Soy Milk
Soy milk is a great alternative to daily milk. Fresh, clean homemade soy milk is delicious and affordable and it’s easier to make than you might think!
Homemade vegan soy milk is a delicious and affordable option to dairy milk. It’s clean and fresh on its own, but you can also add sweeteners such as vanilla, sugar, or honey. Unlike sweetened store bought soy milk you have control over how much and what you add to your soy milk. And, making your own soy milk is much less expensive than the store bought version. Buying soy milk from the store is much more convenient especially since making your own soy milk takes some extra work on your part. However, once you’ve made this soy milk recipe a couple of times it will become second nature.
I’ve never liked animal milk and I can tell you why. I grew up on a dairy farm in Maine. Our business was milking cows and selling the milk. Every morning and every afternoon the entire family milked roughly 100 head of cattle. If you don’t know (and you wouldn’t unless you know how a dairy farm works!), dairy farmers milk their herd and then store the raw milk in a huge, chilled holding tank in the “milk room” usually located in the barn. The milk companies generally come by every other day and empty the tank and take it to the factory to be pasteurized. Raw cow’s milk is very thick and yellowish and the cream rises naturally to the top. My family drank it straight from the cow. By the time I was 12 years old or so, I boycotted cow’s milk. It just didn’t feel right to drink cow’s milk. Later in my life, I found non-dairy kinds of milk and I started using it again in moderation.
Reasons You’ll LOVE this Soy Milk Recipe.
Here are a couple of reasons you’ll love this soy milk recipe.
- No plastic packaging! When you make your own soy milk you can transfer it directly to a glass bottle or any other glass container. This cuts down on plastic usage and makes trips to the recycling center that much less frequent.
- No preservatives! Your soy milk won’t have any preservatives added to increase the shelf life. In short, you will always know exactly what is in your milk!
- Fresh! Your soy milk will be fresh. Soak the soybeans overnight and whip it up fresh in the morning. It really doesn’t get any better than that!
- It’s better for you. Milk and other dairy products are the top source of saturated fat in the American diet, contributing to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.
- No female farm animals involved! As someone who grew up on a dairy farm, I can say it’s heartbreaking to know female cows are being used unnaturally for their milk. It’s just gross to drink female animal milk. End of story.
Soy Milk Ingredients and Equipment
It’s the perfect one-two punch. It doesn’t get much easier than that.
- Soybeans. I use raw soybeans purchased from farmers in the US that are gluten free, iIdentity preserved (IP), and 100% Non-GMO. If you want super white soy milk be sure to peal your soybeans after you’ve soaked them overnight.
- Water. I used filtered water.
- Sweeteners like honey, sugar, agave syrup, or maple syrup (optional).
- Blender. Any blender will do, but a high speed blender, such as a Vitamin is faster and easier.
- Milk bag. A reusable milk bag make straining you soy milk easier, but cheesecloth works well too. Don’t use a cloth with link, for obvious reasons.
- Glass milk bottle. I love using glass milk bottles to store my non-dairy milks. I know where it came from and what’s in it!
WATCH ME MAKE THIS RECIPE
How To Make Soy Milk
Soy milk is SO easy to make. Don’t think YOU can’t make it! Just follow the directions below!
First, soak your soybeans overnight. Cover them in water and put a towel or bowl cover over them. In the morning, the water will be cloudy.
Peel your soaked soybeans. This is truly a labor of love, but worth it! It you leave the skins on your soy milk will be darker in color and have a slight bitter taste.
Then, break out your high speed blender and add the strained soybeans along with the water. Blend on high speed for one minute. Then scoop off the foam.
From your blender, pour the milk into a milk bag or cheesecloth. Gently squeeze the bag until only pulp remains.
Then pour the strained soy milk into a saucepan and add one cup of water. Bring to a boil. Cover over medium heat for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Don’t allow your soy milk to burn.
Finally, pour your fresh, clean soy milk into a glass container.
Soy Milk Variations
Soy milk is very flexible and allows for modifications. Here are some my suggestions.
- Make it thicker! Use less water to make you milk thicker and a bit creamier.
- White! Peel your yellow soybeans for whiter soy milk.
- Make it sweet! Use sweeteners such as agave syrup or maple syrup.
- Spice it up! Sometimes I add cinnamon to my milk. I don’t do that in the blender, but when I’m actually using the milk. For example, when I use it a cup of coffee. It’s a flavorful addition.
Soy milk might separate a bit in the bottle, but you can simply shake it up. I like my soy milk fresh, so I don’t refrigerate beyond 4 or 5 days. Sometimes, I make a small batch and just whip it up quickly in the morning. With any kind of milk, fresh is better.
Uses for Soy Milk
Generally speaking, soy milk has more body than oat milk or other nut milks and lends itself to certain recipes.
- Homemade Vegan Yogurt. I ALWAYS have homemade vegan yogurt on hand. I’ve made it with many different dairy-free milks and my favorite yogurt comes from my homemade soy milk. Soy milk is rich in protein and the probiotics just seem to work that much better with soy milk. I’m not sure why, but that’s my experience.
- Vegan Corn Chowder. I often use soy milk in my chowders, because it has more body than some other non-dairy kinds of milk. It holds up to heat and blends well with all sorts of veggies.
- On cereal. I make my own granola (which my daughter LOVES!) She likes to pour it over my homemade granola for a satisfying breakfast or snack.
- In coffee or tea. Soy milk is perfect for coffee or tea.
- In shakes. Soy milk is a natural for shakes. It’s got enough body to any shake smooth and creamy.
If you try this soy milk recipe let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you!
Soy Milk
Equipment
- High Speed Blender
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dry soybeans
- 4 cups filtered water
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract of piece of vanilla bean optional
- 4 dates optional
Instructions
- Soak the soybeans in water overnight (ideally 12 hours or longer).
- Drain the soybeans and remove the outer skins. Removing the outer skins is optional, but your milk will have a better texture if you do.
- Pour the mixture into a pot or a saucepan and add 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, stir and skim foam.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
- Let cool the soy milk. You can add other ingredients such as vanilla extract or dates. Blend the mixture if necessary.
- Use it to prepare recipes like vegan corn chowder and vegan greek yogurt.
- Keep the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for about 3-5 days.
Notes
- Use yellow soybeans, it's the best kind of soybeans to make soy milk.
- Add more or less water depending on how thick you like your milk.
- Feel free to add any sweetener you want or don't add any at all. Add it gently until the milk tastes good.
Thanks again.