Successfully Making Homemade Plant Milks Without a Machine

Introduction

More and more people are interested in plant milks. They are a tasty, ethical, and often more digestible alternative to animal milk. But did you know it’s very easy to make homemade plant milks without a specialized machine? In this article, we will discover how to proceed, which ingredients to prioritize, which steps to follow, and which tips to apply to successfully make plant milks at home with just a blender and a bit of preparation. We will also see ideas for using your freshly made plant milks to their fullest.

Making homemade plant milks is not only economical, but it also allows you to control the quality and origin of your ingredients. No more reading complicated labels in stores or worrying about additives, preservatives, or added sugars. By making your own milks, you can adjust the texture to your taste, vary the flavors, and even concoct original blends.

After reading this, you’ll know how to prepare delicious hazelnut, oat, almond, soy, or coconut milks without any specialized machine.

Why Make Your Own Plant Milk?

1. Control Over Quality and Ingredients

When you make your own plant milk, you know exactly what you’re adding to your recipe. You can choose organic ingredients, limit additives, adjust the amount of sugar, and tailor the flavors to your preferences. You also have the assurance that the final product contains no preservatives or artificial thickeners. This is a great advantage for anyone looking to better control their diet or who suffers from food intolerances.

2. A Better Personalized Taste

Commercial plant milk can sometimes be lacking in flavor. By preparing it yourself at home, you have the opportunity to enhance the taste of nuts, oats, or almonds and achieve a creamier milk. You can also experiment by adding spices like cinnamon, vanilla, cocoa, or other ingredients you like to vary the pleasures.

3. More Economical in the Long Term

Certainly, there is a learning period and an initial investment in a sufficiently powerful mixer or blender. However, in the long term, making homemade plant milks can be cheaper than regularly buying industrial cartons. Moreover, nothing is wasted: the remaining pulp can be reused, for example in almond biscuit recipes or vegetable patties, depending on the base of your milk.

4. An Ecological Gesture

The cardboard and plastic cartons that package commercial plant milks can be a significant source of waste. By making your own plant milks at home, you limit the environmental impact related to transport, over-packaging, and the use of additional resources. You are thus making a gesture for the planet.

Necessary Equipment

To make plant milk without a specialized machine, you will need a few basic utensils:

  1. A blender or mixer: This is the central element as it will grind your ingredients and mix them with water. A sufficiently powerful blender will greatly facilitate preparation.
  2. A large bowl or container: To soak your seeds or grains and collect the liquid once blended.
  3. A clean cloth, cheesecloth, or nut milk bag: To filter your preparation and separate the liquid from the pulp.
  4. A fine strainer: This is optional if you already have a nut milk bag or cheesecloth, but it can be useful for an initial coarse filtration.
  5. A bottle or airtight jar: You will need a clean container to store your plant milk in the refrigerator.

Basics for Preparing Any Plant Milk

Before diving into the details of the recipes, it is useful to know the basic principle of making plant milk: you start with a raw material (almonds, nuts, soy, oats, etc.) that you will soak to soften. Then, you blend it with water before filtering to obtain a homogeneous liquid.

1. Soaking

Soaking is often necessary for nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, cashews) and seeds (soy, sunflower seeds…), as it facilitates digestion by reactivating the germination process and eliminating some potentially irritating or anti-nutritional components (like phytic acid). Moreover, soaking softens the texture, which improves blending.

• Soaking time: Variable depending on the ingredients, generally between 4 and 12 hours, or even 24 hours for hard seeds like soy. • Water/seeds ratio: Make sure to cover your ingredients generously with water during the soaking phase, as they will swell and absorb water.

2. Blending

Once your ingredients are well-drained, place them with spring or filtered water in your blender. You can vary the water proportion depending on the desired consistency: the more water you add, the more fluid your milk will be, and vice versa. A ratio of 1 measure of dry ingredients to 3 to 4 measures of water is a good starting point. You can then adjust according to your tastes.

