Nutty Homemade Almond Milk

I've been dairy free for years so I've been using store-bought nut milks for a long time...until I looked at some of the labels and saw guar gum and other preservatives being used. No thank you! Nut milks are super easy to make and last about 4 or 5 days in the fridge. And you can get creative with what spices you add to them.

- 1 cup almonds

- 3 cups filtered water plus more to soak

- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and or 1/4 teaspoon cardamom (optional)

- 2 or 3 pitted medjool dates if you want it sweetened (optional)

- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

I often don't add anything additional and it still tastes great! ;)

Soak the almonds overnight. Drain in the morning and combine in a blender or Nutribullet with the filtered water and other ingredients. (You can also pop the skins off the almonds for a super white almond milk.) Puree until well blended. If you want a very smooth consistency, you can strain it through a nut milk bag or cheesecloth. I use my Nutribullet and find I don't need to do that. I tend to use mine for smoothies so I am fine if it isn't a super smooth consistency. Shake it up before using. I like using the quart size mason jars for easy making and storage. Be sure to check out some of our smoothie bowl recipes (coming soon) for ways to use your almond milk. Let us know what you think. :)