Homemade Pumpkin Seed Milk (Dairy-Free & Vegan)
This Homemade Pumpkin Seed Milk is such a delicious and easy dairy-free recipe. Serve it with granola or cereal, or use it as the base of a smoothie! This vegan and nut-free recipe can be made in less than 10 minutes.
Pumpkin seed milk is one of the creamiest and most delicious of the dairy-free plant-based milk alternatives you can make. I almost always have a jar of it in my refrigerator as an alternative to cow’s milk.
You can use it for smoothies, cereals, coffee, chia puddings, or even for baking.
Why You Need This Recipe
- Because pumpkin seeds are naturally high in magnesium, zinc and healthy fats, this homemade Pumpkin Seed Milk is also very nutritious. It is vegan and nut-free so it works for a variety of diets including Whole30, paleo, and for people who have nut allergies or who can’t have nut milks. Learn more about the health reasons to consider going dairy-free.
- The benefits of making homemade pumpkin seed milk includes: saving money, reducing waste, and replacing dairy milk with a non-dairy alternative.
Key Ingredients
- Pumpkin seeds are affordable, easy-to-find, and have a neutral flavor when blended into milk. They are also really nutritious and are high in fiber, zinc, and antioxidants. You could say that pumpkin seeds have a ton of health benefits.
- Be sure to look for hulled pumpkin seeds for making milk; you can use roasted hulled seeds or raw hulled pumpkin seeds.
- Dates add a touch of sweetness and extra nutrition like potassium, fiber, and magnesium.
- Vanilla extract and sea salt bring out the natural flavors of the pumpkin seeds. If your pumpkin seeds are salted, then leave out any additional pinch of salt.
- Filtered water is necessary to blend all the ingredients together. Use filtered water as opposed to tap water to avoid any chlorine taste.
Please see the full recipe card at the end of this post for the exact measurements.
Recipe Steps
Step One
To make homemade pumpkin seed milk that is sweetened with dates, you just need to combine the pumpkin seeds, 3 cups of water, dates, sea salt, and vanilla extract in the pitcher of a high-speed blender, like a Vitamix.
Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.
Step Two
Blend the ingredients until creamy, about 20-30 seconds. You may notice that the pumpkin seed milk has a slight green tinge to it, but that is completely normal.
Step Three
Use your homemade pumpkin seed milk as you would normal dairy milk. You can serve it with granola or cereal, or as the base of a smoothie as a great option.
This neutral-flavored dairy-free milk can also be used as a coffee creamer (see my list of the best sugar-free coffee creamers or the best non-dairy coffee creamers).
I hope you enjoy this creamy nut-free alternative however you decide to use it.
Store any leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator, and use your pumpkin seed milk within 5 days for the best results.
Just give the jar a good shake before you use it, if you find the milk starts to separate.
I’ve been making homemade seed milk for decades and love this pumpkin seed milk recipe.
Recipe Tips
- Pumpkin seed milk is not actually a nut milk; it’s technically a seed milk. You can use sunflower seeds in place of pumpkin seeds.
- Leave out the dates if you are on a low-sugar diet or you want to use the milk in a savory recipe.
- You can use raw pumpkin seeds or roasted pumpkin seeds. Each will impart a slightly different taste to your final product.
- Store your pumpkin milk in a covered jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Be sure to look for hulled pumpkin seeds for making milk; you can use roasted hulled seeds or raw hulled pumpkin seeds. If your seeds are salted, then leave out any additional salt when making the pumpkin milk.
Recipe FAQs
One is not necessarily better than the other, it really just depends on personal preference. Pumpkin seed milk is easier to make than almond milk because you don’t have to strain it.
Nope! Pumpkin seeds do not have a skin, so the milk is very creamy when blended, and does not require straining through a nut milk bag or nylon bag.
Yes, you can use regular or sprouted pumpkin seeds for this recipe.
You don’t need to soak the pumpkin seeds as long as you are using a high-speed blender to make the milk. If you just have a regular blender, you should soak the seeds to soften them and make them easier to blend. Drain the soaking water and use fresh water to blend.
Yes! You can use pumpkin seeds that you’ve removed from a pumpkin for making this recipe. But you need to roast the seeds first or dry them. Try this recipe for Air Fryer Pumpkin Seeds.
