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7 Non-Dairy Homemade Milk Recipes includes an incredible variety of non-dairy milk recipes. Some of them are traditional, and you’ve heard of them before. Perhaps many will be new to you. I love them all, and it’s fun to share this unusual and healthy collection with you!
Below, I share which of these recipes are my favorites and why. Nutrition, gentleness and ease of making them gain extra points!
All of these recipes are Gluten-free and Vegan. Most are Paleo. (Some also fit other dietary needs such as AIP, VAD, Keto or Whole30.)
What non-dairy milk is healthiest
My answer to this question may be different from other sources, so I’ll share why I give the answer I do.
For ten years, I followed a grain-free diet. I didn’t eat grains or beans, actually. During that time, I was trying to heal my gut, a goal I did not accomplish. While I saw some great improvements from eliminating sugar, and possibly short term from eliminating grains, my digestion never improved.
Unfortunately, during that time, I came to think of grains and beans as “hard to digest”. I did not yet realize that I was also missing out on important nutrition from these ancient “super foods”.
We want to attach super powers to bright foods like spirulina, avocado, tomatoes, mangoes, sweet potatoes and turmeric.
But in reality those foods can be too much of a good thing: being VERY high in vitamin A and copper.
Fast forward to now: My digestion recovered when I learned about the toxicity of certain “super foods” and avoided them. My liver function improved significantly, so my gut health was significantly restored!
Once that happened, I not only re-introduced oats and beans, they became staples that my body now uses for Vitamin B1 and fiber daily.
So now, which dairy-free milks do I consider to be the healthiest?
Homemade Oat Milk and Homemade Vegan Bean Milk! More on both of these below …
The nuts I do love
I do love and praise Homemade Macadamia Nut Milk, because the nut from which it’s made is the highest natural source of Vitamin B1. And macadamia nuts are very low in anti-nutrients. Plus, macadamia nuts have an excellent fatty acid profile, being higher in monounsaturated fats. More below … 🙂
Next up from this list, I like Homemade Chestnut Milk. It’s super creamy, very fast to make, requires no straining and is low in toxins. More below! 😉
The final three milks I share below are good options when you need the variety they provide.
What popular milks aren’t healthy
When it comes to healthy non-dairy milks, no, almond milk doesn’t make the cut.
While it’s fine for occasional use, almonds are too high in omega 6 fatty acids for a balanced diet, and with how they’re grown by most companies, they usually aren’t great for the environment either.
Hemp milk is out because it’s very high in PUFAs — polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Soy milk is out because it’s estrogenic — hormone altering.
What about rice milk
I like the idea of rice milk actually — with some cautionary words: One, be sure rice milk doesn’t disrupt your blood sugar levels. Two, rice is a predictable source of arsenic, unless your rice source is 3rd party tested and comes back free of contamination. (Don’t buy rice milk. I’ve never seen a brand that doesn’t have oils and “vitamins” added.)
7 Non-Dairy Homemade Milk Recipes
#1 Best Non-Dairy Milk: Homemade Oat Milk
If you haven’t made oat milk yet, I recommend you start with this recipe for Homemade Oat Milk made with Oat Flour. It’s less expensive to make than oat milk made with oats, takes less time and turns out perfectly. Less straining, and milk in five minutes, Homemade Oat Milk with Oat Flour costs a tiny fraction of store bought oat milk, and with zero additives, oils or “vitamins” we don’t need.
#2 Best Non-Dairy Milk: Vegan Bean Milk
I love Vegan Bean Milk because it’s nutrient dense and high in gentle fiber for improved digestion and detoxification. As you’ll see in the recipe, make Bean Milk with any bean you like or that agrees with you best. Favorites include Cannellini Beans and Navy Beans — both for their creamy white traditional look and milk flavor. But any bean works well. This recipe does not get strained, so it’s extra fast to make.
#3 Best Non-Dairy Milk: Homemade Macadamia Nut Milk
Macadamia nuts have the best fatty acid profile of any nut or seed. They’re the highest food source of Vitamin B1. Also called thiamine, Vitamin B1 is one of the most important nutrients for supporting a healthy nervous system (and stress response) and healing the digestive mechanisms. Homemade Macadamia Nut Milk is satiating, delicious, provides energy and helps to restore a nutrient in which most bodies are deficient. No-strain.
#4 Best Non-Dairy Milk: Homemade Chestnut Milk
Chestnut Milk wins the prize for sweetness and speed. It’s so fast and convenient to make, requires no straining, and it’s gentle to digest for most people.
#5 Avocado Milk
My daughter, who’s now 23 and a mom herself, created this recipe when she was just a tween. When I published it, it was the first Avocado Milk recipe on the internet, and all the credit goes to her. I am now a little more cautious with over-doing avocado because it’s a high source of copper. But used in moderation, I still think it’s an amazing innovation for those who can’t have grains, beans, nuts or seeds! — which was us years ago!
#6 Banana Milk
Because of the copper issue, I would also point you to the same concept using bananas. Bananas are an ancient super food, like oats and beans, but they’re easier to digest for some people. To make banana milk, simply blend until smooth:
- 2 cups water
- 2 bananas
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon Potassium Salt, or good quality salt — amount depending on taste
Banana Milk keeps well in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Store in a sealed mason jar or similar. As always, shake before serving. Optional additional add-ins for Banana Milk include 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 cinnamon and/or 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.
#7 Fermented Nut or Seed Milks
Unlike macadamia nuts, most nuts and seeds have anti-nutrients that rob our guts of minerals we badly need, minerals like zinc. Fermenting reduces anti-nutrients. For those who flourish with food sources of probiotics, or those who react to the anti-nutrients in most seeds and nuts, Fermented Nut and Seed Milks (master recipe) provides a fun recipe that’s also moderately high in protein, gentle to digest and a good source of energy. These milks taste great (like yogurt or kefir), and the process of making them is exciting, yet easy.
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Marlene says
Which of these milks might be best for a coffee creamer?
Megan says
Oat milk and Chestnut milk would be the best, I think. I’d love to hear what you think when you try them. I don’t drink coffee anymore, but it’s a great question.