Soy milk is a great alternative to cow's milk. It's delicious, affordable, easy to make, and only requires 2 ingredients: water and soybeans.
Soy milk is a delicious and healthy alternative to dairy milk. It is packed with nutrients and health benefits and this homemade recipe is way better than any beverage you can find at the grocery store.
It is dairy and lactose-free, so it is perfect for you if you have lactose intolerance. Besides, it only requires 2 simple ingredients! You actually need to blend the soy beans with water and then strain them using a nut milk bag.
How to make soy milk – Step by step
- Soak the soybeans in water overnight.
- Drain the soybeans and remove the outer skins. Then add them to a powerful blender and blend them with 3 cups or 750 ml of water until well blended and almost smooth (photo 1).
- Strain the blended mixture using a nut milk bag, a cheesecloth, a napkin or a fine mesh strainer (photo 2).
- Pour the mixture into a pot or a saucepan and add 1 cup or 250 ml of water (photo 3).
- Bring to a boil, stir and skim foam (photo 4).
- Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes (photo 5).
- Let the soy milk cool and enjoy it (photo 6).
Pro tips
- Use yellow soybeans, it's the best kind of soybeans to make this milk. They're a great source of protein. Soy protein is one of the best vegetable ones!
- Add more or less water depending on how thick you like your milk. However, it naturally tends to be thicker than other milk alternatives.
- Feel free to add any sweeter you want or don't add any sweetener at all. Add it gently until the milk tastes good.
- Some recipes call for a tiny amount of salt, but I prefer my milk salt-free.
- Feel free to add other ingredients like cocoa powder or ground cinnamon.
- Keep it in a sealed container in the fridge for about 3-5 days.
- Before you drink it you need to cook the milk, as soy is a legume and can't be eaten raw.
- You can use your soy milk to prepare recipes like vegan chocolate cake, vegan carrot cake, or vegan cheesecake, or have it with your cereal in the morning.
What is soy milk?
Soy milk is a type of plant milk. It is 100% plant-based and it doesn't contain cholesterol at all. I love to use it for baking because it has a thicker texture than other types of plant milk.
Is soy milk good for you?
Yes, it is! Unless you can't consume soy or it feels heavy in your stomach, this kind of plant milk is perfectly fine for consumption, as it has been in Asia for centuries. Just remember - if the milk has been in the fridge for some time and it smells bad, don't drink it.
Soy milk vs almond milk
Soy milk and almond milk are two different kinds of plant milk. I usually alternate between them and use them for different things; I use the first one for cooking and baking recipes, whereas I prefer to add almond milk to my coffee and smoothies.
Looking for more plant milk recipes?
Did you make this soy milk recipe?
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Soy Milk
Ingredients
- ½ cup dried soybeans
- 4 cups water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or a piece of vanilla bean, optional
- 4 dates, optional
Instructions
- Soak the soybeans in water overnight (ideally 12 hours or longer).
- Drain the soybeans and remove the outer skins. Removing the outer skins is optional, but your milk will have a better texture if you do.
- Add them to a powerful blender and blend them with 3 cups of water (750 ml) until well blended and almost smooth.
- Strain the blended mixture using a nut milk bag, a cheesecloth, a napkin or a fine mesh strainer.
- Pour the mixture into a pot or a saucepan and add 1 cup of water (250 ml). Bring to a boil, stir and skim foam.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.
- Let cool the soy milk. You can add other ingredients such as vanilla extract or dates. Blend the mixture if necessary.
- Keep the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for about 3-5 days.
Notes
- Use yellow soybeans, it's the best kind of soybeans to make soy milk.
- Add more or less water depending on how thick you like your milk.
- Feel free to add any sweetener you want or don't add any at all. Add it gently until the milk tastes good.
- Some recipes call for a tiny amount of salt, but I prefer my milk salt-free.
- Feel free to add other ingredients like cocoa powder or ground cinnamon.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published in May of 2014, but was republished with new photos, step-by-step instructions, and tips in January of 2022.
Sarita Wilson says
Hi,
I am new to making my own soy milk. I bought a 3-piece milk ‘milk maker’. The directions do not mention removing the skins after soaking the beans nor cooking the milk before ingesting. The milk was ultra thick, but had a good flavor. I imagine that it would be thinner and taste even better with your method. I wish I had seen this before buying that milk maker. Thank you so much for this. ~~Sarita
Iosune Robles says
Hi Sarita!Thanks for your kind comment 🙂
Joe says
Hi, thank you for that.
How do you arrive in servings to 2 cups (approx 500ml) when you're using 4 cups of water?
Iosune Robles says
Hi Joe! Because part of the liquid is lost when the mixture is strained.
Stacey says
could you add more detail on removing the skin from the soybeans? Does this have to be done individually for each bean? Seems very tedious - any tips?
Iosune Robles says
Hi Stacey! When you soak the soybeans in water for a long time, then it's so easy to remove the skin. If you find this step too tedious, you can omit it 🙂
Sam says
After soaking, rub handfuls of beans roughly between your hands. This will loosen and free the skin from beans. Then add fresh water to the beans and the skins should float, or at least be easier to pluck out. Check out online recipes for homemade tempeh for some explanations of this process.
