Homemade Chocolate Nut Milk

This Homemade Chocolate Nut Milk is so chocolaty, creamy, and refreshing. Made with superfood cacao powder, raw organic nuts, and dates for a natural sweetener.

Homemade Chocolate Nut Milk

Nothing quite compares to homemade nut milks. They are so rich, creamy, smooth, and delicious. I have been making my own nut milks for many years now. The quality and fresh taste is superior to any store-bought nut milks. Also, a lot of store-bought nut milks are loaded with refined-sugars and additives. Making your own at home means you get to control what goes in and you get to use your own clean ingredients. The idea of making your own homemade nut milk may sound a bit intimidating. However, it is really simple and doesn’t take as much effort as you may think.

Ingredients needed to make this Chocolate Nut Milk:

• Raw Organic Nuts– Almond or cashews both work great.
• Cacao Powder– Cacao powder adds antioxidants to this chocolate nut milk. You can also use unsweetened cacao powder if you have that on hand.
• Dates– To naturally sweeten your milk. Can also use honey or maple syrup.
• Filtered Water– The only liquid you need in this recipe.
• Pink Sea Salt– To elevate the flavors.

Equipment needed to make Homemade Chocolate Nut Milk:

• Blender– Preferably a high speed blender if you have one to blend everything together.
• Nut Bag– To squeeze the pulp and separate the liquid from it. A cheese cloth or clean dish towel will work too.
• Large Mixing Bowl– To squeeze the liquid into.
• Wider Mouth Mason Jar or Large Pitcher with a tight lid– To serve the milk in and keep refrigerated.

How to make Homemade Chocolate Nut Milk:

• Step 1– Place almonds or cashews in a large mixing bowl and fill with enough water to completely cover nuts. Cover bowl with Saran Wrap or a dish towel.

• Step 2– The next morning, drain and rinse nuts. Place in blender then add in cacao powder, pitted dates, and pink sea salt. Pour in water then place blender lid on making sure it’s on tightly. Blend until smooth and all ingredients are well combined together. 

• Step 3– Place your nut bag over a over a large mixing bowl or pitcher. Pour some of your blended milk into the bag. Start with about a cup at a time. 
• Step 4– Hold your bag from the top tightly while keeping it closed. With your other hand squeeze down from the top of the bag towards the bottom of the bag. Squeeze with as much strength as possible making milk squirt from bottom of the bag into bowl or pitcher. The leftover pulp inside should be almost dry. Repeat with another cup of milk until all the milk has been squeezed through the nut bag. 

• Step 5– Pour milk into a large wide mouth mason jar and store in the fridge for up to 5-7 days. Milk is best served chilled. Enjoy!

Tips and Substitutions:

1. Make sure to soak nuts overnight- This ensures that the nuts get saturated from the inside out. Which will then result in a much smoother and creamier texture. Soaking nuts also activates the enzymes, making your milk more nutritious.
2. Forgot to soak nuts overnight? No worries, add them to a pot, cover in water and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 15-30 minutes. The longer they boil, the softer they will get.
3. Blend until nuts break down as much as possible– This will result in less pulp and again, richer, smoother and creamier texture.
4. Use either almonds or cashews– Both are great nuts to use in making chocolate nut milk. They both make for creamy and rich chocolate milk. Just make sure you use raw nuts.
5. Substitute for cacao powder– You can use unsweetened coco powder.
6. Substitute for dates– You can use any other preferred sweetener such as maple syrup or honey. Start with adding about 1-2 tablespoons of sweetener then add more of you wish for your chocolate nut milk to be sweeter.
7. Don’t throw away that pulp– You can easily turn it into nut meal. Preheat your oven at its lowest temperature. Spread the pulp on a baking sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for two hours. You can use the meal to make cookies, crackers, pancakes, etc.

Homemade Chocolate Nut Milk FAQ’s:

Do you have to soak almonds and cashews?

Yes. Soaking almonds, cashews and any other nut overnight will make them softer. This will allow them to blend easier and finer, resulting in a smoother milk. Nuts also will soak in a lot of the water as they sit in it overnight. This will result in more liquid yielding more milk in the end.

Is chocolate almond milk healthy?

Overall almond milk and any other nut milk can be very healthy and nutritious. Nuts are known to pack many essential health benefits resulting in a nutrient-dense milk. When it comes to store-bought almond milk or nut milks, they tend to carry many added ingredients that are not the healthiest.

Store-bought nut milks tend to have added sugars, gums, lecithin and carrageenan. Which is why making your own homemade nut milk is a better option. It can also be cheaper, you know exactly what ingredients are going in it, and it is really easy to make.

Can you use cacao in place of cocoa powder?

Yes you can, and this recipe for Homemade Chocolate Nut Milk does. Cacao powder is extremely rich in anti-oxidants and other nutrients. Making your milk that much more nutrient-dense. However, if you don’t have cacao powder, using unsweetened cocoa powder works too.

What is the best sweetener to use for Homemade Chocolate Nut Milk?

