Here Is All You Need to Know to Make a Simple DIY Nut milk Recipe to Substitute Dairy Milk (Not Our Chocolate)

From lactose intolerance to veganism, there’s plenty of reasons to ditch dairy milk. Here’s how to make alternative nut milks at home.

If dairy doesn't suit you, or you're lactose intolerant or you're trying to go vegan, nut milks are a great substitute. But they can often be rather pricey. Instead of investing in a store-bought nut milk every week, make your own homemade nut milk. You can be sure that it will be creamy, refreshing, fresh and free of mix-ins like stabilizers. It's milk that you can be absolutely sure hasn't been tampered with in any way, since you’re making it with your own hands, and it's as fresh as milk gets. So here’s how to make your own nut milk at home.

The first step is deciding which nut you want to use. Pretty much any nut does the trick. There’s the vastly popular almond milk, but there’s also other options like cashew milk, pecan milk, walnut milk, peanut milk and hazelnut milk. If you're using almonds or peanuts, make sure they’re the unsalted kind.

Once you’ve made your decision, soak your chosen nuts in a bowl of water. For your first try, use one cup of nuts. Depending on how much milk you need, you can adjust the amount of nuts you use the next time around. Submerge them in enough water that they’re all thoroughly wet. Cover the bowl and let them soak for 6-8 hours or overnight. Once they’ve soaked, drain the water out and rinse the nuts a few times.

Now add those soaked nuts to a blender and add 4 cups of fresh, filtered water. If you want to add any flavor to your milk, now is the time to toss that in too. It could be a sweet vanilla flavor or a chocolate flavor, of any other flavor of your choice.

For instance, if it’s a vanilla flavored almond milk you want, add:

• 1 cup almonds
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp honey
• Pinch of salt
  
  For a cinnamon and date flavored cashew milk, add:

• 1 cup cashews
• ½ tsp cinnamon powder
• 3 dates, pitted and chopped
• Pinch of salt

Another option is a delicious, creamy chocolate hazelnut milk. For this you’ll need:

• 1 cup hazelnuts
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 4 tbsp honey or maple syrup
• Pinch of salt

The possibilities are manifold. Pick your chosen nut and flavor combination, or simply make an unflavored nut milk, by blending the mixture on high speed for 1 minute, and 30 seconds more if needed.

Place a clean dish towel on a large pan or bowl and pour the mixture into it. Squeeze the towel to get all the milk out. Don't throw away the pulp that you’ve collected in the towel, since that is full of nutrients and can go into your next smoothie. The milk in your bowl can now be transferred to a glass jar and stored in the fridge for up to a week, and perhaps a little longer too. If you find that the milk has separated, simply stir it or shake the bottle and it should be back to normal.

Use this milk in your morning coffee or smoothie, add it to granola or cereal, or use it for cooking or any other purpose that requires milk.

Nut milk is also a great option to bake with, and here’s a simple muffin recipe using nut milk.

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
• ½ cup oats
• ¼ cup ground flax seeds
• ¼ cup white sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ¼ cups almond milk
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• ¼ cup oil
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup walnuts, chopped

Directions:

• Preheat the oven. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or grease it.
• Mix together the almond milk and vinegar and set aside so it can curdle.
• In a bowl, add the flour, oats, flax seeds, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well.
• Add the maple syrup and coconut oil to the curdled almond milk.
• Slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Then fold in the nuts and raisins.
• Fill each muffin cup three-fourths full with batter. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean.
• Remove and let them cool. Serve with ice cream.