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Making your own tigernut milk is actually extremely easy to do and you get a creamy, slightly sweet, delicious beverage that can be used in place of coconut milk.
Tigernuts play a large part on a nut-free, seed-free diet like the AIP Diet (Paleo Autoimmune Protocol).
They're not nuts, despite the extremely misleading name, but rather small tubers, like sweet potatoes. This makes them a good choice for someone on an elimination diet – and for someone trying to avoid coconut products.
Table of contents
A great alternative to coconut milk
If you're doing AIP you know your choices for milk is pretty limited.
Typically most recipes call for coconut milk, but if you're sensitive to coconut milk or just want to cut down on the enormous amounts of coconut you're probably consuming, then tigernut milk is a great option.
Also be sure to check out my Banana Milk post as well – this is another quick AIP milk alternative that's good for sweeter applications. And also Sweet Potato Milk – this one is better for savory applications.
What is it good for?
Tigernut milk can be used 1:1 for any other milk – dairy or plant-based.
It's a slightly sweet-tasting and creamy milk, which makes it good for drinking, but it's still neutral enough that it can be used in both sweet and savory applications.
Pour it over a tigernut granola and eat as a cereal, or use in a savory soup like this Tandoori Pumpkin Soup.
How to make tigernut milk
The process of making tigernut milk is pretty easy.
Step 1: Soak the nuts for 24-48 hours to make them softer.
Step 2: Drain and rinse the tigernuts.
Step 3: Add to a blender with 2 cups of water and a pinch of sea salt and blend for several minutes.
Step 4: Strain through a nut milk bag, cheesecloth, or fine-mesh sieve.
Using it for meal prep
Tigernut milk will last about a week in the fridge, so it's something you can easily add to your meal prep routine.
The only issue would be the need to soak the tigernuts ahead of time, but putting a cup of tigernuts into a jar and covering with water takes seconds to do, so it's just something you need to remember to do a day or two ahead of time.
You can also freeze the milk. I recommend freezing it in ice cube trays if you only need it for small applications, but you could freeze the entire amount as well.
Just thaw in the fridge.
Items you might need:
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This doesn't require much. The recipe itself is just tigernuts, water, and salt. But you do need a high-speed blender that can handle hard things and either a nut-milk bag, cheesecloth, or fine-mesh sieve.
I like these whole tigernuts by Organic Gemini
And this is the nut-milk bag I use:
And you'll need a high -speed blender too – I wouldn't get one JUST for this recipe but they are pretty freakin handy if you don't already have one! I have the 10-year old version of this one and it runs just as well today as it did when I bought it:
Other recipes you might like:
30-Second Tigernut Butter (Paleo, AIP) – use this instead of nut butter
“Chocolate” Tigernut Granola (Paleo, AIP) – a delicious topping or cereal!
How to make homemade coconut milk – this uses shredded coconut
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Tigernut Milk Recipe
If you make this milk, I'd love to hear how it turned out! Either comment below or share a pic on Instagram and tag me @thrivingonpaleo!
Tigernut Milk (Paleo, Whole30, AIP, nut-free)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Whole Tigernuts
- 4 cups Water (divided)
- pinch Sea Salt
Instructions
- 24-48 hours ahead of time, place the tigernuts into a jar or bowl and cover with water (approx 2 cups). Store covered in the fridge for 24-48 hours.
- When ready to make the milk, strain the water out, rinse, and then add the tigernuts, a fresh 2 cups of water, and the pinch of sea salt to a blender. Blend on high for 3-4 minutes, or until there are no chunks remaining.
- Strain the mixture through a nut milk bag, cheesecloth, or a fine mesh sieve. Squeeze or knead as needed to get all of the liquid out. Store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
Do you have any idea what the macros or nutrition looks like? I don’t track them but I like to balance my carbs with enough fat and protein. thanks!
Sorry, I don’t actually. My recipe card doesn’t quite know what to do with tigernut anything – flour, nuts, etc so it doesn’t give me any of that info, plus once you transfer it to a liquid I have no idea how that affects it.
I’m just starting back on AIP. I found out a couple of weeks ago I’m allergic to coconut. Just made my first batch of tigernut milk, it’s amazing. Can you make tiger nut butter with the leftover tiger nuts?
Sorry for the late reply – I don’t know if you can make tigernut butter with the pulp actually. I know you can make tigernut flour though. Just haven’t researched whether you could do butter yet, sorry!
Do you use raw or peeled tiger nuts for this milk recipe? Would either work? Thanks!
Either one would work as you’re straining out the actual tigernuts in the end.
Can you make Tigernut milk from Tigernut flour?
You sure can – I don’t have a recipe for it but there are many out there. I find it to be a bit grainy so I don’t personally like it as much as this method, but I think in a pinch it works well if you need milk.
Can you drink this milk if you have eczema?
If you tolerate it, then I don’t see why not, especially if you’re doing AIP. If you aren’t doing AIP you can also try almond or cashew milk – my son gets eczema if he drinks regular dairy milk and does well with any of the nut milks, coconut milk, tigernut milk, etc.
Thanks for this good alternative to seed and nut milk recipes. I seem to have trouble tolerating nuts and seeds and wanted to find a recipe to replace my store bought oatmilk product after realizing it could contain gluten. I will try this once I can locate some tiger nuts from my local health food store in NZ. Finding this site has given me hope that there are alternative options to dietary restrictions if you keep looking. 😊
Thanks for the recipe. Can you think of anything to do with the ground nuts that get strained out? Can this be further processed into flour?
I *think* you can use it to make flour but haven’t tried it myself so can’t be certain, sorry
Delicious! Works perfectly as is for cooking and baking – when I’m just drinking it as a beverage I like to add a little bit of vanilla powder, cinnamon, and sometimes just a hint of maple syrup 🙂 Highly recommend!
So glad you liked it! Sounds wonderful with your additions too.
So do you use the initial 2 cups of water that the tigernuts are soaked in when you blend or discard and just use fresh 2 cups of water when blending? Sorry that part is unclear to me!
Just a new fresh two cups. I had written the recipe the way most recipes are written when you divide ingredients but just updated it so hopefully it’ll make more sense (of course people expecting the normal way will probably get confused now, lol. Can never win, ha!)
Is there any separation at all of the milk when stored? Thanks!
There may be a little – just shake it if so. I didn’t notice separation as much as like with homemade coconut milk – that completely separates. But I wouldn’t worry if you do see any.
Can you use sliced tigernuts? That’s what I have in my pantry right now.
I’ve never tried it but I can’t imagine you wouldn’t be able to. You probably don’t need to soak it, or at least as long as whole tigernuts. Let me know if how it comes out if you do try it please!