July 6, 2010
(last updated January 27, 2020) 
No, that title is not in any way meant to suggest the elevated aftermath of certain smokeable substances. Wrest your minds from the gutter! It is a reference to one of the most popular brands of hemp milk. And this weekend, I concluded that homemadehemp milk — though I honestly don’t have a basis for comparison — must surely rival, if not surpass the delights of other hemp derivatives.
It’s funny I should be making this bold claim, because I’ve always disliked hemp milk. Really: I’ve wanted to like it, but I simply couldn’t get over the hemp-y taste. Which is silly, because I love hemp seeds, hemp butter, and hemp oil, and none of those things could rightfully be called subtle-tasting, either. They’re hemp foods, and they taste like it. Still, something got in the way of my enjoying hemp milk. Until this weekend, when I attempted to make my own, and a new love affair was born.
As the great heat wave of 2010 rages in NYC, I’ve been enjoying plenty of smoothies. Smoothies (often) mean having lots of fresh nut milks on hand, which is part of why I’ve been giving them some blog focus lately (see my post on nut milk troubleshooting if you’re running into trouble making your own nut milks). The hemp milk I’m about to share is my latest creation, and it may henceforth be my most beloved. It’s creamy, rich, high in nutrition, and somehow the hemp taste bothers me far less than it does when I drink the store-bought brands. The recipe is pretty standard:
Hemp Milk (yields about 4 cups)
1 cup shelled hemp seeds
3 cups filtered water
3-4 tbsp agave nectar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp soy/sunflower lecithin (optional, but it will help keep the texture smooth, which is important since you’re not straining this one)
Blend all ingredients on high till they are very, very smooth. Enjoy!
You certainly could strain this nut milk if you’d like to, but I don’t recommend it. The texture is particularly nice when it’s left unstrained, and moreover, hemp seeds are so rich in nutrients that it seems a shame to divest the nut milk of some of its nutrient power by straining. In fact, I’m such a fan of hemp foods as nutritional powerhouses that I even calculated the nutrition facts for the milk. This is something I’ve been asked to do for my almond milk, too, which I can’t because I’ve no idea how straining effects the nutrition. And no, I don’t intend to make a habit of posting nutrition information for all of my recipes. But I can make exceptions once in a while. The stats:
For 1/2 cup serving (a little goes a long way!):
Kcal = 128
Fat = 7.8
Sugars = 4.8
Protein = 8.8 g
Fiber = 1.2 g
As you can see, hemp milk is a more protein rich alternative to standard almond milk, which is great for those of you who are working to incorporate more protein nito your diets. Keep in mind, too, that the fats in this hemp milk comprise both Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids, which our bodies need for brain function, growth, and development.
The bottom line is that this hemp milk is a slightly more nutrient dense alternative to my basic almond recipe. But increased nutrition does not come with decreased taste; you may need to adjust to the strong flavor of hemp, but as soon as you do, you’ll want to enrich every smoothie and overnight oat bowl with this stuff!
Speaking of healthy fats, I’ve written yet another blog post on why we shouldn’t be afraid of them–this time, it’s up at Whole Living Daily. I encourage all of my readers who are scared of eating more fat to check it out, and to embrace the healthy properties of lipids!
xo
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I have made some hemp milk with chia,seed that is very good also, I fo,grind thexchia,seed and soak,all,for 15xminutes in water, very tasty and creamy
How can I stop my hemp milk curldling when heating . Many thanks
Do the nutritional contents include the seeds still in the milk, or did you strain them? I’ve heard that the nutrition goes down if you take the pulp out???
thanks
Just made this in my Vitamix — awesome! I used 4 medjool dates instead of agave and 5 cups of water instead of 3 to make it last longer (since hemp seeds are pricey). Super delish!
Fabulous! Glad you like it.
Hi! Can you tell me what brand of sunflower lecithin you used? Did you use granules?
