How to make your own pistachio milk, hemp milk and quinoa milk
These three tasty plant-based milks offer a variation from the standard varieties available in supermarkets.
The beauty of making your own milk is knowing exactly what it contains – plus, you’re eliminating waste at the same time. No need for any tetra packs here!
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Who knew that you could make milk from pistachios, hemp and even quinoa, and that it would be so simple? Not us!
If you want an alternative vegan plant milk that’s super healthy and free from plastic waste, try one of these recipes in time for your next cup of tea.
Which is the healthiest plant milk?
Alternative vegan plant milks all have varying health benefits and will differ in their nutritional profiles.
Out of these three recipes, the quinoa milk is lowest in fat, whilst the pistachio milk is highest in fibre. The hemp milk wins on protein, with a much higher level than both the quinoa and pistachio milks.
Shop-bought plant milks often contain added sugars and oils, but making your own means you have complete control over the ingredients. However, they are often fortified with vitamins such as vitamin D, iodine and B12.
What’s a nut milk bag?
A nut milk bag is made from fine mesh and is used to strain your plant-based milk. The liquid is squeezed through the nut milk bag, catching any solid parts from your nuts, oats or seeds.
Nut milk bags can be purchased from whole food or zero waste stores, or online at sites like Peace With The Wild and eBay.
You can also use cheesecloth to strain your milk. If you don’t have either of these things to hand, you could try using a cotton tea towel, a fine metal sieve or even a pair of tights!
Which plant milk tastes best?
With so many options now available to buy or make at home, it can be hard to know which to go for.
The alternative vegan plant milk you choose really depends on preference and what recipe you’re using it for. For example, thicker, creamier nut or oat milks will go better in coffee whilst plant milks that are lower in fat – such as quinoa milk – will have a thinner consistency and be good for tea and cereal.
Have fun experimenting and if you’re new to dairy-free milk, try making your own as well as testing out supermarket brands such as Oatly, Alpro, Plenish and Koko.
Total Time: 10 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 1
Rating:
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 1
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
(Servings: 1)
- For the Pistachio Milk
- 100 100 g pistachios
- 960 960 ml water
- 60 60 ml maple syrup (optional)
- a dash of vanilla extract
- For the Hemp Milk
- 160 160 g hemp hearts (shelled, raw hemp seeds)
- 720 720 -960 ml water (depending how thick you want your milk
- maple syrup or sweetener, to taste
- For the Quinoa Milk
- 185 185 g cooked quinoa
- 960 960 ml water
- 4 4 dates
- a pinch of ground cinnamon
Method
To make the Pistachio Milk:
1. In a high-speed blender, blend all ingredients (apart from the maple syrup) together until smooth.
2. Taste the milk and sweeten it to your preference with maple syrup. Blend again, to thoroughly combine the ingredients.
3. Strain the milk through a nut milk bag or cheesecloth-lined sieve, over a jug.
4. Pour straight from the jug into a glass bottle or container. Store for up to 3 days in the fridge
To make the Hemp Milk:
1. In a high-speed blender, blend all ingredients (apart from the maple syrup) together until smooth.
2. Taste the milk and sweeten it to your preference with maple syrup. Blend again, to thoroughly combine the ingredients.
3. Strain through a nut milk bag or cheesecloth-lined sieve over a jug.
4. Pour from the jug straight into a glass bottle or container. Store for 3 days in the fridge.
To make the Quinoa Milk:
1. In a high-speed blender, blend all ingredients together until smooth.
2. Strain through a nut milk bag or cheesecloth-lined sieve over a jug.
3. Pour from the jug straight into a glass bottle or container. Store for 3 days in the fridge.
Nutritional Information:
Pistachio Milk per 100ml: Calories 68, Fat 4g, Saturates 0.5g, Carbohydrate 7.1g, Sugars 4.9g, Fibre 1g, Protein 1.8g, Salt 0.01g
Hemp Milk per 100ml: Calories 105, Fat 8.8g, Saturates 0.8g, Carbohydrate 3.1g, Sugars 1.6g, Fibre 0.5g, Protein 5.7g, Salt 0.01g
Quinoa Milk per 100ml: Calories 32, Fat 0.2g, Saturates 0g, Carbohydrate 7.3g, Sugars 4.3g, Fibre 0.5g, Protein 0.6g, Salt 0.01g
Got the hang of making your own plant-based milk? Why not try your hand at one of these vegan cheese recipes?
