This post was inspired by Nuts.com an amazing family-owned company out of New Jersey selling high-quality and tasty ingredients since 1929. Since I cook with almonds and snack on them all the time, they asked if I would help spread the word about the nutritional value and versatility of almonds. I was excited by the prospect of doing something new (well, new for me) with almonds. Check out all the nutritional information about almonds on their site. This post is unsponsored. All opinions contained herein are my own.
I’ve been drinking a lot of horchata in Mexico City. I go to a place called “Que Bo!” on my lunch break where I alternate between getting spicy Mexican hot chocolate and horchata. It’s hot there now, calling for chilled refreshing drinks, but here in New York, the weather is just perfect. The coy spring keeps the temperature crisp. Hints of sunlight melt winter woes. This almond milk recipe is befitting this time of year not only in its flavor profile, but in its meaning as well. It’s basically the horchata without the rice or sugar. It is straight up almond milk–water filtered through ground almonds–kissed with cinnamon, a touch of salt and vanilla (all optional). An earthy and refreshing concoction that’s so easy to make, I have no idea why I haven’t done it before.
Drinking from the fruit of the almond tree, a refreshment brought to life through the addition of water, is a symbol of spring and our relationship to the seasons. It’s a microcosm of the cycle of our mortal coil. While almond milk seems like a new-agey, hippie thing to make, cultures have been making it since the beginning of time. It’s old world, steeped in the history of everything. We met an old man in Spain on our honeymoon a few years ago whose family has been making horchata in a tiny store in front of ancient Visigothic ruins for generations. When we told him that we found him through the internet, he called his son over to show him that he was famous. “Mira, hijo. Soy famoso!” He couldn’t believe that his store would be written about on the internet machine.
In our culture almond milk is an alternative, in other cultures it’s a thing. It always has been. For all these reasons it lends itself to mindful savoring, something we all could use a little more of in life, though it tastes so good that it’s hard to sip slowly sometimes. The best part about making almond milk is that you are left with the ground almonds full of flavor, which this week I used to bake a flourless banana almond cake. I’ll share when I perfect the recipe.
Spring’s ephemeral nature is what makes it so precious. All things dormant assault the senses, sun on the skin, flowers in your nose, honey on the lips. I want to hold onto spring because it makes me feel that the good times are all ahead. It’s like savoring the first sip of a familiar, but forgotten drink, knowing that there’s more, but the first sip is always the best. The dead leaves in the dark corners remind me of old troubles, which also renew themselves, like nature around them. They linger as a reminder, but they’re less powerful now because of the buds and the blooms. It’s a cycle and we’re all in it, whether we’re making an ancient drink new, discovering an old city or holding the daily worries in our minds that millions of people before us had in their minds too. We’re in good company.
I hope you all have a great week and get outside just a bit! Happy Earth Day!
VANILLA ALMOND MILK
Ingredients:
- 1 cup raw almonds, soaked in water (for an hour or ideally 8-12 hours)
- 3.5 cups filtered water
- 2-4 pitted Medjool dates, to taste (I used 2 large)
- 1 whole vanilla bean, chopped or 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- small pinch of fine grain sea salt, to enhance the flavor
Directions:
Place almonds in a bowl and cover with water. It’s preferred to soak them overnight (for 8-12 hours) in the water, but you can get away with soaking for 1-2 hours in a pinch.
Rinse and drain the almonds and place into a blender along with filtered water, pitted dates, and chopped vanilla bean. Note; I don’t have a blender so I did this in batches with my food processor.
Blend on highest speed for 1 minute or so or grind for a about a minute.
Place a two layers of cheese cloth over a large bowl. You can also use a milk nut bag (yes, these things exist) and slowly pour the almond milk mixture over the cheese cloth being careful not to let any of the grains fall into the bowl. Gently squeeze the bottom of the cloth to release the milk. Don’t be shy about squeezing for a while.
If you want you can repeat this step, pouring from this bowl to another if you let too many nuts slip through (total metaphor for life here, btw).
Ladle or pour the milk into a jar. Add the cinnamon and pinch of sea salt and stir to combine.
