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    Home / Drinks / Smoothies, Shakes, and Floats / smoothie / (Vanilla-Maple) Almond Milk, and a smoothie

    (Vanilla-Maple) Almond Milk, and a smoothie

    Published Mar 10, 2010

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    berry smoothie i aglass
    As much as Cafe Gratitude (or 'Cafe Attitude,' as Jay has aptly dubbed it) annoys me with their too-cool-for-school employees, constantly running out of what you wish to order, and irritating 'questions of the day,' I occasionally seat myself at their bar and order one of the many delectable, raw, vegan shakes, and perhaps a grain bowl (which is 'dead' - ha!), from off of the menu. Sitting at the bar has another perk: the tender will often pour extra bits of smoothie into a small cup and slide it your way. What other bar does that?

    almonds in a blender
    I sometimes used to buy outrageously expensive bottles of almond milk to bring home and enjoy for breakfast with granola (also of the 'dead' variety), until I decided to get myself a nut milk bag and give it a go for myself.

    shot of blender with almond milk in it
    Freshly made almond milk tastes nothing like the chalky stuff you find on the shelf at the store. It is smooth, mild, and sweet, with an ethereally delicate texture. I used to think only raw foodist hippy freaks made almond milk, but recently found that it is traditionally made in India, with the addition of cardamom and rose water. Once you taste homemade almond milk, you won't want to drink another milk substitute, or possibly the real thing, ever again. It does take a bit of planning ahead, as the almonds need to soak for 8-12 hours (after soaking, they can be stored in the fridge for a few days if you don't get to them), and elbow grease; squeezing the dickens out of the almond pulp is harder than you may anticipate. But the results are well worth it.

    almond milk in a blender
    You can sweeten your almond milk with anything you like, add vanilla or other flavorings. And don't throw away the pulp - it can be dried out in a low oven, whizzed in a coffee grinder, and used in place of some flour in muffins, cakes or cookies. Cafe Gratitude's dessert cookbook has many other tantalizing recipes for the pulp, as well, including raw cakes, breads and crackers. Almond milk is delicious in tea or coffee, warmed with honey and a bit of grated nutmeg, or blended into a smoothie of your liking. Bananas, yogurt and frozen huckleberries went into mine this morning; raspberries and peaches would also be heavenly.

    almond milk being poured into bowl
    Making your almond milk at home has another perk: no one asks you what you are 'grateful for today,' looking at you deeply and expectantly.

    And you don't have to tell them, 'I'm grateful I can make my own almond milk, thank you very much.'

    almond milk in a bowl

    Milking your almond milk:
    • Bojon Masala Chai
    • Golden Milk Overnight Oats {gluten-free, vegan option}
    • Raw, Vegan Chocolate Pudding
    To use up your almond pulp:
    • Almond Pulp Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Chocolate, Hemp Seed, and Almond Pulp Energy Bites {Raw, Vegan, and Gluten-Free}
    • Baked Almond Pulp Brownies {free of gluten, dairy, and refined sugar}

    *Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram,  Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this almond milk smoothie recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet  and  #bojongourmet.*

    shot of berry smoothie
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    Vanilla-Maple Almond Milk Banana-Berry Almond Milk Smoothie Serves 1

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Make your own almond milk at home, and use it in this delicious berry smoothie!
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Total: 5 minutes
    Servings: 1 smoothie.

    Ingredients

    Vanilla-Maple Almond Milk (makes 3 1/2 cups).

    • 1 1/2 cups whole almonds
    • 3 cups water
    • pinch salt
    • 2 tablespoons maple syrup or sweetener of your choice (optional)
    • 1/4 vanilla bean, chopped up, or a splash of vanilla extract (optional)

    Banana-Berry Almond Milk Smoothie (serves 1)

    • 1 large, ripe banana
    • 1/3 cup frozen huckle (or other) berries
    • 1/4 cup yogurt
    • 1/2 cup almond milk

    Instructions

    Vanilla-Maple Almond Milk

    • Place the almonds in a bowl or jar, add enough water to cover them by a couple inches, and let soak for 8-12 hours. Drain off the water, rinse the almonds and drain again.
    • Place the almonds in a blender with about a cup of the water, the salt, sweetener and vanilla bean. Begin blending on low. Increase the speed gradually, adding just enough water for the mixture to turn over, until the blender is on high and you have added all the water. Blend on high for about two minutes, until the mixture is as smooth as possible.
    • Place a nut milk bag in a large bowl or measuring cup, and pour the mixture into it. (Alternatively, use several layers of cheesecloth lain in a sieve.) Twist the top closed, and squeeze the mixture as firmly as you can, pressing out as much of the milk as possible. This will take several minutes, and your hands and arms will probably feel worked. (Spread the remaining pulp out on a baking sheet and place in a low oven, or an off oven with a pilot light, until completely dried out, several hours or days. Whiz in a coffee grinder or food processor to break up any clumps. Use in place of some of the flour in muffin, cookie or cake recipes.)
    • Store the milk in a jar in the fridge for up to a week. The almond milk will separate; no problem, just shake it to recombine.

