Walnut milk (OR...cashew milk) - probably the best nut milk there is!

By: Tom Cloyd - 3 min. read; reviewed: 2025-04-09:2257 Pacific Time (USA))

walnut milk in quart jar

Walnut milk in quart jar / Photo by Tom Cloyd

 

 

After making cashew milk and loving it, I wondered if a walnut milk was possible. It was! I found a few recipes, and adapted them to make my own. Walnut milk is easily made, more nutritious than other nut milks (it has substantial omega-3 fatty acids), and is delicious as well. One cup of walnut milk a day gives you your day’s ration of walnuts, if you are consuming them for the omega-3s, as I do. (Note that walnuts, bought in bulk, are notably cheaper than cashews, which are not an omega-3 source.)

(NOTE that the milk in the photo, made about 45 minutes prior, is settling into layers, just like normal, non-homogenized milk does. It must be shaken before use.)

Page contents…

  • dates - 4 to 6, roughly chopped and soaked overnight in 1 cup cold water or a couple of hours in hot water (or use 1 T honey)
  • walnuts, shelled - 1 1/4 cup - OR cashews - 2/3 cup (pieces or either nut are fine)
  • vanilla extract - 1/2 to 1 t (optional) - I prefer 1 t
  • 5-spice powder - 1/2 t (optional, but nice) - I prefer 1 t

If using dates, soak them overnight in 1 cup water, or an hour or two in 1 cup hot water. I like to slice each date into 4 pieces to speed up the soaking process. This softens them nicely. Do not discard the soaking water, but use it as part of the water you measure into your blender.

The skins of the nuts are said to be bitter. although we usually don’t detect this. But when used to make walnut milk, it is detectable, but not a show-stopper. I do recommend soaking them, however.

To quickly soften the nuts, and de-bitter them, do any of these three options:

  • boil them 5 minutes or so in 4 cups of water. Then rinse them under cold water.
  • soak them 2-4 hours in 4 cups of hot water, discarding the soaking water.
  • soak them overnight in 4 cups of water, discarding the soaking water.

Cashews also benefit from being soaked, and it can be in hot water, if you like. But a few hours or overnight in cold water is fine. So is not soaking them at all, if you do not want to wait. If you soak them, there is no need to discard the soaking water, and they will blend into the water just a bit more thoroughly.

In your blender, put the water from soaking the nuts (for cashews) and dates, and add enough more to make 2 cups.

Add the dates and nuts and flavorings, if used.

Blend at high speed until well ground up. Add 2 more cups of water and blend to mix.

Makes about 5 cups, so after filling a quart jar, you’ll have a cup left over for immediate drinking. :)

Some folks, with either nut milk, pour the milk through a nut milk bag (a very cool thing that I use when making soy milk) to remove the bits of pureed milk. Silly idea, say I! Shake up the milk, then drink it all. More flavor, plus nuts are good for you, remember? Keep it simple….

I use walnuts, most of the time. They are 1/2 to 1/3 the cost (especially if you get them at Costco), and significantly more nutritious.

I soak the walnuts overnight, in 2 c. water, then discard the water in the morning and rinse the walnuts once. I also soak the dates overnight

I pour the date soaking water into my blender, then add more water to equal 2 cups, plus 1 t vanilla and 1/2 t 5-spice power.

I then dump in the soaked dates and walnuts and blend them at high speed maybe a minute. They blend up very easily.

I blend in 2 more cups of water.

I turn off the blender, stir down the foam for about 30 seconds, then pour as much of the milk as I can into a quart jar, which is immediately refrigerated. I do NOT sieve out the ground up nuts! I savor the remaining cup of milk, while feeling grateful that such a nutritious nut milk is so easily made.

 

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