Sometimes a brilliantly simple solution presents itself for a problem you didn’t realize you had. We are a mostly dairy-free household and I never buy cow’s milk, except to combat mildew on the squash vines in August (but that’s a different story). I buy canned coconut milk for cream, sauces or to make yogurt. Very occasionally I buy a carton of nut or other alternative milk, which isn’t a great solution in my opinion. Commercial alternative milks can contain sugar or other additives and some are naturally high in carbohydrates. I don’t like the amount of packaging involved, they are relatively expensive, and I hate pouring money down the drain when I don’t use the whole carton quickly enough.

I’ve made nut milks at home in the past. It isn’t difficult, but it is a bit of a project. Since you have to strain out the pulp, there’s a lot of plant fiber to either waste or find a use for. And nuts are expensive. I’d rather have the satisfaction of eating them whole to fully benefit from their nutritional value (and crunch).

Two days ago I stumbled upon the concept of hemp heart milk. How did I not find out about this sooner? It’s incredibly easy to make, it looks like milk, and there is no need to strain it unless you really want to. The cost is a tiny fraction of that of nut milk and it is high in protein. So far, I’ve tried it as a glass of milk, as a smoothie base, and just now I’m drinking it as a latte. All good.

Hemp Heart Milk in Minutes

It’s this simple to make: put 4 cups (1 litre) of water in your blender, add 3 tablespoonfuls of raw, shelled hemp hearts (seeds) and blend at high speed for about a minute. You can strain it and add a bit of vanilla and sweetener if you like, but you probably won’t find it necessary. Use immediately or store in the fridge for up to three days.

Hemp Heart Nutritional Values

Three tablespoons of hemp hearts, the amount you need to make four cups of milk, provide 10 grams of protein with 1 gram of carbohydrate and 1 gram of fiber, making it a zero net carb milk. There are many trace minerals too, including high percentages of iron, thiamine, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc and manganese. Here is the package label so you can see the exact numbers.