Black Sesame Almond Milk

As you can see, I am starting this year off on a very colourful note…. just kidding! While this drink may look a little peculiar, my entire household can vouch that this is one of the best nut milks I have made to date. Almonds form the base of this recipe, but this drink really gets its odd colour (but tons of flavour) from black sesame seeds. It’s a bit outside the box, but trust me, you will want to give this healthy recipe for Black Sesame Almond Milk a try!

Making Homemade Almond (and other nut) Milk

I use almond milk throughout the week in many breakfast meals, but I find myself so busy and on-the-go that I often rely on store-bought almond milk. The brand I purchase is pretty good, and it has the fewest additives and preservatives from what I have found. However, when I made a batch of almond milk from scratch, I am always taken back at how good it is! Rarely do I sit back and gulp down a huge glass of store-bought almond milk, but when it’s homemade, I will drink the entire batch. 😛

The recipe for almond milk (and any other nut milk) is pretty simple. It’s a 1:2 ratio where I use 2 cups of whole, un-roasted, unsalted nuts to 4 cups of water. You can use almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts…basically and nut you can imagine! Now you can’t just toss some raw almonds into a blender, add the water, and call it a day– the almonds need to soak in water overnight. The soaking process makes the nuts plump and tender and it releases the bitter taste. This soaking rule is the same for any nut (or seed) that you would like to add to your milk– black sesame seeds included.

Once the nuts have soaked, you can add them to a high-powered blender with some fresh water. You can also add a natural sweetener such as honey, maple syrup or pitted dates. I like a small hint of sweetness in my almond milk, and using a natural sugar makes it even more good for you! Then, simply blend everything together until smooth and then strain through some cheesecloth. The process is so fun and rewarding once you see a full pitcher of homemade nut milk!

Benefits of Black Sesame Seeds

Now I broke a little rule by using black sesame seeds as these seeds have already been roasted. Typically, if you use any pre-roasted nut or seed, it will make the nut milk oily and can even turn the milk a bit bitter. However, black sesame seeds are known to have that well-rounded roasted flavour, and I wanted that to shine through in this drink. And did it ever! It was like I was drinking a cup of the most authentic black sesame ice cream that had melted! It was that good…and that creamy!

As most of us are on a health kick to start the new year, I thought that this would be a great recipe to share since black sesame seeds have TONS of health benfits. Plus, I think that this is an ingredient that is often overlooked or is not that popular (yet) in North America. Here are all the great benefits that black sesame seeds have to offer:

1. High in copper– great as an anti-inflammatory and to ease joint pain
2. High in magnesium and calcium– lowers blood pressure and supports bone health, respectively
3. Contains unique lignins, sesamin and sesamolin– reduce cholesterol
4. Rumored that the black colour of the seeds prevents pre-mature hair greys

More than One Way to Enjoy…

You can enjoy this Black Sesame Almond Milk chilled, or you can steam it to make a Black Sesame Latte. With my new Breville Barista Express machine, I will definitely be experimenting with this Black Sesame Almond Milk. I will hopefully be able to hone my latte art skills and bring you all some awesome pictures in the future!

But for now, I hope that you enjoy this recipe! Let me know in the comments below if you are a fan of black sesame and if you would try this peculiar (but delicious) grey drink!

Get the Recipe!

Black Sesame Almond Milk

Melissa

Take your almond milk to the next level by adding black sesame seeds. The rich, deep roasted flavour really shines through and a touch of sweetness from local honey makes it perfectly sweet. Try this nut milk cold, or warmed in a black sesame latte!

Print Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Resting Time 8 hours hrs

Total Time 8 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Drinks

Cuisine Asian

Servings 1 litre

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 cups raw almonds not toasted or salted
• 1 1/2 cups black sesame seeds
• 3 cups water plus more for soaking the almonds and seeds
• 2 tablespoons honey

Instructions

 

• Place the raw almonds in a medium-sized bowl and fill the bowl with enough water to cover the almonds. Place the black sesame seeds in a small-bowl and also cover them with water. Cover both bowls and leave out at room temperature for at least 8 hours or overnight to soak.
• Drain the almonds and black sesame seeds and rinse them under cool water. Place them into a Vitamix blender, or other high-powered blender. Add 3 cups of cool water and the honey.
• Blend the mixture on high for 1-2 minutes, or until the mixture is completely smooth and there are no chucks of seeds or almonds left.
• Place 2 layers of cheesecloth over a large bowl (preferably with a spout) and pour the nut milk mixture into it. Fold the edges into the center and raise the entire cheesecloth out of the bowl to drain the nut milk. Squeeze the bag until all of the milk is drained out and then discard the pulp mixture and cheesecloth.
• Pour the nut milk into a pitcher and place in the fridge. You can enjoy this nut milk either cold or warmed (ideally in a Black Sesame Latte!).

Keyword black sesame, black sesame almond milk, breakfast casserole, breakfast recipes, brunch recipes, nut milk, sesame

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!