Almond Milk | Health | Recipe | Yogurt | Ice Cream | FAQ | Studies
More and more people understand that milk has a particular task. It helps infants to gain weight as quickly as possible.
This fact is somewhat suboptimal. In the end, more people try to lose weight than to gain it.
For this reason, more and more people are turning to almond milk as a healthy alternative. However, store-bought almond milk does not consistently deliver what it promises.
That’s why it’s best to make almond milk at home. In this article, you will learn how easy it is to make homemade almond milk.
What Is Homemade Almond Milk?
Almond milk has rightly gained a reputation as a healthy substitute for cow’s milk. Ultimately, all you need to make it are almonds and water.
That’s why you can make almond milk quickly and easily at home. In contrast to other milk substitutes, it does not require a complex chemical process.
Although nutty, the almond flavor is not too prominent in the milk. Moreover, it’s dairy-free, vegan, and free of lectin-like milk proteins.
In addition, almond milk may contain nutrients that can boost your health. That’s why many health-conscious people also prefer this milk over other products.
The popularity of almond milk has meant that you can find it in the grocery in a variety of forms:
After the food industry discovered the potential of almond milk, the degree of processing of the originally natural product has also increased more and more.
Therefore, good arguments for homemade almond milk arise.
Why Should You Make Almond Milk at Home?
If you make almond milk yourself, it can score with a higher natural vitamin and mineral content.
Almonds are the best supplier of potassium among nuts, with 705mg per 100g. In addition, this nut has more healthy fats and proteins than carbohydrates (*):
- Fat: 49.4g
- Saturated: 3.7g
- Monounsaturated: 8.9g
- Omega-3: 0g
- Omega-6: 12g
- Protein: 21.2g
- Net Carbs: 9.5g
Accordingly, homemade almond milk is better for weight loss than regular milk. In cow’s milk, most energy comes from sugar (*).
Almond milk can score among the nutrients, especially with the antioxidant vitamin E (*).
Provided it is homemade almond milk obtained from untreated almonds, the following health benefits can also be associated with it:
- Reduction of cardiovascular disease as well as mortality in general (Luo et al. 20141)
- Prevention of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (Gorji et al. 20172)
- Reduction of body fat percentage (Liu et al. 20173)
However, the best reason to make almond milk yourself is that the result is much more natural and has a better nutty taste.
In contrast, almond milk from the grocery store often consists of only 2% almonds. In addition, fillers, binders, and emulsifiers are added to make it more durable.
These additives can harm carbohydrate and fat metabolism, instrumental in developing obesity (Paula-Neto et al. 20174).
How to Make Almond Milk at Home
Learning to make almond milk quickly and easily from a cup of natural almonds will give you more natural nutrients.
Alternatively, you can make almond milk using almond paste from the supermarket. However, the best almond milk is made from raw almonds.
And it’s easier than you might think!
Best Homemade Almond Milk Recipe
You can make almond milk at home in just three easy steps:
All you need to do is soak almonds in water overnight. After that, puree the almonds with the water for 2 minutes with the help of a blender. Last but not least, all you have to do is strain the almond milk through a sieve.
And the almond milk is ready for coffee, dessert, or simply as a drink in between!
Homemade Almond Milk (Keto)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup organic almonds or unsweetened almond butter
- 4 cups water filtered
- 1 pinch pink Himalayan salt
Instructions
- If you use nuts, soak them in water overnight. After straining, you can grind them with a blender until they become the consistency of a puree.
- Put the almond paste or butter in the blender and add water and salt. Puree the mixture for 30 to 60 seconds until it is creamy.
- Strain liquid through a fine sieve to remove remaining nut pieces. Return almond milk to blender and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The mixture may settle and thicken. Add more liquid if needed and blend briefly.
How to Make Almond Milk Yogurt
To make yogurt with homemade almond milk, you’ll need an organic probiotic yogurt starter (advertising link) for fermentation.
This easy yogurt recipe is naturally creamy, lactose-free, low-carb, Paleo, and Keto friendly:
Homemade Almond Milk Yogurt (Dairy-Free, Keto, Paleo)
Ingredients
- 4 cups almond milk homemade
- 1 pack yogurt starter organic
- 1 tbsp gelatin powder
Instructions
- Bring 3 cups of almond milk to a boil.
