Making almond milk at home is super easy. The total amount of work involved is less than 10 minutes and the benefits of homemade almond are numerous. For one, you get to control what goes into the almond milk. You control the sweetness and flavoring. And there are no chemical additives in home made almond milk. All thats in it are almonds and water and whatever flavoring you choose to add. Pure and simple.
I like adding Indian flavors like cardamom when I make almond milk at home. It reminds me of the traditional badam kheer – which is a heavy smoothie of milk, almonds, cardamom and saffron. In this recipe, I’ve lightly sweetened the almond milk with dates. You can leave it out for unsweeted almond milk or add sugar instead of the dates.
If you have a Vitamix, its the best way to make almond milk at home. It blends the soaked almond into a creamy puree in no time. If you don’t have a Vitamix, use whatever powerful blender you have. Or enter the Vitamix giveaway below for a chance to win this awesome blender!
When you are done making the almond milk, you will have almond meal as a by product. Don’t throw it away. Its good stuff! I save the almond meal in a zip lock bag or tupperwear and add a little to my breakfast smoothies. Others like to dehydrate the almond meal, and freeze it for use in cookies etc.
Home made almond milk will keep in the fridge for about 5 days.
Homemade Date Cardamom Almond Milk Recipe
Makes about 4 cups
Ingredients
1 cup raw almonds
1-2 cardamom pods
4-6 seeded dates
4 saffron strands. Optional
Method
1.Soak the almonds in plenty of water over night, about 8 hours.
2. Drain the soaked almonds, and put them into a blender (I used my Vitamix), along with 3 cups of water. Add the cardamom and dates to the blender.
3. Blend on medium-high speed till all the almonds are well blended into a homogenous puree, about 2 minutes.
4. Line a fine mesh strainer with two layers of cheese cloth. Place a bowl under the strainer. Pour the pureed almonds into the strainer, gather up the cheese cloth into a ball, and gently squeeze till all the almond milk comes out.
5. This first extract of almond will be thick. Add more water to it to dilute it to your preferred consistency.
6. If you wish, you can make a second extract – scoop the almond meal in the strainer and put it back in the blender. Pour 1-2 cups water and blend. Strain the second extract of almond milk through the strainer. This extract will be thinner. You could also use this thinner second extract to dilute the thicker first extract.
7. Sprinkle saffron strands, if using, on top of the almond milk.
8. Home made almond milk will keep in the fridge, in an air tight container for about 5 days.
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I would make milk shake with it
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Welcome back Sala. Good post
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I will make mango yoghurt smoothie..
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This is such a different and superb recipe…
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This looks great! I love cardamom! My favorite spice. The first thing I would make with my Vitamix is this recipe.
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I would like to make smoothies using the vitamix.
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I love almond milk! And smoothies! There are so many possibilities!
Now if I could only get that rafflecopter to actually work…
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Sala @ Veggie Belly Reply:
March 7th, 2014 at 8:08 am
Brenda, please try refreshing the page and see if the rafflecopter works. If it still doesn’t work for you, don’t worry about it, I’ve taken your comment as an entry
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I would like to make some almond milk!
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WOW! What an amazing recipe and amazing giveaway! I would have to say that I would make, if I won, my own peanut butter or a date caramel sauce.
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I would make lots of smoothies and nut butters.
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I would love a vitamix! Our blender is the worst. I’d love to make pesto in it! Or peanut butter.
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I will put it to tasks that my regular mixer wouldn’t dare to do. Thanks for the giveaway!
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Sounds yummy!
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I would use it for a smooth coconut chutney to go with dosa!
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I would make almond butter.
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I love Vitamixers! My parents used to have one. I miss it.
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I have been wanting to make Dosa from scratch, and now I am thinking they should be followed up with an almond milk smoothie!
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I will make delicious mango smoothies…
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This shake looks delicious but in this cold New England weather the first thing I’ll likely make is a soup!
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Thanks for a great method to make my own almond milk. Awesome! Also thanks for the chance to win a Vitamix!
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nice way to know what good use the leftovers can be put to
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Simple, pure goodness!! Thanks for the receipe.
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This sounds so yummy. Would be nice warm in the evening. I have been wanting to try to make my own almond milk.
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Great recipe! I will be making plenty of smoothies for the summer
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Hi
I follow your recipes a lot! I would like to try this for myself as my kid is allergic to nuts
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Almond milk looks great with all the flavors! I’ll probably try out the green smoothie or the almond milk…
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Omg I’ve been wanting a Vitamix so bad. I’d make almond milk…ur recipe sounds so good. And I’d make different kinds of flour and peanut butter….smoothies and soup!
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Almond Milk is my alltime favorite and I prefer it make it myself with real almonds and my kids love it. I use my blender to pulp it and then strain it using a thin strainer. Thanks for recipe. Adding saffron will definitely add color and flavor to the milk.
