This article looks at milk alternatives – how to make nut, seed and grain milks.
Plant-based milks are are easy to make, you can make a variety of milks from nuts, seeds and grains.
Why make your own milk
- You will have a fresh product.
- You know what’s in it.
- Store bought milks come with preservatives and additives. Some may even include inorganic vitamins and minerals.
- You get ‘real’ natural nutrients.
- Some store bought brands have only a small percentage of the actual ‘milk’.
- It is more cost-effective to make your own.
- You can be versatile in adding whatever you want to it, such as a bit of date sugar or vanilla.
- You can make it exactly to your taste.
Equipment
- Bowl
- Blender
- Strainer, Sieve, Cheese Cloth or Nut bag
How to make nut, seed and grain milks
The general method is to:
- Soaks the seeds, nuts or grains
- Blend with filtered water or coconut water.
- Strain to remove pulp.
Seeds, Nuts and Grains Used to Make Milk
Just about any seed, nut or grain can be used including almond, brazil nut, cashew, pinenut, quinoa, kamut, spelt, rye, oats, wild rice, fonio, tef, coconut, hazelnut and many more.
General Recipe
1 cup seeds, nuts or grains
3 cups filtered water
3 tablespoon sweetener (agave, coconut sugar, date sugar or 3-4 pitted dates)
1 tablespoon coconut butter (optional)
1 teaspoon natural vanilla (optional)
Pinch of sea salt (optional)
1. Soak seeds, nuts or grains for at least 6 hours or longer if desired.
2. Drain seeds, nuts or grains and then rinse.
3. Add to the blender with 3 cups of water. Add remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth.
4. Strain with a strainer, nut milk bag, or cheese cloth (Some nut milks might not require straining due to smoothness, so check the mixture to see if you are OK with it as is).
5. Serve chilled, room temperature or warm or add to other recipes and dishes as desired.
Note: Store in a jar in the fridge. These milk will not last as long as store bought milk, so best to use within two to three days or freeze for future use.
Individual alternative milk recipes
Amaranth Milk
1/2 cup raw amaranth
2 cups filtered water
Preparation: Soak for 6 to 12 hours or toast for 5 minutes in oven at 350 F.
Instructions: Rinse soaked amaranth through a cheesecloth, as they are really tiny. Blend together with water and strain through a nut milk bag or cheese cloth.
Brazil Nuts Milk
1/2 cup raw Brazil nuts
2 cups filtered water
Preparation: Soak for 6 to 12 hours or toast for 5 minutes in oven at 350 F.
Instructions: Blend together with water and strain through a nut milk bag, cheese cloth or sieve.
Hazelnuts Milk
1/2 cup raw hazelnuts
2 cups filtered water
Preparation: Soak for 6 to 12 hours or toast for 6 minutes in oven at 350 F.
Instructions: Blend together with water and strain through a nut milk bag, cheese cloth or sieve.
Pine Nuts Milk
1 cup raw pine nuts
3 cups filtered water
1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sweetener (optional)
Preparation: Soak for 6 to 12 hours or toast for 5 minutes in oven at 350 F.
Instructions: Blend together with water and strain through a nut milk bag, cheese cloth or sieve.
Hemp Seeds Milk
1 1/2 cups hemp seeds
2 1/2 cups filtered water
Preparation: Soak overnight or for at least 6 hours.
Instructions: Blend together with water and strain through a nut milk bag, cheese cloth or sieve.
Quinoa Milk
1 cup quinoa (rinsed and cooked)
2 cups filtered water, plus up to 6 cups of water
1 tablespoon sweetener (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Preparation: Soak for 6 to 12 hours before cooking. To cook quinoa: 1/2 cup of quinoa (washed) to 2 cups of water.
Instructions: Blend cooked quinoa together with water and other ingredients. Strain through a nut milk bag, cheese cloth or sieve.
Sesame Milk
1 cup raw sesame seeds (ground)
2 cups filtered water
1 tablespoon sweetener (optional)
Preparation: Soak for 6 to 12 hours or toast for 5 minutes in oven at 350 F.
Instructions: Blend together with water and strain through a nut milk bag, cheese cloth or sieve.
Spelt Milk
1 cup rolled spelt
3 cups filtered water
Preparation: For rolled grains it’s not necessary to soak, however you can soak for a creamier milk.
Instructions: Blend together with water and strain through a nut milk bag, cheese cloth or sieve.
Kamut Milk
1 cup rolled kamut
3 cups filtered water
Preparation: For rolled grains it’s not necessary to soak, however you can soak for a creamier milk.
Instructions: Blend together with water and strain through a nut milk bag, cheese cloth or sieve.
Wild Rice Milk
1/4 cup uncooked wild rice
1 cup of cooked
3 cups filtered water
3 soaked dates (optional)
Preparation: Soak uncooked rice overnight or for at least 6 hours.
Instructions: Blend together with water and strain through a nut milk bag, cheese cloth or sieve.
Chickpea Milk
2-3 cups of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
Filtered water
2 to 3 tablespoon sweetener (to taste, optional)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (to taste)
Preparation: Soak chickpea overnight (use lots of water as it will absorb water).
Instructions: Blend with water until smooth as possible to form a paste; you may need to add more water as you blend.
Put on a pot with water on the stove at medium heat, add chickpea paste and let it boil for about 20 minutes. Let it cool, then strain.
Oat Milk
1 cup steel-cut oats
4 cups filtered water
1 1/2 tablespoon sweetener (optional)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
Preparation: Mix oats with 4 cups warm water and refrigerate overnight.
Instructions: Blend together with water and strain.
Coconut Milk
2 mature coconuts
4 cups filtered water (preferably warm)
Preparation: Remove coconut from shell. You may decide to remove the brown outer part. Cut into smaller pieces.
Instructions: Blend together with water and strain.
Now to use your milk
- Breakfast Cereal
- Baking (eg: breads, buns, casseroles etc.)
- Ice-creams
- Porridge
- Plant-based cheese
- Shakes and Smoothies
Chia Walnut Milk Recipe
4 tablespoon chia seeds
2 tablespoon raw walnuts
2 tablespoon raw sesame tahini
2 tablespoon date sugar or agave
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups filtered water
Preparation: Soak seeds and walnuts overnight in 3 cups water
Instructions: Pour into blender, add 1 cup water and blend at medium speed. Add tahini, date sugar or agave and vanilla and then 1 more cup water. Blend only until smooth.
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