Almonds are cholesterol free and rich in vitamin E, protein, and magnesium. Not only are they great for you, but they are also versatile, and delicious in their many forms. You’ve probably bought almond milk, almond butter, and almond meal at the grocery store many times if you enjoy eating clean, healthy, vegan food. It can get a bit expensive though, so today I’m going to show you all how to make all three (almond milk, butter and meal) at home using raw almonds bought in bulk. It’s easy, cheap, delicious, healthy, and vegan. :)
First Up: Almond Butter
Ingredients (yields about 2/3 cup):
1 Cup Almonds
Dash of Salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F and spread almonds onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes until lightly roasted and crunchy.
Throw almonds into a food processor, and blend away for about 15 minutes. You should mix between pulsing and continuous processing until the almonds turn into “butter.” You may have to stop a few times and push the mixture down on the sides with a spatula.
Sprinkle with sea salt and blend for another 30 seconds.
Tip: If you want your almond butter to be super smooth, you can throw in a small spoonful of coconut oil while blending.
Second Up: Almond Milk
Ingredients:
Use a ratio of 1 cup almonds: 2 cups water
Dash of vanilla extract
Drizzle of honey for desired sweetness
Cheesecloth
Directions:
Soak almonds in water overnight
Drain almonds, and throw into a blender with the correct amount of water.
Blend until slightly chopped
Spread out cheesecloth over a large bowl, and dump out mixture on top.
Drain the almonds, squeezing to get the maximum amount of liquid
Add a tiny amount of vanilla extract, and stir in honey until it is as sweet as you would like it to be
Third Up: Almond Meal
Ingredients:
Leftover almonds from making almond milk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300F, and spread your almond mixture out onto a baking sheet
Bake for about 1 hour
Place into the food processor until finely ground
wonderful post on almonds and there many gifts, thank you.
i noticed in your milk recipe that the first line reads:
Use a ratio of 1 cup almond milk: 2 cups water
I think it maybe should read 1 cup almonds, not almond milk
to 2 cups of water.
Tammie – you’re right! sorry for typo!
I love making almond milk at home. It’s a lot cheaper and you can make just as much as you need instead of buying a big carton!
The best way to imbibe the rich nutrient content of an almond (as all nuts) is to soak them overnight in water. Nuts are seeds…when you imbibe a seed with water it comes to life. Nuts can be very rough on the digestive system…but when soaked they become a living food with enzymes ready and waiting to bring you all the vitamins and minerals in a form you can easier digest. You can then make your milk,roast,butter up,just eat, and still get the most out of the nut with out working so hard for it.
Love almond milk, no more cows milk for me.
Thank you so much for this post! This is amazing!!
My roommate has recently become lactose intolerant and we have been paying out the ear for almond milk instead of cow’s milk for our morning granola. I cannot wait to try the almond milk recipe and start seeing my grocery bill go down! I am also intrigued about the almond butter. I have never had it, but I love almonds so I am sure it will become one of my new favorite snacks!
If you’re serious about making almond milk, I would highly recommend investing in an actual almond milk making machine. I found a used one for $50 and it works like a charm. Everything is stainless steel, so I expect it to last quite a while.
My first attempt at making almond milk in my vitamix and straining it with cheesecloth was dispiriting and messy. It was not something I looked forward to and it quickly fell out of my routine. I’ve had the almond milk maker for several months and have made a habit out of using it to make delicious almond milk. It’s quick, clean-up is easy and I’m making milk more consistently!
Can you use already roasted and salted almonds for almond butter? I use Whole Foods almonds.