There are some food that I will never attempt to DIY: cereal, yogurt, my favorite seedy sourdough (sadly, my starter died of neglect months ago.) Still, there are other grocery list staples that I will never buy again. Fluffy hummus, crunchy, steaming English muffins, and almond milk that’s creamier—and way more flavorful—than my go-to tetra pack. But not all homemade almond milk is created equal. It can be gritty, bitter, or watery if made wrong. As a lifelong lactose intolerant, I’ve garnered my fair share of tips for the absolute best almond milk at home. Follow these steps and you may never want to go back to the store-bought stuff.
Back to Basics
Let’s start with the basics: the nuts themselves. You must start with skin-on, raw, unsalted almonds. But I already have a bulk bag of salted, roasted almonds from Costco! I know, I know, but save those for snacking. To get a subtly sweet, ultra-creamy final product, raw nuts are paramount. Soaking roasted nuts brings out their bitterness, and because they’re drier to begin with, they yield a gritty milk. (Soaking nuts also won’t remove any flavors, so unless you want Thai chili- or salt & vinegar-flavored almond milk, use unseasoned almonds.) Another reminder: Nuts are full of oil and can go rancid at room temperature; unsurprisingly, rancid almonds will make sour almond milk. Before you put the effort in, do yourself a favor and taste one to ensure the nuts are fresh, especially if they've been in your pantry for a while.