Who is this for?

Hosts serving almond drink with the meal

Check the fat figure and its unit if that matters for your menu, then consider whether the drink will be poured cold or used in a dish.

Hosts making coffee after dinner

A drink with a suitable fat figure is not necessarily intended to foam. If you plan to serve espresso drinks, check the barista drink's nutrition panel and preparation instructions separately.

Hosts catering for guests with allergies

The Food Standards Agency identifies almonds as tree nuts. Ask guests about their requirements and check the exact product label; dairy-free does not mean nut-free.

What to check before buying

Start with comparable nutrition figures, then match the drink to the way you plan to serve it and check allergens before finalising the menu.

Priority What to check Your needs
Fat Compare fat per 100ml where products use that basis. Alpro UK lists 1.1g per 100ml for Almond Roasted No Sugars; Sainsbury's lists 1.4g per 100ml for its unsweetened drink. M&S reports 0.9g per 100g, which is a different basis. I want to compare the drinks I might serve without treating differently labelled units as identical.
Sugars and ingredients Read both the sugars figure and ingredient list. Alpro UK lists 0g sugars per 100ml for Almond Roasted No Sugars; Rude Health lists rice among the ingredients of its standard Almond Drink. For a plain drink or dessert, I want to know what the almond drink will add to the recipe rather than choosing by its name alone.
Coffee Check preparation instructions and the current nutrition panel if you need both foam and a particular fat figure. Sainsbury's advises allowing water to cool slightly before adding its unsweetened drink to hot beverages to reduce separation. If I'm making coffees after dinner, foam and separation matter as well as the nutrition figure.
Allergens Check the exact carton for almond and any additional nut or peanut warnings. The Food Standards Agency identifies almonds as tree nuts. I need an alternative for any guest who cannot have the almond drink; a dairy-free label does not settle that question.

Common buying mistakes

  • Assuming “unsweetened” tells you the fat content

    Sugars and fat are separate figures. An unsweetened name does not give you a fat value or a basis for comparing products.

    Read the fat entry on the carton and compare figures reported in the same units.

  • Choosing a general almond drink for a coffee-led menu

    Foaming and behaviour in hot drinks are separate from the fat figure. Sainsbury's warns that its unsweetened drink can separate when added to hot beverages.

    If foam matters, check a barista drink's preparation instructions and nutrition panel before choosing it for the coffee course.

  • Treating dairy-free as safe for every guest

    Almond is a tree nut, and individual products may carry further nut or peanut suitability warnings.

    Ask about allergies before planning the menu, keep the carton available for ingredient checks and offer a non-nut option where needed.

  • Relying on a product description instead of the carton

    The drink you serve needs to match the nutrition, ingredients and allergen information on the product you bought.

    Check that carton when preparing for the dinner party, particularly if a guest's requirements depend on a specific ingredient or warning.

Almond-drink brands to consider

Alpro

Alpro has general almond and no-sugars almond drinks. The figures below apply specifically to Almond Roasted No Sugars, not every Alpro variant.

  • Alpro UK lists 1.1g fat and 0g sugars per 100ml for Almond Roasted No Sugars.
  • Its ingredient list includes gums, lecithin and flavouring, so it is not a short-ingredient-list choice.

Rude Health

Its almond range includes standard, Pure Almond, no-sugars and barista products with different ingredient lists and intended uses.

  • Rude Health lists water and 5% organic Italian almonds for Pure Almond.
  • Its standard Almond Drink contains rice and sunflower oil; check the fat panel of the particular variant rather than inferring it from the range name.

Plenish

Plenish describes its standard Almond M*lk as containing water, organic almonds and salt, and offers a separate barista product.

  • Plenish describes Barista Almond M*lk as foamable for coffee.
  • Check the barista carton's fat figure if coffee foam and a particular fat content both matter to your menu.

Tesco

Tesco lists an own-label Unsweetened Almond Drink in its UK grocery range.

  • Tesco describes the drink as UHT with added calcium, iodine and vitamins.
  • Check its current nutrition panel for the fat figure before comparing it with another drink.

Sainsbury's

Sainsbury's lists chilled and long-life unsweetened almond drinks.

  • Its published unsweetened drink panels list 1.4g fat and less than 0.5g sugars per 100ml.
  • Sainsbury's advises letting water cool slightly before adding the drink to hot beverages to reduce separation.

M&S

M&S offers an Unsweetened Almond Drink described for drinking, cereal and smoothies.

  • M&S lists 0.9g fat and 0.2g sugars per 100g for this drink.
  • Those figures are reported per 100g, while some other drinks report per 100ml; the product is not presented as a specialist frothing drink.

Joybuy almond-drink option

This long-life almond-drink multipack is an option to consider when planning drinks or food for several guests. Check its carton for the fat figure and allergen information relevant to your menu.

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

Alpro Almond No Sugars Long Life Drink 8 x 1L

The 8 x 1L long-life pack may suit a dinner party where you plan to use almond drink in more than one serving. Joybuy's product description lists almond at 2.5% and identifies vitamins B2, B12 and D2. Almond is a tree nut: check the exact carton for its nutrition figures and full allergen information, and do not rely on this pack's name to establish how it will foam in coffee.

View on Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

How should I compare fat in almond drinks?

Compare figures reported on the same basis. Alpro UK lists 1.1g fat per 100ml for Almond Roasted No Sugars, and Sainsbury's lists 1.4g per 100ml for its unsweetened drink; M&S reports 0.9g per 100g for its Unsweetened Almond Drink, so do not rank that figure directly against the per-100ml values.

Can I serve almond drink to a guest with a nut or peanut allergy?

Do not assume it is suitable: the Food Standards Agency identifies almonds as tree nuts. M&S warns that its Unsweetened Almond Drink is not suitable for people with nut or peanut allergy, while Sainsbury's warns that its unsweetened drink is not suitable for customers allergic to other nuts because of manufacturing methods. Ask the guest about their requirements and check the exact carton.

Does “no sugars” mean the same thing as “no added sugar”?

No. Alpro UK lists 0g sugars per 100ml for Almond Roasted No Sugars; a “no added sugar” description makes a different point about the recipe. Read the nutrition table and ingredient list of the product you intend to serve.

What if almond drink separates in after-dinner coffee?

For its Unsweetened Almond Drink, Sainsbury's advises allowing water to cool slightly before adding the drink to a hot beverage. If your menu depends on steamed foam, check a barista product's preparation instructions and fat figure rather than assuming an ordinary almond drink will perform the same way.