A few years ago, the best you could hope for in terms of alternatives to dairy was soy milk. These days, the supermarket shelves are lined with a mind-boggling array of vegan milks, from hazelnut to tiger nut, pea to hemp, rice to oat. But there’s a catch - many brands contain added sugar, preservatives and thickeners. So why not make your own? It’s easier than you think, and the result is thicker, creamier, tastier, healthier and cheaper than many shop-bought options. Plus, you can freestyle with combinations and flavors. Here is my vegan nut milk recipe so you can make your own (with any nut you have in the cupboard).

Before You Begin

You don’t need much equipment to make nut milk: a high-speed blender, something to strain the milk (you can use a nut milk bag, or improvise with muslin cloth, cheese cloth, fine mesh strainer, or even pantyhose - unworn if possible!), and a container to store it (glass bottle or Kilner jar). If you have all these, you’re ready to begin.

A good nut milk starts with good ingredients. That’s why I always choose organic raw nuts (or seeds or grains, depending what type of milk I’m making), which are grown without agro-chemicals and are therefore free of any pesticide residues - making them better for you and better for the planet.

I know many people think that making non-dairy milk is complicated or long-winded. This is a mistake. It’s easy. All you need to do is basically blend water with something fatty (like nuts or seeds) or starchy (like oats or rice), add a sweetener of your choice (this is optional and will depend on what you want to do with the milk) and some flavoring (also optional) and voila - fresh vegan milk you can use in your smoothies, pour onto home-made granola, or even use instead of water to add a nuttier flavor to overnight oats [link to overnight oats recipe].

What Can I Use to Make Vegan Nut Milk?

You can make vegan plant milk with a wide variety of nuts, seeds and grains - I’ve listed my personal favorites below.

It’s a good idea to soak before blending. This has a dual action. Firstly, it helps remove phytates (these are anti-nutrients: part of a plant’s natural defense mechanism, they stop your enzymes from absorbing certain minerals and can cause digestive issues). Secondly, soaking softens the nuts and makes them easier to blend. Nuts will need to be soaked for 12 hours or overnight, while seeds only need 2 to 4 hours. Grains like oats or cooked brown rice do not need to be soaked. Here is a list of the best ingredients for vegan milk:

• Almonds - high in vitamin E (great for glowing skin)

• Cashew nuts - high in vitamin B6 (boosts your energy)

• Brazil nuts - high in selenium (supports healthy brain function)

• Hazelnuts - high in folate and trace minerals (fight free radicals)

• Tiger nuts - packed with prebiotics (feed your gut bacteria)

• Coconut - source of manganese (important for strong bones)

• Hemp seeds and flax seeds - excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids (fights inflammation)

• Oats (raw) - great source of soluble fiber (supports digestion and balanced blood sugar levels)

• Brown rice (cooked) - contains selenium and manganese (boosts mood and improves bone health)

I personally love using oat milk in coffee because of its neutral flavor, and rice milk in tea because of its subtle sweetness. I use almond, tiger nut or coconut milk in my smoothies or on my cereal, and keep cashew milk (unsweetened) for savory pasta sauces and salad dressings. The possibilities are endless!

Vegan Nut Milk Recipe

(makes around 4-5 cups or 1 liter of nut milk)

Ingredients:

1 cup of nuts (soaked)

3 to 4 cups of filtered water

1 to 4 dates or 1-3 tbsp liquid sweetener like maple syrup or rice syrup (optional)

A tiny pinch of spice like cinnamon, allspice, vanilla, cardamom (optional)

Method:

• Soak the nuts for 12 hours or overnight in filtered water. Drain and rinse.

• Place the nuts, your sweetener of choice, pinch of spice and 3 cups of filtered water in your high-speed blender. Some nuts require more water - start with 3 cups and see whether you need extra.

• Blend at high speed for 45-60 seconds, until completely smooth.

• Now, you have a choice.

o If you like thick milk and want to keep all that healthy fiber, simply pour into a glass bottle and refrigerate.

o If you like your milk a little thinner, strain it through your nut milk bag, and store in a glass bottle in the fridge. You can use the remaining nut fiber to make cookies and crackers, or add to bean burgers or smoothies. No food waste!

• Nut milk will last 3-5 days in the fridge. Shake well before using.

You can also experiment by combining different ingredients, for example a blend of brown rice and almonds, or oats and coconut, or even hemp seeds and tiger nuts. Making vegan nut milk at home gives you the freedom to create the perfect blend for you.

So, what are you waiting for? Let us know how it goes!