Thank you!!
i have found that a 1/2 cup of seeds to 4 cups of water is also a good combination for a lighter milky flavor… i will have to try the full cup as well after reading this … maybe it will seem yummier. i use this as the base for my homemade baby formula ( older baby’s only ) …
Hi mysti! How,old be was your baby when you made hemp milk formula? Mine is one and I’m just now starting. What did u add?
I tried hemp milk for the first time a few months ago and fell in love with it – but not how much more expensive it was than almond milk. I’ll definitely be giving this a try!
I have just made this and wanted to sincerely thank you. I have been desperate for a protein rich milk alternative that can be made easily without a high speed blender (I do not have access to one where I am at the moment). This not only ticked all of those boxes but it totally exceeded all expectations in taste, texture and ease. I made it in seconds with an immersion/stick blender and I cannot believe how delicious (and nutritious!) it is. I am totally in love with it now and it will become an everyday staple. Thank you!
I’m drinking hemp milk and learn it from Dr. Oz Show . it is so creamy and yummy even my sister and brother who are so picky with milk like it … and ask me to send them more!!
Does anyone know of any specific websites to buy hemp seeds? When I keep looking online, all that are popping up are sites for marijuana, which obviously isn’t quite what I’m looking for!
Amazon.com has hempseed. I order 3lb and 5lb. Read the reviews to find which one is the best quality, because hempseed has to be hulled (de-shelled), so some brands have tiny fragments of the shell and others do not, and some are chopped into finer grade.
Store the hempseed in your refrigerator. I find that a 5lb bag goes a long ways, like at least 3 months for 3 people using it every day. I put it in a sealed container I got from Manitoba Harvest one time.
If you buy it in stores, you will pay a hefty premium for small packages, and it is not practical to use a lot if you buy it that way.
I will try this recipe soon, thanks.
you ca go to costco or natural food grocery like whole foods , green grocer they have it there $8/pk
nice post.thanks for your sharing.
Sitting here drinking my very first glass of hemp milk using your recipe. DELISH!!! This is a wonderful replacement for those of us who are deathly allergic to tree nuts (sadly, no almond milk for me!) as well as for those of us who are kind of anti-soy.
The only tweaks I made were to omit the lecithin and use raw honey instead of agave.
I think tomorrow, I may add some cacao nibs!
Thanks for posting this!
Just finally got around to making this and love it! For those of you looking for affordable hemp seeds, I buy mine online (I add them to everything) from a Canadian company, healing-source.com. Way cheaper than the small bags you get at the store!
you know, i really love the idea of making my own almond milk…maybe i should try hemp milk too! homemade is truly the best 🙂
Well that’s easy enough Gena. I’ve been meaning to start making my own almond milk again as I love the homemade stuff, but I’ve gotten lazy. Perhaps trying a different nut/seed would get me back on board with making it myself. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Original Hemp Bliss (not vanilla) and Hemp Dream are quite horrible, but I do enjoy Tempt hempmilk very much. I bet your recipe tastes even better! Maybe I will have a husband one day that will buy me a VitaMix so I can make Gena hempmilk. Or maybe my Grandma will help me out one Christmas… =)
Geeeeenaaaaaa!!! You are rocking my world girlfriend 🙂 I am obsessed with anything hemp. I’ve been drinking the Living Harvest hempmilk but it’s really not that good. Very watery. Pacific makes great hemp milk though and I have yet to try Manitoba’s version. Definitely will need to make some at home though. The only thing is how expensive it ends up being. 1c of hemp seeds is a lot! I just got a 1 pound bag for free from an iherb giveaway that I won…so maybe I’ll just suck it up + make some. I need to get back to making my own milks…it’s easier than nut butter..what is my problemo? hehe Thanks for your always inspiring posts!
Mmmm, I’ve got to try that. Thanks for the recipe!
This looks great! We love hemp milk! Although we do not make much nut/seed milks at all. Never have time I guess. Going to go check out your healthy fat article ; )
I’ve never had hemp milk because it’s always pricier than almond, but I love hemp protein, so I should really give it a go! I’m amazed that you make your own non-dairy milks…I know it’s not difficult, but it certainly SEEMS daunting!