Store in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. Shake jar very well before using as the mixture separates when sitting. This milk is incredible on its own but it also pairs so well with cereal or granola.
I often use almond milk for baking. Your recipe looks so refreshing and I am sure, as you suggest it is very good in cereal or granola. I am guessing the dates are used to add natural sweetness. This recipe certainly celebrates all the good things on the earth – Happy Earth Day.
Thanks, Jovina. That’s really cool that you use it for baking. I’m not surprised. It adds great flavor. The dates are for a hint of sweetness and you barely notice that they’re there. So good. Happy Earth Day to you too. I look forward to your thoughtful comments 🙂
my favorite thing about the food culture right now is the use of EVERYTHING. parts of animals that were thrown out (in the US anyway) are now norms that you see on menus or available for purchase. and making homemade almond milk garners not only something nutritious to drink but the grounds of the almond flesh itself to bake with. perfection.
I totally agree, Lan. People are becoming less wasteful and more resourceful, not just out of necessity, but awareness and I love it. It’s a good earth day message!
Horchata (orxata in Catalan) is very popular in Spain and is generally made with chufa (chufes) – tiger nuts. Apparently the name orxata comes from from ordiata, made from ordi (barley). It is said the orxata de chufes originated in Ancient Egypt and was brought to Spain by the Moors. Valencia had the perfect climate for growing chufes (tiger nuts) and is therefore considered the horchata capital of Spain. I’m familiar with quite a few wonderful old fashioned orxaterias in Barcelona. These places are definitely worth a visit when visiting.
…and now you’ve got me wanting to try horchata de almendras – in Mexico, of course 😉
Oh yes, MD ! I love the chufa horchata in Spain, but I sought out this man because he’s the only one making it in with almendras instead of chufas in Andalucia. And i hate to admit it, I sooooo prefer the almond one. After tasting that, I couldn’t go back to the tiger nut, though I sometimes order it online and bottled to remind me of Spain. When I realized how easy it was to make (and in mexico they add rice too) I had to go with almonds for preference and availability. I love the old fashioned orxaterias. LOVE. If you go to andalucia, seek out this man. He’s in Sevilla. He’s a renegade in Spain, but maybe he’d be a regular old guy in Mexico 🙂
Perhaps the almond version relates to there being a better or cheaper supply of almonds in the south. I believe horchata is made with varying ingredients in many Latin countries and parts of Africa too 🙂
I think we sound make it our goal to try them all, MD!
Good thinking 🙂
Amanda, lovely words and really beautiful pictures for this simple, delicious almond milk. I make nut milks more and more often these days, as Pierre seems to dislike cow’s milk more and more. I don’t usually use any of the extra ingredients, but you make me want to try, and just drink it straight. I really enjoyed the story about the horchata guy in Spain! How moving. And I love that you use the pulp as well, I usually just add it to yoghurt, or make “truffles”.
Brilliant. I thought of you as i was making this because this recipe had you written all over it. Thanks for the compliments. I love that horchata man. 😉 xo
I always wonder what you’ll think of my next recipe! 🙂
Aw. Great minds think alike. I always look forward to your recipes. There’s not a thing you’ve made I wouldn’t cook and eat myself. Your tastes have influenced mine!
Making almond milk is quite new to us but we love it! It’s one of those processes that really make you feel like you are grounded and at peace. The internal flower child appears! 🙂 We’ve been buying store bought for years but the flavor and texture doesn’t compare to making it at home. My son loves horchata and I’ve never made it for him. After reading & seeing this that’ll have to change. And what a great idea to sweeten with dates! I could drink a whole mason jar right now. I love your post today. You really capture the essence of Spring both in words and visuals. Great lighting!
Thank you so much, Seana! I agree with you. I’ve had almond milk from the store and never really liked it that much. But THIS!!! We did drink the whole thing in a day and then some. So much for mindfulness. I love that you started doing this a while ago. I think that anything that takes a little time when the reward is so much greater than store bought becomes meditative and not just nourishing, like making risotto. Thanks for your thoughtful comment as always. It’s always so great to hear from you. Enjoy the week!