Suzie says
Where can I buy affordable soy beans that don't come from China where the ground is full of heavy metals?
Iosune Robles says
Hi Suzie! We live in Spain, so I can't help you with that! I'm so sorry 🙁
Angela says
Nuts.com has them in bulk and grown in the US!
Eddie says
Hello, good morning!
About how to make soymilk...
You said "Keep it in a sealed container in the fridge for about 3-5 days" so, I want to know, is it before use or it can only be preserved for 3-5days after it's prepared?
Question 2- "You can add other ingredients such as vanilla extract or dates. Blend the mixture if necessary"
I want to know, is it possible to add vanilla extract or dates into the soybeans blended and blend it together, then strain it before cooking it? Will it still give a good flavor?
Iosune Robles says
Hi Eddie! It can be preserved for 3-5 days after it's prepared! Feel free to add vanilla extract or dates and blend it together!
Brandon says
Soy milk is great. And it really is this simple to make. I wish you didn't hype it as a healthy replacement to cow's milk, however. Virtually no nutrition expert would support the view that any milk replacement, especially soy milk, is as healthy and full of nutrition as cow's milk. There are many reasons to drink soy instead of cow's milk, but nutrition is not one of them (unless you are lactose intolerant). Let's keep to the facts, rather than espouse false information.
Iosune Robles says
Hi Brandon! The nutritional values of soy milk and cow's milk are different 🙂
Kendra says
I am a nutritionist and soy milk has many nutritive qualities. Whole soy has been shown over and over to have anti-cancer properties. Soy fiber feeds beneficial bacteria, specifically lactobacillus. Whole organic soy is a good source of molybdenum, K1, folate, and thiamine. The most current research has shown that soy does NOT negatively affect thyroid health. Also, the research that associated soy with estrogen is outdated. Phytoestrogens are in all plant foods, with the highest levels in flax seeds. Phytoestrogens work synergistically with the body. As long as soy is not GMO and there is no allergy, it is a VERY nutritious food. Cow's milk actually raises estrogen levels in both men and women. All animal products contain real estrogen. Cow's milk, if not grass-fed and organic, is full of the heavy metals found in grains and also pesticides, and growth hormones. There was never any evidence showing that cow's milk promotes bone health. It in fact may interfere with calcium absorption.
Noreen says
I also am wondering if you could cook the beans before blending them. I would like to use the pulp. I don't know how I would cook the pulp before adding to a smoothie or other raw recipe.
Iosune Robles says
Hi! I haven't tried to cook the beans but I think it's better not to cook them! Also, you can see here: https://simpleveganblog.com/chocolate-hazelnut-truffles/ how we use the pulp 🙂 In this case, we use hazelnut pulp but feel free to use soy pulp!
Evan E says
Hi Noreen- I've seen recipes where you cook the blended soy milk before straining it. Then let it cool- then strain it. Then both your soy milk and your okara will be cooked and ready to use. As general info- it is important to cook the soy mil and the okara for at least 20 minutes to make it edible. I think it breaks down an enzyme or something. I can attest that undercooked okara gave me a stomach ache. This is a great recipe and I love the soy milk it made. Thank you.
Kerry Miller says
Does anyone have any savoury recipes for the pulp at all? Thanks
Iosune Robles says
Hi! You can add it to your cakes or breads! Also, our truffles are just amazing: https://simpleveganblog.com/chocolate-hazelnut-truffles/ 🙂 In this case, we use hazelnut pulp but feel free to use soy pulp!
Shannon says
I put the okara (soy pulp) into things like vegan burger or meatball mixes (cooked -- you can microwave or steam if it is raw). It freezes and thaws well for this purpose
Iosune says
Hi Shannon! Thanks for your comment 🙂
Sandra says
Hi,
I’ve tried this recipe and the consistency is great. The milk kind of tastes like soap though? What could that be? After blending and filtering I boiled it for little over 20 minutes so the fasin should be gone?
Iosune Robles says
Hi Sandra! I think it could be due to the brand of soy you used 🙂
nihar says
how much calcium does 1 cup have?
Iosune Robles says
Hi! I don't know exactly how much calcium is in 1 cup, sorry!
Emily says
Why my soya milk comes out like cream (or even custard)? Did I blend the soy too smooth (too long in the blender) or didn't I use enough water (usually I put around 4 cups of water for 1 cup of soy)? It doesn't affect the taste, fortunately, but it is a bit weird if I want to drink it as milk (so far I only use it for my tea).
Iosune Robles says
Hi Emily! Maybe you need to add more water next time 🙂
Petra says
I just startet to make soymilk and I am wondering why not cook the soybeans before blending, it would be much easier to remove the skin and to use the pulp for other recepts. Or how you use it for the truffles ?
Iosune Robles says
Hi Petra! It is not necessary to cook them just soak them!