As I am getting older, my body needs more calcium and nutrition that milk has to offer. However, I did not grow up drinking milk in Vietnam so my body does not know how to process cow milk fat very well. I explored alternative milk such as soy milk and almond milk. I tasted both and I preferred the flavor of almond milk. 
In the past, I have been drinking store-bought almond milk. It is definitely convenient and easy to find. However, recently my aunt shared with me a simple almond milk recipe that inspired me to make my own almond milk. My first thought was ugh… It is inconvenient and it’ll take a long time.
However, it is so yummy and delicious that I am willing to put in the extra effort to make it. In addition, the nutritional benefits are a bonus that the body is craving. The recipe is very simple. All you need are almonds, water, and optional sugar and/or vanilla.
Benefit of Almonds
First of all, if you have a reaction to peach or tree nut, you may not want to drink almond milk. It can instigate swelling, hives, diarrhea, vomiting, and other reaction that could lead to respiratory difficulties.
Other than allergy reactions as an exception for some, almonds contain many benefits for the body in general. It has excellent fat that is good for you. The fat is a composition of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These fatty acids lower cholesterol and blood pressure. They protect against cardiovascular and neurological diseases. My Vietnamese food diet does not contain a lot of fat so almonds are a great source of excellent fat for me.
Almonds are great sources of B vitamins which help raise your metabolic rate to burn fat and calories efficiently. They are also an excellent source of essential minerals such as iron, magnesium, phosphorous, zinc, copper, Vitamin E, and manganese which help improve skin quality and protection against cancer.
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Soaking the Almonds
You can purchase almonds at wholefoods or regular grocery stores. Make sure that the almonds are not roasted, salted, or flavored in any way. I bought mine at Walmart. It’s your choice if you want your almond organic or not. For your convenience, I also create a link to Amazon for you to explore => CLICK HERE for Raw Almonds.
Soak 1 cup of almonds and water in a bowl overnight. Make sure the water covers the almonds. This helps activate their full nutrients and soften them so they can be ground easier in the blender.
You can use any simple blender to pulverize the almonds. However, keep in mind the life of your blender. If it is a cheap blender and you intend to use it more often to create almond milk, more than likely the motor will give out quickly. My blender motor died after 3 months of making almond milk 2 to 3 times a week. I now use a Vitamix to make my almond milk.
Simple Amond Milk Recipe 
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Almonds (make sure they are not roasted, salted, or flavored in any way)
- 5 to 6 cups filtered water
2 1/2 tbsp honey (or your choice of sweetener such as stevia, maple syrup, pitted dates, etc) - 1 tsp vanilla (optional)
Once the almonds are soaked overnight, wash and drain the almonds until the water is nice and clear. Place the almonds in the blender.
Add filtered water. You can adjust the amount of water to your own liking. When you add less water the milk will be thicker and if you add more water the milk will be thinner. I found 5 cups of water work for me. Turn on the blender and blend for 5 to 6 minutes or until the almonds are pulverized and smooth. For the Vitamix, I only need to blend for 1 minute.
Strain the milk through a strainer and a cheesecloth material. You can make yourself a strainer milk bag from polyester material. You can also purchase one through Amazon – Click HERE to see what it looks like. Allow the strainer and the cloth to catch the almond pulp. Pour all the leftover pulp into the cloth. Gently squeeze as much liquid from the cloth as possible.
Place the almond pulp aside in another bowl. Add honey or your choice of sweetener to the almond milk and mix well. Keep it refrigerated until ready to drink.
What to Do with Almond Pulp?
With the almond pulp, you can also make other delicious desserts or snacks. There are many recipes on the internet. They are fun and delicious. I am on a quest to find the perfect delicious protein bar recipe. I am mixing and matching to see what I can create. Here are a few recipes that I tried.
- Almond Pulp Chocolate Chip Bars by TheVegan8.com. This was the first recipe I tried. It turned out really good. However, the bars are high in carbohydrates. My family wants more protein. So I did more digging and tried a few more recipes looking for the perfect tasty protein bar.
- Banana Almond bread by the-salty-tomato.com -The banana bread was my next recipe. It was delicious and moist. Our new banana bread favorite. It is a great recipe for vegan lovers.
- Almond Pulp Protein bars by fitrunningmomma.com. This bar was good however it was soft and gooey. It needs to be refrigerated or it’ll melt. =(
- Homemade Protein Bars by ifoodreal.com. For this recipe, I substituted the almond meal with my almond pulp. I am not too fond of the Vega protein flavor. It tasted dry and flaky. I tried the whey protein and it was wet and gooey. However, I liked the whey flavor better.
- Homemade Protein Bars (no almond flour or pulp) by Gluten-free on a shoestring – This is a fantastic protein bar recipe but no almond flour. =(I substituted a few ingredients with almond pulp. The almond pulp added wetness to the bars so it cannot get firm. I am still working out the balance of the ingredients.
- Body scrub by HealthyBlenderRecipes.com – I have not tried this recipe yet. If you do please let me know how it works out for you.
Conclusion
Making my own almond milk rocks! The taste and the benefits are amazing. With homemade food, I can control the quality of my product. I can choose my own sweetener. The homemade almond milk can be as sweet as I like it. The milk can be as thick or as thin as I prefer. In addition, raw almond milk contains live enzymes with no additives or preservatives. I gain the fat and nutrients my body has been craving for.
Looking for more vegetable protein for your diet. Tofu is another great source of protein. Click Here to learn how to fry tofu.
I hope you find this article useful. Please leave a comment below to share your thoughts or your burning desire questions. If you come across a perfect homemade protein bar recipe, please let me know. I would love to try making it.