    Banana-Berry Almond Milk Smoothie

    • Place the bananas, berries, yogurt and half of the almond milk in a blender. Puree on low to combine, then increase to high, gradually adding the rest of the almond milk, until very smooth.

    Notes

    Timings and nutritional values are based on one smoothie.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 189kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 4gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 199mgPotassium: 517mgFiber: 3gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 200IUVitamin C: 12.5mgCalcium: 236mgIron: 0.5mg
    Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!

    Vanilla-Maple Almond Milk

    Makes 3 1/2 cups

    1 1/2 cups whole almonds
    3 cups water
    pinch salt
    2 tablespoons maple syrup or sweetener of your choice (optional)
    1/4 vanilla bean, chopped up, or a splash of vanilla extract (optional)

    Place the almonds in a bowl or jar, add enough water to cover them by a couple inches, and let soak for 8-12 hours. Drain off the water, rinse the almonds and drain again.

    Place the almonds in a blender with about a cup of the water, the salt, sweetener and vanilla bean. Begin blending on low. Increase the speed gradually, adding just enough water for the mixture to turn over, until the blender is on high and you have added all the water. Blend on high for about two minutes, until the mixture is as smooth as possible.

    Place a nut milk bag in a large bowl or measuring cup, and pour the mixture into it. (Alternatively, use several layers of cheesecloth lain in a sieve.) Twist the top closed, and squeeze the mixture as firmly as you can, pressing out as much of the milk as possible. This will take several minutes, and your hands and arms will probably feel worked. (Spread the remaining pulp out on a baking sheet and place in a low oven, or an off oven with a pilot light, until completely dried out, several hours or days. Whiz in a coffee grinder or food processor to break up any clumps. Use in place of some of the flour in muffin, cookie or cake recipes.)

    Store the milk in a jar in the fridge for up to a week. The almond milk will separate; no problem, just shake it to recombine.

    Banana-Berry Almond Milk Smoothie

    Serves 1

    1 large, ripe banana
    1/3 cup frozen huckle (or other) berries
    1/4 cup yogurt
    1/2 cup almond milk

    Place the bananas, berries, yogurt and half of the almond milk in a blender. Puree on low to combine, then increase to high, gradually adding the rest of the almond milk, until very smooth.

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    the cover of the award-winning cookbook, Alternative Baker

    Hungry for more?

    Alternative Baker celebrates the unique tastes and textures of 14 gluten-free flours, from buckwheat flour to almond flour to sorghum and coconut! This cookbook will fill your kitchen with sweet treats that burst with flavor every month of the year.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Katherine says

      March 09, 2014 at 11:48 pm

      This week's goal is to clean out pantry, refrigerator and freezer. My bulk container of almonds is on the list. And I have some recipes for smoothies with almond milk - et voila!

      2 nuts with one blender = 2 birds with one stone. Yeah, not as 'catchy' as I hoped it would be.

      Anyway, thanks for your recipe. The almonds really plump up after a few hours and the almond milk is delicious. Mango and banana almond milk smoothie. Yum.

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        March 10, 2014 at 6:04 pm

        Yay! I've been making almond milk every week, and am drinking a smoothie very similar to the one here at this very moment. Mango sounds delicious, too. If you need a use for the pulp, you might like my Baked Almond Pulp Brownies - easy and yummy. Thanks for the sweet note.

        Reply
    2. Leslie says

      February 16, 2015 at 11:54 pm

      I make almond milk regularly so am always looking for something to do with the pulp. This week I blended it with a can of white beans, olive oil, jalapenos, garlic, sundried tomatoes and lemon juice and created a delicious hummus like spread.

      Thanks for all of your beautiful recipes/photos. I love receiving my bojon gourmet emails!

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        February 18, 2015 at 2:47 pm

        Whoa, that sounds seriously delicious - thanks for sharing and for the kind words!

        Reply
    3. Susan says

      January 25, 2017 at 11:39 pm

      G'day
      I have been making this recipe for a few weeks and then the brownies after which are a huge hit, so thanks for that!
      My problem is that the almond milk goes all gloopy like yoghurt after the first day and tastes weird. It also doesn't separate at all.
      This is what I do differently and was wondering if that is the problem.
      I first boil some water and place the almonds in it for a couple of minutes to remove the skins, then I soak them for the 12 hours with a tsp of salt to activate them. Surely that can't be the problem?

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        January 29, 2017 at 9:36 pm

        Hi Susan, I've never had what you've described happen, so maybe try the recipe once as written and see if you have the same problem?

        Reply

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