Dairy-free milk found in grocery stores is far from fresh and far from healthy. Some include genetically-modified ingredients, additives like carrageenan, or may be packed with artificial vitamins that are not processed by your body the same way as natural sources of vitamins and minerals. Let’s face it, you are not getting what you paid for.
Most almond, cashew and coconut milks on the market are watered down to cut down on costs and to advertise them as “low calorie.” When you discover how affordable and easy it is to make your own dairy-free milk, you will never want to return to the store-bought varieties again.
Why you shouldn’t buy conventional non-dairy milks
If you eat a half cup of almonds, you are consuming approximately 400 calories. In contrast, one serving of store-bought almond milk is typically only 30 to 60 calories. Why is that? Well, it turns out that you are actually buying water infused with a hint of almond. The same is true for cashew milk and coconut milk. Although you may appreciate that the calories are much less, you are not reaping the full benefits of drinking real almond, cashew, or coconut milk, which are all full of nutrients.
Instead of maintaining the full vitamin content, companies pump these products with artificially manufactured vitamins that are not absorbed and assimilated effectively into our bodies. These vitamins are not only less effective, but they can sometimes be harmful. Fortified foods can now be eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Some people might see this as a good way to prevent malnourishment and disease, but as it turns out, you can overdose on vitamins. The risk of toxemia from synthetic vitamins is even greater due to both the concentration of the vitamins and the chemical imbalances they cause in our bodies even in the smallest of quantities.
Non-dairy milks also contain additives that are sometimes harmful and sometimes downright bizarre! Here are some examples: Carrageenan is a seaweed extract that can trigger inflammation and is even considered a possible human carcinogen, according to a report by the World Health Organization. Use of the ambiguous phrase “natural flavors” is often a way to conceal harmful ingredients, even things like monosodium glutamate (MSG) and artificial sweeteners. Vegetable oils, which are hydrogenated and often genetically modified, are sometimes added to non-dairy milks.
The nuts and seeds used in store-bought non-dairy milks are rarely prepared properly, which can affect your body’s ability to absorb the nutrients from the nuts or seeds. First of all, there are fewer nutrients available as they greatly water down the milk. Second, the companies don’t soak the nuts and seeds to release phytic acid. Soaking the nuts and seeds means this chemical is released into the soaking water and is discarded. The nuts and seeds are then more easily digested and their nutrients better absorbed.
Almond Milk
Prep Time:
1 - 2days
Cook Time:
nocook
Total time:
Serves:
1
Recipe by:The Alternative Daily
Ingredients
1cupof almonds
2cupsof water, plus more for soaking
natural sweetener of your choice
Servings: serving
Instructions
Pour almonds into a bowl and cover with water, leaving about an inch of water above the level of almonds. Cover with a cloth or plate and leave on your counter overnight, or in your refrigerator for two days. If you choose to soak the almonds longer, it will result in a more creamy milk.
Strain the water and rinse your almonds to remove the phytic acid, which inhibits the absorption of the almonds’ nutrients.
Add the soaked almonds and two cups of water to a blender and process until smooth. You can use this as a smoothie or thick milkshake, or you can pour the liquid into a cheesecloth-lined large bowl, or a bowl with a strainer on top.
Squeeze the mixture out of the cheesecloth or stir it in the strainer, pressing down on the almond pulp to release as much liquid as possible. You can discard the pulp or save it to use in place of almond flour in recipes (it is drier than regular almond flour).
Add a natural sweetener of your choice to the almond milk, or leave it as is. Refrigerate for up to two days. Food and beverages that are natural have a shorter storage life because they do not contain preservatives. If you have a juicer, you can skip a lot of steps.
After soaking and rinsing your almonds, add them to a juicer and juice with the two cups of water. Then sweeten and store.
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Cashew Milk
Prep Time:
1 - 2days
Cook Time:
nocook
Total time:
Serves:
1
Recipe by:The Alternative Daily
Ingredients
1cupof unsalted cashews
2cupsof water, plus more for soaking
salt or natural sweetener to taste
Servings: serving
Instructions
To make cashew milk, soak the cashews in water overnight in the refrigerator. Cover with a cloth to prevent bacteria from getting into your cashews. Unlike almonds, you don’t have to wait as long to soak cashews because they are softer and the milk will be creamier than almond milk as a result.
Strain and rinse to remove phytic acid and make the cashews more easily digestible. Process in a blender with two cups of water until smooth.
Squeeze the cashew milk out of a cheesecloth into a bowl to separate the pulp.
