By Food Babe
170
Ihave a new love… and it’s green. Yesterday I made my very first batch of Pistachio Milk. With it, I had the best cafe latte and the best Parfait Porridge I have EVER had. The milk has hints of my favorite Baskin Robbin’s Pistachio Ice Cream that I haven’t eaten in almost a decade.
The milk is rich, creamy and slightly sweet all on it’s own – and doesn’t even need a single date to sweeten it up.
The best part of making this gorgeous looking and tasting nut milk is that pistachios do not require soaking. Talk about instant gratification!
Some variations I want to try are included in the recipe. It’s going to be hard to choose the next one.
Food Babe’s Homemade Organic Pistachio Milk
Prep time
Total time
Serves: 6-10
Ingredients
- 1 cup of raw shelled pistachios rinsed
- 4 cups of water
- 1 tsp ground cardamon seed (optional variation #1)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional variation #2)
- 1 tsp almond extract (optional variation #3)
Instructions
- Place pistachio nuts and 4 cups of water, in blender and blend on high for ~ 1 min
- Pour milk into a bowl using a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth, separating the pulp from the milk
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
Notes
***Please buy all organic ingredients***
We used a Nespresso Aeroccino to make lattes – do you have one of these yet? This is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets ever. We have had ours for about 7 years and it seriously makes the best homemade lattes ever – even with nut milk. Just look at the foamy dense pistachio milk in this latte….
I honestly haven’t been this excited about a recipe in quite sometime. I can’t wait to hear what you think after you try it.
XOXO,
Food Babe
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latte, Nut Milk, parfait porridge, pistachio
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170 responses to “My New Love: Homemade Pistachio Milk”
You got my husband and I addicted to almond milk, but it is a bit time consuming…..we are so excited about trying pistachio milk!
I actually gave up coffee to get off of artificial sweeteners and dairy, and started drinking hot water or hot lemon water instead. I was surprised how good it was.
It will be fun to have a coffee now and again, though, with pistachio milk!!
Thanks Food Babe!
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When I tried this the milk kind of curdled and wasn’t smooth. I used a cheese clother to separate the pulp. Any suggestions? What I did was heat up the milk to drink it hot- no coffee- as I just like steamed hot milk.
Thanks!
KyrstenReply
Can I do this with something other than nuts? I’m allergic. I love the idea of making your own milk!
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Seeds work 🙂 but require soaking
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Coconut milk Corinne! I love the stuff.
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You can use flaxseeds too and they do not require soaking. It is a bit harder to strain because the blended mix is thick but makes a delicious and fast milk. Add some honey or vanilla and a pinch of sea salt after you strain.
Hemp milk is easy to make an no straining or soaking needed unless you want it smoother.
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You can use Oatmeal, I’m sure she has on Oatmeal Milk recipe
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I have difficulty finding bulk organic nuts at a good price, any recommendations
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Megan, I have been cruising Amazon and have had some luck.
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Nuts.com !! Super fast shipping, family owned… Always an awesome experience!
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Are they certified organic on Nuts.com?
Yes, some are organic from Nuts.com!
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How does making your own nut milk compare to purchasing it from a cost standpoint?
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It costs around $10 for a pound of raw organic almonds. That’s approximately 3.5 cups (give or take). So, if you make 4 cups of almond milk per cup of almonds you can get about 14 cups of milk for $10, more or less. One carton of Almond Breeze almond milk is 8 cups (64 oz) for around $4.00.
So, that’s
1.4 cups per $1.00 for homemade
2 cups per $1.00 for Almond Breeze if you pay $4.00 per carton.So, homemade is slightly more expensive. But, no additives and it’s fresh and yummy.
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Additionally, that stuff they sell in the store is SO not almond milk.
Thank you so much for your cost breakdown. It helped me realize that I dilute mine a bit more. I make about 3 cups of almond milk with 1/2 cup of almonds so my recipe costs a bit less that store-bought and it tastes great to me.
A million times more flavorful. My new favorite is cashew milk. I saw pistachios this week and just found this recipe. Buy a nut bag on Amazon.
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I buy nuts at either nuts.com or azurestandards.com
Two real good and happy companies.Reply
I made it awhile ago but I didn’t strained it so I ended up with a mess 🙁
I didn’t understand why was so stewy :)) jeeez luisReply
Food Babe, This is a little off topic – but still about coffee and (coco)nuts. What do you think about the “Upgraded” Coffee and “Upgraded” coconut oil ? Is that
coconut oil safe to use?
