Added sugar and other junk, too watery, and tastes processed.

If you avoid dairy, you’ve probably tried the alternatives: soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, even hazelnut or oat milk. I prefer almond milk, but most brands on the market are highly sweetened and fortified with artificial vitamins/minerals. And they just don’t taste very good, watered down and only vaguely almond flavored.

So I make my own nut milk. And it is DELICIOUS. I mean, this stuff is way better than even real cream, in my opinion. Ok, maybe almost better. Here is my nut milk recipe.

Make Your Own Nut Milk: Recipe

Begin by soaking 1 cup of almonds for 24 hours in filtered water and a dash of sea salt. When they are soaked, drain and discard soak water. Dry them out in an oven less than 180 degrees, like with the pilot light on. When they are dry, use 1 cup almonds to about 3 cups water. I like mine pretty thick, but you could use more water for a thinner milk.

Place soaked almonds in blender and pour in the 3 cups filtered water. Blend. Then add 1 tsp or so vanilla, and 1/2 – 1 tbsp honey, depending on your desired level of sweetness. At times I’ve wanted completely unsweet and don’t add anything, at times, a dash sweet. Use raw honey. Add more water if you want it thinner. Blend thoroughly til a bit frothy. Strain out almond residue through a fine sieve. Voila! So delicious. You can save the blended almond residue and use it in smoothies or discard (read: compost).

You can use any nut: walnuts, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, macadamia. Or, try with seeds like pumpkin. I prefer almonds. You could also add carob powder and blend that, or add spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and/or cardamom.

Mary Vance (Certified Nutrition Consultant)

Mary Vance is a Certified Nutrition Consultant and author specializing in digestive health. She combines a science-based approach with natural therapies to rebalance the body. In addition to her 1:1 coaching, she offers courses to help you heal your gut and improve your health. Mary lives in San Francisco and Lake Tahoe in Northern California. Read more about her coaching practice here and her background here.