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Hello food adventurers,

Something I’ve been into recently is making alternative milk.

Although, I’m not entirely sure where it started. I’m guessing the various amounts of soy and almond milk out there gave me some inspiration.

Pecan Milk Recipe | The Culinary Letter Food Blog

Consequently, this got me curious as to what other kinds of milk there were out there. Which immersed me well into the world of alternate milk and all the possibilities, turns out there are so many! Ranging from your better-known soy and almond milk to rice, oat, coconut, soy, quinoa, flax and even pea and hemp milk.

Along the way, I discovered that alternative milk is essentially flavoured water. You take an ingredient and blend it with water to create a lusciously creamy, rich and smooth end product. A fun dairy-free alternative to your regular milk that can also be made gluten-free and vegan. But you, of course, don’t need to have these dietary restrictions to enjoy it.

The Perfect Ratio

I’ve found a 1:3 ratio (ingredient to water respectively) to be the most ideal, particularly for nut milk.

In this case, that means half a cup of pecans to one and a half cups of water. Just the right pouring consistency, that’s not too thin and maintains the right amount of flavour. This ratio maintains a prominent taste from the pecans with its nuttiness, made slightly sweet with the addition of dates.

Customise It

The greatest part about making something yourself is the fact that you can customise it!

If you prefer a thinner consistency and less concentrated flavours you can add half a cup more water to the mix.
Add a few dates, a bit of honey, agave, sugar or similar for the sweetness. In this recipe I use dates, but you can add any of the other alternatives. Adjust by taste! You can even remove these completely, for an unsweetened variation.
While this recipe uses pecans, you can also try using other types of nuts including almonds, hazelnut or cashews.
Try combining different types of nuts for a unique blend such as cashew and pecan or pistachio and almond

Store your nuts correctly!

Nuts can go rancid quickly. Keep them in the fridge! This will help to preserve them until required, without developing an unpleasant bitter aftertaste. Better yet, nuts can also be stored in the freezer as an alternative, if you’re not using them soon.

As there are only two ingredients in nut milk, using the best quality ingredients is ideal. So where possible get the freshest nuts you can find. I also prefer using filtered water.

This recipe does take a bit of planning and preparation in terms of soaking the nuts, but after that, it’s simply blending and straining!

Uses

Here are some ideas of how to use pecan milk, besides just drinking it of course.

Add it to smoothies

Change up your tea or coffee with a splash of pecan milk

Have it with your favourite cereal/ muesli or mix it into porridge

Warm it up with some good-quality melted chocolate for your hot chocolate fix

What to do with the solids after you make pecan milk

After you make pecan milk and have extracted all of the flavours into the liquid, you will be left with the solids/ ground pecans. Here are a few ideas on how to use it…

Make this wholemeal bread – you won’t even have to dry it out, just add it in straight away!

Add it to baked goods for the added texture

Add it into smoothies for the extra boost

Make a pecan meal by using this guide and substituting almond pulp for your newly made pecan meal. Then add it into your favourite homemade cereal.

Now that you’ve got the inspiration of how to use it, let’s move on to how to make it …

Pecan Milk

Laura | The Culinary Letter

Pecan milk has a unique taste and flavour profile, with a nuttiness and creaminess to it, the dates provide a subtle sweetness to drink on its own or added to recipes.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 12 5

Total Time 12 5

Course Drinks

Servings 2

Ingredients

70 g Pecans
250 ml Cold Water (for soaking)
280 ml Water
2 Dates approx 16g
Pinch of salt optional

Instructions

Soak the pecans and dates in 250ml water and place them in the fridge for at least 12 hours*.
Drain the pecans and dates, discarding the soaking liquid
Place the pecans, 280ml water, dates and salt in a blender and blitz on high speed until smooth (approximately 3 minutes)
Strain the mixture through a nut milk bag or even a clean tea towel and squeeze to extract all of the liquid. The solids can then be discarded or saved and added to baked goods or smoothies
Transfer to a jar, bottle or airtight container and store in the fridge until desired.
Serving notes: Best consumed fresh and within 3-5 days.

Notes

*Soaking the nuts is an important step in this process as it results in a creamy and smooth texture. It is also easier to blend when the nuts have softened and results in more liquid produced and less wastage.

Adding in a sweetener, such as dates during this process ensures that it can infuse in the mixture before it is blended.

Alternative milks separate when they sit, so don’t forget to shake or mix them up before using.

Make pecan meal from that leftover pulp using this guide here.

Keyword Alternative milk, Chocolate milk, Drinks, Pecan, pecan milk, recipes

If you’re looking to make your alternative milk, why not give this recipe a go?! It’s not as difficult as you would think and you can even customise it to your tastes.