It's not your imagination: Oat milk is suddenly everywhere - TheSpec.com

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I love an oat milk latte — the non-dairy ingredient foams up nicely when heated and doesn’t add a distracting flavour to my espresso, unlike nutty alternatives. It also works just fine in iced coffees, though I find it more enjoyable when frothed. Now, more often than not, I’ll ask the local barista to use oat milk in my morning cup, even though I’m not plant-based.

And I’m not alone. Despite oat milk’s relative newcomer status, it’s the “fastest growing plant milk in the global market,” according to the trend forecaster WGSN. It has the backing of the A-list, too: When the trendy Swedish brand Oatly raised a US$200 million equity investment last year, Oprah, Natalie Portman and former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz were all part of the cohort.

Another reason to feel good about oat milk? It’s considered far more environmentally sustainable than dairy milk, and has a lighter impact than other non-dairy alternatives, too. Almonds, for example, are a water-intensive crop to grow.

As the oat-milk boom carries on, the grain is now making its way into more products and other supermarket aisles. Here are a few options you can find on shelves, along with my entirely subjective taste-testing.

The sugar-free alternative

My first sip of Oat Canada’s silky drink was a bit of a shock to my senses. It made me realize I’ve come to expect some sweetness in my oat milk, and this definitely wasn’t that. But after adjusting my expectations, I enjoyed this version quite a bit. It’s made by a Toronto-based brand as a diabetic-friendly option that’s truly zero-sugar (some “unsweetened” oak milk products still pack natural sugars). It performs in all the ways you want oat milk to: It feels fresh, foams nicely and works well wherever you’d normally use dairy milk. The oatiness does come through a bit more strongly than other drinks I’ve tried, so keep that in mind if you favour a subtler flavour.

Oat Canada oat drink, $5, well.ca

The creamer alternative

I know what you’re thinking: How is an oat-based coffee creamer any different from oat milk? I’m not going to pretend to understand the technical differences, but I’ve tried oat creamer in the past and didn’t like it at all — it was watery, bland and ruined my coffee. But I did want to give oat creamer another chance, so this time I opted for Coffee-Mate’s offering. I loved it. It was thick, creamy, subtly sweet and so smooth. I don’t usually add creamer to my coffee, but I’d buy this again.

Coffee-Mate Bliss plain oat coffee enhancer, $6, metro.ca

The butter alternative

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If oat margarine sounds weird to you — well, same. I just couldn’t wrap my head around the idea, though I was intrigued. I was pleasantly surprised by Becel’s new, dairy-free spread with oat beverage, which was light and not overly greasy. I used it to make a grilled cheese (with a slice of dairy, admittedly), and the oat flavour didn’t come through at all. Would I rather be eating real butter? Probably! But this is a legitimately good alternative for those who are plant-based.

Becel margarine with oat beverage, $4, walmart.ca

The ice cream alternative

Does Canadian brand Snö’s oat-based frozen dessert cookie sandwiches provide a convincing ice cream dupe? Not really. But the “ice cream” was rich and creamy and had a delightful, almost floral, vanilla flavour. The dairy-free chocolate chip cookies making up the sandwich were, however, less impressive — chalkier than I would’ve liked. Next time, I’d go for just a tub of the frozen dessert, which would make for a perfectly nice treat.

Snö Dairy Free Vanilla Explosion frozen dessert sandwiches, $7, grocerygateway.com

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