Is Almond Milk Dairy-free?

Find out if almond milk is a good milk alternative for a dairy-free diet, plus which brands to look for at the store.

Note: I am a proud Amazon, Chomps, MunkPack, and Thrive Market affiliate and am happy to recommend their service and products to you. Please know that as an affiliate, I may receive a small commission on the products you purchase after clicking through my links. For more info, please see my disclosure policy here.

If you’ve recently removed dairy from your diet, you may have heard of almond milk. It’s a popular milk alternative that you can find at most grocery stores and even online.

If you’ve seen almond milk in cartons or bottles at your grocery store, health food store, or at online stores like Thrive Market, you may have wondered about this ingredient.

If you’re just getting started with a dairy-free diet, I want to help you answer the questions that are probably swirling around in your brain about almond milk. In this post, we’re going to talk about the basics of almond milk, including what it is, what it’s used for, made of, and answer the question “Is almond milk dairy-free?”

We’ll wrap this post up with a big list of all the dairy-free almond milk brands you can find in grocery stores and online, so you have some options to choose from. But first, let’s talk about what almond milk is.

What is almond milk?

Almond milk is a milk alternative that’s used in many of the same ways as cow’s milk in cooking and baking. Almond milk is made from almonds and water, though other ingredients may be used.

Almond milk can come plain, sweetened or unsweetened, and flavored either vanilla or chocolate, and any combination of those options. It can be bought in bottles in the cold area of the grocery store alongside other milk products or milk alternatives or in shelf-stable cartons in the health food section or baking section of your grocery store.

Many folks use almond milk as a cow’s milk substitute if they are intolerant or allergic to milk and dairy products. Almond milk is high in protein, fiber, and vitamin E.

Read on: Dairy-free Milk Alternatives

What is almond milk used for?

Almond milk can be used in most recipes that call for cow’s milk. There are so many ways to use almond milk in your normal everyday cooking and baking, like:

With cereal
In coffee or tea
In soups
In sauces
In salad dressing
In baking recipes
In smoothies
Made into dairy-free products, like cheese, cream cheese, yogurt, sour cream, and ice cream

Read on: Dairy-free ice cream brands and flavors

Read on: Dairy-free ice cream bars

Read on: Dairy-free yogurt

What is almond milk made of?

Almond milk is made with almonds that have been soaked in water. The almonds are drained, then added to a blender with more water, and blended until it reaches a creamy milk-like consistency.

You can buy almond milk or make it at home. You can enjoy it plain or add some flavorings to it, like sweeteners, cocoa, or vanilla for different variations.

Many homemade almond milks are made with minimal ingredients, like almonds and water. If you add a sweetener, you may choose to use honey, maple syrup, or dates. You can also add cocoa powder or vanilla extract to give it more flavor.

Store-bought almond milk is likely to have more ingredients than homemade almond milk, as there will be more preservatives and stabilizers needed to maintain the consistency of the almond milk.

Here are the ingredients in Califia Farms Unsweetened Almond Milk, a popular almond milk option you can buy from many grocery stores:

“Almondmilk (Water, Almonds), Calcium Carbonate, Sunflower Lecithin, Sea Salt, Natural Flavors, Locust Bean Gum, Gellan Gum, Potassium Citrate.”

What is dairy?

Dairy is a general name for ANY food that is made from milk. Technically, this is any food made from cow’s milk or goat’s milk or sheep’s milk. Any animal milk is dairy.

However, mostly when we’re talking about dairy, we’re talking about drinking cow’s milk, because that’s what is most popular here in the United States.

Are almonds dairy-free?

Almonds are a plant and are not made using any animal milk, therefore they are dairy-free.

The only time you’d need to worry about dairy and almonds is if they are seasoned or flavored from the grocery store. Check ingredients for any hidden names of dairy on any almonds that are not plain raw or roasted almonds.

Almond milk is dairy-free and is great for a dairy-free diet. This beverage allows you to enjoy many recipes and foods that call for milk if you can’t or don’t eat dairy or lactose.

Almond milk does have an almond flavor to it, but it isn’t overpowering. It definitely does not taste the same as cow’s milk, but works well in all the same places that you’d use this ingredient.

Almond milk works well with cereal, in coffee, in baking, and really any other place you’d like to replace cow’s milk with a dairy alternative. You can try it in your favorite recipes that call for milk and see that it is a very universal substitute for cow’s milk on a dairy-free diet.

Is almond milk lactose-free?

Lactose is a protein found in cow’s milk. Since almond milk is made from a plant and not made from animal milk, there is no chance of lactose being present in this product, whether homemade or store-bought.

Is almond milk vegan?

Almond milk is vegan and is a great option for folks who avoid animal products. Almond milk can be used in almost all recipes that call for cow’s milk by replacing the amount one for one.

Is almond milk gluten-free?

Almond milk is almost always gluten-free as almonds are a naturally gluten-free food. Assuming the only other ingredients in the almond milk you’re drinking are water and preservatives, it should be safe for your gluten-free diet.

You can always look for a gluten-free label if you’re not certain if the brand you’re choosing is a good option for you.

Read on: Is almond milk gluten-free?

Read on: Is almond flour gluten-free?

Where to buy almond milk

You can buy almond milk at most grocery stores these days, as well as health food stores. Look for it in both the refrigerated section of your grocery store and the area with shelf stable dairy alternatives.

You may need to look for it in the health food section of your grocery store if your specific store has that. Depending on the store, it can be with the cow’s milk products or in its own area.

