I finally got around to making my own almond milk and yes, it's a game changer. If you haven't tried homemade almond milk, it's time. It tastes nothing like the store bought kind and it doesn't take that much effort to make it yourself. You do need a crazy powerful blender, I have the Kitchen Aid Diamond Blender which is a much cheaper version of the Vitamix...$100 vs. $400 and it does the same thing.
I like to add honey, dates, vanilla extract and salt to the almond milk to give it that extra zing. Drinking this will make you feel "healthy" (for a minute) since it's raw and vegan.
// Start with 1 cup of raw almonds
// Add enough water and then some to cover the almonds
// Soak them in water for at least 4 hours or overnight
// After soaking the almonds, they turn into bloated almonds. This is where being bloated is good.
// Add the almonds, 4 cups of filtered water and blend on the highest setting.
// Pour the almond milk in a mesh bag and SQUEEZE. You can buy "nut bags" but I already had produce bags in the house which worked perfectly fine and they're cheaper, too. Bonus.
// Now the almond milk is ready and you can flavor it however you want. I like to add 2 pitted dates, 2 TBS of honey, 1 tsp of salt, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Once you add all of the ingredients, blend it again.
// This will keep for at least 4 days in the fridge.
Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup of raw almonds
4 cups of filtered water
2 Medjool dates (pitted)
2 tablespoons of honey
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of salt
Directions:
Soak the almonds in water for at least 4 hours or you can overnight it. Drain the almonds. Rinse them. Drop them in the blender with 4 cups of filtered water. You can use tap water but it will affect the taste of the milk in a not-so-good-way.
Blend it on the highest setting for at least a minute. Pour it through a mesh bag in a bowl.
Squeeze out the milk. Transfer the milk back into the blender with the pitted dates, honey, vanilla extract and salt. Blend again for another minute.
Pour into a container and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Makes about 4 cups.