Most people will panic when told that they need to be dairy free for a period of time.

One of the most common questions I get is "What am I going to put in my coffee?"

As a replacement for a dairy-based milk, nut, seed and coconut kinds of milk have become very popular. With that also comes the downside of commercialism.

Have you checked the list of ingredients at the back or on the side of the box? In some, there was something ridiculous like 10 ingredients in a simple almond milk, none of which were conducive to health and to be honest, you'd almost be better drinking the dairy-based milk given what was included!

It is so easy to make your own variety and combinations. I'll say straight up, I'm not a fan of almond milk, but love hazelnut and cashew milk. The kids don't mind a mix of coconut & seed milk in their smoothies.

What you'll need:

Equipment

A high speed blender
A nut milk bag or a piece of organic cotton muslin
A glass jar or container to strain the milk into

Ingredients:

1 cup of nuts of choice (preferably soaked overnight, cashews only need 2-3 hours)
500ml - 1L of filtered water, my happy medium is 650ml for a good creamy consistency (use less if you want a creamier version)
1 date (optional)
1 tbsp of vanilla extract (optional)
Pinch of salt (optional, I rarely add)

Method:

Place all ingredients in the blender
Blend for 10-30 seconds
Strain through a nut milk bag or muslin. Cashew milk does not require any straining, so often is my choice of milk when I don't have a lot of time
Pour into a glass container and refrigerate. Will last up to 5 days

You can freeze the leftover pulp and use it make grainfree cookies, blissballs, pancakes or dry it out in the oven or dehydrator if you have one and make a flour. Too easy!

Enjoy XX