What To Do With The Leftover Pulp From Making Almond Milk
Almond milk and other non-dairy milks are becoming more popular than ever before, and there are a bunch of almond milk brands you can peruse at the grocery store. We've ranked almond milks from best to worst to help you make the right decision when shopping, but it's actually fairly easy to whip up your own almond milk at home.
If you've ever wondered what plant-based milk is made out of, homemade almond milk only takes two or three ingredients. Based on The Kitchn's recipe, all you'll need in order to prepare a refreshing batch of almond milk is water and almonds, and you can also add an optional sweetener such as maple syrup, honey, or agave. To make almond milk using The Kitchn's method, you will need to let the almonds sit and soak in water overnight. You'll then drain and rinse off the nuts, blend them, and strain them. Once you've strained the almonds, you're left with almond milk and pulp. But do not throw your almond pulp away just yet! If you're trying to cut down on your food waste, then keep that leftover pulp, because you can turn it into almond meal.
How to turn your almond pulp into almond meal and how to use it
The first step to making your very own almond meal is to dry out the pulp from almond milk, according to Minimalist Baker. You can do this by popping your almond pulp in the oven at a low temperature. Minimalist Baker's next step is to leave the dried pulp in the kitchen overnight to reach the proper temperature. Then, the next day, blend the mixture using a food processor. Similar to making almond milk, there's a bit of waiting, but it's a pretty straightforward process. And if you don't want to wait until the next day to finish up the almond meal, Minimalist Baker recommends using almond pulp to make energy bites or adding a bit to a batch of granola instead of baked goods.
With almond meal, you can make a wide range of sweet or savory recipes. If you need some inspiration to get started, check out this list of dishes from Brit + Co which highlights whole wheat almond meal graham crackers, almond scones, and a quiche with an almond meal crust. Yum!
Keep in mind that there's a difference between almond meal and almond flour, and you can't always substitute one for the other, so be sure to read a recipe carefully before adding almond meal.