Dates are a great sweetener for this Homemade Chocolate Nut Milk or any other nut milk. Dates are natural sweeteners and carry many other health benefits. You can also use honey or maple syrup if you don’t have dates.

How to store your Homemade Chocolate Nut Milk:

You can pour your nut milk in a wide mason jar or any container with an air-tight lid. A pitcher also works great. Just make sure it comes with a tight lid. Keeping your nut milk in a tightly sealed mason jar or container will ensure it stays fresh. Keep your Homemade Chocolate Nut Milk refrigerated for up to 5-7 days.

How long does nut milk last for?

Nut milk typically will last up to a week in your fridge. It will stay fresh for 5-7 days. Using an air-tight container like a mason jar will ensure the freshness of this or any other nut milk you make.

What to do with leftover Almond pulp:

Don’t throw away that leftover pulp from your nuts after you squeeze the liquid out of it. You can dehydrate the leftover pulp and use it as flour to make cookies, crackers, pancakes, etc.

To dehydrate your pulp all you have to do is set your oven on the lowest temperate it has. Line a large baking sheet pan with parchment paper and spread the pulp all over it. Spread it out as much as possible and don’t over crowd. Place in preheated oven for 2 hours. You can then put it through a food processor and then a sifter if you desire to make the “flour” more fine.

Did you like this Homemade Chocolate Nut Milk recipe? You may also like these other homemade plant-based milk recipes:

• Homemade Chocolate Oat Milk

5 from 2 votes

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Homemade Chocolate Nut Milk

This Homemade Chocolate Nut Milk is so chocolaty, creamy, and refreshing. Made with superfood cacao powder, raw organic nuts, and dates for a natural sweetener. 

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword Homemade Chocolate Nut Milk

Prep Time 5 minutes

chill time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 265 kcal

Author Angelica Arias

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw organic almonds or cashews
• 3 tbsp cacao powder
• 3-4 pitted dates
• pinch pink sea salt
• 4 cups filtered water

Instructions

1. Place almonds or cashews in a large mixing bowl and fill with enough water to completely cover nuts. Cover bowl with Saran Wrap or a dish towel.  

2. The next morning, drain and rinse nuts. Place in blender then add in cacao powder, pitted dates, and pink sea salt. Pour in water then place blender lid on making sure it's on tightly. Blend until smooth and all ingredients are well combined together. 

3. Place your nut bag over a large mixing bowl or pitcher. Pour some of your blended milk into the bag. Start with about a cup at a time. 

4. Hold your bag from the top tightly while keeping it closed. With your other hand squeeze down from the top of the bag towards the bottom of the bag. Squeeze with as much strength as possible making milk squirt from bottom of the bag into bowl or pitcher. The leftover pulp inside should be almost dry. Repeat with another cup of milk until all the milk has been squeezed through the nut bag.

5. Pour milk into a large wide mouth mason jar and store in the fridge for up to 5-7 days. Milk is best served chilled. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Tips and Substitutions:

1. Make sure to soak nuts overnight- This ensures that the nuts get saturated from the inside out. Which will then result in a much smoother and creamier texture. Soaking nuts also activates the enzymes, making your milk more nutritious.
2. Forgot to soak nuts overnight? No worries, add them to a pot, cover in water and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 15-30 minutes. The longer they boil, the softer they will get.
3. Blend until nuts break down as much as possible– This will result in less pulp and again, richer, smoother and creamier texture.
4. Use either almonds or cashews– Both are great nuts to use in making chocolate nut milk. They both make for creamy and rich chocolate milk. Just make sure you use raw nuts.
5. Substitute for cacao powder– You can use unsweetened coco powder.
6. Substitute for dates– You can use any other preferred sweetener such as maple syrup or honey. Start with adding about 1-2 tablespoons of sweetener then add more of you wish for your chocolate nut milk to be sweeter.
7. Don’t throw away that pulp– You can easily turn it into nut meal. Preheat your oven at its lowest temperature. Spread the pulp on a baking sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for two hours. You can use the meal to make cookies, crackers, pancakes, etc.

Nutrition Facts

Homemade Chocolate Nut Milk

Amount per Serving

Calories

265

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

18

g

28

%

Saturated Fat

 

2

g

13

%

Trans Fat

 

0.01

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

4

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

11

g

Sodium

 

13

mg

1

%

Potassium

 

444

mg

13

%

Carbohydrates

 

23

g

8

%

Fiber

 

7

g

29

%

Sugar

 

14

g

16

%

Protein

 

9

g

18

%

Vitamin A

 

27

IU

1

%

Calcium

 

120

mg

12

%

Iron

 

2

mg

11

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*Number of total servings in estimated. Actual number of servings may vary depending on your own personal preference in portion sizes.

**Nutritional values shown are general guidelines for 1 serving using the ingredients listed above. These numbers do not reflect and may vary depending on substitutions, additions and/or different brands and/or other ingredients that may be used. 

 **Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links and sponsored content. All the opinions are my own and I only recommend products I use in my own home with my own family. 

***Post originally published on November 21, 2018.