We Tasted 7 Almond Milks, and This Is the Best One!
Cereal is one of my favorite breakfast foods and snacks, but my stomach doesn't react well to either dairy or soy, so I haven't eaten much of it over the past few years. After several people recommended that I give almond milk a try, I picked up my favorite cereal brands and sampled them with seven different brands of almond milk.
I was pleasantly surprised to realize that I actually like almond milk and that it pairs well with cereal, so it looks like I can add it back to my breakfast food rotation (hallelujah!). That said, I didn't love every brand of almond milk, so I'm glad I sampled a variety. I tried seven different almond milk brands (all unsweetened) with my cereal; here's how they rank, listed from worst to best based on taste.
And for more, check out these 15 Classic American Desserts That Deserve a Comeback.
Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk
I had several issues with this brand. It had no flavor except for an unpleasant, plastic-like taste, and the texture was also strange. Not only was it not smooth, but I also noticed that the almond milk separated into chunks when I opened it even though it was nowhere near its expiration date. It also got moldy well before the expiration date, so this isn't a brand I'll be buying again.
Pacific Foods Unsweetened Original Almond Milk
The texture was thinner and more watery than the other brands I tried, and I prefer a thicker, smooth texture with my cereal, so I wasn't a fan. This brand also had a strange taste to it, and it left a funny aftertaste.
Open Nature Unsweetened Almond Beverage
Open Nature was a huge improvement compared to Califia Farms and Pacific Foods. However, I found that it had a bit of a salty taste that didn't pair well with my cereal, so it wasn't one of my favorites.
Good & Gather Unsweetened Original Almond Milk
Target's almond milk is a great deal, which gives it a few bonus points in my book. The texture was perfect; it was really smooth and had a creamy consistency. It has more of an almond taste to it than the other brands, but I found the flavor to be quite pleasant and a nice change. But of course, if you're not a fan of almonds and you're looking for the closest to a milk substitute in terms of taste, this probably isn't the brand for you.
Trader Joe's Unsweetened Organic Almond Beverage
It was no surprise that trusty Trader Joe's had high-quality almond milk. The texture was smooth, and it didn't have a strong taste or aftertaste so it paired well with all my cereals.
Silk Almond Unsweetened Original Almond Milk
Out of all the almond milk I sampled, Silk's tasted the most similar to regular milk. It had a really smooth texture, and it was perfect to put in cereal because it added just a little extra flavor and made my breakfast tastier. What more can you ask for when starting your day?
Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Unsweetened Original
I absolutely loved Blue Diamond's almond milk, and I'll be keeping this one on hand going forward. It had a creamy texture and smooth consistency that tasted just perfect with cereal. It's also a healthy choice, and I really liked the taste. It had just the tiniest hint of almond, and there was nothing artificial about the flavor. Five stars!