Thanks for all your hard work. Off to find raw pistachios!
JeriReply
I’m interested in trying this milk but I have two toddlers and I’m just wondering is it ok not to give them cows milk? What would I need to give them to make sure they are getting all the nutrients they need? Right now we drink homestead creamery milk but I don’t know if we should stop drinking cows milk altogether?
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A two year old doesn’t need cows milk and nuts have plenty of healthy fat.they mogjt be cranky for day or two after change unless their allergic nut milk is perfectly fine for them. If they have eaten nuts a few times with no worries. If their under two really of their not on breast or formula to some degree still their only drink should be water though best is breast followe by formula in addition to food when under 2.i know their could be reasons for not having toddler on either.
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Dr’s just want them to have the calcium. My Dr approved my newly one year old to have almond milk. Plus 1 cup of milk has 13 grams of sugar…. I’m not OK with that. I’m going to be making the change soon.
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A 2 year-old does not need cow’s milk. In reality, after breastmilk a child doesn’t need milk for the rest of their lives (it makes sense when you look at other animals; humans have been marketed to by the dairy councils that have convinced us otherwise). The concern would be if they’re getting enough FAT (and perhaps vitamin D but if they eat fruit/veggies the should be getting that). My ped approved my little ones to be on almond milk and every other non-dairy milk but told me to use other healthy fats like coconut oil, avocado, and nuts in their diets. So far, none of my kids have been deficient in any of their blood tests or weigh-ins.
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Vitamin D does not come from fruits and veggies. It comes from animal products, and sunlight exposure.
After my daughter was having recurring sinus infections we stopped cows milk. It was a challenge to find an alternative milk they liked. I mixed it in with cows milk and slowly weaned out the cows milk. After trying many different milk they fav is rice milk .
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My kids are all dairy sensitive when young. We have used almond milk, soy, rice, and coconut milks from age 1 and up to about 10yrs old before we reintro dairy as a drink. Our pediatrician says there is no reason kids need milk from animals other than mom at all. Mine just love the taste, and my skinny little ones can always use the extra calories.
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I think baby formula is basically soy milk with a chemical co*cktail so I see no reason why they could not have milk alternatives. Humans are the only mammals that continue to drink dairy after being weened.
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I have had the Ninja and it was okay but not great so I gave it to my daughter in college. I went ahead and splurged and bought a Vitamix. I don’t know if it is the model I have or what but if you use a small amount of nuts, like the recipe you called for (only 1 cup of pistachios) it does a horrible job of grinding them up. They get stuck in the bottom and the blades just whirl above them. I have been very disappointed with my Vitamix and have not had time to research it or mess with it. My daughter has tried to use it also without any luck unless we use a large amount in it. Has anyone else had this trouble with their Vitamix?
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I think you need more liquid. I use my vitamix almost everyday and love it, but if there is not enough liquid to mix it around it just gets stuck to the sides.
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Vitamix has a ‘dry’ blade and ‘wet’ blade. Mine came with the wet. Check your instructions, I think you need the dry for nuts.
Check out this blog on dry blending.
http://joyofblending.com/is-the-vitamix-dry-container-worth-it/
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With Vitamix, water in first and then nuts. I don’t use a dry blade for anything I’ve made. I make almond milk every week. Food Babe, do you soak the pistachios first?
The instructions say you do not have to soak the pistachios.
the Vitamix with the taller container with the narrow base does smaller amounts better. the wider base only works well with larger quantities
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YUM! Making this.
I was just wondering, is Nestlè (Nespresso) a good, honest, ethical company?
I’ve never gotten that impression and the company sure has a bad rep (you already know this) – and they still use GMOs and all that jazz.
Am I right?
Is it then cool to use other ‘non food’ products by them?
My fam has a nespresso machine , but I never use the capsules (HOW MUCH WASTE DO THEY CREATE ! ITS CRAZY!!! and the coffee is far from organic or ethically sourced so..), but I do use the aeroccino attached which I must say is genius.
I’m just curious on your view, couldnt find a Nestlè post so now I hope you accept the challenge 😉 Which can very much mean proving me wrong which is kewl 😀Reply
I’m with you on this. I did some research on Nestle a while back and boycotted them ever since.
