Say hello to my go-to dairy-free milk I’ve been crafting up for my beloved moringa and matcha lattes, granola, baking, and beyond!
It’s made with unsweetened coconut flakes and hemp seeds and sweetened with dates, making it a 3-ingredient recipe that’s made easily in the blender. Let us show you how it’s done!
This recipe is as easy as blending up coconut flakes, hemp seeds, dates, water, and an optional pinch of sea salt, then straining through a nut milk bag.
And not only is this milk simple to prepare and tastes way better than store-bought, but it’s loaded with nutrients and is more affordable! Read on for the details.
Health Benefits of Hemp Seeds
Hemp seeds are the nuts of the Cannabis sativa plant. Unlike the leaves of the plant, the seeds contain only trace amounts of (if any) CBD or THC.
Instead, they’re packed with nutrition and offer a variety of health benefits:
- Rich in vitamins and minerals, including B1, B2, B3, B6, folate, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, selenium, iron, and potassium.
- Excellent source of essential fatty acids (including alpha-linolenic acid, an important anti-inflammatory fat known as “the plant omega-3”).
- Contains all of the essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein).
- It is used in traditional Chinese medicine as a moistening laxative and is found in a variety of formulations used to support health.
Cost of Homemade vs. Store-Bought
It’s easy to say it’s more affordable, but you want the proof.
We did the calculations, and here’s what we found: Homemade is ~3-4 times less expensive than store-bought!
Cost of Homemade
For our homemade calculation, we visited Natural Grocers and determined that the cost of the required ingredients was:
1 cup organic coconut flakes = $0.521/4 cup hemp seeds = $0.46
2 pitted dates = $0.38
TOTAL = $1.36 for ~6 cups coconut hemp milk = $0.23 per cup
Cost of Store-Bought
The only store-bought brand of coconut hemp milk we have seen is Living Harvest Tempt.
For a 32-ounce carton, the cost was $2.99 = $0.75 per cup
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/4 cup hemp seeds (hulled) (also known as “hemp hearts”)
- Two pitted dates (or sub maple syrup omit for less sweet coconut milk)
- One pinch of salt (optional)
- 5-6 cups warm filtered water (for creamier milk, use a lesser amount, and for thinner milk, use a greater amount)
Instructions
- Add coconut and hemp seeds to a high-speed blender along with pitted dates and salt (optional). Cover with warm (not hot) water (the lesser amount for creamier milk, the greater amount for thinner milk). Allow to soak covered (with the blender lid on) for 10 minutes to allow the dates and coconut to soften.
- Blend on high for 1 minute 30 seconds or until completely smooth and a few visible bits of hemp seeds and dates remain.
- Strain into a large mixing bowl through a nut milk bag. Squeeze until all that’s left is dry pulp, which can be composted or frozen and added to smoothies (this wouldn’t be ideal for drying or using as “meal” or flour due to its texture).
- Perfect for hot or cold lattes, baking, oatmeal, and more, our favorite being a hot or iced moringa or matcha latte! Store in the fridge for 4-5 days. It can freeze for up to 1 month, but it is best when fresh (after freezing, it requires much more shaking as separation is more likely).