3. Filtration

After blending, you will obtain a thick, often foamy mixture that contains the pulp of your ingredients. To get smooth plant milk, you will filter this mixture. There are several options:

• Nut milk bag: Very practical, just pour the mixture inside and gently press. • Cheesecloth or a clean cloth: These fabrics let the liquid pass and retain solid residues. • A fine strainer: It can be used as a complement but does not eliminate all the finest particles.

4. Storage

Most homemade plant milks keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight bottle. Beyond that, they can spoil, ferment, or develop an unpleasant taste. Be sure to shake your bottle well before consumption, as slight separation is normal: the solid parts settle at the bottom.

1. Almond Milk

This is probably the most common. For one liter of milk:

  • 100 g of raw almonds (soaked for 8 to 12 hours)
  • 3 to 4 times their volume in water
  • Optional: a pinch of salt, a bit of vanilla, or maple syrup for sweetness

After soaking the almonds, rinse them thoroughly. Place them in the blender with the water. Blend for a few minutes to obtain a homogeneous mixture. Filter using a nut milk bag or a clean cloth. Store in the fridge and shake before serving. Its delicate flavor is perfect for versatile use: in your coffee, smoothies, or culinary preparations.

2. Oat Milk

Oat milk is economical, rich in fiber, and quick to prepare. For one liter:

  • 80 g of oat flakes (generally, they do not need to be soaked overnight, a few minutes may suffice)
  • 3 to 4 times their volume in water
  • A pinch of salt
  • Optionally a sweetener (agave syrup, coconut sugar…)

Be careful not to blend too long to avoid a too gelatinous texture. Then filter. Oat milk tends to thicken a bit when resting, so feel free to adjust the amount of water or shake vigorously before use. It’s a highly appreciated base for porridges and for preparing creamy sauces.

3. Hazelnut Milk

With its mild taste and delicious smell, hazelnut milk is a treat. For one liter:

  • 100 g of hazelnuts (soaked for 8 to 12 hours)
  • 3 to 4 times their volume in water
  • Optional: a hint of cocoa powder for a choco-hazelnut milk

After rinsing the hazelnuts, blend them with the water in the blender. Filter well. Hazelnut milk is used both for breakfast and for gourmet desserts. A choco-hazelnut milk made with pure cocoa and a bit of maple syrup is a delicious alternative to industrial chocolate drinks.

4. Soy Milk

Soy requires a bit more time and precautions but remains a staple. For one liter:

  • 80 g of yellow soybeans (soaked for at least 8 hours)
  • About 1 liter of water

After soaking, drain and rinse the beans. Optionally remove as many small skins as possible. Boil the soybeans before blending them, as consuming raw soy can cause digestive issues. After cooking, blend the soybeans with the cooking water or fresh water. Then filter. Soy milk is ideal for making yogurt, sauces, or homemade tofu.

5. Coconut Milk

For an exotic taste and very creamy texture:

  • 100 g of grated coconut (soaking not mandatory, but optional to soften the nut)
  • 3 to 4 times their volume in hot water

Heat the water without boiling it, then blend the grated coconut with this water. Filter using a nut milk bag or a cloth. You get a fragrant milk, perfect for making curries, Thai soups, or fruity desserts. Coconut milk tends to separate into a cream layer and a watery residue. Just homogenize it before use by shaking or slightly warming it.

Tips for Optimizing Your Plant Milk Preparation

  1. Don’t throw away the pulp (okara, almond pulp, etc.): It can be reused in many ways, for example in vegetable patties, biscuits, or to thicken sauces. You can also freeze it for later use.
  2. Vary the ingredients: Nuts are often expensive. Consider sunflower, sesame, hemp, or pumpkin seeds, which allow you to diversify nutrient intake and vary tastes.
  3. Adjust the texture: If you find your plant milk too thick, feel free to add water and mix again. The reverse is also true: if you want creamier milk, reduce the amount of water or opt for ingredients richer in lipids, like almonds, hazelnuts, or cashews.
  4. Add flavors: You can flavor your plant milks by adding vanilla, cocoa, cinnamon, or even a bit of salt to enhance the taste. Taste as you go.
  5. Avoid overheating: If your blender heats too much, let the preparation rest for a few moments. Excessive heat can alter the taste or color of the milk.
  6. Keep cool: The shelf life of plant milks is short. After 3-4 days, it’s better to consume them otherwise (as a cooking ingredient, for example) or discard them if you notice an unusual smell.