More Dairy-Free Milk Recipes You Might Like
- Cashew Milk
- Vitamix Almond Milk using raw nuts
- Macadamia Nut Milk
- Oat Milk Creamer
- Vitamix Homemade Coconut Milk
- Vanilla Hemp Milk using hemp seeds
Or, if you’re looking for inspiration on how to use your dairy-free milk, be sure to check out my index of Dairy-Free Smoothies!
Don’t Miss These Dairy-Free Resources!
I hope you make this recipe! If you do, please leave a comment and a starred review below.
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Homemade Pumpkin Seed Milk Recipe
This Homemade Pumpkin Seed Milk is such a delicious and easy dairy-free recipe. Serve it with granola or cereal, or use it as the base of a smoothie! This vegan and nut-free recipe can be made in less than 10 minutes.
- Total Time: 7 minutes
- Yield: 8
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup hulled pumpkin seeds
- 3 cups filtered water
- 2 pitted Medjool dates
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine the pumpkin seeds, water, dates, sea salt, and vanilla extract in the pitcher of a high-speed blender.
- Blend the ingredients until creamy, about 20-30 seconds.
- Transfer the blended pumpkin seed milk to a pitcher. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Store any leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator, and use your pumpkin seed milk within 5 days for the best results. Just give the jar a shake before you use it, if you find the the milk starts to separate.
- If you are watching your sugar intake, you can feel free to leave out the dates from this recipe.
- Store your pumpkin milk in a covered jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Be sure to look for hulled pumpkin seeds for making milk; you can use roasted hulled seeds or raw hulled pumpkin seeds. If your seeds are salted, then leave out any additional salt when making the pumpkin milk.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 minutes
- Category: Beverage
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Diet: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
- Calories: 47
- Sugar: 4.1 g
- Sodium: 76.7 mg
- Fat: 2.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 5.1 g
- Fiber: 0.7 g
- Protein: 1.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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About the Author: Carrie Forrest has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition and is a certified holistic nutritionist. She is a top wellness and food blogger with over 5 million annual visitors to her site. Carrie has an incredible story of recovery from chronic illness and is passionate about helping other women transform their health. Send her a message through her contact form.
I made squash seed mild from fresh, unhulled squash seeds that were cleaned of the attached pulp, and it turned out fine – did not have to spend any time hulling the seeds – the fragments of the seed covering were removed by pouring through a strainer. I used the resulting “milk” to make “ice cream”, which completely pulverized any particles that made it through the strainer. Note: When I use my Vitamix to make a sorbet, gelato, or ice cream from any liquid, that liquid is first frozen into ice cube trays.
Wouldn’t this milk still have anti nutrients, as the seeds weren’t soaked for a longer time
Feel free to soak the seeds first!
I really love this pumpkin seed milk! I used 1/4 of a banana instead of the dates and skipped the salt since my pumpkin seeds were already salted, and it tastes great! I might start using this vegan milk as my go-to since I can make this simply and easily from home.
Thank you Clean Eating Kitchen!
You are so welcome! Glad you enjoyed!!!
Who would have thought that pumpkin seed diary free milk could be so delicious and simple. This recipe is so easy to make and so creamy. I will be making this on a regular basis. I woke up this morning and made another batch….all within a minute or two! I’ve already passed on this recipe to a couple of people. I used frozen raw organic pumpkin seeds and and cut back slightly on the salt (not because of taste but because I limit my salt intake). I blended it in my vitamix for about 45 seconds. I don’t think I’ll be buying diary free milk anymore. Even my husband liked it and used it in his tea, which until now he would only use diary milk in his tea. It leaves a slight residue (fiber) behind but the deliciousness more than makes up for tiny bits left on the side of your glass.
I’m so glad it was a hit! Thank you for the review!
Can I use the seeds I save from my home grown pumpkin? They are not green in colour like bought ones. Why are they green? If so do I need to dry or dehydrate them first?
Great question! The seeds used to make pumpkin seed milk are hulled seeds. I will clarify that in the recipe.
can you use food processor?
If you soaked the seeds so they were softer, it might work, but a high speed blender gets them really creamy with no bits of seeds.
I have wondered what pumpkin seed milk would be like. I finally tried it with your recipe and it is SO wonderfully mild and neutral tasting. I have found most alternative milks are not suitable for my black tea but this works really well in tea or drinking by the glass.
So glad you like it, it’s one of my favorites too. 🙂
This is one of my favorite dairy-free milk options. It’s so easy to make, and it tastes so delicious.