With just 3 ingredients, you can make this delicious hazelnut and sunflower seed milk at home. It is so easy to make and so much cheaper than buying nut milks at the supermarket. The other great thing about making your own nut milks is that you can tailor it exactly to your taste. You can also use the leftover nut pulp to make these amazing vegan and gluten-free hazelnut and sunflower seed chocolate chip cookies!
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This has been a favourite. I absolutely love hazelnuts but decided to throw in a handful of sunflower seeds to boost the vitamin E content. The result is a subtle creamy drink that is perfect for using in recipes instead of milk and delicious as a drink in its own right!
Why make nut milk at home?
If you don't eat dairy, you will most likely be used to drinking plant-based milk as an alternative to dairy milk. I use different plant-based milks for different occasions. I like to bake and cook with oat milk and I like to save nut milks as a drink or for breakfast foods.
The trouble is that nut milks are just so exorbitantly expensive! Since I am the only vegan in my family, I don't go through a lot of nut milk and I never end up finishing a whole carton of it before it goes off.
So recently I have taken to making my own nut milks in small batches to keep in the fridge for drinking and cooking with. It is so much more economical both in terms of price and avoiding waste!
Equipment needed to make nut milks
You really don't need fancy equipment to make your own nut milk at home. You need:
- a jug to soak the nuts in water;
- a sieve for draining the nuts out of the soaking water;
- a blender (stand-alone or stick blender);
- some fabric to strain the nut milk through - this can be a nut bag, a piece of folded muslin, or even a clean tea towel!
I recently invested in this Chufamix Vegan Milk Maker which is nice and easy to use and avoids all the soggy muslin washing but it is certainly not essential for making homemade nut milk!
(I don't get any commission from them by the way, just thought I'd mention it in case anyone was looking for this kind of thing!)
Ingredients
There are only 3 ingredients in this hazelnut and sunflower seed milk recipe.
- hazelnuts - It is really important to use raw hazelnuts. Do not get the roasted or salted hazelnuts. You need the plain unadulterated raw hazelnuts so that they will go nice and creamy once soaked.
- sunflower seeds - as for the hazelnuts, you need plain raw sunflower seeds.
- water - you'll need plain water to soak the nuts and seeds in, then you'll drain that off and use more fresh water to make the nut milk. So, you might like to use bottled or filtered water for the second use.
That's it! So simple!
See the printable recipe card at the bottom of this blogpost for quantities.
Basic Instructions
Once you've made nut milk, you'll realise how delicious it is and how easy it is to make. You'll wonder why you spend so much money on shop-bought versions!
- Soak the hazelnuts and sunflower seeds in water for at least 8-12 hours (or as long as 24 hours - the longer you soak them, the creamier the nut milk will be).
- Drain the nuts and seeds and rinse in a colander.
- Add to a blender with 500ml filtered water. Blend for at least 2 minutes until creamy.
- Place a sieve over a large bowl or jug and line it with some folded muslin (or use a nut bag). Pour the blended nut mixture through the muslin. Then squeeze the muslin with your hands until all the creamy liquid is squeezed out and you're left with fairly dry nut pulp inside the bag.
- Stir the milk in the bowl under the sieve and use as needed.
Use the leftover nut pulp for making these hazelnut and sunflower seed choc chip cookies!
Please see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this blogpost for full instructions.
Variations & Additional Flavourings
This recipe is really a blueprint for making any nut milk you like so feel free to switch to any other nuts you like.
You can add other flavours to this nut milk and adjust the sweetness with the following additions:
- add a pitted date to the blender (or even soaking with the nuts) for a touch of sweetness.
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (2 teaspoon if using homemade vanilla extract).
- ½ teaspoon raw cacao powder.
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder.
Serving Suggestions
Use this milk for pouring on granola or cereal or as a drink in its own right. You can also use it in smoothies or even in your coffee! It's also a great nut milk for baking with.
Hazelnut and Sunflower Seed Milk FAQs
If you store it in a bottle in the fridge, it will keep for 3-5 days. You will notice immediately once it has gone off as rancid nut milk really smells bad! Luckily, sunflower seeds are rich in vitamin E which also acts as a preservative.
Any nuts you like! Almonds, cashews, or macadamias would all be great. You can play around with different combinations of nuts and seeds but I find that a ratio of about 75g nuts to 500ml water works well.
Yes of course! However, I like making relatively small batches (500ml) so that it doesn’t take up too much space in the fridge and it’s quick and easy to make. The greater the quantity, the longer you spend pressing the nuts through the muslin!
📖 Recipe 📖
Hazelnut and Sunflower Seed Milk
Ingredients
- 50 g raw hazelnuts
- 25 g raw sunflower seeds
- 500 ml filtered water
- (plus water for soaking)
Instructions
- Soak the hazelnuts and sunflower seeds in water (enough to cover well) for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.50 g raw hazelnuts, 25 g raw sunflower seeds, (plus water for soaking)
- After soaking, drain the nuts and seeds, rinse in a colander under the tap and put in a blender with 500ml filtered water. Blend on high for at least a minute until as smooth and finely blended as it can go.50 g raw hazelnuts, 25 g raw sunflower seeds, 500 ml filtered water
- Strain into a jug through a sieve lined with a muslin folded a few times (or a nut bag). Pull the edges of the muslin up together and use your hands to squeeze out all the liquid until you are left with fairly dry nut pulp inside. Then pour the strained nut milk into a bottle and refrigerate.
- You can save the leftover nut pulp from inside the nut bag and use it for baking (see my hazelnut and sunflower seed chocolate chip cookie recipe).
Notes
- Use any combination of alternative nuts and seeds you like.
- Sweeten by adding a date to the soaking nuts and blending together (optional).
- Flavour with cacao powder, cinnamon powder or vanilla extract.
- Store in a sealed bottle in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a ⭐ star rating ⭐ on the recipe card!
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