How I Make Coffee-Worthy Almond Milk With My Vitamix Ascent X5
I got off the cow’s milk train years ago and haven’t looked back. I indulge in oat milk at the cafe, but at home I use almond milk exclusively. While I don’t make my own almond milk on a regular basis, the power of the Vitamix Ascent X5 (which I recently reviewed ) and the ease of use of the plant-based milk preset really encourage me to do it more often.
I’ve had great success making hot soups in my Vitamix Ascent, making peanut butter and walnut butter , and most recently making ice cream that rivals any single-use ice cream maker. So it’s no surprise that making almond, cashew, macadamia, and oat milks with this beast of a blender is pretty quick and easy.
How to Use the Plant Milk Feature on the Vitamix Ascent X5
1. Soak nuts or oats.
Soaking time depends on what kind of milk you’re making. The goal is to soften the ingredient, which will make it easier to mix and distribute its delicious plant-based goodness into the water in the blender. Oats don’t need to be softened for very long, but nuts, for example, do. Most almond milk recipes call for soaking the nuts in cold water overnight or for 24 hours. I cheated and soaked mine in just-boiled water for 15 minutes. You live your best life, I’ll live mine.
2. Fill the blender container.
Once your ingredient is soft, drain and rinse. You don’t want that dusty old soaking water getting into your finished plant milk. (I’ve tried it, and it’s not good.) Add the nuts or oats to the Vitamix container. You don’t have to, but I peel the skins off the almonds before adding them to the container. It’s a little annoying, but they come off easily. I find the finished milk tastes cleaner, and I save the leftover almond flour for baking. Removing the skins is also helpful for this product.
Add cold filtered water to the container. I used one cup of almonds and added three and a half cups of water to the container. If you like flavored milk, now is the time to experiment with additional ingredients. Add cocoa powder, cinnamon, vanilla extract, or sweetener if desired.
3. Choose the correct Vitamix setting
Plug in the blender and turn on the power. The digital display will show the number 1 as the default speed. Press the button with the three lines of “burger menu” for the presets. Use the rotary knob to navigate to the preset that looks like a cardboard box with a small almond in the center. Once you get there, take one last look to make sure the lid is closed, then press the start button.
This setting starts at medium-low speed for a few seconds, then quickly ramps up to speed 10 in about 50 seconds. And voila. Plant-based milk in under a minute.
Models other than the Ascent X5 may not have a plant-based milk preset. Don’t worry, you can fake the timing and speed. Start with the speed dial on level two or three for about five seconds, then increase the speed to the highest setting and leave it there for about 50 seconds. The liquid should look opaque white and foam a little on top. There should be no visible bits of nuts or oats. Turn off the blender.
4. Strain the milk.
Once the machine is turned off, set up the straining station. Many recipes mention using a mesh strainer or cheesecloth, but I think the nut milk bags are absolutely fantastic. Other blenders may not do this, but the Vitamix will almost completely grind up the almonds or oats you’re using. The other two straining options don’t catch the fines like the nut milk bag. They’re really affordable and worth it if you’re making milk or even for cold brew. Here’s the one I use .
I place the bag of nut milk in a wide-mesh strainer (more for support than for straining) over a large measuring cup. I pour the liquid into the bag and let it drain into the measuring cup. I squeeze the pulp in the bag to remove all the moisture. You can discard the pulp or freeze it to use later in muffins, cakes, cookies, or biscuits.
From here, pour the plant-based milk into a container with a tight-fitting lid. I poured my almond milk into a Mason jar and will use it in smoothies and coffee. Homemade almond milk should be refrigerated and used within five days, but I’ve heard that oat milk is best used within three days.
Try adding different extracts and flavors to create a more interesting coffee or an amazing batch of overnight oats .