December 10, 2013
(last updated November 20, 2020) 
I suppose the title of this post ought to have been “potable giving,” but it just didn’t have the same ring! Thank you so much for the enthusiasm about yesterday’s gift guide. At the end of that post, I mentioned that my favorite type of gift giving is the edible kind, and it’s true: there’s nothing I love more than to share tasty, homemade treats with the people I love. Giving the gift of food or drink is a wonderful way to share your enthusiasm for plant based food and to show a special person that you care enough to create something unique.
It can be hard to plan edible gifts during the busy holiday season: food preparation is time consuming, and many of us are already so busy cooking for potlucks and family gatherings that the idea of yet more time in the kitchen is a drag. Between now and Christmas, I’ll be sharing 9 ideas for edible giving that I hope will prove simple, inspiring, and fun. And I’ll start with this decadent nut milk.
Almond milk and hemp milk are my two standard homemade nut milk recipes, but I love branching out every now and then. I’ve recently experimented with Brazil nut milk and homemade coconut milk (I especially like the former). In the past, I’ve made tahini milk, pumpkin seed milk, and cashew milk as well. I’ve always thought about pecan milk, and since I associate pecans with the holidays, I thought this was the right time of year to test it out. The milk, which is infused with vanilla and cinnamon, exceeded all of my expectations. I’m excited to give it to friends this year, and I hope you will be too.
Vanilla Cinnamon Pecan Milk
Author -Ingredients
- 1 cup raw pecans
- 3 cups water
- 4 pitted medjool dates
- Seeds of 1 vanilla bean instructions here
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon more if you like
- Pinch sea salt
Instructions
- 1. Soak the pecans for a few hours (or overnight) in water. Rinse them.
- 2. Blend the pecans, water, dates, vanilla, cinnamon, and sea salt for about two minutes in a high speed blender, till the mixture is extremely smooth.
- 3. You can actually serve the milk as is, with a little texture, but for a more creamy and authentic drink, strain it. You can place a nut milk bag or two layers of cheesecloth over the mouth of a large container (I usually just rinse and then use my Vitamix). If you're using cheesecloth, fasten it over the mouth of the container with two rubber bands. Pour the pecan milk through and let it strain for about an hour. Squeeze the cheesecloth or nut milk bag to get remaining liquid out.
- 4. Store pecan milk in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for 3-4 days.
- Makes approximately 3 cups. Recipe can easily be doubled.
I’ve been using some of the bottles that some of the JRINKs I was lucky enough to sample came in. But you could store–and then gift–the pecan milk in any glass jar. I always keep nut butter, tahini, miso, artichoke, and roasted red pepper jars (among others) and reuse them for storage or gifting.
If you like, you could gift the pecan milk along with something crunchy to enjoy alongside it for breakfast. I put together a simple jar of buckwheat, dried apples, dates, almonds, sunflower seeds, and spices.
Such a cute gift package! Breakfast in jars 🙂
Of course, the pecan milk is also great in cereal, hot or cold, in smoothies, or as a creamy evening treat. I hope you love it.
xo
Vanilla Cinnamon Pecan Milk
Author -Yields: 3 1/2 cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw pecans
- 3 cups water
- 4 pitted medjool dates
- Seeds of 1 vanilla bean instructions here
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon more if you like
- Pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Soak the pecans for a few hours (or overnight) in water. Rinse them.
- Blend the pecans, water, dates, vanilla, cinnamon, and sea salt for about two minutes in a high speed blender, till the mixture is extremely smooth.
- You can actually serve the milk as is, with a little texture, but for a more creamy and authentic drink, strain it. You can place a nut milk bag or two layers of cheesecloth over the mouth of a large container (I usually just rinse and then use my Vitamix). If you're using cheesecloth, fasten it over the mouth of the container with two rubber bands. Pour the pecan milk through and let it strain for about an hour. Squeeze the cheesecloth or nut milk bag to get remaining liquid out.
- Store pecan milk in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for 3-4 days.
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Categories: Recipes,
Vegan Basics
Method: Blender
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, No Oil, Raw, Soy Free, Vegan
Method: Blender
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, No Oil, Raw, Soy Free, Vegan
Leave a Comment
Hi there! Could you possibly email me with the kind of bottles you use!? They are so cute!!
Sounds amazing. How long would the milk last for?
About 3-4 days, sealed, in the fridge 🙂
I would love to get those two items as a gift! It wouldn’t last long. The milk sounds delicious; I must make it.l
This is a great idea! I love the milk jug, where’s that from?
happy holidays to all your readers!
Mmmm I love this homemade gift idea!
I love homemade nut milk, but I currently don’t have access to a blender. I’ll have to remember this recipe when I’m home for the holidays and have access to my parent’s blender. Pecan milk sounds seriously delicious and like the perfect compliment to a holiday breakfast. Thanks for sharing!
I love this idea! I just became a vegan this year, and I want to take the opportunity this holiday season to introduce my family to healthy and delicious vegan foods. I think I’ll make this nut milk to give to my mom. 🙂
This was SO delicious. Thank you.
I made an almost identical recipe a few years ago and gave them away as gifts and they were a huge hit! I put them in old glass milk jugs http://lindawagner.net/blog/2012/01/how-to-make-homemade-almond-milk so that they could use the bottles again after they finished the bottle!
Very inspired! Thank you.
I tried my hand at a maple cinnamon pecan milk over the weekend and it was so deliciously festive! Looking forward to trying your recipe next! xo
Oooh, I love the idea of a pecan-based milk (and a milk gift!)
Yes! Just this weekend, I made a batch of horchata (for White Russians, which I’m taking to a party this weekend, so the horchata was pretty sweet), but as soon as I make my way through this weekend’s obligations, I’m totally doing this. (And then a mildly date-sweetened batch of trad horchata, too. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before. Except I can, and it’s because of the giant stack of events I keep trying to plan all at once. Brain’s stretched pretty thin right now.)
Regardless, I’m not only excited about this, but about the eight more to come. It’s Gift Central on CR this year. Love it.
I might have to make this for myself 🙂 I’ve been having fun lately experimenting with non-almond nut milks (like pistachio). I bet pecan is so delicious.
that pecan milk sounds soo good!
Oh my … This sounds so, so yummy!!! I agree, pecans just make me think holidays so this is perfect timing.. Especially with the cinnamon!
I’m looking forward to the gift ideas, I’m traveling home for the holidays and I have been thinking about taking jars with ingredients for various desserts. This is a very cute idea I can make when I get there!
What a lovely gift!
(do you have the recipe for the breakfast in a jar?–or is that coming up?)
Just love it! I’ll try it and tell u!!!
Saludos from Barcelona!! 😀