How To Make Your Own Nut Milk At Home

A guide to making your own nut and grain milks at home.

Before being sold in supermarkets, plant-based milk had been around for centuries and was the staple in several cuisines. Take soy milk for example: In China, where this drink comes from, it’s not uncommon to make your own to use in cooking or to drink for breakfast. Coconut milk also has a long history and is a key ingredient in Philippine dishes, Thai curries, Vietnamese desserts, and Caribbean stews.

There are also other plant-based milks that have only been around for a few decades, such as oat milk. It was first developed commercially in the early 1990s by Swedish scientist Rickard Öste, who was looking for a dairy-free alternative for people with lactose intolerance and allergies.

In addition to producing fewer greenhouse gases than dairy, plant-based milk also offers health benefits. Nuts, grains and seeds (such as almonds, cashews, oats and hemp) are sources of fiber; soy is high in protein; and coconut is packed with antioxidants and medium-chain fatty acids, which can aid digestion.

Tri Ngo and Hang Vu of Rustle & Still, a Toronto cafe, say they choose coconut milk in their coffee-based desserts and drinks because they love the depth of flavor and texture. It also adds a creaminess that you don’t get from whole milk. In other words, their preference is not intentionally vegan; that’s just an advantage.

Making your own plant-based milk allows you to customize the flavor and texture to your liking — and most are pretty easy to make yourself. With a few basic ingredients and tools, you can make dairy-free milk for use in all kinds of cooking and baking. We asked three Canadian food business owners who regularly create their own recipes and tips.

you need this

• blender
• fine-mesh sieve
• cheesecloth
• Big bowl

almond milk

Give this homemade almond milk from the folks at Greenhouse Juice Co. a turn. Get this almond milk recipe.

oat milk

Season your oat milk with a pinch of sea salt, a dash of vanilla, maple syrup, or even a little cinnamon. Get this easy homemade oat milk recipe.

cashew milk

Raw unsalted cashews are the key to good homemade cashew milk, says Ashley Wittig, founder of Honey’s, a plant-based ice cream parlor in Toronto. Get this easy cashew milk recipe.

Gear Guide

Ready to make your own plant-based milk at home? Here are blenders that can cut through nuts and grains at any cost.

• KitchenAid K400 Blender† $199, kitchenaid.ca† This powerful KitchenAid offering uses preset texture to blend hard ingredients like nuts and ice cream.
• Oster Versa† $273, oster.ca† Oster’s powerful blender offers an affordable alternative to its more expensive counterparts.
• Vitamix A2500 Ascent† $769, thebay.com† With the sturdiest blades and fastest motor, Vitamix’s expensive but worth it reputation is well deserved.