Homemade pistachio milk recipe (Easy, creamy & dairy-free )

A container of pistachio milk was $8! That’s a pass.

While we salved our disappointment, I quickly realized I could make pistachio milk at home for a fraction of the cost. After all, nut milks are super easy to make, so delicious, and with none of the gums and fillers you get in most store-bought varieties.

Plus, with just 5 simple ingredients, I already had all of the ingredients in my pantry.

As soon as I got home, I got to work. I followed the same basic outline as my almond milk recipe, and then made a few adjustments to taste.

Oh, my gosh. So good!

I think pistachio milk may be my favorite plant-based milk to drink straight from the glass.

It tastes a bit like melted pistachio ice cream. The nutty flavor of the pistachio really comes through, along with light sweetness from a touch of agave syrup, and a splash of vanilla to bring it all together.

If you’re a big pistachio lover, you’ve got to try this one.

In this post:

Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.

Pistachios: Choose shelled, unroasted, and unsalted pistachios (or raw). Look for them with other nuts in the center aisles of your grocery store or online. I buy mine at Trader Joe’s.

Water: First, you’ll need water to soak the pistachios until softened. Then you’ll drain off the water, discard it, and add fresh, clean water to blend into milk.

Agave syrup: A touch of sweetness is nice here. Agave syrup is what I use, but maple syrup, date syrup, or fresh dates also work well. If you’d prefer not to use a sweetener, simply leave it out.

Vanilla: A little splash of vanilla extract rounds out the flavor, but if you’re planning on using the pistachio milk in something savory, omit it.

Salt: A pinch of salt adds balance and makes the flavors pop.

Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

1. Put unroasted, unsalted pistachios in a bowl. Cover with water and soak for 4 to 24 hours.

If you’re in a pinch for time, put hot water over the pistachios and soak for 15 to 30 minutes. (Even microwaving pistachios in water until hot & then soaking them works.)

Once you’re ready to make the nut milk, drain the pistachios with a fine mesh strainer.

2. Add the drained pistachios to a high-speed blender. Then add clean, fresh water, agave syrup, vanilla, and salt.

3. Blend until completely smooth.

4. Put a nut milk bag or double-lined cheesecloth over a tall jar. Slowly pour the nut milk through it. Then lightly squeeze the bag/cloth to get out all of the liquid, leaving the pistachio pulp behind.

You can add an airtight lid to store the nut milk in the jar, or transfer it to a smaller milk bottle.

Store pistachio milk in the refrigerator.

You can make this dairy-free pistachio milk your own by varying the ingredients.

Vary the amount of pistachios or water

If you’d like a thicker pistachio milk, either increase the amount of pistachios, or decrease the amount of water.

Vary the sweetener or amounts

Agave syrup can be replaced with maple syrup, date syrup, or dates.

If you’d sweeter pistachio milk, increase the amount of sweetener. If you’d like it to be less sweet, use less sweetener or omit it completely.

Increase or omit the vanilla

If you’d like more vanilla flavor, increase the amount. (Be careful to start small. It’s easy to go overboard.)

If you don’t like vanilla or you’re planning on using pistachio milk in a savory dish, omit it.

Add seasonings

To round out the flavor, add a sprinkle of cinnamon or cardamom.

This vegan pistachio milk recipe is absolutely delicious on its own by the glassful.

Here are some other tasty ways to use it:

• Add a splash to a cup of green tea
• Use it as the non-dairy milk in a cherry smoothie
• Add a splash to finish pumpkin oatmeal
• Use it in pancake batter

Store homemade pistachio milk in an airtight jar, bottle, or container.

This dairy-free pistachio milk only lasts two or three days in the refrigerator. That’s why I recommend making a smaller batch (like this 2-cup recipe), unless you know you’ll be able to use a lot of pistachio milk in a short time.

Keep the pistachio love going with any of these tasty recipes:

• Pistachio butter
• Cilantro & basil pistachio pesto
• Roasted Brussels sprouts with apples
• Rhubarb crisp bars
• Spinach salad with strawberries
• French lentils with caramelized onions
• Pear crisp with oats
• Curried tofu salad
• Delicata squash & persimmon salad
• Pistachio-crusted tofu cheeseballs

📖 Recipe

Pistachio milk

Author: Cadry Nelson

5 from 2 votes

It's easy to make pistachio milk at home. It just takes 5 ingredients and a high-speed blender. It's velvety and smooth to drink. And best of all, the delicious, creamy flavor is reminiscent of melted pistachio ice cream.

Makes about 2 cups of pistachio milk.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Soaking time: 4 hours hours

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

Course: Beverage

Cuisine: Vegan

Keyword: non-dairy milk, nut milk, vegan milk

Ingredients

• ▢ ½ cup pistachios shelled, unroasted & unsalted
• ▢ 2 cups water + more for soaking
• ▢ 1 teaspoon agave syrup or date syrup or 2 pitted dates
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon salt

Instructions

• ▢
  Pour pistachios into a bowl. Cover them in water. Then put them into the refrigerator to soak for 4 hours to 24 hours.

  If you're soaking the nuts on the longer end of the spectrum, I like to drain off the water and add more half way through to freshen them.

  (Short on time? Pour hot water over them instead, and let them soak for 15 minutes to half an hour.)

  Once you're ready to make the pistachio milk, drain the pistachios in a fine mesh strainer.
• ▢
  Pour the drained pistachios into a high-speed blender along with two cups of clean, fresh water, agave syrup, vanilla extract, and salt.

  Blend for a minute or so, until the sounds of pistachios cracking can't be heard.
• ▢
  Use a clean spoon to taste the pistachio milk. If you like, add more sweetener to taste.
• ▢
  Put a nut milk bag (or double-lined cheesecloth) into a large jar or pitcher. Fold the edges of the bag over the sides to secure it.

  Then slowly pour the pistachio milk through the nut milk bag and into the jar or pitcher. Once it's three quarters full, use your hands to gently squeeze any additional milk from the bag into the jar.
• ▢
  Cover the jar or pitcher with a lid, and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 or 3 days.

Notes

Storage instructions

Store pistachio milk in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It has a relatively short shelf life. Try to use it within two or three days. If it starts to smell off, then you’ll know it’s gone bad.

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Nutrition

Calories: 95kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 79mg | Potassium: 158mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 64IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg