One of my awesome readers, Erin, left the best suggestion on my homemade almond milk post: homemade walnut milk!! I make a walnut nut butter and walnut flour…why not walnut milk? Well let me tell you it’s delicious, so thank you Erin. This comes at a good time for me, as almond flour and almond milk have not been agreeing with my digestion. I make this walnut milk in the same fashion as my almond milk. I use a high water-to-nut ratio compared to most recipes. I purchase organic nuts in bulk, so I try and stretch my dollar by adding in more water. I happen to adore the flavor, but it may not be for everyone, especially if you’re accustomed to a thicker nut milk. Do what feels right to you and what you like. Thanks again for the great suggestion Erin!
Health benefits of walnuts
Ingredients
-1 cup raw, organic walnuts
-7 cups filtered water
-1 teaspoon vanilla
How To
1. Soak walnuts in filtered water for 8 -10 hours, or just over night.
2. When the walnuts have been properly soaked, drain and rinse with filtered water
3. To your blender add walnuts, 7 cups water, and vanilla
4. Blend on high for 90 seconds
5. Here’s a step in the process that might be different from most:
*After blending I let the milk sit in the blender for about 5 minutes. This gives the milk time to settle and the foam to gather on the top. After the 5 minutes I scoop off all the foam. After removing the foam my original 7 cups remain. I dislike straining foamy milk through the nut milk bag. See pictures below for foam scooping process:
5. After you scoop off the foam (and discard into the sink), strain the milk through a nut milk bag. I strain the milk into an 8 cup glass Pyrex
6. Transfer to glass pitcher with lid and store in the fridge for up to 5 days
Notes:
*If using a “regular” blender (not high-speed), start with 5 cups water and blend on high for up to 2 minutes. Add more water in future batches if you like the consistency and taste with 5 cups.
*If using a “regular” blender (not high-speed), start with 5 cups water and blend on high for up to 2 minutes. Add more water in future batches if you like the consistency and taste with 5 cups.
Check out this great site on: what to do with your nut pulp. There’s like a zillion recipes! So awesome!!
Shared on: Frugal Food Thursday, Wellness Weekend, Lunch Box Love Fridays, Freaky Friday, Fresh Bites Fridays, Allergy Free Fridays, Fight Back Friday, Friday Food, Simple Lives Thursday
How creative! I have been drooling over the cashew milk lately…WAY too good! I may have to try ALL the nuts now and see what I like the best and what is the most cost-effective!
Hi Tessa,
I too like cashew milk – it’s so creamy! It’s fun trying different nuts. Hazelnut milk is also very good!
Hugs,
–Amber
one of the great vegan milks, I make from RAW SUNFLOWERS. google the nutritional value, and as well, the economical side as well. and its really good.
best when soaked first.
I must try nut milk! This looks so lovely and, as you know, I love walnuts! I also love the link you’ve given for the pulp recipes – I hate waste! This might sound a stupid question but how do you clean your bag? I’ve always gone for unbleached coffee filter papers for making things like yogurt cheese because I’d be very tempted to throw away the bag after each use. Thanks for posting this!
I think you will like it very much, Vicky.
I’ve made cashew and almond milk, but never walnut. Gotta try!
I think you’ll really like it! It’s a very mild flavor. I do like cashew milk, and LOVE not having to strain pulp. But the walnut milk is very pleasant.
Be Well,
–Amber
Hi There Vicki,
I think you will love making your own nut milk! It’s wonderful.
And, not a stupid question at all! Above you will find a link to the nut milk bag I use. I’ve had it for years and it’s incredibly durable. Some aren’t so much. To clean it out I just turn it inside out (drop the pulp into a glass storage container) and then wash the bag with water and a small bit of Dr. Bonner’s soap (which I purchase in bulk at my local Coop). Then I lay it over my dish drainer to dry. It’s totally easy and I know you’ll LOVE it! 🙂
Hugs,
–Amber
Hi Amber, the link you gave for the nut bag goes to a page that contains several nut bags–several nylon, several hemp. Which bag do you have? If yours has held up for years, I’d like to try that one!
Thank you for your post on making walnut milk. I am making my first batch this morning!
Stacy
Hi Stacy. Thanks for pointing that out. I added in the link to the bag I use. It has lasted a long time and I love it. It’s my favorite…and I’ve used a lot of bags. 🙂
Oooh, Amber, I am overstocked on walnuts right now. I really must try this recipe! So the foam is not worth saving? Even for a green smoothie?
Thanks, dear! xo,
Shirley
Hi Shirley,
Thanks. I’ve been thinking about you!