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My kids are not fruit eaters on a day to day basis . They would rather drink milk in the evenings.
So if I were to win the vitamix, I will probably start making fruit smoothies and make their evening drink more healthy!!!
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I would love to have a Vitamix…. I would make avacado kebab dough and avacado smoothie and avacado soup..
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I would love to try grinding while wheat berries into fresh homemade wheat flour since the store bought ones are oxidized. Also am a big fan of smoothies and nut milks.
This almond milk recipe sounds yummy . Can’t wait to try it!!( if/when I own a Vitamix
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My husband and I have been dreaming about a
Vitamix for a while now. But as students, it’s just way
Out of our budget. Would love to win one so we can
Make our own nut butters, etc at home.
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There are so many things I’d want to make – a delicious smoothie for starters, but perhaps some yummy coconut chutney to go with idlis and sambar as well!
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I would love to try grinding while wheat berries into fresh homemade wheat flour since the store bought ones are oxidized. Also am a big fan of smoothies and nut milks.
This almond milk recipe sounds yummy . Can’t wait to try it!!( if/when I own a Vitamix
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Will make green juice!!
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If I were to win a vitamix , I will be making loads of juices and smoothies.
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I would love to make organic green smoothies and nut butters using vitamix. Thanks for the awesome recipe and this wonderful giveaway.
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This looks delicious! I’ve always wanted a vitamix for making soups and smoothies!
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I’ve recently joined the green smoothie wagon and have come to realize the limitations of my highspeed blender
Vitamix would be awesome to keep the smoothie habit going..the cherry on the top would be making my own almond milk! I just use store bought ones now, which is a pretty time consuming process to go through the list of ingredients and pick out one that sounds clean 
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I’ve heard of a few black bean burger patty recipes where the patty mix is made using a vitamix! I think I may try this as my first recipe. Bake/pan-roast it after perhaps?
Avoid the brain freeze that smoothie stores hand out. Hehe
Also, lots of home made smoothies
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i love to make fine pastes for traditional manglorean coconut curries
Vini
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If I were to win the Vitamix, I would make a nice soup, something fresh and spring-like. My friends have one and they gave demos of all the cool recipes you make with it- the blender is so versatile, it’s amazing!
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Would love to make some great tasting green smoothies for my daughter. Would be great to get some extra super nutrients into her while she is just enjoying a yummy smoothie!
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On a regular basis I hope to be able to make green smoothies without requiring the ingredients to be peeled or chopped very finely. What really excites me is that I will be able to finally get the super smooth consistency of an Indian gravy(restaurant style).
Currently I enjoy making fruit smoothies using my blender.
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What wouldn’t I make with a Vitamix! Dips and spreads, soups, maybe some desserts and of course…..smoothies!
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I would make a green smoothie….2 cups spunach+1 tbsp peanut butter+1 cup mango+1/2 cup peaches..yummmmm
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I don’t have a Vitamix, but currently my favorite thing to use my blender for are soups- whether they be hot ones now for cool weather, or cold gazpachos in the summer! I hear the Vitamix is power so that it might cut down on some of my prep time chopping!
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I would make this smoothie in a Votamix! Heard lots of good things about these.
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With my Vitamix, I would make a smoothie for breakfast, some cold soup for lunch, and a bourbon milkshake for my dessert after dinner.
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I’ve had my eye on some vegan chocolate mousse recipes, but my 35-year-old food processor can only do “chopped” and not “well blended” these days. I’d love to replace it with a Vitamix. Seems only right since I had a job when I was 15 years old doing the washing up for Vitamix demonstrations at the town fair.
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Thanks for the give away, hopefully this is not a spam. I am leaving the comment here to get registered for the give away.
Regarding recipes with Vitamix blender, i would definitely try Almond milk. Vitamix is like a magic wand in your hand, so powerful….you will not restricted in making or exploring a new reciepe with it. My blender cannot handle lot of things and it just died on me couple days back.
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I’m pretty sure the first thing I would make in a Vitamix would be different flours such as oat and almond, as well as soups because it’s so quick and easy for dinner! I pretty much only use my current blender for smoothies, and at times soups but it doesn’t do as well as my food processor.
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All I’m thinking about – infinite smoothie ideas!!
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This super yummy and healthy dates- almond milk is what is definitely on my mind to try out!
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First thing I would blend is try out your recipe for Date, Cardamom, Almond milk. Then try the eggless date cake to go with it.
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I would make a green smoothie with pineapple, mango, kale & spinach and a bit of water! I absolutely love that smoothie. Or almond milk as I’ve never made that before!!
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Love the Vitamix – Would love to get an update to this latest one. Will be making one of your awesome recipes in your honor!
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I would love to try making tortilla soup
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ABC drink: Apple, Beetroot, Carrot juice with coconut water. Healthy and tasty.
