Ever since oat milk arrived on the scene, beverage brands have hurriedly released their own takes on the sweet, mellow, and nut-less plant-based alternative. Choices are nice, but they also make picking the right one a difficult decision. We sampled a variety of the best oat milks on the market and reviewed them based on taste, texture, and froth-ability. That way, you know which ones to buy for your best DIY latte yet.
Is Oat Milk Good For You?
We also considered each brand's ingredients and nutrition facts. Most oat milk recipes start with oats, water, some type of oil for a milk-like mouthfeel, and added vitamins + minerals (an FDA requirement for non-dairy milks).
Some brands stop there, but most add certain gums and stabilizers for a silky texture and longer shelf life. Founder and CEO of Califia Farms, Greg Steltenpohl, tells us there's no evidence that gums and stabilizers have negative effects on the body, but if you're wary, pick an oat milk without them. You'll also notice that even “no-sugar-added" oat milk brands vary in sugar content; that's because different processes of turning oats into liquid yield different amounts of sugar and carbs.
Keep scrolling to find out how each of the oat milks performed among our taste testers, ranked from least favorite to favorite.
First up is our Planet Oat milk review! Though we are all for the Original Planet Oat flavor, the brand's Extra Creamy version is best in small doses. It gets beautifully voluminous when frothed into hot drinks, but the thick, syrupy coating it leaves on your tongue isn't quite worth drinking solo or in cereal.
Ingredients: Oat milk (filtered water, oats), sunflower oil, calcium carbonate, dipotassium phosphate (stabilizer), guar gum, sea salt, sunflower lecithin, gellan gum, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin B12
Nutrition Facts (per cup): Calories: 120 / Total Fat: 3.5 grams / Saturated Fat: 0.5 grams / Carbohydrates: 22 grams / Dietary Fiber: 3 grams / Sugar: 5 grams / Protein: 2 grams
If you enjoy the sweet taste of Coffee Mate's French Vanilla creamer but are cutting back on dairy, the brand's Natural Bliss Vanilla Oat Milk Creamer is just the splash you need in your morning coffee. With 8 grams of added cane sugar per tablespoon, it's a bit too sweet for our everyday oat milk needs, but it works wonderfully when we're in the mood for something dessert-like.
Ingredients: Oat milk (water, oat flour), cane sugar, coconut oil, pea protein, baking soda, natural flavor, gellan gum
Nutrition Facts (per tablespoon): Calories: 25 / Total Fat: 1 gram / Saturated Fat: 1 gram / Carbohydrates: 5 grams / Sugar: 8 grams / Protein: 0 grams
Elmhurst Unsweetened Milked Oats is a more natural choice for when you're concerned about oils, gums, and stabilizers being added to your oat milk. It's our fave oat milk without oil. It contains only water, oats, and salt, which makes for a watery, slightly gritty texture, and a flavor similar to almond milk. It's not quite right for coffee, but we would happily use it in smoothies.
Ingredients: Filtered water, whole grain oats, salt
Nutrition Facts (per cup): Calories: 80 / Total Fat: 1.5 grams / Saturated Fat: 0 grams / Carbohydrates: 14 grams / Dietary Fiber: 2 grams / Sugar: 1 gram / Protein: 4 grams
This sugar-free Mooala Oatmilk gets its creaminess not from oil, but from organic coconut cream! For an oat milk without oil, it's impressively sweet. The coconut flavor is natural and subtle, and it gives the beverage a more exciting taste than your typical oat milk. Since it has such a clean, non-oily mouthfeel, we prefer to drink it by itself and eat it with cinnamon-y cereals rather than use it as a coffee creamer.
Ingredients: Organic gluten-free oat milk (filtered water, organic gluten-free oat flour), organic coconut cream, less than 2 percent of calcium fortification (calcium carbonate), sea salt, organic cinnamon, gellan gum
Nutrition Facts (per cup): Calories: 50 / Total Fat: 3.5 grams / Saturated Fat: 3 grams / Carbohydrates: 3 grams / Dietary Fiber: 0 grams / Sugar: 0 grams / Protein: 1 gram
Let's hear it for the best oat milk for forthing! You can bet Elmhurst's shelf-stable Milked Oats Barista Edition is ideal for frothing into espresso drinks. It sadly does curdle and separate a bit when poured directly into coffee, so we use it strictly for foaming purposes. Just like Elmhurst's Original oat milk, it has no oils or gums.
