First, soak the raw almonds in 6 cups water, preferably overnight but at least 5-6 hours and then drain.
If desired, make the Date Paste and refrigerate until needed. In a high powered blender, add the soaked almonds (and date paste and vanilla if desired). Process slow at first, then increase speed to high. Blend for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the almonds are blended into a thin liquid.
Place a nut milk bag over a large bowl. Pour the almond milk slowly into the bag so the liquid goes into the bowl. Pull the string of the bag to close the top and using your hands, squeeze out any remaining almond milk, This may take a couple minutes, and a bit of strength, to squeeze out the almond milk into the bowl. What remains will be almond meal, which can be used in other recipes (see below*). Pour the almond milk into an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. This recipe makes roughly 6-8 cups of homemade almond milk, and can vary depending on how much water you add.
Depending on how thick you like your almond milk, you may want to add more water. Since I like to make a larger batch of almond milk, I usually add more water to the container with the already-blended milk and stir together.
*What to do with the leftover almond meal: Add the almond meal as-is to a smoothie or oatmeal. It will keep for a few days in the fridge. You can also sprinkle the meal on salads, or add in a hummus or dip.
Or...you have the option of drying it out for longer storage. Use a dehydrator if you have one. Or, place on a baking sheet in a 200 degree oven and bake for a few hours, stirring occasionally until completely dry. You can then grind the dried meal in a blender to make almond flour, and use in your baked good recipes- or even make almond crackers.
Serving: 8ounces | Calories: 70kcal