Dairy-free milk beverages are often looked down upon for being light on substance, but homemade versions, like this maple hemp milk, pack in unparalleled freshness and a wallop of nutrition.
Admittedly, I had never been a big fan of hemp milk. Store-bought versions are a bit too grassy and somehow a little “off” for my tastes. But once I started testing different milk beverages, I became a total hemp seed convert. I ended up creating Healthy Hemp Mylk and Happy Hemp Creamer recipes for Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook. And this easy recipe is a spin-off from those formulas.
Homemade Maple Hemp Milk or Creamer in Just 5 Minutes!
Below are some of my personal notes for this maple hemp milk recipe in addition to bites of nutritional information about its homemade goodness.
- Hemp seeds are not marijuana, and you won’t get high from them. They are, however, rich in Omega fatty acids and other essential nutrients.
- The taste of this maple hemp milk is still a touch grassy, but the pure unprocessed flavors are more full-bodied, complimentary, and almost a little, dare I say, addictive. I also find that the vanilla really tames those overtly natural notes and maple syrup brings it all together.
- Once well-blended and strained, I estimated (based on the remaining hemp see pulp) that each cup of this maple hemp milk contains approximately one 1-ounce serving of hemp seeds. This means that it has MORE protein, magnesium, and riboflavin than dairy milk.
- Magnesium is believed by many to be an unsung hero for bone health. Some research is saying that we may be overloading on calcium while deficient in magnesium. Want to balance both? Add a serving of calcium citrate powder to this maple hemp milk recipe
- Maple syrup gives this recipe a delicious, sustainable light sweetness. Yet even with this addition, my maple hemp milk has approximately the same amount of sugars as a very un-sweet cup of cow milk.
- I also like it as a post-workout drink. Though chocolate milk has been publicized lately as a fitness beverage, this maple hemp milk is much lower in sugars and yet higher in protein and healthy fats.
This post was originally sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill, but I’ve updated it more recently.
Special Diet Notes: Homemade Maple Hemp Milk or Creamer
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan / plant-based, vegetarian, paleo, raw, and top food allergy-friendly (whew!). I think that covers the bases.
- ½ cup shelled hemp seeds
- 2 cups water, divided
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla flavoring or extract
- Pinch sea salt
- Place the hemp seeds in your blender with half of the water. Blend until relatively smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. You will still see some little bits of hemp seed, that's okay.
- Add the remaining water, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt and blend until relatively smooth and creamy.
- Strain the maple hemp milk through a nut milk bag or (my method) through a sieve lined with a few layers of cheesecloth. Squeeze to extract all of the creamy goodness.
- If chilling any leftovers, stir before serving - it will separate a bit.
Hemp Seed Pulp: There shouldn't be much remaining after you strain the hemp milk as hemp seeds do blend up fairly easily, but any pulp from your cheesecloth or nut milk bag can be tossed into oatmeal or baked recipes (such as granola or muffins).
49 Comments
I tried the creamer option of this recipe. I was not a fan. I enjoy adding hemp seeds to various things. But I like this was too “hemp-y” tasting despite the added maple syrup and vanilla. I made sure to save the pulp as I don’t like to waste my precious seeds. Thanks for the recipe though. I will use the rest this week so not to waste. It was worth trying! Maybe I’ll try the original recipe next time.
I’m so sorry it wasn’t to your taste Christina! You might try adding it to smoothies (the pulp too!).
I made this yesterday and while I like the flavor, it is always separating in my coffee and I have to keep stirring it to keep it mixed. Is this normal?
I haven’t had that problem, but it depends on how long before it separates. Most natural, homemade creamers will separate with time, because they don’t have additives. If it’s immediately separating, it could be the acidity level of your coffee. Are you making the creamer version or the milk version?
Just made your hemp milk and decided to add cocoa and xylitol to replace the syrup………. It’s just fabulous , what an awesome taste 🙂 I also tried the hemp cream , love the taste but it makes the coffee look curdled, any ideas how to prevent this ?
Hmm, I haven’t had an issue with it taking on a curdled appearance. I wonder if it is a more acidic coffee? It sounds like it is separating too vigorously. That’s difficult to remedy without whisking until smooth again or using additives – like lecithin and gums – like the store brands do. Usually, the fattier creamers, like the hemp creamer don’t separate quickly. So I’m not sure why it is happening for you, beyond the coffee itself.
Oh, I just blended 1 tbsp of seeds in a 1 cup of water, no straining. ?
Reading your description it seems very tasty❤ but I tried to make it (not with your recipe) and it tasted really strong…bad…..and the smell was horrible….it was such a surprise since I always eat the seeds and they don’t taste strong at all!??? So, I would like to try again…but I’m scared it’s gonna be the same… ??? Does your milk smell…really strong? ? I mean, it was really difficult to take the smell out of my vitamix ???
Hi Emanuela, yes, hemp seeds are very strong! That is why I made the recipe with additional ingredients – they help to soften the flavor. Please see all of the notes I included in the post – it shares tasting notes, tips, etc.
Thank you!! This looks great!! I’ve been using store bought organic almond milk for years, however it does have preservatives in it!! Using your recipe, is it possible to make a few day supply by upping the measurements? I think this is going to be s good alternative to the almond milk!!
If you need that much for just a few days, then definitely, you can double the batch Susan!
I love hemp seeds but never tried the milk. I would love to try your recipe, so healthy!
this is awesome! I love that its also a fantastic healthy food/frugal living sort of post. Thanks!
I’m all about frugality Greg 🙂