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Rich, smooth, slightly sweet homemade almond milk (with NO pulp to strain!) for a fraction of the cost of store-bought, or even other homemade almond milks. I did say, no straining of the pulp! (Isn’t that exciting?) In addition, I use no gums or starches to thicken the milk.
First, you ask “Why almond milk?”
For those individuals who need to be dairy-free, or choose to not use dairy milks for other reasons, almond milk can provide excellent nutrients, flavor and be used in every way that dairy mill can, and almonds work well for people with dairy sensitives or deal with respiratory issues. (Dairy produces mucous and can adversely affect people with sinus, allergy or asthma symptoms.)
Almonds have an impressive nutritional profile http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3085/2 consisting of proteins, fats and carbs with the fat source of monounsaturated fat, the same type of fat found in olive oil that has positive health benefits. Consumption of monounsaturated fat is linked with reduced cardiovascular disease. One serving of almonds, or 23 whole kernels, contains 18 g of fat, 11 g of which is monounsaturated fat.
Using such a nutrition-packed nut to make homemade non-dairy milk (almond milk is an excellent source of calcium and several nutrients that dairy does not contain, is an wonderful choice whether choosing almond milk solely or alongside organic raw dairy milk.
However, good quality, raw almonds (as raw as we can get in the U.S., but that is another topic) have risen in price so that many recipes for almond milk that are available, have become too expensive to make for a family on a regular basis.
But WAIT! In my efforts to create a frugal version of homemade almond milk for our family, but unwilling to sacrifice the smooth, rich, texture and flavor we have come to love in almond milk either in homemade or store-bought, I came up with one that works for us. It uses far less almonds than any recipe I’ve seen, yet retains all the of the thickness and flavor of recipes using more almonds, and because I use less almonds, the price to make at home is much less.
The 2 main secrets to this yummy Almond Milk are: 
1) Soak the raw almonds 8 hours in pure water, and rinse well before blending.
2) Add in organic, homemade chia gel, which thickens and smooths the texture, while boosting the nutritional value over the top. Chia has no flavor on its own, and does not impart any flavor to the milk, in fact, it absorbs the milk flavor!
There are several schools of thought on whether to retain the brown inner skins from the soaked almonds. When making my almond milk for myself, I keep them on because of the added nutrients and because I don’t like to waste ANY of the almond!
When I make this almond milk for family and friends, I DO remove the brown skin which results in a bright white, even smoother end product, providing no grit and no excuse for little ones (or big ones) to turn up their noses at this delicate, delicious and silky milk.
To easily remove the brown skins, the almonds must be soaked, 
again I prefer 8 hours. Rinse the almonds well, and hold the end of the whole almond with your thumb and forefinger and gently pinch. The white almond (sans its brown jacket) should POP out, leaving both intact.
You can add these lovely skins to your compost if desired.
Whether you leave the skins on, or remove them, the next steps are the same.
Place the soaked (jacketed or bare) almonds in a powerful blender. I use the VitaMix and it is my favorite. You can use what you have, but the VitaMix will pulverize the almonds and not leave pulp or grit, not all blenders have give these results. So if you’re using a regular blender, NOT a VitaMix, you may need to strain out the pulp. I do not with the VitaMix.
Cover the almond with 2-3 cups pure water. Start on Low and slowly turn up the variable speed the to the highest and then flip the switch to HIGH. Blend this for 30 seconds for bare almonds and 1 minute for almonds with skin. No more.
Return the toggle switch to low, and slowly turn the variable speed back to its lowest.
At this point, pour in the prepared, thickened chia gel. I started with using 1 cup and then was able to reduce the amount to 1/2 cup, again making this more frugal. Use amounts that suit your taste and preferences.
I add in my sweetener of choice and amount. For myself, a diabetic, I only use pure stevia and only enough to lightly sweeten. For my family, I use organic unrefined cane sugar, or sucanat for a stronger flavor, or raw honey or maple syrup. All of these will flavor the milk, away from a “milk” taste, except the stevia and organic unrefined cane sugar. I only sweeten my almond milk “gently”, to give it a delicate flavor, some prefer no sweetening at all, but neither should this be a very sweet beverage, it should be light, refreshing, soothing with just a “hint” of sweetness.
Another option I came up with years ago was to soak several organic Deglet dates at the same time I was soaking my almonds (but in different containers) and adding the soaked dates with the soaking water if desired into the VitaMix when blending up the almonds. It works very well. You can read more about this process using dates at Real Food Living. And here. Again, don’t overdo the sweetener as it will overpower the delicate flavor and natural sweetness that the almond possesses. Start small with any additional sweeteners.
Reminder: If you are using soaked dates, be sure to blend them completely with the almonds in the VitaMix so they will not leave a “texture”. They do have a strong flavor, so unless you really like dates, I’d try something more mild first.
Next, when all the add-ins are in, add pure water to the very tippy-top of the container 
and very gently, stir, either with the VitaMix on its lowest setting, or with a spoon, to bring the settled chia seeds to the top, so when you pour your glassful, you get milk AND chia.
If you follow these directions, your chia should be very plump, soft and pleasant additions to your almond milk. If however, your children (or other family) balks at the presence of chia, let the seeds settle to the bottom and just drink the lovely, silky milk above, since the chia has already expended it’s smooth gel into the milk, making it silky smooth. 
I would hate to see the chia wasted though because it is a nutritional powerhouse and very beneficial to ingest! You can read more about the advantages of chia here and decide to slowly introduce it to those who are hesitant. Their bodies will thank you, even if they don’t know it yet!
Here is the recipe for my Luscious, Frugal, Smooth, Healthy Almond-Chia Milk. Enjoy!
About Vickilynn Parnes