Ingredients: Filtered water, whole grain oats, contains 2% or less of: Cane sugar, dipotassium phosphate, salt
Nutrition Facts (per cup): Calories: 80 / Total Fat: 1 gram / Saturated Fat: 0 grams / Carbohydrates: 14 grams / Dietary Fiber: 2 grams / Sugar: 4 grams / Protein: 3 grams
Happy Planet's versatile Original Oatmilk has a mildly oat-y taste and a creamy, dairy-free mouthfeel, so it lingers a bit on your tongue without feeling sticky. It also makes coffee drinks impressively silky, non-bitter, and a true treat, so definitely foam it up for a cappuccino or two!
Ingredients: Oat base (filtered water, gluten free oats), tricalcium phosphate, gellan gum, sea salt, natural flavor, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2, riboflavin, vitamin B12, zinc gluconate
Nutrition Facts (per cup): Calories: 90 / Total Fat: 1.5 grams / Saturated Fat: 0 grams / Carbohydrates: 17 grams / Dietary Fiber: 2 grams / Sugar: 5 grams / Protein: 3 grams
Is Planet Oat milk good? We certainly think so. Despite the fact that Planet Oat's Original Oatmilk contains no oil (which is why it's so low in fat), it's the smoothest oat milk we've tried. It also tastes the sweetest even though it has no added sugar, which makes it excellent with cereal. One warning: its yellow-ish hue is a little off-putting, but it gets much whiter when frothed up for coffee drinks.
Ingredients: Oat milk (filtered water, oats), calcium carbonate, dipotassium phosphate (stabilizer), sea salt, gellan gum, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin B12
Nutrition Facts (per cup): Calories: 90 / Total Fat: 1.5 grams / Saturated Fat: 0 grams / Carbohydrates: 19 grams / Dietary Fiber: 2 grams / Sugar: 4 grams / Protein: 2 grams
We're pleased to find that Califia's Oat Barista Blend is smooth and sweet (despite its relatively low sugar content), and it really puts the spotlight on the oat flavor. Many of us at Brit + Co think it tastes like actual milk after eating a bowl of Cheerios.
The milk also froths and bubbles exceptionally well — so well, even the ex-baristas in our office say it's the most similar to whole milk they've tried. As we mention up top, gums and stabilizers haven't been proven to harm the body. Nevertheless, we like that Califia keeps its ingredients list simple and gum-free.
Ingredients: Oat milk (water, oats), sunflower oil, minerals (dipotassium phosphate, calcium carbonate, tricalcium phosphate), sea salt
Nutrition Facts (per cup): Calories: 130 / Total Fat: 7 grams / Saturated Fat: 1 gram / Carbohydrates: 14 grams / Dietary Fiber: 0 grams / Sugar: 3 grams / Protein: 1 gram
Oatly Barista Edition is by far our favorite oat milk to mix into coffee. It might just be the best oat milk for frothing – it foams just like whole milk, which we suspect is due to its unique use of rapeseed oil, an oil similar to canola that does well in high heat.
The product also tastes remarkably similar to whole milk too, down to its subtle sweetness and hint of sourness. You can't always buy this Barista Blend in grocery stores or online since it's often reserved for foodservice accounts, but you can find a list of cafes that carry Oatly online, some of which will sell you it individually or by the case.
Ingredients: Oat milk (water, oats), rapeseed oil. Contains 2 percent or less of: dipotassium phosphate, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, sea salt, vitamin B12, riboflavin (B2), vitamin D2, vitamin A
Nutrition Facts (per cup): Calories: 140 / Total Fat: 7 grams / Saturated Fat: 0.5 grams / Carbohydrates: 16 grams / Dietary Fiber: 2 grams / Sugar: 7 grams / Protein: 3 grams
Though we'd rather have a latte with Oatly Barista Edition, the brand's original oat milk gets our number-one spot for its drinkability and likeness to 2% milk. Unlike other brands, this one has a milky white hue and neutral, not-too-sweet flavor. You can use it like you'd use dairy milk: by itself in a glass, in coffee, and in baked goods, and hot dishes!
When it comes to Planet Oat vs. Oatly (some of the most popular oat milk brands out there), Oatly comes out on top for us.
Ingredients: Oat milk (water, oats). Contains 2 percent or less of: rapeseed oil, dipotassium phosphate, calcium carbonate, tricalcium phosphate, sea salt, dicalcium phosphate, riboflavin, vitamin A, vitamin D2, vitamin B12
Nutrition Facts (per cup): Calories: 120 / Total Fat: 5 grams / Saturated Fat: 0.5 grams / Carbohydrates: 16 grams / Dietary Fiber: 2 grams / Sugar: 7 grams / Protein: 3 grams
We hope you enjoyed our list of the best oak milk brands ranked and hope you feel more empowered to try some next time you are grocery shopping!
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This post was updated from a previous post.
