Key takeaways
- Almond milk is low in calories and protein (about 1 gram per cup). Cell-based milk aims to match cow's milk, with about 8 grams.
- Cell-based milk should behave like dairy in coffee, cheese and baking. Almond milk often doesn't.
- Almond milk has a low carbon footprint but uses a lot of water. Cell-based milk's footprint is still unproven.
- You can buy almond milk anywhere today. Cell-based milk isn't on store shelves yet.
Almond milk is one of the most popular dairy alternatives in the US. Cell-based milk is still on its way. It’s natural to wonder how they’ll stack up, but they’re fundamentally different products.
Almond milk is made by blending almonds with water and straining the result, usually with added calcium, vitamins, thickeners and sometimes sugar. Cell-based milk is real milk produced by mammary cells grown in a bioreactor. Learn more in what is cell-based milk?
Side by side
| Cell-based milk | Almond milk | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Real dairy milk, made by cells | Almonds blended with water |
| Protein per cup | ~8 g (target, matching cow’s milk) | ~1 g |
| Complete protein | Yes | No |
| Calories per cup (unsweetened) | Similar to cow’s milk | Low, often 30–40 |
| Calcium | Natural, similar to cow’s milk | Added through fortification |
| Lactose | Expected | None |
| Allergens | Milk | Tree nuts |
| Cooking and cheesemaking | Should behave like dairy | Limited |
| Available today | No | Yes, everywhere |
Almond milk values vary by brand. Check labels.
Nutrition
This is the biggest difference. Almond milk is mostly water: a typical unsweetened cup contains only about 1 gram of protein, compared with about 8 grams in cow’s milk. Almond milk’s calcium, vitamin D and vitamin E are usually added during manufacturing, so levels depend on the brand.
Cell-based milk is designed to match cow’s milk, including its complete protein. If you’re choosing a milk for protein, especially for children, cell-based milk should be far closer to dairy. More in our taste and nutrition guide.
Almond milk’s advantage is that it’s low in calories and naturally free of lactose and saturated fat, which suits some diets better.
Taste and cooking
Almond milk tastes lightly nutty and is thinner than dairy. It works well in smoothies and cereal, but it can separate in hot coffee and doesn’t make cheese the way dairy does.
Cell-based milk contains casein, the protein that lets milk curdle into cheese, and real milk fat, which gives dairy its richness. It should foam, cook and bake like conventional milk, though independent taste tests haven’t been published yet.
Environmental impact
Almond milk has one of the lowest carbon footprints of any milk: about 0.70 kg CO₂e per liter compared with 3.15 kg for dairy, according to Our World in Data. It also uses very little land.
Its weak spot is water. Almond milk requires about 371 liters of fresh water per liter. That’s less than dairy’s 628, but far more than oat (48 L) or soy (28 L). Most almonds are grown in California, where drought makes water use especially sensitive.
Cell-based milk’s footprint isn’t established yet. Brown Foods estimates its process uses 90% less water and 82% less carbon than dairy, but these are company estimates. See our environmental analysis for the caveats.
Allergies and dietary needs
- Nut allergy: avoid almond milk. Cell-based milk contains no nuts.
- Milk allergy: avoid cell-based milk. It contains the same milk proteins as dairy.
- Lactose intolerance: almond milk is lactose-free. Cell-based whole-milk replicas are expected to contain lactose.
- Vegan: almond milk is plant-based. Cell-based milk is an animal product, though some vegans may find it compatible with their ethics. See is cell-based milk vegan?
Price
Almond milk is widely available and competitively priced. Cell-based milk has no retail price yet. Early products will almost certainly cost more than both almond and conventional milk until production scales.
Which should you choose?
They’ll likely appeal to different people.
- Choose almond milk if you want a light, low-calorie, plant-based drink, need to avoid dairy, or want something you can buy today.
- Watch for cell-based milk if you love the taste and versatility of dairy but want to reduce your reliance on cows.
For a broader comparison, see cell-based milk vs. oat, soy and other plant milks.
Sources
- Our World in Data, Dairy vs. plant-based milk: what are the environmental impacts?
- Brown Foods, “The World’s First Lab-Made Whole Cow Milk is Here”, February 25, 2025