Thanks for the recipe though Food Babe. Pistachio and coffee sounds delicious!
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Nestle is an evil company that is greedy and doesn’t care about health. They continue to steal water from California’s aquifers even during the drought.
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If I use raw almonds, do they have to be soaked at all or just follow the recipe above?
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Nut milks work best with soaked nuts, and the health benefits of soaking them greatly outweigh the forethought required to remember to put a cup of nuts in a jar with water!
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Can roasted pistachios be used for this recipe? I already have some on hand and would like to try this recipe. Thanks in advance!
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Is there aspartame in Milk now? I’ve read a lot about it being unlabeled and included in our milk but cannot find any information on it. We drink organic whole milk because there is less likelihood of sweeteners in it but am concerned about what might be in it since the GMA tries to avoid as much labeling as possible. Any info you have would be great.
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I read the same thing. FDA ( or whatever government agency) approved adding “sugar” ( real or not) into milk to get the kids to drink it. AND they don’t have to include it in the ingredients.
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There is great, detailed information on milk additives and related labeling issues at Mercola.com.
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This is a brilliant idea!
One tip I found when making almond milk is to use really hot (not boiling) water and leaving the mixture in the blender before straining for a an hour yields creamier, more flavorful milk. Wonder if that could work on pistachio milk too? Can’t wait to find out!Reply
Hi,
I make nutmilk using a Vitamix and a nutmilk bag, but have one problem.
No mater what nuts I use, when I add the nutmilk to coffee the milk always separates out after a few seconds and I almost end up with black coffee with nutmilk particles dispersed through it.
Do you have an answer to this?
BarryReply
Hi Barry,
I just recently started running into this problem after having perfect almond milk for a while.
After much investigation and first blaming the new batch of almonds the store brought in, as the timing was exact…turns out I wasn’t cleaning/sterilizing my nut bag correctly. Now I’m back to happy almond milk.
I hope this helps you…I certainly found it very frustrating.
Here’s a helpful link I found cleaning our gear:
ecopeaceful.com/products/frequently-asked-questions/faq-products/caring-for-nut-milk-bag-and-cheeseclothReply
I was so excited to make this – I ended up shelling a cup of pistachios myself since I couldn’t find them already shelled today. I have the chia seed fruit salad chilling in my fridge right now!! My question— I put the pistachios and water in my blender (a decent one, but no vitamix) – and let it go for a minute or more. When I strained it through my mesh strainer, there was hardly any pulp at all – like barely a teaspoon (and I wanted to make those biscotti!). Is that normal? My strainer is fairly fine. I tasted some of the milk and it was delicious and not chunky. How’d that happen??
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I triple strain mine: through two french presses – one with an added coffee filter, then pour over a tea cage… and I did notice less pulp than almond. Maybe pistachio is easier to break up (softer)?
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i have some matcha green tea powder i bet that would make a good “shaken” tea with the pistachio milk (just gave up coffee because of thyroid issues) otherwise i would be all over this idea!
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The Nespresso Frother has a non stick interior. You could not PAY ME enough money to use anything with a chemical coating.!
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That was my concern too. I thought it was entirely made of stainless steel, until I read about the non-stick interior, which tends to wear away according to some reviews.
I also remember the Nestle’s controversy back in the day, when they sold and promoted their unhealthy milk substitute overseas. They have zero ethics.
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What do you do with the pulp after you remove it?
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Make biscotti with the nut pulp:
https://foodbabe.com/2012/08/20/pistachio-almond-biscotti-using-nut-milk-pulp/Reply
Anyone know where on her website she talks about cow’s milk and why it’s bad for you? I read it, but can’t find it now and I want to share it.
Thanks!
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Nicole – I believe this is the post you are looking for: https://foodbabe.com/2011/07/12/eggplant-parmesan-farm-raw-dairy/
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Can you please recommend an eco friendly milk nut bag?
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Can you recommend the brand you use for the organic pistachios…also what do you do with the “meal” as in the nut pulp after you’ve sifted the liquid out? Do you throw it out or reuse?
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The correct spelling is cardamom and i will def try this although i do love organic cows milk .