Recipe Ideas and Uses

1. Coffee or Tea Latte

You can use your homemade plant milks in your favorite hot drinks. Oat milk often foams better, while almond milk brings a more subtle taste. For a plant-based coffee latte, heat the milk with a pinch of cinnamon and pour it over your espresso. Guaranteed cozy effect.

2. Smoothies and Milkshakes

Plant milks are an excellent base for smoothies. Add a seasonal fruit (banana, strawberry, mango…), some chia seeds, and possibly a bit of peanut butter for an even creamier side. You can prepare a choco-hazelnut milkshake by blending hazelnut milk with cocoa and a frozen banana.

3. Sauces and Creams

Soy or oat milk can be used to prepare creamy sauces. For example, get a vegetable broth, thicken it with a bit of starch if necessary, and you’ll have a delicious vegan white sauce that accompanies all kinds of dishes. Coconut milk, on the other hand, is fabulous in exotic dishes like curries.

4. Desserts and Pastries

Most traditional milk-based desserts can be transposed with plant milk: dessert creams, flans, cakes, etc. Simply adjust the amount of sugar if you use plant milk that’s already slightly sweetened. Almond milk is sovereign in preparations like crème brûlée or clafoutis, while coconut milk brings a rich and creamy flavor to chocolate desserts.

5. Plant-Based Cheeses and Yogurts

Some people choose to go further by making plant-based yogurts or cheeses. Soy milk, thanks to its protein content, is particularly suitable for making yogurts and tofu. You’ll need a ferment or an existing plant-based yogurt as a “starter” and a bit of patience. For plant-based cheese, almond or cashew pulp is generally used, fermented and flavored with nutritional yeast, herbs, or spices.

Managing Potential Difficulties

Your first attempts may not be perfect, but don’t panic:

  1. Too bland taste: Add a bit of salt or natural sweetener. Some aromatic plants can also improve the aftertaste.
  2. Too thick or too liquid texture: Simply adjust the amount of water. After filtering, you can put the pulp back in the blender with a bit more water if the texture is too dense, or conversely reduce the initial water if you prefer a creamier result.
  3. Small lumps: Filtering is key for a smooth result. Make sure to press the pulp well. Investing in a good quality nut milk bag can make all the difference.
  4. Milk separation: This is completely natural. Just shake your bottle well before use. You can also add a natural thickener like guar gum (in very small amounts) if you want more stable homogeneity.
  5. Storage: If you often have milk that spoils too quickly, prepare smaller quantities, especially if you don’t consume it daily.

Focus on the Environmental Question

In addition to offering many gourmet options, plant milks can represent a more environmentally friendly alternative than industrial cow’s milk, as they generally reduce emissions related to intensive farming and avoid Tetra Pak or plastic packaging. However, it also depends on the origin of the raw materials. Almonds, for example, require a lot of water for their cultivation. It is therefore preferable to favor locally produced nuts and seeds if possible, or from respectful and sustainable sources. Oat milk, produced from a widely grown cereal, often has a lower environmental impact, especially if the oats are local and grown in accordance with organic farming.

Conclusion

Making your own plant milks at home without a machine can become a real pleasure over time. By mastering a few simple techniques such as soaking, blending, and filtering, you have the freedom to experiment and create milks tailored to your tastes and nutritional needs. Far from being a stopgap solution, homemade plant milk is more akin to a better consumption approach and a return to more authentic culinary practices.

You will soon personalize your preparations with the addition of spices, natural sweeteners, or superfoods. You will also reduce your waste and take a step further towards a healthy, sustainable, and conscious diet. So, ready to embark on the homemade plant milk adventure? Grab your blender, a cloth, and some nuts, and let the experiments begin. You will discover a whole range of flavors and textures that will enrich your daily life, whether you are vegetarian, vegan, lactose intolerant, or simply curious. Happy blending and enjoy!