Got oat milk? It’s all around us, from coffee shops to vegan ice cream to our own fridges. Americans spent $1.5 billion on oat milk from 2019 to 2020, making it the second best-selling plant milk, only behind almond milk. But, as we all know, not all oat milks are created equal.
We tasted original unsweetened oat milk from four top brands—including one from Oregon!—for fair comparison. (One caveat: we tasted Califia Farms' Barista Blend oat milk, since the original flavor was sold out.) Who prevailed?
Our Top Pick
Califia Farms Barista Blend Oat Milk
Though there was a noticeable fatty feel on the tongue (probably due to the added sunflower oil), and the color was slightly gray, our testers thought this one tasted the closest to real whole milk. We wouldn’t hesitate to add it to our cereal or pair it with chocolate chip cookies. Note that this was the only refrigerated oat milk of the ones we tried, so if you’re looking for a shelf-stable option, go for one of our runners-up.
The Middle of the Pack
Oatly has been around since 1994, when it was released in Sweden, and it’s easy to see why it’s stood the test of time. This oat milk had a hint of sweetness to it, but not in a bad way. It didn’t taste much like milk or oatmeal, earning positive comments from our testers, who liked the neutral flavor. While Oatly’s offering wouldn’t be terribly compelling to drink on its own, we could see it working well in cereal, coffee, or cooking applications.
Peeking into the glass, we were hesitant about this one. “The color is a little off-putting to me. It’s a little brown,” said a tester. Right away, we got whiffs of cereal milk, which translated on the palate as a slightly-too-sweet taste. “It tastes like oatmeal—like a Quaker Oats oatmeal kids’ packet,” said another. But this milk was not without its merits. Tasters liked the viscosity, which they remarked was similar to regular dairy milk.
Last Place
Pacific Foods Organic Oat Original
We were rooting for this Tualatin-based company’s oat milk, the only Oregon brand of the bunch, as well as the lone organic beverage. But with the first sip, we were sorely disappointed. “Hmm, very sweet,” said one tester. “It tastes like straight-up sugar. Did you shake it?” asked another. Though none of the oat milks we tried had added sugar, oats do naturally contain the sweet stuff, and this oat milk comes in at 17 grams per cup. By comparison, our top pick Califia clocks in at three grams per cup. We could see Pacific Foods offering working in a latte, where a little sweetness might be welcome to offset the bitter espresso, but we certainly wouldn’t drink it straight.
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October 17, 2023 at 11:33PM
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4 Oat Milks Ranked, from Oatly to Planet Oat - Portland Monthly
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