Justin and I went to a vegan cooking class a couple weeks ago with Chef AJ (my stepmom Lulu hooked us up). I came away with several fantastic recipes and revelations, but this is one of the best - the easiest almond milk possible. She had us try fresh and boxed almond milk back to back and it was astounding. Obviously fresh is usually superior to boxed or jarred anything, but the boxed version (which I was using on a daily basis) was truly disgusting in comparison. I never could wrap my mind around milking almonds for an hour, but this shortcut method is more time efficient and thrifty than its boxed counterpart - it's just water, dates, and almond butter. 
I promise, try it once and at the very least, you will be shocked by how delicious (and EASY) it is. The ingredient quantities and ratios are purely personal, so experiment until you get the flavor and sweetness exactly where you want it. Start with less and add more as you go.
*Tip: In general, dates are a great way to get your sweetener since they are a whole food packed with nutrients. You can use them in an easily homemade paste or syrup as well. They have the highest glycemic index of any sugar and also have a high glycemic load, so just balance it out with the other ingredients of the dish.
INGREDIENTS
dates (2-4) chopped
almond butter (1-2 T) I use jarred, don't judge me
water (6 cups) use good tasting water
ADDITIONS
cinnamon
cocoa
vanilla extract
cardamom
nutmeg
DIRECTIONS
- Blend water, dates, and almond butter in a blender. That's it!
- Keep refrigerated for 2-5 days.
