Making your own nut milk has unending health benefits.
The store bought ones are mostly water, loaded with preservatives to extend shelf life, sweetened with added sugars, and bulked up with stabilizers and thickeners.
One of the most common additives we find in store-bought nut milks is carrageenan. There are piles of studies that link this preservative to intestinal inflammation, liver & colorectal cancers, as well as immune suppression and fetal toxicity & defects. Packaged nut milks also tend to have the addition of health depleting vegetable oils and are often fortified with vitamins and minerals that are difficult to absorb and may stress the digestive system and the kidneys.
Making nut milk your self ensures that you know exactly what’s in there.
There is no processing that removes the nutrient qualities of the nuts (or the coconut in this case), you get to choose your quality of water, you may sweeten it with whatever you like or omit what you don’t, and the satisfaction just has no substitute.
It may seem overwhelming to think about regularly pulling off homemade nut milk to feed your family. But honestly, once you get into the groove of soaking the night before and allotting 10 minutes of blending and squeezing, it becomes something far more attainable than just giving it a pass because it’s easier to buy it. The benefits far out-weigh the hassleand it feels pretty good to watch your loved ones glug down your homemade goodness.
This here is our current most favourite day-to-day nut milk that we consume in our house. Feel free to swap in the nut of your choice or reduce the sweetness. I’ve been using cashews lately because they are creamy and more affordable than almonds, but this milk is wonderful with almonds.
Even if you are unable to keep up with the homemade nut milk demands, just give it a try a few times and see how it feels. My guess: it’s gonna feel pretty darned good.
Vanilla Cashew Coconut Milk
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Category: Breakfast, Drink, Snacktime, Anytime
Cuisine: Vegan, Real food, Nutrient-dense, Vegetarian
Yield: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
1 cup cashews, soaked overnight
½ cup shredded coconut, soaked overnight
5 cups water
2 medjool dates
2 tsp vanilla
Pinch sea salt
Instructions
Soak cashews and coconut overnight.
Drain and rinse cashews and coconut.
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
Strain through a nut milk bag, squeezing as much liquid as possible, and transfer to a large glass container.
Will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge.