You’ve Probably Never Tried This Protein-Packed, Dairy-Free Milk—But You Should!

Soy milk? Soooo early aughts. We’re all about the other dairy-free alternatives: almond milk, hemp milk, coconut milk, and rice milk all make the top five.

But you haven’t lived until you’ve tried quinoa milk—with its light flavor reminiscent of almond milk, it just might leave you googly eyed over your morning bowl of cereal.

Quinoa milk also has more protein and fewer calories than most nut milks—and it’s cheaper to make (and cheaper than regular old cow milk, too). It’s also totally free of nuts, lactose, and gluten, and when you DIY it, you know there are zero unsavory additives.

And the best part? It’s super simple to make. One cup of cooked quinoa yields about one liter of quinoa milk, so you’ll definitely get your money’s worth if you take the two minutes to whip this recipe up.

DIY Quinoa Milk

Ingredients

1 cup rinsed and cooked quinoa
2 cups water, plus up to 6 cups of water
Cinnamon, vanilla extract, or raw honey to taste (optional)

Instructions

1. Add cooked quinoa and 2 cups water to blender. Blend on high until smooth and thoroughly combined.

2. Blend in more water, in batches, until you’re happy with the consistency. To get the thinner consistency of store-bought quinoa milk, add up to 6 more cups of water.

3. Use a nut milk bag or cheesecloth to strain mixture into a glass. If using a Vitamix or high-powered blender, skip this step.

4. Add a teaspoon of cinnamon, raw honey, or vanilla and stir if desired. Store in jar with a sealable lid in the fridge up to two days.

Quinoa milk is fantastic on its own, but its thickness makes it great for smoothies and poured over a crunchy granola. Just try not to use it all in one sitting!

Photo credit: Alicia Cho