.
Lisa, it’s a fine line, but it DOES exist. Haven’t tried to make my own hot dogs yet, so we’ll eventually see where that falls on the spectrum!
Not for wino!!!
So, tonight, for the first time ever I purchased almond milk. It went along with the vitamix blender, so I can make a lifetime of cocktails, or healthy smoothies. I had never had almond milk until this weekend.
You could also dry out those almonds, grind them up, and use them as almond flour. I bet they would make a nice addition to a graham cracker crust for something like a cheesecake.
Hi Lisa…. I have made almond milk many, many times but now resort to making cashew milk (it’s creamier and I like it better in my coffee); I usually soak the almonds overnight and then rinse well the next day. For 1 cup of nuts, I add 3 cups of filtered water, 2 dates (I happen to like a little sweetness to the milk) and crank the vitamix up to high. With the cashew milk, you don’t need to strain it — just put it your container and you’re done. For almond milk, I bought a nut milk bag that I drape over the vitamix, turn it upside down over a large bowl (the bag has a draw-string) and then squeeze the milk out. It takes all of about 3 mins and you’re done. It’s a little grainier than cashew milk but just wanted to share how I make them. And, yes, as a certified holistic health coach, why buy the box with all the added chemicals when your body is looking for “real” food.
Incredible! I have become obsessed with almond milk lately (I actually really like the Whole Foods brand) but the homemade version sounds fantastic.
I’ve been wanting to do this but feared my battered low-end blender might not be up to the task. Agree that homemade trumps store bought hands down, as is so often the case.
Wow, what synchronicity. I bought my first box of almond milk the week I started Weight Watchers with no real idea what to do with it. I opened it last week and it was so thin. I put some in the butternut squash soup I whirred up in the VitaMix, but all in all, it didn’t do it for me.
I guess home made, as is usually the case, is the answer. Maybe I’ll try that next.
This sounds, how shall I say??–creamily rich.
I wish we could try this, but it seems my DH has some sort of nut allergy thing going all of a sudden … so we’ve been using coconut milk (rather than cow’s milk or soy milk). Think you might try homemade coconut milk anytime soon? hint hint
Roxanne, homemade coconut milk could be an interesting challenge, given my addiction to Thai/Vietnamese/Malaysian food. Stay tuned…
I have resorted to not buying much milk at all any more as I don’t like the non-dairy milks. But if it is as delicious as you say, I just might give it a try.
I’ve yet to try almond milk, but love soy milk. Now I want to try almond, but only if you make me a bottle :). Sounds like a huge project. I wonder if there are any sold commercially that come close to homemade, which sounds so yummy?
Sheryl, all the commercial brands I’ve tried have tasted pretty much the same (though I do think the Whole Foods house brand is my favorite). If there WERE a company that could bottle the fresh stuff, they’d be rolling in it.
I do love almonds and almond milk (soy milk used to give me migraines for some reason). But I’ll probably continue buying it in cartons at the food co-op. Not quite crafty enough for the home-made version.
I’m convinces. I love, love almonds in any form. This looks like so much fun to do. Thanks for this!!
I’m glad I found this post! The way you describe the process of making almond milk actually makes sense to me!I tend to use Almond milk in all by cooking and baking and then coconut for my morning beverages.
Nice! I love Almond Milk solely because it tastes good. Whereas soy: not so much. I just got a blender from my mom. Doin’ this.
I love vanilla flavored almond milk, could you add vanilla extract or scrapings from a vanilla pod?
Kayla, you could definitely add vanilla extract – I’m not sure the vanilla bean scrapings would be as effective unless you were infusing it for a while (and I try to drink my homemade stash within a week or two). I’ve also been adding a tablespoon of fresh B-grade maple syrup to the almond milk in my morning smoothies, which adds another “roasty” layer of flavor.
How long will both the extract and milk (watered down extract) stay fresh in the fridge for?
Ana, I’ve always used up my full batch within two weeks – although I bet it could stay fresh for at least another week.
I make it differently. I blanche the almonds, pop off the skins, then blend the skinned almonds with water and leave *that* overnight, with a few thick slices of lemon tossed in (in the fridge). In the morning, I strain it.
With a little hint of saffron-infused simple syrup, it is heavenly.
You can also use the ground almond for a facial wash. I do the same with azuki beans and either work wonders.
For me a lb of org raw almonds costs $14. I use this more economical recipe
1st make a nut butter using 1lb almonds and 1 tbsp oil of choice. Blend until smooth
Then, add 1 tbsp of the nutter butter to every 2 cups water plus 1 tbsp raw honey and yes 1/4 vanilla extract. Blend on high till you have almond milk.
No waste, no straining. Tastes like it comes right out the box. For $14 you can make 16 quarts of almond milk. That’s $0.875 per quart (makes 4 gals at $3.50/gal…the same as a gal of cows milk)
*That’s 1/4 tsp vanilla
Oh and did I mention you can eat the remaining nut butter? Yes.
I loved your opening line – so funny!!! I will try this for sure as I’ve recently decided I should commit to my GF and DF lifestyle, instead of having periods without eating and then kind of falling off the wagon………. and then thinking oh well, may as well make it a good one. Def try it