I love the hemp milk at Organic Avenue. It’s very thick, so I’m guessing they don’t strain it either. I think they must use vanilla bean pods too, because you can see the flecks. It’s amazing. Never tried to make my own, but I’m definitely inspired.
Your post came at such a perfect time! I was out with a few of my raw vegan friends yesterday and they we were talking about hemp milk. (We were also talking about how great your blog is. 🙂 ) Anyway, I wanted to make some but wanted a good recipe to follow, and voila… here is your post, thanks!!
HUGE fan of hemp milk. Drink it daily in my coffee. Attempted my own once, but I DID strain it, which was obviously my mistake, because I wasn’t a fan and it wasn’t actually cheaper than store bought, and the taste of store bought doesn’t bother me. Maybe I should try again…
My favorite thing right now, which I bring to work with me every morning, is about 6 oz STRONG brewed (and chilled) coffee, about 2 oz hemp milk, pinch xanthan gum plus 4 ice cubes, whizzed in the Tribest. SO creamy and superior to any Frappuccino I’ve ever had. Amazeballs.
Shhhh….we brought some hemp seeds over from Bahrain so I might have to give this a try!
lovely work on the hemp milk! I dont buy it b/c it’s too pricey and have never wanted to possibly waste a cup of hemp seeds, but now you have shown me, I can do this. I may even half the recipe and add extra vanilla…or cinnamon. Thanks for the ideas Gena!
Oh and hemp based foods, i.e. some very popular protein drinks, NOT A fan of hemp protein. Bleh! Cannot stand the taste!
🙂
LOVE hemp!! The flavor is definitely different, but now I can’t get enough of it! Even hemp protein powder is delicious to me. Do you think I could do this without a high speed blender?
It IS ridiculously hot. I’m going to make my first breakfast smoothie tomorrow, I think. No hemp milk but maybe I’ll try it some day!
For those looking for lecithin,I know whole foods carries it
aha! so it’s the lecithin that i’m missing. i was puzzled because i knew i didn’t have to strain it, and was wondering if i’m going to have basically a seed + water mix. are those nutrition facts including the 3-4 Tbsp agave nectar and the 1 Tbsp lecithin? i probably won’t be doing the agave…
i am a fan of hemp. 🙂
Ooh! I am a big fan of hemp products (ahem, not for smoking, thank you!), especially hemp milk. The higher fat content makes it taste so creamy and delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
I love hemp milk so much that I’ve to stop myself from making it daily. This sounds weird but I think hemp seed milk, when added to smoothies, gives the drink a very very slight dairy milk taste. My non-raw other half loves hemp milk smoothies and he doesn’t even know it’s hemp. ha.
Hemp milk is one of my favourite go-to raw milks. I love sweetening it with some stevia or even a date or two. And I agree — the lecithin is key to creaminess.
This looks delicious! I love everything hemp as well, but have never tried hemp milk because I’ve heard so many people say they don’t like it. I will definitely be trying this though! Thanks Gena!
Yay, thanks for posting this! I’ve been meaning to try my own hemp mylk!
Sounds yummy! I don’t know why I have yet to make my own nut milks but soon… Also, I just read your article in VegNews! It’s pretty much all stuff I’ve read on your blog but it’s so cool seeing one of “my” bloggers in print like that! Congrats!
Mmm…I love hemp milk, but it’s so expensive! Thanks for this recipe!
This looks so creamy and delicious 😀 I’m very curious as to what it tastes like, though!
Great Idea!
I just made this milk with hemp hearts.
Thank you!!!
Thanks for the recipe! I’ve been meaning to make my own hemp milk so this is great. 🙂 I like some hemp milk (tempt original unsweetened for instance) yet others I have tried have left me more than wanting… of course I think it’s healthier to make my own (fresher, less processed) and now’s my chance. 😉
In fact, I just bought my first “sack” of hemp seeds this past weekend. I added them to a pizza I baked (vegan) and it was delicious. 😀
I have never had hemp milk and have been dying to try it! I lived overseas for a while, and just moved back. I can’t wait to pick up things like this! Thanks!
