Ultimate Almond Dream

Out of all the plant milks, I'd have to say almond milk is my fave. The almond taste is fairly neutral and doesn't stand out too much in savory or sweet dishes. But that hint of almond flavor is there, and it's delicious.

Most almond milk has a sort of medium thickness — not as thick as coconut milk, but way thicker than rice milk. It's pretty on-par with soymilk (which I also love), but it's safe for those who have soy intolerances or allergies (not me, thank god). It's just the most versatile! But that said, I do love thick and creamy milks, especially for smoothies or cereal. And there's a new almond milk in town that is hella thick because it's made with four times more almonds than other almond milks. Meet Dream Ultimate Almond.

This reminds me of homemade almond milk — the kind you make by soaking raw almonds, blending, and straining the pulp. Making your own results in a dreamy, creamy milk, but let's face it — ain't nobody got time for that.

The folks at Dream sent me a sample to review, and I'm SO. GLAD. THEY. DID. This thick and creamy milk is about the same consistency of a thick vegan coffee creamer, but it only has a hint of sweetness. It's wonderful!

Look at that thick stream pouring into my Love Grown Power O's Cereal!

Also great with granola — shown here with some locally made Guilt-Free Pastries Vegan Granola. A perfect pre-yoga snack.

I prefer my smoothies to be very thick, almost like milkshakes. And this stuff does the trick. Yesterday, I used only a 1/2 cup of Ultimate Almond Dream mixed with a 1/2 cup of Good Karma flaxmilk, 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, 1/2 frozen banana, and a scoop of Vega One French Vanilla protein power to make a smoothie so thick, it was almost difficult sucking it through a straw. But not too difficult. Perfect actually.

Each 8-ounce glass has five grams of protein, thanks all those extra almonds. But the only downside to all those almonds is a significantly higher calorie milk. My usual almond milk (Unsweetened from Diamond Breeze) is only 25 calories per cup. This stuff is 150 per cup! Big difference! But it's so rich and creamy, it's practically dessert. Definitely an indulgence but awesome.

Dream also makes rice milks, cashew milks, coconut milks, almond and coconut yogurts, and ice creams made with soy, coconut, almond, and rice milks. I've tried many of those, and what I've tried has been very good. Along with this almond milk, they also included a carton of rice milk. And I didn't think I'd like it since my impression of rice milk from my early vegan days left much to be desired. But you know what? It wasn't bad! Definitely thinner than I prefer in my milks, but the flavor was quite good! I enjoyed it in smoothies and by the glass to wash down desserts.