WHICH ALMOND MILKS ARE CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE?
ALMOND MILKS — CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE®
Information updated March 2024
Non-dairy alternatives are a terrific option. Many nut milks have become wildly popular over the past decade, including Almond Milk, derived from almonds.
Homemade Almond Milk includes Almonds, Water and possibly Salt. Optional items include Vanilla Extract for a vanilla version and Cocoa for a chocolate version. As we look at these commercial Almond Milks — also spelled Almondmilk — ingredients which are not in a homemade recipe are designated as Not In Kitchen™ >> ingredients we would never have in our home kitchens if we were making Almond Milk from scratch.
Shown below, BLUE DIAMOND ALMOND BREEZE CONTAINS MULTIPLE INGREDIENTS Not In Kitchen WHEN MAKING HOMEMADE ALMOND MILK: According to Statista 2024, Blue Diamond Almond Breeze is the #1 Refrigerated Almond Milk in the U.S.
Refrigerated Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Original contains added Sweetener, Vitamin and Mineral Fortification, Emulsifying Agents, Thickener and Chemical Preservatives. (Source for Blue Diamond ingredients: Blue Diamond Web site 3/24)
BLUE DIAMOND ALMOND BREEZE COMPARISON >> ORIGINAL vs. VANILLA: Almond Breeze Vanilla — below right — doesn’t have Vanilla Extract listed as an ingredient — even though they show a real vanilla blossom + bean on the package front — but Vanilla Almond Breeze does have 40 more grams of Added Sugar vs. Original Almond Breeze. (Source: Blue Diamond Web site 3/24)
Seen below, DANONE’S SILK VANILLA ALMONDMILK CONTAINS NINE INGREDIENTS Not In Kitchen: Danone’s Silk Almondmilk Vanilla contains an FDA-recognized Chemical Preservative — Ascorbic Acid.(Source for preservatives: U.S. FDA 2024)
Similar to Blue Diamond Vanilla Almond Breeze, there is no Vanilla Extract listed in the ingredients for Danone Silk Vanilla Almondmilk >> there are multiple ingredients Not In Kitchen and one 64oz. carton has 104 grams of Added Sugar.
THERE IS MISLEADING LANGUAGE ON THE CALIFIA FARMS WEB SITE: Language on the Califia Farms Web site 3/24 suggests there is actual Vanilla Extract listed as an ingredient in the Vanilla Almondmilk and Unsweetened Vanilla Almondmilk stating, “Combining silky-smooth almond milk and luscious vanilla” and “Smooth, creamy almond milk and luscious vanilla”. But . . . there is no Vanilla Extract listed as an ingredient.
Califia Farms Vanilla Almondmilks contain Not In Kitchen ingredients including commercial Natural Flavors (Plural so there is more than one), Guar Gum, Gellan Gum, Potassium Citrate and Sunflower Lecithin.
Natural Flavors have moved up to the third ingredient position in Califia Farms Unsweetened Vanilla flavored Almondmilk . . . in 2020, they were the 6th ingredient. (Source: Califia Farms Web site 10/20 and 3/24)
Ingredients are always listed in descending order of amount.
OTHER ALMOND MILKS WITH MULTIPLE INGREDIENTS Not In Kitchen: These include Amazon-owned Whole Foods 365 Unsweetened Organic Vanilla, Hain Celestial-owned Almond Dream Original Unsweetened, and Campbell’s-owned Pacific Foods Organic Original. (Sources: Brand Web sites 3/24)
CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE UNSWEETENED ALMOND MILKS: The following Almond Milks are Closest To Homemade® with no Added Sugar, Thickening Agents (including no Carrageenan), Chemical Preservatives, Vitamin Fortification, Artificial Colors, Lecithin, Oils or Added Flavors.
These include Organic and certified Kosher and Glyphosate Residue Free MALK Unsweetened and Unsweetened Vanilla with Organic Vanilla Extract; Non-GMO Project Verified Elmhurst Unsweetened Milked Almonds; OrganicThree Trees Unsweetened Original and Unsweetened Vanilla Bean with Organic Vanilla Extract and Organic Vanilla Beans, and Non-GMO Project Verified and Kosher certified New Barn Organics regeneratively dry-farmed Unsweetened Almond and Unsweetened Vanilla with real Organic Vanilla Extract. (Sources: Brand Web sites 3/24)
Neither money nor products are ever accepted to appear on the Closest To Homemade list
Seen below, LOCAL NEW YORK CITY NUTHATCH: Nuthatch Almond Milks are Closest To Homemade made with Organic Blanched Almonds:
Neither money nor products are ever accepted to appear on the Closest To Homemade list
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Discover more food + beverages whose ingredients are Closest To Homemade in 275+ categories. Neither money nor products are ever accepted to appear on the Closest To Homemade list.
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