This is the real deal. The store-bought version can’t touch this.

While out of town recently, I had to use store-bought almond milk to make some of my favorite smoothies for the first time since I began my journey.  For this reason, I need to apologize to our readers.  I am sorry for not  putting this recipe up sooner.  Seriously, the recipe below will make store-bought almond milk taste like dishwater.  It’s a labor of love to make, but so worth it:

Ingredients (Yields 32 ounces):

1 C.         Raw organic almonds
4 C.         Cold, filtered or distilled water
4              Organic Medjool dates
1 Tbs.      Organic Vanilla flavor or Vanilla extract
1/2 tsp.    Sea salt

Equipment:

• Blender (high-speed preferred, e.g., vitamix, healthmaster)
• Nut Milk Bag
• Large bowl or measuring cup (to hold 4-5 quarts of liquid).

Instructions:

1. Soak almonds in 2 cups of filtered or distilled water overnight or blanch almonds in boiling water for 60 seconds and remove brown skins on almonds.
2. Add almonds and 1 cup of water to the blender. Have the remaining three cups of water ready.
   

   Skinned almonds in the blender.

3. Start blender slow then build to high.
4. Blend mixture until it begins flow slowly.
5. Before mixture warms and stiffens, add next cup of water.
6. Repeat step 4 & 5 except add the remaining water.
7. Blend for up to 1-2 minutes, less if you have a high-speed blender careful not over heat mixture at any point.
8. Stop blender and pour mixture into the nut milk bag over the large bowl
9. Gently and patiently squeeze nut milk bag to extract liquid while filtering sediment. Be careful not to damage bag.
10. Rinse dates under warm water and remove pits.
11. Return filtered mixture and add remaining ingredients to blender.
12. Blend until smooth.
13. Although it might be a little warm at this point…ENJOY!

Off The Grid Health Recommends:

• Soaking almonds overnight instead of blanching.
• Using a high-speed blender to maximize yield (e.g., Vitamix, Healthmaster, Blendtec).
• Himalayan (Pink) Sea Salt for the flavor we have enjoyed most.
• Non-alcoholic organic vanilla flavor instead of vanilla extract for better flavor.
• Enjoying almond milk cold, alone or as the base of a great smoothie.