Extra Creamy Homemade Almond Coconut Milk (or Cashew)

Sometimes having the right tools in your kitchen make all the difference between whether you buy premade, processed food or make it yourself at home. A fine example is today’s recipe of homemade almond coconut milk (or cashew). I find that store bought nut milks are fine to use in cooking, but are otherwise undrinkable. Using a high-speed blender or a nut milk maker machine (such as the SoyaPower G4 pictured above) allows me to create my own organic, additive and preservative-free nut milks in a few minutes! Last Christmas I received this nut milk maker machine, which I love and have been using consistently every week. The resulting almond coconut milk (or cashew) is naturally creamy, extremely low carb and more delicious than any store bought I’ve ever tried. Although my recipe contains heavy cream, it is virtually lactose and casein free. (Of course, you could leave out the cream if you wish, but it adds a richness to the milk that I highly recommend without adding any carbs.) The only thing that takes prior planning and time is soaking the nuts beforehand, but that’s easily done overnight while I sleep. Take it from me, homemade almond milk is worth the effort!  

Extra Creamy Homemade Almond Coconut Milk (or Cashew)

Makes about 5 cups

1/2 cup raw almonds, soaked in water for 12 hours

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

4-1/2 cups water

1/2 cup organic heavy whipping cream (can omit, if desired)

1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan or sea salt

5 drops stevia or LaKanto Monkfruit extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Presoak your almonds for 12 hours prior to making your nut milk (if using cashews, soak for 4-8 hours). Drain and rinse the soaked almonds. Place them into your high-speed blender or nut milk maker machine. Add the unsweetened shredded coconut and water. If using a blender, blend on high for 4 minutes. If using a nut milk maker machine, add enough water to reach the specified line in your pitcher. Turn the machine on and select raw/juice and press start (see your instruction manual for the correct procedure for making nut milk). The machine will turn off automatically when the milk is done.

2. Using a very fine mesh strainer or a nut milk bag, strain the solids out of the blended milk and discard. Add the whipping cream, salt, sweetener and vanilla to the strained milk and stir. Pour into a glass container and place in the refrigerator to cool completely before drinking or it can be used right away for cooking. The milk can be stored in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.

Nutritional Information per 1 cup almond coconut milk: 117 calories, 1.3 g carbohydrate (0.7 g dietary fiber, 0.3 g sugars), 12.8 g total fat (7.1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 32 mg cholesterol, 37 mg sodium, 8.5 mg calcium, 25 mg potassium, 316 mg Vit A, 0.9 g protein. Net carbs per serving: 0.6 grams.

Nutritional Information per 1 cup cashew coconut milk: 169 calories, 4.4 g carbohydrate (1.8 g dietary fiber, 1.1 g sugars), 16 g total fat (10.8 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 32 mg cholesterol, 137 mg sodium, 6.2 mg calcium, 46 mg potassium, 1 mg iron, 316 mg Vit A, 1.6 g protein. Net carbs per serving: 2.6 grams

Recipe and photo by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2018

All rights reserved. Please do not duplicate without the author’s permission.