- While cooling, stir the gelatin into the milk. Then stir in the remaining cold cup of almond milk, making sure there are no lumps.
- Pour the yogurt into canning jars and culture with lids on to prevent a thicker layer from forming on the top of each yogurt. Give the cultures 24 hours to ferment.
- After fermentation, the yogurt will be liquid. However, it will thicken over the next 24 hours in the refrigerator as it cools.
How to Make Almond Milk Ice Cream
Like yogurt, this almond milk ice cream comes with almost no carbohydrates and is wonderfully creamy. As a result, it’s dairy-free, paleo-, and keto-friendly.
If you like it sweeter, you can also add a sweetener of your choice.
Homemade Almond Milk Ice Cream (Dairy-Free, Keto, Paleo)
Ingredients
- 4 cups almond milk homemade
- 1 egg pasture-raised
- 1 tbsp gelatin powder
- 1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine almond milk, raw egg, vanilla extract, gelatin, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Then simmer until the mixture begins to pull (vapor threads will form on the surface of the heated liquid).
- Transfer the mixture to a heatproof container and refrigerate for 60 to 70 minutes to cool.
- After the mixture has cooled, pour it into a chilled ice cream maker and let it churn for 30 minutes.
- Store ice cream in a freezer-safe container and freeze for 4 hours.
The Takeaway
Store-bought almond milk rarely lives up to its promises. It’s not a good source of healthy fats nor contains much protein or essential micronutrients.
That’s why making almond milk at home tastes tastier and healthier. Moreover, almond milk is the best cow’s milk substitute for weight loss. Finally, it is tremendously low in carbohydrates.
Therefore, you can’t kick yourself out of ketosis with this homemade almond milk.
Moreover, homemade almond milk is equally practical for intermittent fasting. In fact, in the right proportions, it’s the only milk in your coffee that won’t necessarily break your fast.
You can find out how this can work in my new book:
Homemade Almond Milk Recipe FAQ
How is almond milk made?
With this recipe, you can make almond milk quickly and easily at home. The only ingredients you need are almonds and water.
How many almonds does it take to make almond milk?
This easy failproof recipe takes half a cup of almonds to make 4 cups of almond milk.
Why is almond milk bad for you?
Store-bought almond milk can be full of additives that may harm your health. However, my homemade almond milk recipe can be good for you instead.
How long do I have to soak almonds for almond milk?
To prepare homemade almond milk, you need to soak almonds in water overnight.
Studies Click to expand!
1Luo C, Zhang Y, Ding Y, Shan Z, Chen S, Yu M, Hu FB, Liu L. Nut consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014 Jul;100(1):256-69. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.113.076109. Epub 2014 May 21. PMID: 24847854.
2Gorji N, Moeini R, Memariani Z. Almond, hazelnut and walnut, three nuts for neuroprotection in Alzheimer’s disease: A neuropharmacological review of their bioactive constituents. Pharmacol Res. 2018 Mar;129:115-127. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2017.12.003. Epub 2017 Dec 5. PMID: 29208493.
3Liu Y, Hwang HJ, Ryu H, Lee YS, Kim HS, Park H. The effects of daily intake timing of almond on the body composition and blood lipid profile of healthy adults. Nutr Res Pract. 2017 Dec;11(6):479-486. doi: 10.4162/nrp.2017.11.6.479. Epub 2017 Nov 22. PMID: 29209458; PMCID: PMC5712498.
4Paula Neto HA, Ausina P, Gomez LS, Leandro JGB, Zancan P, Sola-Penna M. Effects of Food Additives on Immune Cells As Contributors to Body Weight Gain and Immune-Mediated Metabolic Dysregulation. Front Immunol. 2017;8:1478. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01478. eCollection 2017. Review. PubMed PMID: 29163542; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5672138.
Stephan is a writer and a true man of science, holding multiple diplomas and master's degrees in different research areas. His greatest passion is closing the gap between the conventional perception of health and the latest scientific evidence – always following the data.
