Nut Milks 101: How to Make Any Nut Milk at Home

A Beginner's Guide · Dairy Free · Endlessly Customisable

Once you know the basic formula, you'll never go back to a carton.

We live in a time when groceries show up at the door in ten minutes. Which is genuinely convenient but it has also made us forget that some of the things we're ordering were never that hard to make in the first place.

Nut milk is one of them. It looks like a specialty item that gets packaged in a carton with a long ingredients list and a price tag to match. But the actual formula? Three ingredients, a blender, and five minutes. That's it.

Once you know the ratio, you don't need a recipe. You just make whatever you feel like.

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The Basic Formula

Every homemade nut milk comes down to the same three things:

Nuts or seeds + water + a pinch of salt

That's it. The ratio that works consistently is 1/4 cup of nuts or seeds to 600ml of water. From there, everything else is optional — flavours, sweeteners, spices — depending on what you're making it for and what you feel like that day.

Choosing Your Nut or Seed

Almost any nut or seed works. Here's what to keep in mind:

Cashews give the creamiest result and don't need straining. Great for coffee, sauces, and curries.

Almonds need an overnight soak and should be strained for a smoother milk. Classic and versatile.

Pistachios make a beautiful, naturally sweet milk with a gorgeous pale green colour. Minimal prep needed.

Hemp seeds require no soaking at all and blend into a mild, slightly earthy milk rich in omega-3s.

Walnuts are quick to make and have a slightly bitter edge that works really well with cacao or dates.

Oats aren't a nut, but they follow the same formula and make a naturally sweet, creamy milk. Don't over-blend or it can turn slimy.

The general rule:

Softer nuts and seeds (cashews, hemp, macadamia) need no soaking.

Harder nuts (almonds, hazelnuts) benefit from an overnight soak in water before blending. When in doubt, soak for a few hours, it only improves the result.

Optional Flavours & Variations

This is where it gets fun. Once your base milk is blended, you can take it in any direction:

For chocolate milk: add 2 tbsp cocoa powder before blending

For a warming spiced milk: add cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, or a pinch of turmeric

For a vanilla milk: add a few drops of vanilla extract or a small amount of vanilla paste

To sweeten: use dates, coconut sugar, stevia, monkfruit, maple syrup, or agave. Start with a small amount and adjust to taste

There are no strict rules here. Some days I want it plain. Some days I want something that tastes like a dessert in a glass. The formula adapts to both.

How to Make It

Step 1. If your nut needs soaking, cover with water and leave overnight (or for at least 4 hours). Drain and rinse before using.

Step 2. Add your nuts or seeds, 600ml of fresh water, and a pinch of salt to a blender. Add any flavourings or sweeteners at this stage too.

Step 3. Blend well — at least 60 seconds on high — until smooth and creamy.

Step 4. If your nut is fibrous (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts), strain the milk through a fine mesh cloth or nut milk bag into a bowl or jug. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible. If using cashews or hemp seeds, you can skip this step entirely.

Step 5. Pour into sterilised bottles and refrigerate.

Storage

Homemade nut milk keeps in the refrigerator for up to one week and in the freezer for up to one month. Always shake or stir before using as separation is completely natural and doesn't mean anything has gone wrong.

Don't Throw Away the Pulp

If you strain your milk, you'll be left with nut pulp and it's genuinely useful. Mix it with oat flour or protein powder and a dry sweetener of your choice and roll into energy balls. 

The Template

Think of this less as a recipe and more as a starting point you'll adapt every time.

Base (makes approx. 600ml): 

• 1/4 cup nuts or seeds of your choice

• 600ml water

• Pinch of salt

Optional add-ins: 

• 2 tbsp cocoa powder

• Spices — cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric

• Vanilla extract or paste

• Sweetener — dates, coconut sugar, stevia, monkfruit, maple syrup, agave

Method: 

• Soak if needed. Blend everything well and strain if fibrous.

• Bottle in sterilised glass and for up to a week or freeze for up to a month.