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I would love to have the Vitamix and make more healthy choices!
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If I had a Vita Mix, I’d make this almond milk recipe first! Sadly, I have no blender…
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I would like to make fresh veggies and fresh fruit juices in vitamix as a step to healthier life.
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I would live to make breakfast smoothies especially the green smoothies
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Yummy! This looks absolutely delicious. Thanks for the fabulous recipe
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Love the recipe, hope i win !
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That is a delicious looking drink!! Love the picture of your fridge
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How is it possible I don’t have one? I know.
. Hmm, I’d make this recipe. I’m not just saying that, but I’ve used vitamix before for many things. Just never made almond milk. It looks perfectly smooth and luscious. So I’d try that, then maybe a perfectly smooth green smoothly. Mine are kind of chunky right now, lol! Thanks for this awesome giveaway, Sala!
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Thank you for the recipes ! Veggiebelly is my go to blog when I need a recipe
A vitamix ( ye gods ! Pls help me win !) would precipitate a change in my lifestyle towards healthier smmothies, soups n shales
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My favourite thing to make in my current blender is my daily morning breakfast smoothie. If I had a Vitamix, I would try to make coriander powder, using my mom-in-law’s traditional recipe. My current blender doesn’t make a fine enough powder.
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I have been following your site a year and have been enjoying all the recipes that you post. I have been trying to build up the nerve, and my bank account, to spend the money on a Vitamix but something more important always seems to take away my Vitamix funds! Anyways, it would be a pleasure to own one and to take my eating and living to the next level.
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Sala @ Veggie Belly Reply:
March 7th, 2014 at 10:06 am
I love that you have a Vitamix fund!!
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That looks delicious! I love dates with smoothies or milkshakes or with almonds as a snack so I bet almond date milk tastes amazzzzzzzzzzing!!!
I think the first thing I’d want to make in a vitamix would be tahini or maybe some healthy nutella. Yummm
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Love almond milk with an Indian twist!! Can’t wait to try to it and other wonderful recipes in Vitamix.
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Of course, your almond milk would be the first if I win the Vitamix..Count me in..:-)
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I would absolutely love a Vitamix! I’ve been eyeing one for over a year. I’d make so many green smoothies with this thing! And creamy hummus too.. anything that can be blended, I want in!
xoxo
Maria Anne
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I would like to make almond cherry milk.
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lovely recipe….will definitely try it…
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I will try this almond date milkshake right away. I love your blog!
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My Mom has a Vitamix, absolutely amazing. This recipe sounds delish
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My mom has one and she uses it for almost everything from smoothies to soups! What intrigues me the most is the ability to make soup in it! Would love to have one
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I’m a newbie on making my own nut milks, and adding dates and cardamon sounds awesome! I have been making green smoothies every other day, trying to drink something besides coffee and tea during the day and getting my kids to eat more vegetables and fruits. I have an old beehive Oster blender that I have been asking too much from, and is near it’s end, so something more powerful would be great!
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Hey i would love to make Spinach and blueberry smoothie with greek yogurt
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If I won the Vitamix I would make lots of fruit and vegetable smoothies. Ooh and nut milks too!! mmm
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I would love to continue making almond milk with a nice powerful blender. I currently have an indian one but it has its issues. I made idli, chutney, soups, almond milk, and peanut butter!
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If the won the Vitamix, I would make a green monster smoothie that I have seeing all over.
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I would make almond milk as my son is allergic to cow milk and I would love to try making it at home instead of buying store product.
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The first time I would make is a raspberry and spinach smoothies!
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Yumm!! I will make Hummus, with garlic, chillies and cilantro!
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I think the first thing I will make is a veggie/fruit smoothie, I’m out of shape and would love to start eating more healthier! I think this blender would provide me with the right healthy nutrition my body is looking for!
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The first thing I would make with my Vitamix is juice from my garden: beets, kale, carrot. I live in CA so we grow veggies year round!
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I will make carrot soup and smoothies.
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My favorite thing to make would have to be banana ice-cream. Its so simple and you can mess around with all sorts of flavors. I have made it for so many people and haven’t had one person spit it out haha. One of my favorites is banana “cookie dough” (bananas, dates, vanilla bean or lucuma) yum!
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I make kaju katli for my kids as they are crazy about it but my current blender gives me a bit of granules. If i win that’s the first thing I will make with the almond milk next. It looks delicious
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I’d make nut butters and smoothies.
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Thanks for the recipe.
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a banana smoothie!
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I would probably make black bean soup because right now I don’t have the capability to make that from scratch
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I would love to try and make some almond butter in a Vitamix!
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My mom has a vitamix and it’s so awesome! I’d love to have my own. I’d definitely make a banana daiquiri first.
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I would make almond butter. Thanks for the giveaway!
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I would love to make juices, smoothies and soups using vitamix ¡¡
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