Make Creamy, Nutritious Plant-Based Milk at Home with these Ingredients – One Green Planet

Finding the right plant-based milk has never been easier, with more and more options popping up in local supermarkets, but sometimes nothing beats making your dairy-free milk at home. Creating your plant-based milk ensures that the ingredients will be pure and free from preservatives, and it allows you to get creative with your flavor combinations.

You can make the most delicious homemade milk in just minutes, and there are even recipes that are allergen-friendly for those with soy, nut, or wheat allergies. Below is a list of common ingredients used in plant-based milk with recipes that will taste just as good as or better than any store-bought variety!

We also highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App  — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest meatless, vegan, plant-based, and allergy-friendly recipe resource to help you get healthy! 

1. Cashews

Source: Creamsicle Cashew Milk

Raw, soaked cashews make for the creamiest plant-based milk out there, and now you can make your own at home with just a few simple ingredients and a blender! By drinking just one glass of homemade cashew milk, you are receiving 15% of your daily value of vitamin K, an essential nutrient for maintaining strong bones. Preparing cashew milk at home will also ensure that you aren’t consuming added oils or thickeners, such as xanthan gum or guar gum, found commonly in store-bought nut milk. If you are looking to save money on cashews, be sure to check out the bulk bins at your local supermarket! Nuts are often cheaper when purchased in bulk, and you’ll cut down on your plastic consumption by bringing a reusable jar or container.

For a basic, yet delicious cashew milk recipe, try this Homemade Cashew Milk. If you are looking to spice it up, try this dreamy Creamsicle Cashew Milk, pictured above, or this Vanilla Nut Coffee Creamer to compliment any caffeinated beverage.

2. Oats

 Source: Simple Vanilla Oat Milk

Oat-based milks are the perfect alternative for those suffering from a nut or soy allergy and they are super rich in calcium! Rolled oats are also less expensive than nuts, and you’ll end up saving a lot of money by making your oat milk at home rather than purchasing the store-bought variety. To achieve an extra smooth plant-based milk using oats, be sure to strain your blended mixture with a nut bag so that no clumps remain!

For a deliciously sweet oat milk to pour over your cereal try this Simple Vanilla Oat Milk, pictured above.

3. Seeds 

Source: Sesame Seed Milk

Seed-based milk is another great alternative for allergy sufferers as they are nut, soy, and gluten-free! Seeds are also a great source of fiber, omega-3 fats, and protein, and there are a ton of variations (hemp, sesame, sunflower, you name it).

For a little seed milk inspiration try this creamy Sesame Seed Milk, pictured above, or this Date Sweetened Hemp Milk, Two Ways.

4. Almonds 

Source: Raw Cacao Milk

Almond-based milk seems to be a universal favorite. Not only is almond milk wonderful in savory and sweet recipes due to its mild flavor, but it is also loaded with nutrients such as vitamin E, potassium, and magnesium! When making almond milk at home, it is recommended to use a nut bag to keep almond pulp out of the finished product, but don’t let that pulp go to waste! The almond pulp can be lightly dehydrated or baked to make almond flour, or can be added to these Pulp “Not Fiction” Muffins!

If you are just starting and looking for a basic almond milk recipe try this, Homemade Almond Milk. For health enthusiasts with a sweet tooth, this Raw Cacao Milk, pictured above, tastes exactly like a chocolate truffle, but is filled with vitamins and antioxidants!

5. Soybeans 

Source: Homemade Soy Milk

Soy Milk has been around for quite some time and is probably the most widely available plant-based milk on the market. The advantage of making soy milk at home, besides being delicious, comes largely from the okara, or soybean pulp, that is produced during the process. Okara can be used as an egg substitute or thrown into baked goods, but it’s also great at mimicking the flakiness of fish, especially in these Okara “Crab” Cakes! Miyoko Schinner raves about okara in her cookbook, The Homemade Vegan Pantry.

To learn how to make your soy milk, try this Homemade Soy Milk recipe, pictured above, which tastes amazing in this Creamy Soy Milk Ramen.

6. Coconut 

Source: Unsweetened Coconut Milk

Coconut milk is naturally sweet and creamy, plus it contains nutrients that are known to have antiviral, immune-boosting properties. Making coconut milk at home requires only two ingredients, water, and shredded coconut, and comes together quicker than it takes to go to the store and buy a carton of coconut milk. You will also be able to monitor the sugar content of your milk by making it yourself!

If you are looking for a comprehensive guide to making homemade coconut milk, look no further than this Unsweetened Coconut Milk recipe, pictured above. It makes this Sunshine Turmeric Latte extra satisfying.

8. Gourmet Nuts

Source: Hazelnut Fig Milk

Another benefit of making your plant-based milk is that it allows you to come up with intriguing combinations that aren’t readily available at supermarkets.

Get creative and make some of these gourmet nut-based milk recipes like this Hazelnut Fig Milk, pictured above, Maple Pecan Milk, and this vibrant, nutrient-dense Turmeric Peppercorn Wellness Milk.

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