The BEST homemade hemp milk recipe! Learn how to make hemp milk in under five minutes. This plant-based milk comes out thick, creamy, and only requires three ingredients.
One of the struggles when making homemade, plant-based milk is that the finished product comes out thin, watery, and separates easily.
Which leaves you scouring the internet searching for how to thicken plant-based milk.
as a Certified Nutrition Coach, I’ve tried using lecithin, xantham gum and even heating it after making it to create a “thickness”.
Not only were all of those things ineffective but it didn’t really make the process easy and time-effective.
In the end, while it is cost-effective to make homemade, non-dairy milk, the finished quality isn’t that great for most (learn why you should cut dairy and how to make it practical).
However, this hemp milk recipe is the opposite!
Made with only three ingredients, there are no soaking, straining, or additives involved. And the finished product comes out CREAMY and thicker than traditional almond milk.
Ingredients You Need
The plus side of this hemp milk is that you only need three ingredients!
Hemp Hearts: if you’re going to be making milk, make sure to get quality hemp hearts as this is the bulk of the recipe. Hemp seeds are rich in healthy fats and even contain a good amount of protein per serving.
Shredded coconut: this is the “secret ingredient” for the recipe. Not only does coconut add flavor (your call if you want to use sweetened or unsweetened) but the coconut is what helps make this non-dairy milk thick and creamy.
Water: you’ll want to use filtered water to make your milk and give it the best flavor possible.
Flavorings: these are completely optional and this recipe doesn't call for them. You can peek at some optional flavors lower in the blog post.
Why You Should Make Your Own Milk
I started making my own milk because I got sick and tired of the additives in the store-bought options.
I found that as a family who consumes about 2 cartons (or more) of milk each week, we were taking in a lot of processed, carcinogenic oils.
Learn more about the dangerous effects of oils.
Between what they add to store-bought milk and the cost, with three kids I made the choice to just start making our own.
How To Make Dairy-Free Milk At Home (2 Ways)
There are two main ways that people make homemade, non-dairy milk.
The first is to use a nut sack. This involves blending the ingredients in a how-powered blender and then manually kneading the bag to separate the pulp from the milk.
While this system definitely works, it’s very time-consuming and messy.
The other way to make milk is to use a machine.
I recently purchased an Almond Cow machine which is what is used in this recipe.
Having a machine do the work makes making hemp milk a home easy-peasy. There’s less mess, it takes less time and all-around it’s more simple.
Watch a full video on how I make homemade hemp milk in the almond cow to learn more about the pros and cons of the machine (especially because one of the biggest concerns is that it doesn’t strain the pulp enough, I cover what to do in the video)
Step By Step Photos
How To Make Hemp Milk
- Add the coconut and hemp hearts into the immersion container
- Fill the barrel with water
- Insert the immersion container into the water and press the “on” button
- Let it run for the three cycles, remove the immersion container and pour your milk into a glass jar to store!
Important Teaching Tips
I can’t stress enough how important it is to follow the measurements as I go a little over the “recommended”.
Meaning, I fill the canister with more than I should make the “minimum” amount of milk.
This is partly why my hemp milk recipe comes out so creamy!
What To Do With Leftover Pulp
This is a common concern for anyone switching over to homemade, plant-based milk.
Personally, I save up the pulp from the week. Each time I make milk, I put the pulp into a container and place it in the fridge.
Once per week I dehydrate all the pulp and grind it into flour.
I think to use the pulp to make bars, granola, or energy balls.
Hemp Milk Versus Almond Milk
One of the reasons we opt for hemp milk in this house is because our schools have a “no nuts” policy.
So, any baked goods or smoothies I make cannot contain nuts.
The other reason is “too much of a good thing”.
We do eat a lot of nuts and almonds as snack snacks and excessive consumption of almonds can lead to high levels of oxalates.
Learn more about why almonds can pose a health risk from the Low Ox Coach.
