7 Super Easy Homemade Soy-Free Non-Dairy Milks
Whether you’re vegan, lactose intolerant or just craving a tasty, fresh, non dairy milk, there are gallons of healthy reasons to make your own. Store bought milks can contain artificial ingredients and preservatives. Soy is an allergen, often from genetically modified seeds, and some studies suggest it’s not the best for our bodies anyway. Plus, all those cartons are landfill nightmares!
Non dairy milks are easy to make, super healthy and they taste incredible – milk substitutes that are better than cow milk! These recipes require little else, but you can sweeten with maple or brown rice syrup, agave or pureed dates. Add vanilla, nutmeg or cinnamon if you like, too. Yumm…
All of these recipes can be made without a soymilk machine. After the ingredients are soaked or cooked, blend (Vitamix works best), and strain through a nut milk bag, cheesecloth or sieve. Store in mason or glass jars and use as you would any other milk.
Oat milk: Yep, oats! Sweeter than soy and easy to make. Mix 1 cup oats with 4 cups hot water (not boiling). Refrigerate overnight. Blend and strain.
Nut milk:Almond milk, cashew, walnuts or brazil are great, but you can use any nut, really. Nut milks are so tasty and creamy and easy to make. Soak 1 cup of nuts in 2-3 cups of water for 10-12 hours. Mix nuts with 1 ½ cups of water, blend, strain and repeat a second time, adding enough water to cover the pulp.
Rice milk: This will taste so much better than Rice Dream! Bring 8 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil. Add 1 cup organic brown rice, reduce heat to simmer and cook 3 hours. In small batches, blend with half mixture and half fresh water and strain.
Coconut milk: Technically, coconuts already include premade milk, but for an other-worldy coconut milk, use a mature coconut (the brown fuzzy kind), drain out the milk and then scoop out half of the hard pulp. Pulse together with a bit of water (adjust for volume) so that the meat is the consistency of coconut shreds. Do not strain! The pulp makes it pure heaven…
Chia milk: This ancient superseed is loaded with nutrients. When soaked, they will gel up like tapioca, which is tasty on its own, or add more water, blend and strain. Mixes well with a heavier nut milk. 3 tablespoons chia seeds soaked in 2 ½ cups water overnight will make a good sized batch.
Hemp milk: No, it’s not marijuana. It’s a tasty superfood loaded with Omega fatty acids. Mix 1 ½ cups hemp seeds with 2 ½ cups water, blend and strain.
Sesame milk: I saved the best for last. This one is so decadent. Dry grind 1 cup raw sesame seeds in a blender. Add 2 cups water, blend again and strain. Amazing with some date puree mixed in and a pinch of cinnamon.
Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger
Photo: sweetbeetandgreenbean
