Who is this for?

Cooks making a dairy-free curry

If you want almond flavour in the sauce, choose the carton with your intended level of sweetness and roasted flavour in mind. Almond drink is a liquid base, not a direct substitute for thick coconut cream.

Shoppers comparing ingredient lists

A plain roasted-almond drink, a fortified drink containing stabilisers and an almond-and-oat blend are different choices. Check the full list if oats, gums, emulsifiers or added nutrients affect what you buy.

Households checking allergens

Almond drink is unsuitable for someone with an almond allergy. Oats and precautionary peanut or other-nut wording also vary by product, so check the current carton for everyone who will eat the curry.

What matters when choosing?

Start with the flavour you want in a savoury sauce, then check the formulation, allergens and opened-carton instructions. A description such as “creamy” is not a measurement of how thick the finished curry will be.

Priority What to check Your needs
Savoury flavour Check whether the exact carton says unsweetened, no added sugar or no sugars; these are not interchangeable descriptions. Look for roasted-almond wording if that flavour appeals to you. I don’t want the drink to add a sweet note to my curry. Joybuy lists sugar in Alpro Almond Drink, while its separate Alpro Almond No Sugars listing states no added or naturally occurring sugars.
Sauce texture Check whether the drink is plain almond or an almond-and-oat blend. Rude Health lists 13% oats and 3% almonds and describes its Roasted Almond Drink as creamy; that description does not establish the thickness of a cooked sauce. If my recipe needs a thick sauce, I’ll assess the recipe as a whole rather than assume an almond drink will replace coconut cream. I may choose the oat-containing blend if its listed ingredients and described flavour suit the dish.
Ingredients and fortification Compare the complete ingredient lists. Plenish states that Almond M*lk contains water, organic almonds and salt; Tesco and M&S list unsweetened drinks with added nutrients and stabilisers. A short ingredient list matters to me more than added nutrients, or I might prefer a fortified carton. Either way, I want to make that choice from the exact product label.
Allergens Check for almond, oats and any precautionary peanut or other-nut statement. The UK Food Standards Agency lists almonds among tree-nut allergens that food businesses must declare when present as an ingredient. Someone eating the curry may need an allergen check. Tesco warns that its unsweetened drink may contain peanuts and other nuts, while Sainsbury’s says its own-label drink is unsuitable for customers allergic to other nuts because of manufacturing methods.
Storage after opening Follow the carton’s refrigeration and consumption instructions. Tesco’s product page says five days after opening; Sainsbury’s and M&S say three days for their listed drinks. I may use only part of a carton for one curry, so I’ll check its opened-carton instructions before planning another use.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Assuming every almond drink has the same ingredients

    Plenish lists a three-ingredient roasted-almond drink, Rude Health’s roasted drink contains oats, and several fortified cartons list stabilisers or emulsifiers. The category name alone will not tell you which formulation you are adding to the pan.

    Read the full ingredients list. Choose an oat-containing blend deliberately rather than relying on the word “almond” to predict its flavour or texture.

  • Picking an original drink when you wanted unsweetened

    Joybuy’s Alpro Almond Drink listing includes sugar; Alpro Almond No Sugars is a distinct product listed without added or naturally occurring sugars.

    Check the complete product name, ingredients and nutrition panel on the carton you intend to use.

  • Assuming dairy-free means suitable for every allergy

    Almond itself is a tree-nut allergen. Precautionary wording concerning peanuts and other nuts differs between the listed own-label products.

    Do not serve almond drink to someone with an almond allergy. Check the current on-pack allergen and precautionary statements for other relevant allergies.

  • Treating all opened cartons alike

    Tesco specifies five days after opening for its listed unsweetened drink, while Sainsbury’s and M&S specify three days for theirs.

    Refrigerate and use the drink according to its own carton instructions, even if the unopened pack was shelf-stable.

    If you use only part of the carton for curry, its opened-carton window affects whether you can use the remainder later.

Brand and product-line references

These distinctions concern the named drinks, not every product made by each brand. Check the current carton before buying, particularly where ingredients or allergens matter.

Alpro

Alpro Almond No Sugars Long Life Drink is a no-sugars option for a savoury recipe.

  • Joybuy lists 2.5% almond, calcium and vitamins B2, B12 and D2 for this product.
  • It also lists soluble corn fibre, acidity regulators, sunflower lecithin and gellan gum, so it is not a three-ingredient option.

Rude Health

Roasted Almond Drink is an almond-and-oat blend for shoppers interested in a roasted flavour.

  • Rude Health describes a deep roasted nuttiness and creamy finish; its ingredient list gives 13% organic oats and 3% organic almonds.
  • It is not a plain almond drink. The brand’s flavour and creaminess descriptions are not a test of its performance in curry.

Plenish

Almond M*lk offers a short ingredient list and uses roasted almonds, according to Plenish.

  • Plenish lists water, organic almonds and salt, with no added sugar, oils or gums.
  • That ingredient list does not establish how thick it will make a particular curry.

Tesco

Tesco Unsweetened Almond Drink 1L is a fortified own-label option.

  • Tesco lists 2% almond, added calcium and selected vitamins and minerals.
  • Its ingredient list includes stabilisers and lecithins, and its allergen statement says it may contain peanuts and other nuts.

Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s Unsweetened Almond Drink 1L is an own-label option containing 2.3% almond.

  • Its listed ingredients include added calcium.
  • It contains stabilisers and lecithins. Sainsbury’s says it is unsuitable for customers allergic to other nuts because of manufacturing methods and should be used within three days of opening.

M&S

M&S Unsweetened Almond Drink is a fortified, shelf-stable own-label option.

  • M&S lists 2% almonds, added calcium, iodine and vitamins D and B12.
  • M&S says this drink is unsuitable for people with a nut or peanut allergy and should be consumed within three days of opening.

Almond drink on Joybuy

This Alpro no-sugars carton is an option if you want an almond drink for a savoury curry without adding sugar from the drink. Its formulation is different from the plain roasted-almond and almond-and-oat drinks discussed above.

Alpro Almond No Sugars Long Life Drink, 8 x 1 L

Alpro Almond No Sugars Long Life Drink, 8 x 1 L

For a savoury curry where you do not want sugar from the drink, Joybuy lists this formulation as containing no added or naturally occurring sugars. Check your recipe separately for the thickness you need.

The listed drink contains 2.5% almond, added calcium and vitamins B2, B12 and D2. It also contains soluble corn fibre, acidity regulators, sunflower lecithin and gellan gum, so it is not a short-ingredient-list option.

Contains almond. The product information says to refrigerate after opening and use within five days.

View on Joybuy

Common questions

Can I use almond drink as the liquid base for a dairy-free curry?

Yes, if its ingredients suit everyone eating the dish. Choose an unsweetened formulation when you do not want the drink to add sugar, and check how much thickness the recipe needs: an almond drink is not a like-for-like replacement for coconut cream.

Is an original almond drink the same as a no-sugars version?

No. Joybuy lists sugar in the ingredients of Alpro Almond Drink, while its separate Alpro Almond No Sugars listing states that it contains no added or naturally occurring sugars. Compare the exact carton rather than relying on the brand name.

Can someone with a nut allergy have almond drink?

Someone with an almond allergy should not have almond drink. The UK Food Standards Agency identifies almonds as a tree-nut allergen; check the current carton for the named ingredients and any precautionary wording about other nuts or peanuts.

How long can I keep an opened carton?

Follow that carton’s refrigeration and consumption instructions. Tesco says to use its listed unsweetened almond drink within five days of opening, while Sainsbury’s and M&S specify three days for their listed products.