Add salt if using in savory dishes, or add a natural sweetener if you are using the milk for sweet dishes.
Store in the refrigerator for up to two days. If you have a juicer, you can simply juice the soaked and rinsed cashews with the two cups of water, then salt or sweeten the milk and store it. You can discard the pulp or use it as a cashew “parmesan” dairy-free cheese topping.
Just add salt and nutritional yeast to taste and put on top of savory dishes.
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Coconut Milk
Prep Time:
4days
Cook Time:
5minutes
Total time:
Serves:
1
Recipe by:The Alternative Daily
Ingredients
4cupsof water
1 1/2 to 2cupsof unsweetened shredded coconut
natural sweetener to taste (optional)
Servings: serving
Instructions
Heat the four cups of water over a stove. You want it to be hot but not boiling.
Add the coconut and hot water to a blender and process for several minutes until it is thick and creamy.
Place a colander or strainer over a bowl and strain the liquid.
Press down on the mixture and stir to further remove the liquid from the pulp. If you have a cheesecloth, pour the pulp into it and squeeze out any remaining milk. Save the pulp to use in desserts or discard.
Sweeten with a natural sweetener if the natural sweetness of the coconut isn’t enough.
Store in the refrigerator and use within four days.
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Raw Coconut Milk
Prep Time:
4days
Cook Time:
nocook
Total time:
Serves:
1
Recipe by:The Alternative Daily
Ingredients
1 - 4mature coconuts, depending on how thick you want your milk
3cupsof water
Servings: serving
Instructions
Crack open the coconut and remove the flesh.
Chop the flesh into smaller chunks to make it easier for your blender to process.
Add the flesh and the three cups of water to your blender and pulse. When it is smooth, check the consistency and add more coconut as needed.
Once you have reached the desired consistency, pour into a cheesecloth and squeeze the milk into a bowl, or strain it and press down on the strainer to release more milk.
Storage is the same, but with the fresh coconut milk, the fat will settle on the top over time. If this happens, just mix it in the blender before use.
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Hemp Milk
Prep Time:
5minutes
Cook Time:
nocook
Total time:
Serves:
1
Recipe by:The Alternative Daily
Ingredients
1/2cupshelled raw hemp seeds
3cupsof water
1tablespoonof natural sweetener
pinch of salt
Servings: serving
Instructions
Unlike the nut milks, you do not need to soak hemp seeds overnight. Simply pop them into the blender with three cups of water and pulse until smooth.
Strain and press the liquid out of the seed pulp — a cheesecloth works well.
Add a natural sweetener and a pinch of salt. Stir and serve, or store for up to four days.
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Rice Milk
Prep Time:
5minutes
Cook Time:
nocook
Total time:
Serves:
1
Recipe by:The Alternative Daily
Ingredients
1cupof cooked brown rice or white rice
4cupsof water
Servings: serving
Instructions
This is considered the lazy man’s non-dairy milk because it is so easy to make. You don’t need a colander or cheesecloth and there is no squeezing or pressing to release the milk. All you have to do is add the cooked rice and the four cups of water into a blender and blend until smooth.
Continue blending to break up the remaining rice pieces and make the milk even smoother.
Add salt or natural sweetener to taste.
Store in the fridge for up to three days. Freeze excess amounts and thaw overnight or in a pot before reusing it.
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There are so many ways to make non-dairy milk. These are just six ways to get you started. Once you feel comfortable, you can venture into more varieties of non-dairy milks. You could also try flavoring these milks with spices and food-grade essential oils. To naturally sweeten your milks, you can use any unrefined sweetener in liquid or granule form.
I hope these recipes inspire you to branch out and try healthier non-dairy alternatives. Let us know what you think about them in the comments below.
—Nicole Manuel
Nicole Manuel, CPC is a certified life coach with a degree in economics and over five years of professional writing experience. Her goal is to help others discover ways to incorporate sustainable solutions that can improve their health and well-being on a budget.
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The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
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Non-dairy milks also contain additives that are sometimes harmful and sometimes downright bizarre! Here are some examples: Carrageenan is a seaweed extract that can trigger inflammation and is even considered a possible human carcinogen, according to a report by the World Health Organization. Use of the ambiguous phrase “natural flavors” is often a way to conceal harmful ingredients, even things like monosodium glutamate (MSG) and artificial sweeteners. Vegetable oils, which are hydrogenated and often genetically modified, are sometimes added to non-dairy milks.