I’ve never tried hemp milk, actually. I heard good things about the Living Harvest brand but then I heard they changed their recipe and it wasn’t good anymore, so I didn’t bother trying it. I think I could deal with the hempy taste though. It looks really creamy!
This looks so fluffy! I want a glass right now! 🙂
Huh, I have never tried hemp milk before. What does it taste like?
Yay for another nut/seed milk recipe! I can’t wait to try this one.
Whoa that’s a lotta protein! 🙂 I might give this a try sometime, thanks for a great recipe.
I haven’t tried hemp milk before because 1. it is hard trying to get past the strange name! and 2. it is very expensive!!
Great idea to make it at home though so one can control the added sugar.
I just made a batch of almond milk for the week. Good to know this has more protein–but I can never find hemp seeds without going online!
I wonder where the strained nutrients go too… im guessing mostly in the milk, but fiber and calories in the nut leftover. If you use some of the nuts for a pate/dehydrated food or something, do you think it lacks most nutritional value? Hm.
Wow, what a great little protein powerhouse! I will definitely try this out, especially in my protein smoothies and ice creams. I just inherited a blender this weekend (my fascination with this one’s ability to crush ice shows you how poor my last blender was) so I’m very blend-happy lately.
Also, I like that you don’t post nutritional info on everything– keeps me from obsessing and doing that annoying math in my head. However, for this recipe, it was helpful, and I’m still blown away by all that protein!
Ooh, I love hemp seeds and hemp milk so I bet I’d love this! The hard part will be finding soy/sunflower lecithin, but hopefully someone around town sells it? Yum!
I ordered some Bob’s Red Mill Soy Lecithin from Amazon 🙂
oh YUM! thank you for posting the recipe and for the nutrition stats 🙂 i like to know how many cals are in it before i go guzzling 3 cups worth. going to make some now 🙂
have a great day <3
YUM! Sounds good 🙂 I have been lazy and just buying my nut milk.. I know it is not as good as making it at home fresh. One of these days though I will give it a try 🙂
YES it’s HOT out!! Stay cool!
Thanks for the recipe – I have not tried hemp milk yet despite all the buzz. I usually stick with almond (yum) and have made actually made my own almond milk.
Yay for healthy fats 😉
do you have any suggestions as of how to get past the hempy taste that is just so hard for me to like? is there anything i can add to the milk to make it more friendly to a beginner hemp consumer?
Alas, no — except to add more sweetener. Chocolate, maybe?
Try out our newly formulated Hemp Bliss Organic Hemp Beverage! Say goodbye to the grassy taste of hemp and hello to a super creamy, super smooth taste. Available in 4 flavours (vanilla, chocolate, unsweetened, & original). http://www.jointheblissrevolution.com
My father used to make me banana smoothies with milk, bananas, and cinnamon in a blender. Anywho, I just made my 2nd batch of this stuff in a blender and thought, “why not add a banana?” The result, a very nice nutmilk that hardly tastes like hemp OR banana. Try it! But use a ripe banana.
Try adding just a pinch of a pinch of salt
Instead of agave nectar you can try Medjool dates or Maple syrup. For this recipe you’ll need around 4 dates, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes or so. If using maple syrup, around 3 Tbsp. Also try adding a pinch of Celtic sea salt or Himalayan salt.
On my website is hemp milk instructions and what to add to hemp mil to make it taste nice..all the best
vincent
I just tried hemp milk ice cream and LOVED it–so good and nuetral.
Where do you get sunflower lecithin? I’d be really interested in adding that to my pantry
http://www.mysunflowerlecithin.com
They are the best and organic. I purchased BPF free squeeze bottle (up site down) and transfer all the lecithin , so you would not wast any drop.