If you can’t find almond milk near you, you can also buy it on Thrive Market and Amazon. They both have a number of options that you can have shipped directly to your home.

You can also make your own almond milk using the same technique as I make my cashew milk recipe.

Brands of dairy-free almond milk

There are so many different brands of almond milk and they are almost always dairy-free. Look for some of these next time you’re at the store and searching for a dairy-free alternative to cow’s milk.

Since I also avoid gluten in my diet along with many of my readers, I’ve marked those that are considered gluten-free in the list with an asterisk (*) to make for easy decisions while shopping.

365 Almond Milk*

Organic Unsweetened Original Almond Milk
Organic Unsweetened Vanilla Almond MIlk
Organic Vanilla Almond Milk
Organic Unsweetened Chocolate Almond Milk
Organic Original Almondmilk
Original Almondmilk
Unsweetened Almondmilk
Vanilla Almondmilk

Almond Breeze*

Original Almondmilk
Vanilla Almondmilk
Chocolate Almondmilk
Unsweetened Vanlla Almondmilk
Hint of Honey Vanilla Almondmilk
Reduced Sugar Vanilla Almondmilk
Unsweetened Original Almondmilk
Almondmilk Nog
Unsweetened Original Almondmilk Coconutmilk
Almond Breeze Blended with Real Bananas
Shelf Stable Original Almondmilk
Shelf Stable Chocolate Almondmilk
Shelf Stable Coconut Original Almondmilk
Shelf Stable Unsweetened Vanilla Almondmilk
Shelf Stable Unsweetened Chocolate Almondmilk
Shelf Stable Coconut Vanilla Unsweetened Almondmilk
Shelf Stable Coconut Unsweetened Original Almondmilk
Shelf Stable Unsweetened Original Almondmilk
Shelf Stable Vanilla Original Almondmilk
Extra Creamy Almondmilk

Better Than Milk*

Organic Almond
Organic Unsweetened Almond

Califia Farms*

Oat Milk Almond Milk Blend
Unsweetened Almond Milk
Toasted Coconut Almond Milk
Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
Extra Creamy Almond Milk
Vanilla Almond Milk
Shelf Stable Unsweetened Almond Milk
Shelf Stable Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
Shelf Stable Toasted Coconut Almond Milk

Elmhurst*

Unsweetened Almond Milk

Friendly Farms*

Sweetened Original Almondmilk
Sweetened Vanilla Almondmilk
Unsweetened Original Almondmilk
Unsweetened Vanilla Almondmilk

Gefen*

Unsweetened Almond Milk
Sweetened Almond Milk

Good & Gather

Original Almond Milk
Vanilla Almond Milk
Unsweetened Original Almond Milk
Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

Great Value*

Original Unsweetened Almond Milk
Original Almond Milk
Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
Vanilla Almond Milk

Kirkland Signature

Original Unsweetened Almond Milk
Organic Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

Malk*

Unsweetened Almond MALK
Vanilla Almond MALK

Member’s Mark*

Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
Organic Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

Mooala*

Unsweetened Almondmilk, Shelf Stable
Unsweetened Vanilla Bean Almondmilk, Shelf Stable
Unsweetened Almondmilk
Vanilla Bean Almondmilk
Original Almondmilk

Natura*

Original Almond Beverage
Chocolate Almond Beverage
Vanilla Almond Beverage
Unsweetened Coconut Almond Beverage
Unsweetened Almond Beverage
Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Beverage

Orgain*

Organic Protein Almond Milk, Unsweetened Vanilla
Organic Protein Almond Milk, Lightly Sweetened Vanilla

Pacific Foods*

Organic Unsweetened Almond Original
Organic Almond Original
Organic Almond Chocolate
Organic Almond Vanilla
Organic Unsweetened Almond Vanilla

Publix

Unsweetened Original Almondmilk
Unsweetened Vanilla Flavored Almondmilk
Chocolate Almondmilk
Sweetened Original Almondmilk
Sweetened Vanilla Flavored Almondmilk

Silk*

Unsweet Almondmilk
Unsweet Vanilla Almondmilk
Original Almondmilk
Vanilla Almondmilk
Dark Chocolate Almondmilk
Unsweet Extra Creamy Almondmilk
Original Extra Creamy Almondmilk
Less Sugar Vanilla Almondmilk
Organic Unsweet Almondmilk
Organic Unsweet Vanilla Almondmilk
Organic Original Almondmilk
Unsweet Almond Coconut Blend

Simple Truth

Unsweetened Almond Milk
Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
Organic Unsweetened Almond Milk
Almond Milk
Vanilla Almond Milk
Unsweetened Almond Milk
Chocolate Almond Milk

Simply Almond*

Unsweetened Almond Milk
Original Almond Milk
Vanilla Almond Milk
Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

Three Trees

Original Almondmilk
Vanilla Bean Almondmilk

Thrive Market*

Organic Almond Beverage

Trader Joe’s*

Organic Unsweetened Almond Beverage
Unsweetened Almond, Cashew & Macadamia Nut Beverage

If you’ve been wondering how almond milk can fit into your dairy-free diet, I hope this post has given you all the answers to your questions about this milk alternative. Almond milk contains no dairy ingredients and is a wonderful choice for folks who are avoiding dairy in their diet.

Use this beverage in all your favorite recipes as a substitute for cow’s milk: on cereal, in coffee, or in your baking. Choose from one of the brands we covered here in this post or make your own at home with just raw almonds and water.

If you loved this post, I hope that you’ll share it with your friends on Facebook and pin it for future reference on Pinterest.