6 Unusual Vegan Milks You Can Make at Home

When I was growing up, soy milk was pretty much the sole option for dairy-free diets. Today, the market is exploding, with manufacturers and home cooks alike squeezing vegan milk out of nuts, seeds and legumes. If you have food allergies or want to try something different, here's a few surprising ways to make this vegan beverage.

1. Pea Milk

Yep, you can make non-dairy milk from peas. Admittedly these recipes don't use cooked green peas like I imagined. Instead, they require dry yellow split peas, which look like small, crunchy seeds. Combined with dates, vanilla extract and sunflower oil, these peas create a drink that looks surprisingly white and refreshing.

Luckily, pea milk doesn't taste like peas; instead, it has a sweet flavor and creamy texture. Plus, it's loaded with nutrients, such as protein, iron, potassium and vitamin A. If you want a more sustainable alternative to dairy farming, grab some dried peas at the grocery store and start blending.

2. Rice Milk

Turns out, white rice is even more versatile than I thought. Heat up the rice, throw it in a blender with salt and water, strain the liquid, and you've got a white beverage that's ready for your cereal or coffee. Throwing in a date or some maple syrup gives the drink a little sweetness.

The downside is that rice milk isn't a great dairy substitute--in fact, it's known for tasting thin, mild and watery. The nutritional content is also fairly low, so you'll have to get protein from another source. Still, it's cheap and easy to make at home, and you'll have yet another use for that bag of dry rice in your pantry.

3. Peanut Milk

Most vegan milk recipes advertise the fact that this beverage is so rich and creamy that you can barely taste the plants. However, peanut milk is a little different. Tasting like peanuts is one of the selling points, and adding cacao gives you a tasty chocolate-and-peanut-butter drink.

Like other vegan beverages, you can make this drink at home by blending peanuts, dates and vanilla extract, straining the liquid and storing it in your fridge. Plain, unsalted peanuts are the best because they won't give your milk a salty tang.

4. Hemp Milk

Hemp turns up in everything these days, and now, it's even in the glass of "milk" on your table. This drink is particularly easy to make because you don't even need to strain the liquid. Simply blend hemp seeds and water, and you've got a milk substitute with an earthy flavor.

Hemp milk is one of the healthiest vegan milks, too. Each serving contains healthy fats, amino acids, vitamins and minerals, so if you don't mind the earthiness, try adding hemp milk to your tea or using it as a smoothie base.

5. Sunflower Seed Milk

Sunflower seed milk has been around since at least 2012, but it hasn't become a "clean living" staple like almond or cashew milk. With an earthy, nutty and slightly bitter taste, this probably isn't the best product for drinking straight out of the glass. Still, if you have a nut allergy, sunflower seed milk could help you go vegan.

Sunflower seeds are also loaded with nutrients, including vitamin E, magnesium and selenium. If you want to make this beverage at home, you'll soak the seeds in water, throw them in a blender and strain the liquid. Straining is clearly the common denominator in most of these recipes, so invest in cheesecloth, a nut milk bag...or even a clean T-shirt.

6. Buckwheat Milk

I thought buckwheat was a grain, but it's actually a seed, which makes buckwheat milk sound more palatable and less like a soggy oatmeal drink. It's also gluten-free and loaded with fiber and minerals, making it one of the healthiest options.

Raw buckwheat gives your drink a "delicate, grassy" taste, while toasted buckwheat is nuttier. Just blend buckwheat with water and grab a strainer, and you're set. You can add dates, salt or vanilla extract for flavor.

Have you tried any of these vegan milks? What did you think? Let me know in the comments.