In this post, you will learn how to make your own plant-based milk! Save money and control the ingredients with this easy recipe using almonds, cashews, or oats. Plus, I give my personal tips on taste and texture so you can try what works best for you.
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I started making my own plant-based milk about 2 months ago after really diving into ingredients. I had been using Silk Almondmilk for years and mostly chose that brand because it was easily accessible and did not contain carrageenan–one of the few brands that cut this ingredient out first. Now, you won’t find this ingredient in many products anymore because there is a lot of controversy surrounding carrageenan.
What is Carrageenan?
Carrageenan is a derivative of red seaweed that is added to foods as a thickener. It is also used in non-food items including toothpaste and shaving cream. Yum! Although deemed “natural”, our bodies cannot digest it; our stomach’s pH and gut bacteria are not able to break it down. It also provides us with no nutritional value (Tobacman, 2018).
The argument against carrageenan is that it causes inflammation in the body which can lead to gastrointestinal disorders ranging from constipation and irritable bowel syndrome to cancer. It’s also been linked with insulin resistance and glucose intolerance (Bhattacharyya et al, 2015).
One surprising fact that I came across was that its effects on our immune system are similar to what happens when we are invaded by pathogens like Salmonella. Recent studies have been published to refute older studies from the early 2000s on carrageenan’s safety (source). My take is that if there is enough controversy on a particular ingredient, that’s enough for me to omit it. No one argues the safety of whole, unprocessed foods.
What Else is in Store-Bought Plant-Based Milk?
Most popular brands of almondmilk (think Silk and Almond Breeze) contain a bunch of fillers and additives including preservatives (potassium citrate and ascorbic acid), thickeners (sunflower lecithin, gellan gum, and locust bean gum), and my personal favorite, “natural flavors”.
The problem with “natural flavors” is that it is a vague term and companies are not obligated to list what it is made up of. Like “fragrance”, there are artificial and natural versions. But don’t be fooled by the name–both are created in a lab. The only difference is that “natural flavor” has plant/animal origins (source). An example would be “natural blueberry flavor” in muffins. It may not contain any actual blueberries but because they extract a flavor component from blueberries, they can slap that on the label.
A great article by Food Babe talks about the real danger of natural flavors. Not that they are necessarily toxic or bad for you. But that they take on the flavors of real food found in nature without any of the nutritional benefits. They make us want, even crave, the processed food instead of the actual food from which the flavor is derived.
Better Store-Bought Plant-Based Milk
If you’re ingredient conscious but can’t commit to making your own, there are better brands out there. Elmhurst is a great, clean brand that offers a variety of options and can be bought at most local grocery stores. The pros are that they are non-GMO, have minimal ingredients (their almond milk is made up of filtered water and almonds, that’s it!), and actually tell you how many almonds are in each glass! The downside is that it is pricey and is not organic. Read my post about buying organic nuts here.
Another great brand is Malk. They also have a variety of clean plant-based milks and products but unlike Elmhurst, these are certified organic. A downside is that these are not as readily available in local grocery stores. Whole Foods does carry the brand, at least it does locally in South Florida.
Keep in mind that [clean brands] will taste very different than more popular brands because their ingredients are so minimal and pure.
naturallybyjess.com
Keep in mind that these products will taste very different than more popular brands (Silk, Almond Breeze) because their ingredients are so minimal and pure. It may take some getting used to but it’s worth it in my opinion! The same goes for homemade plant-based milk.
How To Make Plant-Based Milk
The basic recipe is 1:5 ratio of plant product to filtered water. This will last about 4 days in the refrigerator when placed in a sealed glass container. I have only tried making this with almonds, cashews, and oats so I will only be mentioning those 3. I typically double this recipe, so I end up using 2 cups of nuts/oats and 10 cups of water. To make your plant-based milk, you’ll need:
- 1 cup of your preferred organic plant product (almonds, cashews, oats)
- 5 cups of filtered water
- 3-4 dates (less if using medjool dates)
- A pinch of salt
- Cheesecloth, nut milk bag, or large flour sack towel
- Optional ingredients include vanilla extract and cocoa powder
For Nut Milk
Soak your nuts and dates in water over night in a covered container; aim for 8-12 hours. Drain and rinse with water. Add only the nuts into a blender with 3 cups of filtered water. Blend for 1-2 minutes, depending on your blender. Add in the dates, pinch of salt, remaining 2 cups of filtered water and vanilla extract if you choose to use this. Blend for an additional 1-2 minutes.
Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl. Drape your cheesecloth/flour sack towel over the strainer or place the open nut milk bag into the strainer. The cheesecloth or nut milk bag works great for almond milk, but I recommend a flour sack towel for cashew milk as the nut sediment is very fine. Pour your raw milk slowly so as not to spill out of the cloth. Once it’s all poured in, gather the corners of your cheesecloth/flour sack towel or cinch the nut milk bag closed and squeeze out any remaining liquid.
For Oat Milk
The gluten in oats will make your oat milk a little slimy; to reduce this, buy gluten-free oats. You also don’t need to soak your oats because this will make them more slimy. Add only the oats into a blender with 4-5 cups of filtered water, dates, pinch of salt, and vanilla extract if you choose to use this. Blend only for 30-45 seconds as this will reduce the sliminess.
Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl. Drape your cheesecloth/flour sack towel over the strainer or place the open nut milk bag into the strainer. Pour your raw milk slowly so as not to spill out of the cloth. Once it’s all poured in, gather the corners of your cheesecloth/flour sack towel or cinch the nut milk bag closed and squeeze out any remaining liquid.