What a perfect post for Earth Day! I have never tried sweetening almond milk with dates. It sounds delicious!
Thank you, Jenny. I thought I’d try something new and dates are kind of subtle in flavor. It worked. xo Have a great weekend.
Your pictures have never looked better. Love almonds, and almond milk. Pray for water in California… And happy Earth Day!
Thanks so much, Michelle. Happy Earth Day! Isn’t it derby season? I expect some Kentucky goodness very very soon 🙂
Omg Amanda! Do you know that I literally JUST tried almond milk the other day? It always seemed watery and thin compared to soy-milk (which is my go-to) but one night last week we were out of it, and I made myself an almond milk hot chocolate. It was so good! Making my own never occurred to me, but it looks pretty simple! Does it taste a lot better than store-bought milk?
LOL! We’re cosmically connected. I agree with you about seeming watery from the store. I think if you make it yourself it’s not watery at all. It’s rich and nutty. It’s much better than store bought. Almond milk in hot chocolate is a brilliant idea. Nuts and chocolate were meant for each other. It is easy to do. Soak the nuts for a bit, grind, add water and strain. So SO good. xo.
Amanda, this is brilliant. Almonds are so good and so healthy and I didn’t realize, it was so easy to make. I’m definitely going to give it a try (I always have almonds and fresh dates at home). You’re talented, I like reading your post and I agree with Michelle your pictures are stunning 🙂
You’re like me, Linda! I always have almonds and dates. I’d say they’re the one constant in my house. Thanks so much for the compliments. I’m still learning with the photos. It’s a constant experiment and it’s fun. I’m loving following you all over instagram. xo Enjoy the weekend.
I’d heard about making almond milk and since I use store bought almond milk daily – you’d think I would have tried it sooner. But seeing yours has motivated me. I love the Medjool dates in there. Very glad you posted this. Gorgeous photographs as always.
Thanks, Lindy. Making your own is so easy and I think it tastes better. You can use the leftover almonds in cakes, on salads on fish or whatever. The dates are a subtle touch. Let me know if you end up doing it. I have nothing against store bought, I just like to know there are other options and if they taste better and the expenditure of energy isn’t too much, then stick with it. 🙂 Hope you’re doing well! I’m due for another trip up north soon. xo
Homemade s always best.. Great clicks and i like the addition of vanilla flavor
Thanks so much! Enjoy the weekend!
Oops, I totally forgot about doing an almond post for nuts.com. Your post reminded me and now I’m feeling a little guilty. But there’s just so much going on! They’ve got the best blogger to do it, anyway (YOU!). Besides, I’ve only very recently tried almond milk. Your adding the dates is an eye-opener. What a great idea!
You are too kind. Thank you. Awesome that they asked you too! Maybe you can do a different one because you are a titan! And you manage so much at once. Even your messups are beautiful. I rarely get requests so when i do i think they’re a fun challenge. So nice to see you 😉 xo
fantastic! Love the addition of dates. Yum. Made almond milk once in my Vita Mix, but it separated after sitting in the fridge. Of course I could shake it up again, but wish it didn’t break down. Did yours stay smooth even after sitting a few days? Would love to pour your almond milk over cereal. Pictures are awesome, as always. Lovely all of it.
Thanks, Liz. Mine never lasted more than a day. It’s so good. But it does separate and you have to shake it. I haven’t figured it a way around that. Hope you enjoyed the weekend. Xo
You know that I’ve been thinking of making this milk for a long time now- I wanted to experiment with some white, so just for the pictures, but it looks like you can use this milk in so many ways! I will give it a go for sure 🙂 I hope you had a nice weekend. I just got back from Champagne, lots of champagne tasting as you can imagine 😉 xx
Oh you will like this almond milk. I am so jealous of your champagne trip! I’m sure you’ll need some rehydration afterward. This is perfect for that 😉
oh gosh, if i had this almond milk i think i’m ready to perform impacted wisdom tooth extraction surgery…
Hahah! Awesome. Kind words from the dentist chef! xo
Homemade almond milk? Sign me up! Looks delicious!!
Thanks so much! It’s so delicious.