Over the last few months, we’ve drastically changed our eating habits. We’ve incorporated more vegetables, limited our gluten intake, essentially cut out sugar, and replaced dairy with other alternatives. Some call us crazy, but we like to say it’s more of a lifestyle change.

This new lifestyle has brought with it lots of experimentation. So most recently, we decided to make some homemade almond milk. We’ve always wondered if it’s really worth it. And to be honest – we’re a little on the fence! We decided we’d share the pros and cons and let you decide for yourself.

PROS

• Chemical-free: You’re the one making it, so you know exactly what’s going into it… which is simply water over raw almonds. It doesn’t get more chemical free than that.
• Flavorful: To us, it definitely had a stronger almond flavor than store bought almond milk does. If you’re into that flavor, you’d be a fan of this.
• Creamier: We’re not big dairy people to begin with so the word “creamy” makes us a little uncomfortable when it comes to milk. However, store bought almond milk has next to zero “creaminess” so this was actually a pleasant surprise.
• Fun: There is something to be said about making your own almond milk. As funny as it sounds, there was a sense of pride for us – knowing we made it from scratch – even if it was just water and raw almonds!

CONS

• Shelf life: While store bought almond milk lasts about 7-10 days once opened, homemade almond milk only lasts about two days. While some may think it’s fine past 2-3 days, when you’ve suffered from extreme food poisoning before, you don’t take any chances!
• Time: To make almond milk, you must let the almonds soak in water for 1-2 days. That said, if you’re out of almond milk and need it right away for a recipe, you’re out of luck. However, once you let the almonds soak, it’s a pretty quick process (10-15 minutes).
• Cost: If you didn’t know, raw almonds are kind of expensive (on average $25 – $30 for a 3 pound bag) yet a container of almond milk is only around $2-$3 each. While the cost may even out (although you must also buy a nut milk bag), ask yourself what your time costs? In our careers, time is money.

In our minds, the real question boils down to convenience. Does knowing you made a creamier version of your favorite dairy-free milk by hand without chemicals or added ingredients outweigh the benefit of being able to open up your fridge or pantry and pull out a container of nearly the same product? We’ll leave that up to you!

 

Enjoy!
Hayley and Ashley