How I make Almond Milk/Flour:

This post has been so highly requested and I'm happy to finally write it for you. After doing my elimination diet a few months ago and feeling what it felt like to be eating 100% unprocessed, I was hooked. I've always had the belief that life is about balance in many aspects. I would never want to deprive myself of the foods I love but also think there is an alternative to eating heavily processed treats. I have kind of always operated on the idea that if I can make it myself I'm allowed to eat it.

Almond milk isn't necessarily bad for you, but when you buy it in the stores it unfortunately has to have stabilizers and other ingredients that keep it fresh for you to enjoy at home. Making almond milk eliminates all of this processing and tastes SO MUCH BETTER. Plus, since going gluten free I like to have almond meal (aka flour) on hand and it's expensive! Making your own almond milk yields the milk, but also about 1 cup of almond pulp that you can easily turn into meal! This means it's a zero waste process and will save you money, especially if you use almond meal on a regular basis! Today I'm going to take you through how I make my almond milk and turn the pulp into meal!

First let's go over what you will need for this process:
- 1 cup of almonds (I buy mine in a big bag at Costco)
- 7 cups of water
- Vanilla or salt if wanted
- High speed blender or food processor (I use a ninja) --> Here's the one I have and LOVE (Side note: I took FOREVER to decide on a blender and this is the one I went with. I've had it for over a year and use it constantly. I can't recommend it enough if you're looking for a high quality blender but don't want to shell out the money for a Vitamix)
- Glass container to store milk up to 3 or 4 days --> I purchased this one from Amazon
- Nut Milk Bag --> I purchased this Nylon 2-pack from Amazon.

1. You'll need to soak the almonds for at least 4 hours (I usually just do it overnight) in order to soften them and make them easy to blend.

2. Empty the water that the almonds have been soaking in and add the cup of softened almonds, 7 cups of water and a splash of vanilla and sprinkle of salt to the blender. I have made it with no salt and vanilla and it was great too! Choice is up to you. If you're used to unsweetened original almond milk, leave it out!

3. Blend for 2 minutes on a high speed.

4. Pour your blended mixture through the nut bag into a bowl and squeeze all of the liquid out with your hands! I love the nylon ones I purchased from Amazon because they are super easy to hand wash and keep clean (I also use them to strain my kombucha!)

5. Store in your glass container for up to 4 days!

YES It's really that easy! Now for the almond meal:

1. Preheat your oven to 100 or 150 degrees.

2. Spread your almond pulp onto a baking sheet and break up all of the clumps with your fingers. The more liquid you squeeze out the easier this will be.

3. Bake for 1-1.5 hours until the almond meal is dry, checking on it every 15-20 min to make sure it's drying out evenly. 

4. If your blender hasn't ground it fine enough, you can put it back through the food processor, blender or even a coffee grinder to make it finer!

One of the cool things about making your own almond milk is that you can flavor it however you want! I cannot wait to add turmeric, cinnamon, and more to my almond milk in the fall to make yummy drinks (Thanks for the suggestion Detroit Wifestyles!) 

Have you ever made your own nut milk? What kinds of combinations do you do? Leave a comment below and let me know!

As always, have a beautiful day!

-Andrea

Disclosure: Amazon links are Amazon Affiliate links meaning that I make a commission off the purchase of the product through my link. I would never recommend a product that I didn't love and all opinions are my own. I am thankful for you choosing to purchase through my links, as it helps me create more content for Andrea Fontana Beauty.