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If you have never tried black sesame milk before, you should definitely give it a try! It is not only easy to prepare but also healthy, naturally sweetened, and so delicious!
This homemade black sesame milk has a toasty and nutty flavor with the creamiest texture!
WHAT IS BLACK SESAME MILK
Black sesame milk is plant-based milk prepared from black sesame seeds that are toasted to develop a nutty flavor. This drink is very popular in Asian countries like China, Vietnam, and Japan.
This drink is very aromatic with deep roasted notes. It can be consumed chilled or warm, depending on the season.
Black sesame seeds contain many antioxidants and nutrients like iron and vitamin D. It is said to reduce aging and may help decrease the risks of cancer.
HOW TO MAKE CREAMY BLACK SESAME MILK
If you have already made your own almond milk, the process will be very familiar.
First, we start by toasting the black sesame seeds in a skillet. To make sure we are not burning them, we also add a pinch of white sesame seeds. These will be our indicator to know when the seeds are perfectly toasted.
Once the white sesame seeds have turned golden brown, remove them from the heat and let them cool for at least 10 minutes. At this point, it will already smell fantastic!
Next, transfer the toasted sesame seeds to a blender. Add the soaked cashews and water, and blend for a few minutes.
To give the milk a richer and thicker consistency, we blend the toasted sesame seeds with soaked cashews for a silky smooth texture!
Once this is done, strain the milk through a nut milk bag. Do not omit this step; otherwise, your milk will be quite grainy, not something we want.
Finally, let the milk simmer for a few minutes to allow flavors to merge and give the milk a darker color.
If the Dark Knight had a favorite drink, it would probably be this one. It’s delicious, chilled with some ice on hot days or piping hot on cold and rainy days!
Looking for more black sesame recipes? Check out this Sweet Black Sesame Soup or this Black Sesame Swirl Brioche!
Black Sesame Milk
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup black sesame seeds
- 1 tsp white sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup raw cashews soaked overnight
- 4 cups water
- 3 tbsp maple syrup or white sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Add half of the black sesame seeds and half of the white sesame seeds to a non-stick skillet and spread them into an even layer. Toast the seeds over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the white sesame seeds are golden brown, 5-8 minutes. Transfer the toasted sesame seeds to a blender and toast the other half of the seeds.
- Let the seeds cool down for about 15 minutes. Next, add the drained soaked cashews and water to the blender. Blend on high speed for about 1 minute.
- Using a nut milk bag, strain the cashew sesame milk. You can keep the pulp to add to baked goods, oatmeal, etc.
- Transfer the cashew sesame milk to a medium saucepan. Add the maple syrup (or white sugar) and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, whisking regularly. The milk should turn from a light grey color to a deep dark.
- Enjoy warm during the colder months, or chilled with ice in the summer! Black sesame cashew milk will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. It will separate. This is normal. Just give it a good stir or shake before using.
Notes
- Nutritional information is just an estimate.
Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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I tried and I have to say that the flavour is unique and tasty. The problem is that it turns like a dense liquid when simmer (like when you add starch to a liquid) is it normal and/or is there anything I can do to avoid this to happen? Thankss
Humm…Did you strain it through a nut milk bag? It definitely should not turn like a dense liquid, even after boiling for a few minutes it should still be very liquid.
Yes I did, I’m used to make plant based milk and I have some nice filtering bags. The first thing I thought is because of mucilage (that thing on psyllium, linseed or chia also present on sesame) but I didn’t overdose the recipe… in fact the final result isn’t as “black” as yours. Well, it is good anyway: adding a pinch of pure cocoa is like a hot dense melt chocolate, or even it fits very well to make a latte coffee, the result is a double toasted and bittered flavour (coffee + sesame). If you find out something about that dense/thickish result please let me know. Cheers!
I’m still glad you liked the flavor of the black sesame milk 🙂
To be honest I have made this recipe multiple times and never got the issue you had, so I’m not quite sure what could cause the milk to thicken so much.
Hi Thomas, I think I find out what happened. I’m pretty sure I put too much cashews to the blender. I tried again focusing on the cups you posted and it went much better.
Well, “better” is not accurate because the first failed one resulted in a nice option to yours. So each one can be used for different purposes. And the thickest one doesn’t separe in two phases.
Cheers and sorry! it was my fault 🙂
Oh glad to hear you had better results the second time Antonio! 🙂
Do I still roast the sesame seeds if it says roasted sesame?
If your sesame seeds are already roasted, no need to roast/toast them again.
I absolutely loved this recipe! I’ve made nut and seed milks a number of times in the past–and they’ve been good–but this is by far my favorite! I love the creaminess from the cashews, the balanced sweetness from the maple syrup, and the distinctive black sesame flavor! Thanks for such a delicious and creative recipe!
-Also, your tip regarding toasting a few white sesame seeds with the black ones so that you can see when they’re perfectly toasted is such a smart idea; I’ve burned black sesame seeds so many times in the past because it’s so hard to tell when they’re done. Now I have a solution; thank you!
Thanks so much for your kind words Keegan! 🙂
I’m glad you liked this black sesame milk, it’s also one of my fav!