Alex likes to have golden grahams for breakfast on the weekend, but he’ll only use chocolate almond milk to eat them with. I usually just buy it at the store, but he was out, and he didn’t let me know until he needed it (typical of him, haha), so I decided to finally try making my own. It was super easy and so tasty!
The chocolate flavor is a lot deeper and richer than the store bought kind, and I really liked being able to control the sweetness. I made it a good deal less sweet than store bought, but I loved it just the same. I’ve been enjoying it in iced coffee using coffee concentrate at a 1:1 ratio. SO good.
I made a double batch so that we’d have a good amount for in the fridge, since we both like it. I love that I know all of the ingredients – no weird thickeners and preservatives – so I don’t have to worry about whether it’s good for me or not. The milk does separate a bit – the chocolate settles to the bottom – but a good little shake does the trick before serving! All you need is a good blender and some cheesecloth (or a nut milk bag), and you’re all set to make your own chocolate almond milk!
What is your favorite non-dairy milk?
- 1 cup raw almonds, soaked in water
- 3 1/2 cups cold water
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2-4 large Medjool dates, to taste (you can also use liquid stevia or maple syrup, to taste)
- pinch of salt
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Place the almonds in a bowl, and cover them with water. Allow to soak for at least 12-24 hours.
Drain the almonds, and rinse well. Place the almonds into a high powered blender with the 3.5 cups water, cocoa, dates, salt, and vanilla. Blend on high speed for several minutes, until a creamy milk forms (**If you want to have plain dehydrated almond pulp for baking, follow instructions below).
Set a large piece of cheesecloth (or nut milk bag) in a strainer over a large bowl, and pour the blended mixture into the cheesecloth. Allow to strain through, and then squeeze out the excess liquid into the bowl.
Transfer the strained liquid to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator. It will keep for about 5 days in the fridge.
You can dehydrate the almond pulp mixture in the oven at 200ºF for 1-2 hours and then use it for baking or to make almond butter. The chocolate gives it a little something, I think!
**If you want plain almond pulp, blend the almonds and water together first, strain out the liquid, and then add the cocoa, sweetener, vanilla, and salt to the liquid. If you sweeten with dates, you’ll have to strain again to get rid of bits of date.
https://cookingalamel.com/2013/08/diy-chocolate-almond-milk.html