If you’ve decided to eat a more plant-based diet, there’s a good chance you’ve found some truly excellent plant-based alternatives for your favourite foods, and some less-than-ideal options that just don’t match the real thing. Case in point: creamy whole milk. While there are endless plant-based milks that are genuinely great for stirring into your coffee or blending into your smoothie, they often have an underlying sweetness or distinct flavour that can be distracting in more savoury preparations like a creamy pasta or soup. That’s where Silk Nextmilk Whole 3.5% comes in: this latest dairy-free offering from Silk is designed to emulate the taste and texture of whole dairy milk as closely as possible, and we’re happy to report that it does just that. Read on for everything you need to know.
Related: A Guide to the Most Common Vegan Baking Substitutes
What is Silk Nextmilk Whole made of?
Made up of oat, coconut and soy milks, Silk Nextmilk has 3.5% fat with an extra creamy finish. It’s free of dairy, lactose, gluten and carageenan and has no artificial colours or flavours.
Silk Canada
Isn’t there already another Silk Nextmilk?
Yes there is. Silk Nextmilk 2% launched in Canada last year and is made with a similar formula, but has 2% fat content instead of 3.5%. While Silk Nextmilk 2% is best used for anything you might typically use 2% milk for like cereal or your daily coffee, Silk Nextmilk Whole is best for anything where you’re craving an extra creamy hit.
Related: Our Honest Review of Silk Nextmilk
What are the benefits of using Silk Nextmilk Whole?
According to the brand, Silk Nextmilk is an excellent source of vitamin B12 and riboflavin, a good source of calcium, and a source of vitamin D, vitamin A, zinc and fibre. It’s also verified by the Non-GMO Project’s product verification program.
How does Silk Nextmilk Whole actually taste?
Similar to the original Silk Nextmilk, you can ever-so-slightly taste the coconut and oat bases of Nextmilk Whole but it’s extremely subtle. It’s got just a touch more sweetness than dairy milk, but it’s barely noticeable. The closest flavour comparison for Silk Nextmilk Whole truly is a whole dairy milk. We can honestly say we’ve never tried a plant-based milk that tastes more like whole dairy milk than this does, and we have a feeling even the plant milk-averse will enjoy this one since it’s taste is so close to the real thing.
How should I use Silk Nextmilk Whole?
Silk Nextmilk Whole can be used in just about anything you might use whole milk for — and more. We’ve tried it as the base of a creamy pasta au gratin, in an umami-rich sesame salad dressing, and in a milky latte. Not only would we not have been able to tell it wasn’t dairy milk, we think that the delicate sweetness of Nextmilk lends itself even better to these preparations.
Where can I find Silk Nextmilk Whole and how much does it cost?
Silk Nextmilk is rolling out at grocery stores Canada-wide, with a suggested retail price of $5.29 for 1.74 litres.
Read more: The Best Non-Dairy Milks to Meet All Your Needs (From Baking to Latte Frothing)