Spelt milk is a popular option in Germany, and I’ve seen it in France and Holland, too, but I’m not sure how common it is elsewhere. It’s creamy, nutty, and has a mouthfeel that some people prefer over other options like oat milk. I’d say it’s more along the lines of almond milk but cheaper and can be made using a grain grown in colder climates.

You could probably use sprouted grains to make this milk (but I’ve never tried). While the step-by-step pictures show this being made with an immersion blender, the results are better with a standing blender even if it’s not a particularly powerful one. Spelt grains are simply much harder than oats.

So if you have spelt berries on hand, for sprouting or milling, try making this milk alternative with them. If you’re like me and can’t have any dairy, it’s always nice to be able to mix it up with different ‘milk’ options.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

• Spelt: these should be whole spelt berries, but you could also use cracked spelt to make milk if that’s what you have. If you can only find spelt flakes, use them as you would oats instead.

Step by Step

Step 1: add the grains to a bowl and cover with water.

Step 2: soak for at least 12 hours, then drain and rinse well.

Step 3: blend until smooth and creamy.

Step 4: strain through a fine mesh sieve, then chill and use as you would any other non-dairy milk.

Recipe Notes

The grains must be soaked for a full 12 hours, at minimum, or you risk a stomachache. If you are sensitive to gluten I don’t recommend making this milk – there are plenty of gluten-free options.

As mentioned above, a standing blender will be more effective for this. I don’t have one but if you can choose between using an immersion or standing blender to make this, choose the latter.

How to Store

Storage: homemade non-dairy milk don’t contain any preservatives and don’t keep for as long as most store-bought options. I recommend keeping your spelt milk in a sealed container (like a lidded glass bottle) in the main part of the fridge for up to five days. The door is warmer and the milk will spoil more quickly if stored there.

Freezing: this can be frozen for up to three months if necessary, and thawed in the refrigerator before use. Shake very well.

Expert Tips

• Soak in hot water: if your blender isn’t very strong, start the soak in hot water, like from a kettle. This will help to soften the grains further. Strain and change the water out after a couple of hours and continue the soak in the refrigerator.
• Use the blended grains: the leftover pulp from blending and straining can be added to bread dough or porridge. Otherwise toss in with your other compostable waste.
• Do a combination: you can use spelt to stretch other more expensive ingredients, like nuts, to make a creamier milk than spelt alone does. I see almond/spelt a lot.

More Spelt Recipes

Spelt Banana Bread
Spelt Pancakes
Spelt Flour Pizza Dough
Spelt Flour Buns

If you make this Spelt Milk or any other vegetarian staple recipes on Occasionally Eggs, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more OE, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, purchase the Occasionally Eggs cookbook, or subscribe for new posts via email.