What you need
Raw almonds, water, and a nut milk bag or a fine cloth to strain through. That’s the whole ingredient list if you want it plain. One cup of almonds to three or four cups of water is the usual ratio — closer to three for a thicker, creamier milk, closer to four for something lighter that pours more like dairy milk.
Soak first, don’t skip it
Cover the almonds in water and leave them for at least eight hours, overnight is easiest. Soaking softens the almond so it blends into a smooth milk instead of a gritty one, and it’s the step most rushed batches skip. Drain and rinse the almonds before blending; the soaking water itself gets thrown out.
Blend, then strain
Blend the soaked almonds with fresh water on high for about two minutes, until the mixture looks pale and the almond pieces are broken down as far as they’ll go. Pour it through the nut milk bag into a bowl or jug and squeeze from the outside until the pulp is dry. The leftover almond pulp isn’t waste — spread it thin on a tray and dry it out in a low oven, and it works as almond flour in baking.
Sweetening it with dates instead of sugar
Plain almond milk is fairly neutral, almost bland. Rather than stirring in refined sugar, blend two or three pitted dates in with the almonds and water before straining. Dates dissolve into the milk during blending and leave a rounded, caramel-like sweetness without any grit, which is why they’re a common swap in homemade nut milk recipes. Soft dates like Medjool blend in easiest; firmer varieties benefit from a short soak of their own first.
Storing it
Keep the finished milk in a sealed jar in the fridge and use it within three to four days — it has no preservatives, so it won’t last as long as the shelf-stable cartons from the shop. It will separate while it sits; a quick shake before pouring brings it back together. Don’t expect it to foam in coffee the way dairy milk does, but it works well cold, in smoothies, or poured over cereal.
If you’re buying dates specifically for recipes like this, worth comparing a few varieties first — see our notes on sourcing from a dates wholesaler in Malaysia, or try it blended straight into a date, milk and banana smoothie instead of straining it into milk.