Homemade hemp milk is also very low in calories and has more protein per serving than almond milk as well.
Plus, I’ve found that homemade almond milk and even oat milk come out far too thin and very watery, even with the addition of coconut.
Flavoring Your Milk
This hemp milk recipe is very basic.
However, you can easily give it some twists and flavors!
- Add a date into the canister with the coconut for a sweeter flavor
- Add 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to the finished product when pouring it into jugs
- Blend it after making it with some cacao powder and maple syrup for a chocolate milk
- Blend it with some strawberries and honey for strawberry milk
There are a lot of options once you master the basic recipe (like this wicked blueberry milk!)
How To Store Non-Dairy Milk
Even though homemade plant-based milk doesn’t have dairy in it. You still want to store it in the fridge.
Use a glass container with a wide mouth (this makes it much easier to clean!) that seals well.
You want to shake the milk briefly before using it as it does separate slightly (though not nearly as much as almond milk).
Homemade hemp milk lasts 3-4 days in the fridge.
This batch makes about 1.5-1.75 Liters so I whip it up 2-3 times per week.
Frequently Asked Questions About How To Make Non-Dairy Milk
Non-dairy milk is made by blending nuts or seeds with water at high speed. Then, the liquid is a strainer from the pulp using a milk machine or a nut bag. This is repeated a few times. Once the pulp is fully removed from the liquid, the liquid left is the “milk”.
Non-dairy milk will last 3-4 days in the fridge. You’ll want to store it in a glad container with a sealed lid. Make sure to shake it prior to using as it will separate slightly
All non-dairy milk can be part of a healthy diet in moderation. However, on a regular basis hemp milk is the healthiest. Loaded with healthy fats, homemade hemp milk also comes with a higher protein density.
Recipes That Use Hemp Milk
- Blueberry protein oatmeal
- Caramel protein fluff
- Overnight cookie dough protein oats
- Overnight peanut butter and jam oats
- Chocolate banana chia pudding
- High protein snack recipes
- Healthy breakfast recipes
Creamy Hemp Milk Recipe (Non-Dairy Milk)
Equipment
- Almond Cow
Ingredients
- ¾ cup hemp hearts
- ¼ cup coconut shredded
- 5 cups water
Instructions
- Place the hemp hearts and coconut into the steel canister.
- Pour the water into the base of the machine.
- Secure the canister into the base.
- Press go! Let it go through three cycles.
- Remove the canister and flavor if needed. Pour the milk into glass jars to store.
Video
Notes
- I can’t stress enough how important it is to follow the measurements as I go a little over the “recommended”.
- Meaning, I fill the canister with more than I should to make the “minimum” amount of milk.
- This is partly why my hemp milk recipe comes out so creamy!
- The recipe makes roughly 1.5 liters and each
- Grab your Almond Cow
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Micah
My first time making this recipe. Super quick, tasty, and nothing beats homemade. I love it.
fitasamamabear
Homemade is definitely best!
Ann
This was so good! I made it to use in smoothies and it's perfect. Really creamy! Will make again.
fitasamamabear
Yay!
Katie S.
With the prices of Hemp milk, I am so glad I found your recipe to make it at home. It's far cheaper and I can make as much or as little as I want. I made a big batch using your hemp milk recipe and it came out so delicious! I added some coconut and vanilla to mine, which was perfect. I loved how you have made it so easy to make this milk and love your suggestions. Bookmarking it!
fitasamamabear
Omg the price of plant based milk is insane. And you go through so many cartons! Glad you liked it!
Martha
I had a jumbo bag of hemp in my pantry and decided to make this hemp milk for my kiddos after school. They loved it! It complimented their pb&j's perfectly.
fitasamamabear
Aw that's awesome!
Samantha
This is another first for me, I have never tried this before and have always relied on store-bought, I can honestly say this is a game-changer! The outcome was so creamy I am impressed.
fitasamamabear
It's SO easy to make! And saves so much money. Glad you liked it!