Soak almonds overnight. Make sure they are fully covered in water. Then strain the water before blending.
Blend the soaked almonds and fresh water for 30 to 40 seconds.
Strain the liquid with a cheesecloth and a large bowl.
Pour the resulting almond milk back into the blender and add the unsweetened cocoa powder, dates, and optionally a pinch of salt and any other flavoring you would like such as vanilla extract.Blend until creamy.
Serve immediately, or heat in a small saucepan or chill in the refrigerator.
Notes
If you want to drink it immediately and chilled, decrease the amount of water by one cup during the first blend, and add one cup of ice during the second blend.Check your blender's directions; you might need to stop it after 30-60 secs, let it rest for a minute or so, and do a second blend to avoid breaking it. Professional blenders can stand for 2 minutes non-stop, but please check.In general, we have found it lasts about 4 days. This time may vary depending on whether you sterilize your equipment and how fresh the ingredients you used.