So the foam…not worth saving (in my opinion). You’ll see when you make it. It’s just air. You’ll still have your original water level. In my years of making nut milks, the foam is just a real bother to me when it’s time to strain. This is just an extra step I take here in the process, but it may not be for everyone. Let me know what you think about it!
Hugs,
–Amber
I’ve made my own coconut milk and almond milk before, but never thought of this! So fun! I’ll definitely try to make this. 🙂
Please let me know how you like it! I can’t get enough. So yummy. It doesn’t need any sweetener and the vanilla gives it just the right touch. 🙂
Be Well,
–Amber
Awesome Amber! I love walnuts in recipes and for snacking, but have never made walnut milk before. I am really looking forward to trying this recipe. I might add a pinch of maple syrup to the recipe to get my kids to try it…and hubby!
Hi Laura,
I enjoy the flavor more than almond milk. It’s very mild and pleasant. I’m really enjoying it.
Let me know what you think about it!
Hugs,
–Amber
So honored to be made mention of here! I tried it on a whim and it has become a regular in our home. Glad to know it is blessing others too!
Thanks for the inspiration, Erin.
Can I ask does anyone know, rounghly, how many calories there are per cup of nut milk? Most of the sites I look up say they have quite alot, or maybe they are the calories in the amount of actual nuts used. I drain all the liquid from the pulp and remove the nut pulp. Surely this is removing most of the calories. Any ideas?
Hello Im from Perth Western Australia and this past week I was lucky enough to taste an incredible smoothie
walnut milk ( hence my exploration of this site)
linseed
dates
and cinnamon at an “up-market” café in Northbridge
who knows what ratio they used but delicious ( and expensive )
so Im going to start experimenting with all of these alternative “milks” even though I have no allergies or intolerances
– thanks for your site
Leanne
Thanks so much! Good for you for experimenting with alternative foods. Fun to be adventurous.
My walnuts are soaking right now and I’m planning on adding a little cinnamon and honey. I don’t have vanilla on hand wondering if this will still taste good without the vanilla? My first time ever making a nut milk. Fingers crossed!
Hi Emi. Wow, that sounds great. Try with just the honey before you add in the cinnamon. You might like the way it tastes with just honey. And as for the vanilla, it’s just a nice background flavor. You don’t have to put it in. You will often see vanilla in store bought nut milks. It tastes great together. Good luck and I hope it goes great for you. Walnut milk is one of my favorites. 🙂
Hi Amber, my name is Amber too!
I just discovered walnut milk last week and I LOVE it!!! It’s my new favorite drink!!! I discovered your blog because I was looking to find out the nutritional value of this drink….do you happen to know anything about it? (Like calories, fat, etc?) I want to know if I can drink a quart every single day, ha ha! Just kidding, but seriously it’s that good….I could!!!!!! I blend my 1 cup of soaked walnuts with 4 cups water, 1 tsp vanilla, a pinch of celtic gray salt, and 4-5 dates, then strain. WOW! It tastes like an horchata to me, if you’ve ever had that. SO yummy!
Nice blog!
Hi Amber. Oh wow! That sounds soooo super yummy. I love it and will most certainly try. And I found THIS site that has the caloric breakdown of 1 cup of walnuts. Hope this it helps. 🙂 Be Well.
Oh, and 1 tsp of cinnamon too….I forgot that in my post above….VERY important!!!! So delicious and creamy!
Love it! Can’t wait to try.
Great post. Regarding the walnut milk, it is also one of my favorites (along with pecan milk) that I make most often (I use a ratio of 1 c. nuts to 4 c. water or 1 1/2 c. nuts to 5 c. water). Not sure if you’re aware, but each nut has different soaking times—not all need to soak as long as others or over night. I have a chart I wanted to upload, but don’t see a way to do that. So here are the soaking times: (and always remember to rinse your nuts after soaking to eliminate all the enzyme inhibitors). 🙂
Almonds: 8-12 hrs.
Brazil nuts: 6-8 hrs.
Cashews: 2-4 hrs.
Flaxseeds: do not soak
Hazelnuts: 6-8 hrs.
Macadamia nuts: 2-4 hrs.
Pecans: 4-6 hrs.
Pine nuts: 1-2 hrs.
Pistachios: 2-4 hrs.
Pumpkin seeds: 2-4 hrs.
Sesame seeds: do not soak
Sunflower seeds: 2-4 hrs.
Walnuts: 6-8 hrs.
LOVE nut/seed milks! 🙂
Wow! Thanks. This is super helpful. 🙂
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