Have you ever looked at the ingredients in the container of almond milk? If you do you might be surprised by what you find.

They all seem to have less than 3 percent almonds. Many of them also have sugar or some sort of sweetener. Most use gum or a similar binding substance to keep the liquid together and to make it behave and look more like cow’s milk.

So, when you buy almond milk, the company is telling you on the package that what you are getting is 96 to 98 percent water. Reading this gives you one of those “hmmm..” moments. A few almonds and water; why not try to make it yourself?

Only 2 basic ingredients. You can keep it simple.

To keep it simple, you can make your almond milk using only two ingredients. Use three if you want to make it thicker. And four if you want to add a bit of sweetness to the milk.

You can then decide if you want to drink it filtered or non-filtered.

There are a few different ways to make almond milk at home. But let me show you how I make it.

Tools to make almond milk?

First, it is best to sterilize everything that you use by making sure that it touches boiling water in some way.

You need a blender to mix your ground almond powder with water. A simple blender will work just fine.

Your almond mixture should look like the photo of my almonds that you see on this page. It is possible to buy ground almonds if that is easier for you.

I would buy a coffee grinder, if you don’t already have one, to grind up your whole almonds. This will give your milk a fresher and more rich taste.

It is best to keep your finished milk in a glass container.

TIP: Buy a coffee grinder with 4 cutting knives, not 2. It will make a finer powder that’s better for almond milk. See my photos here.

How many almonds do you need?

Some people soak whole almonds in water overnight before using them to make milk. I tried that but I didn’t think that the finished milk tasted any better.

It is an extra step and means that you have to wait until you can actually make the milk. This didn’t work for me but feel free to try it if you want.

For my recipe, you will need 35 grams or 1.25 ounces of almonds. Your almonds should be finely ground but grainy to the touch. If you grind them too long, you will make almond butter.

You don’t have a kitchen scale? That’s why I am using grams.

If you don’t have a kitchen scale don’t worry. Here’s something that you can do.

I wanted to be able to make almond milk anywhere, whether there was a scale to weigh the almonds or not so decided to weigh some almonds while I was at home.

I saw that about 1.25 ounces or 35 grams was also 35 almonds. I was trying 3 different brands of almonds at the time.

For each of the 3 brands, 35 almonds weighed 35 grams, every time.

So no scale, no problem. Just use 35 almonds and you’re ready to go.

Oats are a natural thickener.

I experimented with making almond milk a few times before I came up with my current recipe. The first few batches of milk were a bit thin.

To make your milk thicker add a tablespoon of oats to be ground with your almonds. This small amount of oats will also give extra flavor and creamy richness to your milk.

Unplug your grinder. Add the almonds and oats. Plug in your grinder. Grind the mixture until it is a fine powder, remembering to unplug your machine and use a spoon whenever you check the mixture.

Put the ground almond mixture and 3 glasses of water in a blender. Blend for a least 2 minutes. You should then have creamy almond milk.

If you want it to be sweeter, you can blend in 1 or 2 pitted dates.

At this point, some people strain their almond milk to get rid of the small pieces of almonds that are in the mixture.

You could use cheesecloth or a drip coffee filter to do this. Give it a try if that is what you want.

Personally, I want all the almond taste and fiber that I can get, so I don’t strain my milk. I shake it to mix it thoroughly and drink it.

TIP: An alternative to straining your almond milk is to wait a few minutes. The small pieces of almond will settle at the bottom of the container. You can pour the top part of your milk into a second container. The pieces will stay at the bottom. Put them in a smoothie.

You’ve made your own almond milk. It tastes good, doesn’t it? It should keep fresh in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Enjoy!!