SoL Sunflower Beverage – A New Non-Dairy Milk Option

Just before the holidays the folks at Sunrich Naturals asked me if I’d like to try their sunflower beverage, and sent me a sample. It’s taken me a while, but I finally had an opportunity to try it.

The idea of milk made from sunflower seeds is intriguing. While the ingredients surprised me (water and evaporated cane juice are the first two ingredients, followed by sunflower kernels), the nutritional profile is impressive – with about the same calories, sugar, and fat per serving as each of coconut milk beverage and hemp milk, it has the same amount of calcium as hemp milk (30% daily allowance), the same amount of vitamin D (25% daily allowance), and considerably more vitamin E (50%). All of the ingredients used are natural or organic and non-GMO – also impressive.

The first thing that is noticeable about sunflower milk is the color – it has a milky-brownish hue – similar to the color of oat milk. You can see the color in my off-white pitcher below:

For me, the ultimate test for non-dairy milk is the taste – if it’s not drinkable then it’s highly unlikely it will taste good in your muffins or bread. So, rather than baking with it, I decided to try if on my cereal first.

While I expected a slightly nutty taste, I was surprised to find the taste very mild. This may be a good alternative for those who use rice milk because it’s the only non-dairy milk their kids will drink. And the bright sunflower on the package is a decidedly cheerful image to start the day.

Like most non-dairy milks, this sunflower milk comes in a carton with aseptic packaging, which allows it to remain shelf-stable for a long time. It should be refrigerated after opening. In addition to the original flavor that I tried, SoL milk comes in unsweetened and vanilla varieties.

Have you tried sunflower milk? What do you think?

Be sure to check out my SoL Sister interview at the SoL blog.