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With the exception of you using Nestle products
( does not believe water should be a public right and their products are LOADED with GMO’s)
This looks like a very good recipe I would like to try. I’m a little shocked you support Nestle though.Reply
Hoe could you even think of using Nespresso’s Frother . It is lined with a chemical coated non stick interior. Breville’s Frother is much better, it is all stainless.
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Excited to try this. I’m the author of the book, Naturally Sweet Blender Treats. I make Pistachio ice cream in a Vitamix with almond or coconut milk. Now I can try it with Pistachio milk, how cool is that?!! Thanks for sharing!
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Can you share the recipe for pistachio ice cream you make?
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Hi Cora, There are 2 blender ice cream recipes on my recipe page, Chocolate Mint and Chunky Cherry Vanilla that you can try. http://www.journeytonatliv.com/recipe-index.htm The Pistachio and Butter Pecan Ice cream recipes are in my book, sorry, those aren’t posted anywhere. The book is on my website, if you’d like to have a look.
I saw your other question about using roasted nuts. I made a half batch of the pistachio milk with roasted nuts, will try it again with raw later to see if the flavor varies. I think the roasted may give it a slightly stronger flavor.
Do i need to use raw nuts? I could not find raw nuts but did find roasted and unsalted. The same store I can find raw almonds, hazelnuts, cashew, walnuts and pecans at. So amazon for raw pistachos?
In the meantime can I use roasted nuts?Reply
What could you do with the pulp afterwards? maybe another recipe so i don’t feel wasteful?
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This recipe is really good, especially when made with a Vitamix. Thanks!
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I have been craving Pistachio pudding for some time but just can’t get myself to make the good old instant one that I grew up with. This looks like it would make an excellent sub in for that in my favorite pudding recipe. Can’t wait to try it!
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Love this recipe. I used home-made cashew nut milk, which is a lot easier to make than almond milk (and doesn’t require straining) but I just found out about the natural mold that grows in them so I’m exploring with pistachios. Love the simplicity of this recipe. Thanks.
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Why is it that Food Babe never replies to a comment?
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Calories?
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I add a few medjool dates and about a tablespoon of chia seeds and don’t strain. It binds the nuts and makes a creamy drink. I want to retain all the nutrients from the nuts. Commercial milks use carrageenan and xantham gum which I try to avoid.
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Can you recommend a place to buy pistachios?
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Fantastic Recpie! I made some pistachio milk last night and it was delicious. It is slightly sweet on it’s own but I added a little bit of organic turbinado and it was heavenly. Having some with my cereal right now! Thank you Food Babe!
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Just a follow up — since I had forgotten about the no-soaking part, I ended up chopping up some pistachios and letting it sit in water (filtered) for awhile.
Then I whirred it up in my old glass Waring blender. The milk will naturally froth up and when you pour it into the coffee it makes the perfect ‘cappuccino’ style beverage.
I skipped straining since this old blender breaks up things as good as a food processor, however, if you wait a short while, nut particles will settle to the bottom. The froth remains sitting on top and will continue to rise, and then you can carefully pour it into your coffee to avoid too much sediment.
I did a small test cup first and there was no curdling. I’m enjoying a full cup now with a dash of organic spices. It’s wonderful and thank you for a terrific recipe, Vani. 🙂
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Love this recipe! I typically don’t like the taste of nut milk by itself but this is delicious! Thanks for a wonderful recipe
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You fight against poisonous chemicals in food, yet you continue to make your lattes with a device lined in a toxic chemical. Stop using that Nespresso Frother a!!!!
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And when do you add the flavorings? While blending or after straining?
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Are the pistachios any good afterwards?? Or do you throw them away?
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I noticed they discontinued the older version it looks like you have in the picture. Do you recommend the newer version?Looks quite different. Also, do you recommend any of the less expensive brands?
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No need to use a milk bag. I just stir before serving. This provides an extra rich drink plus a boost in fiber. I also add four pitted dates before blending.
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You mention using pistachio milk and Nespresso to make lattes. May I ask what kind of coffee you use? I am both dairy and gluten sensitive and want to avoid chemicals, so I’m looking for a safe coffee. Decaf would be best since I’m rather sensitive to caffeine too. I don’t want the caffeine to perk me up, I just love the taste of coffee.
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Vani likes to use Larry’s Beans organic coffee. You can find it online here: https://amzn.to/3eyix44
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