Experimenting With The Krocks: Almond Milk Edition (Homemade vs. Store Bought Taste Test)

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When we first got our Vitamix, I was so excited about the idea of making my own almond milk. Fast forward two years later… and I still hadn’t done it… so we decided to film a little experiment!

In addition to the traditional way of making it with raw almonds, I had also heard you could make a quick version using almond butter, so we decided to try out both methods. We also compared them to a few store bought versions to find out if homemade really makes a difference.

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Watch the video here to see us make both versions and do a taste test and complete analysis (with charts & all).

Making Homemade Almond Milk from Whole Almonds

For the first homemade method, we used one cup of raw, unsalted almonds. Before we could get started, we needed to soak our almonds, so we put them into a glass dish, covered with cold water, and let them sit out at room temperature for about 6-8 hours.

After our almonds were soaked, it was just as simple as draining off the soaking liquid and adding them to the Vitamix with four cups of filtered water. Our ratio was one cup of raw almonds to four cups of water, but you can adjust this to get your preferred consistency.

In the Vitamix, it took us about a minute or so of blending. If you have a regular blender, this may not work very well, but we have not tried it!

In my mind, I always thought the almonds would just disintegrate completely, but if you’ve ever made almond milk like this, you know that isn’t true. There is quite a bit of almond “pulp” left over. We bought this fancy nut milk bag to assist with the straining.

We were left with about a half cup of this “pulp.” Although this is an extra step, it was quite simple to pour the milk over the bag and squeeze until we removed most of the liquid. I spent a lot of time comparing nut milk bags on Amazon (there is a surprisingly large variety of them), and this one worked very well! It was really easy to rinse it clean afterwards. I linked to it in the “featured products” below in case you are in the market for one.

The “pulp” didn’t have much flavor on its own, but it can be useful in recipes. Brian actually ended up mixing it with some maple syrup and it made a nice little spread.

You’re going to need some way to store all of this freshly made almond milk. We had two glass bottles from some lemonade I bought at Aldi years ago, so we decided to use those. Brian was excited to get out the funnel and fill up the bottle!

Alright… pay very close attention. Do not do what Brian did in the video. 😂 The almond milk gets a bit “frothy” from all of that blending, so when you pour it in, it can be very deceiving how full it actually is. GO. SLOW. You’ll thank me later. 😂

After Brian made a giant mess, we ended up with our very first bottle of homemade almond milk, and it was on to our next method!

Making Homemade Almond Milk from Almond Butter

After his giant mess, Brian was a bit sulky, but ready and excited for the next method!

This time we measured 64 grams of raw almond butter into the Vitamix using our nifty food scale. That is 4 tablespoons (or 1/4 cup), but I much prefer measuring by weight to avoid transferring it to a measuring cup and making more mess!

We once again added four cups of filtered water and then we got to blending for around one minute until it was all incorporated.

This method was much easier, but we did notice that almost immediately after we poured it into the bottle, there was quite a bit of almond butter “sediment” gathering on the bottom. I helped Brian with the pouring this time and we avoided another disaster. 😂

Summary of Homemade Almond Milk Methods

Here’s a quick summary of the two methods in case you want to try them out:

Raw Almond Method:

Soak ONE cup of raw, unsalted almonds for at least 6-8 hours (or overnight). To soak, place in a container and cover with cold water. Leave at room temperature.

In a Vitamix (or high speed blender), add your ONE cup of soaked almonds and FOUR cups of water. Blend on high for one to two minutes until completely combined.

Strain by pouring over a nut milk bag into a large container with a spout. Squeeze out excess liquid and save almond “pulp” for another use.

Pour into storage container. Keeps for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Shake well before using.

Almond Butter Method:

In a blender, add 1/4 cup of raw almond butter (64g) and FOUR cups of water. Blend on high for one to two minutes until completely combined.

Pour into storage container. Keeps for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Shake well before using.

Comparison To Store Bought Almond Milks

After we made our almond milk, we were ready to compare it to our store bought versions! I picked up a carton of shelf stable unsweetened almond milk from Trader Joe’s and some unsweetened “Milked Almonds” from Elmhurst.

You can watch our taste test here to see our complete feedback, but we both agreed that the homemade almond milk from raw almonds was the best, followed by the Trader Joe’s, the homemade from almond butter and finally, the Elmhurst “Milked Almonds.”

When it comes to price, I decided to calculate it per cup of almond milk. The homemade ones were the cheapest! We do love some other Elmhurst products, but the price is a LOT higher.

We don’t count calories, but it’s still fun to compare. It is hard to get an exact measure for the raw almond version because you separate out so much of that almond “pulp.” The Trader Joe’s version is lowest at 30 calories per cup, but it also probably has the least amount of actual almonds in it.

Obviously for the homemade versions, you have complete control over the ingredient list, which is a big bonus. The Trader Joe’s version is a standard kind of almond milk that you would find in stores, and they usually come with a long list of hard to pronounce ingredients. This was no exception. The Elmhurst one is a great option if you want a “clean” ingredient list but don’t want to make it yourself. The only ingredients for that one are almonds and water.

I think our conclusion was that we will keep using the affordable store bought versions for the most part and reserve the homemade (from raw almonds) for special uses. We don’t go through a TON of it and you really do need to use the homemade one up within 3-4 days, so that is a big bonus for the store bought kind. We probably won’t ever make the almond butter one unless we are in a pinch and it’s the only option.

Watch the video here for even more analysis!

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Pro Quality Nut Milk Bag – XL 12″X12″ Bag
Amazon Brand – Happy Belly Whole Raw Almonds, 16 Ounce, Pack of 2
Vitamix A2500 Ascent Series Smart Blender, Professional-Grade (Renewed)
OXO 1157100 Good Grips 5 Lb Food Scale with Pull-Out Display
Tupperware Large Funnel Gadget Set of 2