Kitchen Corner: Mega Milks

Smoothies, oatmeal, morning coffee, sauces, and yes, even the occasional dessert, milk is a daily, sometimes hourly thing. So, why not make your own?

Making nondairy, naturally nutrient-dense milk is pretty simple, and there are tons of possibilities for adding extra flavours.

Here’s a handy guide to at-home, dairy-free milk-making.

Almond Milk

Ratio: 1 cup (250 mL) raw almonds to 2 cups (500 mL) water

• Soak almonds for 1 to 2 days before blending. The longer you soak them, the silkier your milk will be.
• Rinse and drain almonds.
• Put them in a blender with 2 cups (500 mL) of water and whizz on the highest setting for 2 minutes.
• Strain the milk through cheesecloth and squeeze any liquid out of the remaining almond meal, which can be used later.

The milk will only last for two days in the fridge, so it’s best to make in small batches. Almond meal can be dried out in the oven, or kept as is to be added to smoothies and oatmeal.

Cashew Milk

Ratio: 1 cup (250 mL) raw cashews to 4 cups (1 L) water

• Cover cashews with water and soak for a minimum of 1 hour.
• Strain cashews, throw in a blender with the water, and blitz until smooth.
• You can choose to strain or not, depending on your preference.

Cashew milk will last up to 3 days in the fridge, so make sure to adjust the ratio to make the appropriate quantity for you.

Coconut Milk

Ratio: 1 cup (250 mL) shredded, unsweetened coconut to 2 cups (500 mL) water

• Soak the coconut in 1 cup (250 mL) boiling water for 15 minutes.
• Blend for 1 minute.
• Strain and squeeze the mixture through cheesecloth to get 1 cup (250 mL) of thick coconut milk.
• Reusing leftover coconut in the cheesecloth, repeat the process to get another cup of thin coconut milk that can either be kept separate or mixed with the first cup.

This milk will last in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for 3 months, so feel free to make in bigger batches!

What to add

How you prefer to flavour your milk of choice is completely down to taste. Feel free to experiment with natural sweeteners such as vanilla, honey, or agave syrup, and spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and even cardamom can complement the nutty flavour perfectly.

Do you have any other favourite flavour pairings for homemade milk? Let us know @aliveHealth #aliveathome