We Taste-Tested 11 Almond Milks—These Are the Best Ones

In the US, many may think of almond milk as a relatively new fad, born of the dairy-substitute revolution, but almond milk has been around for more than a thousand years. One of the first known mentions of it was in The Golden Treatise, an Islamic text from the early ninth century. Almond milk gained popularity, as almonds were more shelf-stable than dairy milk, and spread to Europe by the 1200s. It even acted as a dairy substitute for Christians during Lent, when dietary restrictions often ruled out the consumption of dairy milk.

In much more recent history, almond milk took hold in the US, when producers began stocking it alongside dairy milk. It quickly became the most popular dairy alternative in the country and has remained so.  But with popularity comes saturation. There are so many options nowadays, all touting different superlatives, from “extra creamy” blends to “clean" labels. To find the best almond milk, we taste-tested 11 widely available brands. We sampled them in random order, looking for a combination of creaminess, flavor balance, and texture. We tabulated the results and found three favorites.

The Criteria

Almond milk is, at its core, a mixture of ground almonds and water. But the best almond milk is more than the sum of those parts. Our ideal almond milk has the features of dairy milk: a thick body similar to whole milk, subtle sweetness, and no grittiness or chalkiness. We also want it to have a clear, nutty, natural almond flavor. It should work well in a variety of uses—in coffee, in cereal, and perhaps even used as an alternative for baking or cooking.

Overall Winner: Most Versatile

Good & Gather Unsweetened Original Almond Milk (Available at Target)

This almond milk stood out to our testers for its thick body, which was similar to that of whole milk. Laila, our associate culinary editor, noted that while the flavor was mild, she gave it points for texture. "It's not too thin, and I can see it working in coffee," she said. It struck the right balance between drinkability and richness, making it the most versatile option of our samples. Two of our testers found this almond milk palatable enough to enjoy a full glass. I liked its balance of sweetness and nuttiness—it was subtle but just sweet enough—compared to the overpowering sweetness of other samples.

Runner-Up: Most Almond-Forward

MALK Organic Unsweetened Almond Milk

This almond milk was the nuttiest of the samples, but its flavor and texture divided tasters. Most appreciated its milk-like body. Our editorial director, Daniel, noted that it is "similar to whole milk in texture," and our associate director of visuals, Amanda, commented on its thickness. As for its flavor, Laila praised its nuttiness, "with no sweetness," which made it her favorite. Daniel found it drinkable, but he thought that the nutty flavor had a stale, dusty quality.

Runner Up: The Best Replacement for Creamer

Nature's Promise Plant-Based Original Almond Milk

This almond milk—which is sold at various shops, including Hannaford, Stop & Shop, and Giant Food—didn't make the top spot due to its more prominent sweetness. All of our testers noted that this milk was sweet. While Amanda found that sweetness pleasant, I thought it was sweet to the point of tasting like sugar had been added. Laila said, "It tastes sweet, with a warm, vanilla-leaning note that reads artificial." That said, if you usually take your coffee with milk and sugar, or a dairy-based creamer, this may be a great alternative for your morning cup. 

The Contenders

• Almond Breeze Original Almond Milk
• Califia Farms Almond Milk
• Elmhurst Unsweetened Milked Almonds
• Good & Gather Unsweetened Original Almond Milk (Target)
• Kirkland Signature Almond Milk
• MALK Organic Unsweetened Almond Milk
• Nature's Promise Plant-Based Original Almond Milk (Stop & Shop, Hannaford, and Other Stores)
• Silk Almond Milk
• Trader Joe's Organic Unsweetened Almond Beverage
• Wholesome Pantry Organic Unsweetened Original Almond Milk (Shoprite)
• 365 by Whole Foods Market Organic Almond Milk

Key Takeaways and Conclusion

Our favorite almond milks each have their own strengths: Good and Gather is just sweet enough, with a milk-like texture; MALK is almond-forward; and Nature's Promise is rich and sweet. Any of them can be the best almond milk, depending on its use. 

Our winner, Good and Gather, uses gellan gum, xanthan gum, and sunflower lecithin as thickeners and emulsifiers, which directly correlate to its creaminess and dairy-fat-like richness. MALK, in comparison, lists only filtered water, organic almonds, and Himalayan pink salt as ingredients. This explains its authentic, nutty flavor, but its bare-bones ingredient left those almonds more exposed, and may be why some tasters found it stale. 

The Nature's Promise almond milk that we picked solely as a recommendation for coffee creamer was intensely sweet (cane sugar is its second ingredient). That sweetness put most tasters off, though, as noted, it would work as a coffee creamer for those who like some sweetness in their brew. 

Ultimately, we preferred Good and Gather for its light sweetness and creamy mouthfeel, but feel that for different uses, MALK and Nature's Promise can also be good choices.

Our Testing Methodology

All taste tests are conducted with brands completely hidden and without discussion. Tasters taste samples in random order. For example, taster A may taste sample one first, while taster B will taste sample six first. This is to prevent palate fatigue from unfairly giving any one sample an advantage. Tasters are asked to fill out tasting sheets, ranking the samples according to various criteria. All data is tabulated, and results are calculated with no editorial input to provide the most impartial representation of actual results possible.