Once you start making your own homemade milk, I promise you, you will never want to buy ones from the store again. Yes, it takes a few hours, some love, but the ingredients are so simple and you are left with a super creamy, thick and delicious milk without the fillers, the gums, the unnecessary weird sugars and ingredients you can not pronounce. Trust me, the process is A LOT simpler than it might seem, in fact you really do minimal work, especially when it comes to cashew milk. You simply let the cashew soak for at least 4 hours, you rinse them with fresh water, throw them in the blender with clean filtered water and blend away until creamy. That's it. Doesn't seem hard? 

Homemade cashew milk is so smooth, buttery, and resembles the most to me- whole milk, if it were being compared to dairy milk. I started making my own milks many years ago when I learned of all of my digestive issues, but became a little lazy, but recently I have noticed that the gums that are in the milks have become a little troublesome again for me. I've noticed that when consume my own homemade milks, whether it be almond milk or cashew milks, my stomach hurts less and I am more satisfied after using them. I think because there are no fillers, no weird ingredients, and the nut to water ratio is more (more nut, less water = health fats = keeps you fuller, happier, satisfied, compared to store bought). 

Anyways, here is the recipe!

I usually make about 9 cups at a time (so 3 cups cashews to about 5-6 cups water and it will last about 3-4 days)

Ingredients: 
Yields about 3 cups
1 cup cashews
3 cups filtered water
Few pinches of pink sea salt
2 tsp. vanilla or vanilla bean pod

What you'll need:
Blender
Water to soak the cashews
Cheese cloth or a milk nut bag if you are planning to strain the cashews after blending, not necessary. 
Container to soak the cashews 

Other flavor options:

sweetened cashew milk
original recipe above + 3 pitted dates OR 2 tbsp honey OR 2 tbsp. maple syrup

chocolate cashew milk 
original recipe above + 2-3 tbsp. cacao powder. Sweetener is optional. 

turmeric cashew milk
original recipe above + 1 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp. ginger, dash of black pepper, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, touch of honey. Taste test. 

Directions:

1. Soak the cashews for at least 4 hours or longer, in an air tight container. *I soak mine overnight.

2. Drain and rinse the soaked cashews throughly with clean water. Discard the soaking liquid. 

3. Place the cashews and fresh filtered water in the blender. IF you are planning to strain the cashews:
a) first blend on high for a few minutes until creamy.
b) strain using your cheese cloth or nut milk bag.
c) add the cashew milk back into your blender with the additional ingredients (sea salt, vanilla, cacao powder, dates, etc)
d) blend on high until smooth and creamy. 

IF you are not straining your cashews, place all the ingredients in the first time and blend on high until smooth and creamy. 

NOTES:

1. I personally strain the cashew milk to make it extra smooth and creamy. Straining cashew milk is not necessary. 

2. The leftover pulp is delicious for making any type of cashew creams, sauces, sweet treats etc. Lots of recipes online! (hint- add a little sea salt, maple syrup, vanilla to it and it tastes like an oreo cooking filling) 

3. The more water you add, the thinner consistency it will be. Start out with less water. Remember you can always add more water, but can not take away. I prefer the milk to be creamier and on the thick side. 

4.If you are making almond milk, you will need to strain. What to do with the leftovers? Make these Turmeric Almond Flour Crackers from @twist_of_lemons !!!! 

5. Store in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5 days.   

Bonus recipe! Fruit free chocolate smoothie:

1 & 1/2 cup homemade cashew milk
handful of frozen spinach
1 frozen zucchini
few dashes of cinnamon
1 tsp. maca powder
1 tbsp. ground flaxseed
2 heaping tbsp. cacao powder (sub favorite chocolate protein powder)
1 tbsp. hemp seeds
Sweetener optional
Blend, top with bee pollen/hemp seeds/cacao powder

To make it tastes like a mint chocolate chip shake- add fresh mint leaves, or peppermint extract and a few cacao nibs!