If you want to make chocolate milk at this point, add your plant-based milk back into the rinsed out blender with 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and blend until combined. Pour the milk into a glass container that can be covered or sealed and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The whole process (after soaking) will take you 10 minutes.
Tips and Advice
1. Always try to buy organic if possible. I wrote a post about the 8 products you should always buy organic and all 4 of these (almonds, cashews, oats, and cotton) were on that list. To read more about it, click here.
2. Taste/texture of almond milk. This is very watery but absolutely no pieces remain in the milk after straining. If you are used to Silk or Almond Breeze, this is definitely a very different taste! It literally tastes like you’re drinking almonds. I have used this in oatmeal, cereal, and protein shakes but I’m honestly not a huge fan of this by itself. Unless you really like almonds, this flavor may be a bit too bold for you.
3. Taste/texture of cashew milk. This is a delicious milk! It is creamier than almond milk and has a very neutral flavor. I definitely don’t mind drinking this by itself. You honestly don’t even need to strain this because the nut breaks down very easy. But if you don’t strain it, be aware that you may feel the tiny little cashew dust in the back of your throat. It feels a little like powder but didn’t bother me. If you choose to strain it, use a large flour sack towel as this will catch even the tiniest piece and give you smoother milk.
4. Taste/texture of oat milk. Like cashew milk, this is a very creamy, neutral milk. It’s even thick like real milk. You do get more of a taste with this than cashew milk, but it is very mild. If you make chocolate milk with this or mix it in your cereal/oatmeal, it blends very well.
5. Make plant-based milk blends. Try mixing the options together! Soak 1/2 almonds and 1/2 cashews over night and blend together. I do this when I want to change it up. Doing this gives you a hint of almond taste rather than a full blown almond milk.
6. Buy in bulk. If you see yourself doing this long term, buy in bulk. We buy the nuts and dates at Costco and it is such a money saver. You can also find these items organic there! I’ll break down the cost below.
7. Invest in nut milk makers. There’s a very inexpensive nut milk maker by the brand Lekue that allows you to soak, blend, strain, and store all in one container. This would be ideal if you are making for 1-2 people, but I don’t think it’s very practical for families. There is a more expensive option, that also does everything in one container. The biggest difference is that it boasts being able to make milk in 15 minutes, including the soaking step!
8. Shake before pouring. Because this is all-natural and does not contain additives/thickeners, the milk will separate. This is very normal and just needs a good shake before pouring.
9. Vanilla flavor option. Try using vanilla bean powder instead of vanilla extract. It is definitely not as easy to find but reviewers state that it tastes so much better and you’re likely to find it organic. I prefer not to add vanilla extract because I feel like it added an almost chemical taste to my milk. But it could have been my particular vanilla extract. Play around and find what you like!
10. Experiment with the amount of water. I typically use 5 cups of water when I make almond milk, and my personal preference is to use 4 cups of water for cashew milk and oat milk. I think you should try the initial 5 cups and adjust as you like until you find what works.
Cost Breakdown
The following prices of store-bought almond milk are from my local Publix and Malk is from Whole Foods. I’m only including almond milk for the store-bought options because it tends to be the most expensive of the 3 options.
- Silk Unsweetened Original Almondmilk: $3.77 for 64 ounces ($0.47 per cup)
- Almond Breeze Unsweetened Original Almondmilk: $3.77 for 64 ounces ($0.47 per cup)
- Elmhurst Milked Almonds: $6.63 for 32 ounces ($1.66 per cup)
- Malk Almond Milk (organic option): $5.49 for 28 ounces ($1.83 per cup)
To make your own plain almond milk using Costco’s bulk items:
- Organic Almonds: $15.99 for 1.7 lbs (about 3.5 cups of almonds, or $4.57 per cup)
- Organic Dates: $14.99 for 40 ounces (or about $0.54 cents per 4-5 dates)
- Filtered Water: $0.98 for 1 gallon (or about $0.06 per cup)
Final cost is about $1.08 per cup!
To make your own plain cashew milk using Costco’s bulk items:
- Organic Cashews: $14.99 for 40 ounces (about 5 cups of cashews, or $3.00 per cup)
- Organic Dates: $14.99 for 40 ounces (or about $0.54 cents per 4-5 dates)
- Filtered Water: $0.98 for 1 gallon (or about $0.06 per cup)
Final cost is about $0.77 per cup!
To make your own plain oat milk using Costco’s bulk items:
- Organic Oats: $5.29 for 42 ounces (about 5 cups, or $1.06 per cup)
- Organic Dates: $14.99 for 40 ounces (or about $0.54 cents per 4-5 dates)
- Filtered Water: $0.98 for 1 gallon (or about $0.06 per cup)
Final cost is about $0.38 per cup!
Final Thoughts
Store-bought plant-based milks can be filled with preservatives, artificial flavors, and thickeners that contain very little of their plant derivative. There are much better options (the brands Elmhurst and Malk are great examples) but these tend to be very pricey. If you’re a daily drinker, you will run through this. An inexpensive and easy alternative is to make it yourself using almonds, cashews, or oats. These are just starters, you can make “milk” out of everything from quinoa to bananas! Always remember that homemade options can be so much better than store-bought but if you choose to buy–always read your labels and know the ingredients.
Plant-Based Milk Recipe Card
Very thorough instructions!