almond milk Archives - A Calculated Whisk

We got a lot of snow in Boston last night, and the temperatures are hovering right around zero. I’ve been staying inside and cooking up a storm, mainly testing out recipes for my review of Cooking with Coconut Oil by Elizabeth Nyland of Guilty Kitchen, which will go up this weekend. I’ve made two meals from the book so far and loved them both! Since I don’t have a brand new recipe to share today, I wanted to point you towards five paleo flavor boosters to make or buy and have on hand for an extra delicious Whole30 (if you’ve never heard of a Whole30, check out yesterday’s post where I explain things briefly). Even if you’re not Whole30-ing this month, stocking your pantry with these delicious items enables you to indulge while still being healthy!

Also, guess what? I found another blogger doing a Whole30! Even though she’s across the country in Austin, I’m still so happy not to be in this alone! Stop by Quarter Life Crisis Cuisine to say hi to Ashley and see what she’s cooking. She recently posted a Paleo taco casserole with sweet potatoes that looks amazing.

1. Ghee–This stuff is amazing. No wonder Indian food is always so delicious, since almost every recipe starts with ghee! It’s easy to make your own ghee at home. It smells so good, and tastes even better. Seriously, you might want to eat it with a spoon. It’s the only kind of dairy allowed on the Whole30, and I am so glad to have it. Non Whole30ers, you should still make this! It has a much higher smoke point than butter, so you can cook with it and not worry about it burning. Also, the flavor is just superior to regular butter in every way. Best of all, ghee is free of lactose and casein, so people with dairy intolerances are often able to enjoy it.

Learn how to make ghee with these step-by-step instructions from Nom Nom Paleo. If you’re looking for a Whole30-approved way to drink your coffee in the morning, you might want to try this Bulletproof Coffee from Stupid Easy Paleo that’s made with ghee and coconut oil. I also use my ghee to fry eggs and saute meat and vegetables.

Here’s how to make your own almond milk at home. It’s paleo, vegan, and easy to make–and the results are way more delicious than store-bought versions!

Do you drink coffee? How do you take yours? Have you ever had to switch the way you make your morning coffee?
One of the hardest parts about the whole30 for me has been adjusting what I put in my coffee. I used to put lots of 2% milk and a little agave or stevia, plus sometimes a few drops of vanilla. It wasn’t that hard eliminating the sweetener, because I love the simple synergy of milk and coffee. Since I also love coconut milk, I thought that might be a great choice for my morning cup. But coconut milk is terrible in coffee. It’s too thick. Even light coconut milk in a carton is too thick (and has icky things like carageenan added to it). Coffee shouldn’t be viscous, so coconut milk is out.

The next thing I tried was almond milk. It’s hard to find unsweetened almond milk without too many additives, but the Whole Foods brand wasn’t too bad. And when I put that almond milk in my coffee, it was fine. I had to put a lot more almond milk than regular milk, because you can pour in a lot of almond milk before your coffee stops looking (and tasting) totally black. Anyway, coffee with store-bought almond milk is okay, but I figured I could do better.

This homemade almond milk is easy, and you can add a little whole30-friendly sweetness by putting in a few dried apricots (or dates). The ingredients list is short and wholesome, and the result is much more delicious than what you find at the store. Creamy and subtly sweet, this homemade almond milk is by far the best nondairy milk I’ve found to go with my morning coffee. Of course, it’s also great on its own or blended into smoothies.

This recipe makes lightly sweetened vanilla almond milk; just omit the vanilla and dried fruit if you would like to make plain almond milk.

Ingredients (makes about 2 and 1/2 cups; adapted from Choosing Raw):

1 cup raw almonds
Water for soaking
3 cups water
Pinch of salt
2-4 dried apricots or dates, pitted and soaked in hot water (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional, omit for Whole30)

Equipment:

Cheesecloth or a nut milk bag

Soak the almonds in water to cover for at least two hours, or up to eight. Drain and rinse the almonds and discard the soaking water. Place the almonds, 3 cups of water, salt, apricots or dates, and vanilla in a blender. Blend on high speed for a minute or so until smooth.

Line a sieve with cheesecloth and place over a large bowl, or place a nut milk bag over a large jar, securing it with a rubber band. Pour the almond milk into the sieve or nut milk bag. Allow it to drain for up to an hour (or if you are impatient like me, squeeze the cheesecloth or bag to remove as much liquid as possible). Discard pulp, or save to use in smoothies. Store almond milk in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, and shake before using.

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase on Amazon after clicking one of my links, I receive a small commission (the price you pay is not affected). Thank you so much for supporting my site!

5 Essential Paleo Flavor-Boosters for a Delicious Whole30 (Day 3)

Make Your Own Almond Milk