We Tried 10 Different Oat Milks - Here’s How We Ranked Them

Ever since oat milk arrived on the scene, brands have hurriedly released their take on the sweet, mellow, and nutless dairy-free alternatives. 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 milks 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 gums and stabilizers for texture and 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" 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.
10. Planet OAT MILK Extra Creamy
Though we are all for Original Planet Oat, the brand's Extra Creamy Oatmilk 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 used in cereal.
Ingredients: Oatmilk (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
9. Coffee Mate Natural Bliss Vanilla Oat Milk Creamer
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 needed 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 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
8. Elmhurst Unsweetened Milked Oats
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 contains 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
7. Mooala Organic Coconut Oatmilk
Sugar-free Mooala Oatmilk gets its creaminess not from oil but from organic coconut cream. 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
6. Elmhurst Milked Oats Barista Edition
You can bet Elmhurst's shelf-stable Milked Oats Barista Edition is ideal for frothing into espresso drinks. It sadly does curdle and separate when poured directly into coffee, so we use it strictly for foaming purposes. Just like Elmhurst's Original, it has no oils or gums.
Ingredients: Filtered water, whole grain oats, contains 2 percent 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
5. Happy Planet Original Oatmilk
Happy Planet's versatile Original Oatmilk has a mildly oaty taste and 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
4. Planet Oat Original Oatmilk
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 hue is a little off-putting, but it gets much whiter when frothed up for coffee drinks.
Ingredients: Oatmilk (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
3. Califia Farms Oat Barista Blend
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 the 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: Oatmilk (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
2. OATLY Barista Edition Oatmilk
OATLY Barista Edition is by far our favorite oat milk to mix into coffee. 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 Barista Blend in grocery stores or online since it's 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: Oatmilk (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
1. OATLY Milk Chilled
Though we'd rather have a latte with Oatly Barista Edition, the brand's original Oatmilk Chilled gets our number-one spot for its drinkability and likeness to 2-percent 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.
Ingredients: Oatmilk (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 1 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 ranked list of the best oak milk and hope you feel more empowered next time you are shopping!
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This post was updated from a previous post.
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