Homemade Almond Milk + Triple Berry Smoothie

McKenzie loves an almond milk latte in the morning.  My usual is an Americano with a little half-and-half.  But I do keep almond milk on hand for smoothies.  In the summer, I make my husband a smoothie every morning for breakfast.  (In the winter, it’s oatmeal.)

This week, I experimented with making my own almond milk.  I have to say, I’m hooked.  It has a delicious, nutty flavor and a great mouth feel, similar to milk.  I might even switch to almond milk lattes now. 

And it’s ridiculously easy.  Just soak raw almonds in water overnight.  Strain, cover with water again, blend for a few minutes until the almonds are completely pulverized, and then strain the resulting liquid through cheesecloth to get out the almond meal.  There you have it!  Almond milk.

Homemade almond milk keeps in the refrigerator for about 3 days, so only make as much as you’ll use during that time.  With at least one smoothie a day, we’re going through a lot of it!  And don’t throw away that almond meal.  Add it to pancakes, muffins or cookies for added protein, fiber and heart-healthy fats.

Here’s the recipe for almond milk, and a bonus recipe for our current favorite smoothie:  the Triple Berry Smoothie.  Frozen berries make the smoothie thick and rich, and add a lot of satisfying fiber.  Ground flax adds even more fiber and heart-healthy essential fatty acids.  Whole dates add sweetness (and even more fiber!) without any added sugar.  The homemade almond milk adds nutty richness, but you could certainly use store-bought almond milk instead.  Just look for an unsweetened variety. 

I hope you enjoy, making the almond milk and smoothie for someone you love!

Homemade Almond Milk

1 cup raw almonds

Water, plus more for making the almond milk

Add the raw almonds to a bowl or jar and cover with water.  Place in the refrigerator and let soak overnight, or up to 2 days.

Strain the water from the almonds.

Place the almonds in a blender and cover with 2 – 3 cups of water, depending on how thick you like your almond milk (I used 3 cups).  Blend on high for 2 – 3 minutes, or until the almonds are completely blended and the water turns a milky color.

Strain the almond milk through a strainer lined with cheesecloth.  The almond milk will keep for about 3 days.  Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.  Save the almond meal and add to cookies, muffins or other baked goods.

Triple Berry Smoothie

Makes 1 smoothie

1 cup almond milk

1 tablespoon ground flax seed

2 dates, pitted

1 cup berries (I used a combination of raspberries, blackberries & blueberries)

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth.  Enjoy!

Although we do work with the National Raspberry Council, we were not compensated for this post.  All our opinions are our own.  We really do just love berries!