Being on a dairy-free diet is much easier than it used to be. I still remember my childhood when I had a friend who was allergic to dairy and her options for dairy-free ice cream were abysmal. It was so sad! These days, you walk into a grocery store and the refrigerator section is overflowing with dairy alternatives: soy milk, almond milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, and the subject of today's taste test: oat milk.
Made from oats and water, oat milk has become a popular alternative to dairy milk because it's vegan and gluten free. For the most part, it's also tasteless and low in calories. More and more coffee shops are offering it to customers, and many brands are also creating it in different flavor profiles to jazz up your day.
While there are a ton of oat milks on the market now—including regional brands that you'll only find in your local grocery stores—I picked up 10 from my local New York and New Jersey grocery stores to try. Unsurprisingly, I had a hard time getting my hands on some of them because dairy alternatives are quite popular around here, but I did manage to find many of them. Ahead, see my non-exhaustive list and how I ranked them.
10. Mooala Organic Simple Oatmilk
Nutrition (Per Serving):
Calories: 90
Fat: 1.5 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 140 mg
Carbs: 17 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 6 g)
Protein: 2 g
Coming in at $5.19 for a small 32-ounce container (smaller than most of the other containers on the list), the Mooala Organic Simple Oatmilk is the only one that had a bit of an off-putting smell to it. (Yes, I smelled them all.)
The look: Fragmented. The package emphasizes that you have to shake this oat milk really well, and the company truly means it. The first time I shook it and poured it out, it wasn't enough of a shake, so I had to try again. You have to really shake it to get it fully mixed up, but once you do, it's quite creamy.
The taste: This product has quite an oat-forward flavor, which won't be for everyone. It tastes what I would consider to be authentic (and it has a small ingredient list, so that's not surprising). The salt brings out the oat flavor, but I just have to reiterate how strong the oat flavor really is.
RELATED: The 9 Healthiest Oat Milks, According to Dietitians
9. Good Karma Kids Oatmilk+
Nutrition (Per Serving):
Calories: 110
Fat: 5 g (Saturated Fat: 0.5 g)
Sodium: 140 mg
Carbs: 8 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 5 g)
Protein: 8 g
Good Karma's oat milk is designed to boost protein in kids' diets, which is why it has a bit more of the nutrient than some of the others on this list. It cost me $5.79 for 52 ounces.
The look: All the nutrients packed into this oat milk made it a little bit thicker. It's quite creamy and a little bit darker in color than some of the others on the list.
The taste: Though this flavor is on the neutral side, it does have a slight oat flavor and a hint of salt. There's a slight chalkiness that comes through, though, which is not pleasant when drinking the oat milk on its own. It could be masked while in a cereal or in another dish, however.
8. Trader Joe's Non-Dairy Oat Beverage, Unsweetened Vanilla
Nutrition (Per Serving):
Calories: 60
Fat: 3.5 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 85 mg
Carbs: 5 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 0 g)
Protein: 1 g
One of Trader Joe's year-round oat milk options is unsweetened vanilla, which is the perfect option for if you want something in your morning coffee that has a hint of flavor without any sugar. This one cost $3.99 for 64 ounces.
The look: Almost exactly like dairy milk. I could have been fooled easily if this sat side by side with a low fat or fat free dairy milk.
The taste: The vanilla is very, very subtle—almost to the point where you kind of miss it. Though there is salt in this oat milk, I'd venture to say there could be a tiny bit more to make the vanilla come out more. Because I'm partial to sweeter drinks, though, I wished that this milk had more of that.
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7. Wegmans Original Oatmilk
Nutrition (Per Serving):
Calories: 110
Fat: 3.5 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 100 mg
Carbs: 18 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 7 g)
Protein: 2 g
For $4.59, you get a 64-ounce carton of oat milk from Wegmans. Though this store isn't available everywhere in the U.S., it's certainly a favorite in the Northeast, which is why I threw it on the list.
The look: Wegmans' Original Oatmilk is one of the darker-colored oat milks on the list, which makes it feel really natural and untouched by a bunch of unnecessary processes. It's thin but not watery.
The taste: While this is a pretty neutral oat milk, it does have a tiny amount of vitamins, salt, and sunflower oil added, and I might be off my rocker, but I can taste that hint of oil. That's not a bad thing, but it's present and adds just a hint of extra flavor to the milk.
6. Trader Joe's Non-Dairy Oat Beverage
Nutrition (Per Serving):
Calories: 90
Fat: 5 g (Saturated Fat: 0.5 g)
Sodium: 170 mg
Carbs: 9 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 9 g)
Protein: 2 g
Trader Joe's has a rotating cast of characters when it comes to the non-dairy oat beverage, but I stuck with the classics. The original flavor cost $3.99 for 64 ounces.
The look: This felt like it was on the thinner side, but it was on par with the other thinner oat milks. It's slightly off white in color and has a rustic appearance to it.
The taste: The oat flavor is strong with this one. If you're not into actually tasting the oat-forward undertones in your oat milk, I'd recommend avoiding this one, as you can really taste what the "beverage" is made out of.
RELATED: The 8 Healthiest Non-Dairy Milk Alternatives—and 3 To Avoid
5. The Original Oatly Oatmilk
Nutrition (Per Serving):
Calories: 120
Fat: 5 g (Saturated Fat: 0.5 g)
Sodium: 100 mg
Carbs: 16 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 7 g)
Protein: 3 g
Billed as the original, Oatly's oat milk is pretty straightforward. The base is just oats and water (before vitamins and a few other minimal goodies are added), so there's not a lot to it. This one cost $5.99 for 64 ounces.
The look: As you can imagine, because it's just oats and water, it's thin, and that's fine. Knowing that the ingredients are only oats and water means knowing that the oat milk is likely going to be a thinner consistency.
The taste: Though this oat milk has a very neutral flavor and doesn't taste like much, it does have a soft, nutty smell. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what the smell is—it's almost sweet!—but it's very light and pleasant. Considering the fact that the milk tastes like almost nothing, it's surprising that there is even a smell at all. Alas!
4. Chobani Oatmilk, Vanilla
Nutrition (Per Serving):
Calories: 120
Fat: 5 g (Saturated Fat: 0.5 g)
Sodium: 105 mg
Carbs: 15 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 9 g)
Protein: 2 g
Chobani's vanilla oat milk will definitely be a polarizing option, because the flavor is strong. It rings up at $4.79 for 52 ounces, and if you like a sweet drink, you're going to want to pick this one up. Otherwise …
The look: Think of this one like a melted vanilla milkshake. That's what the consistency is like. It's pretty thick and creamy, though it's not quite as white as vanilla ice cream.
The taste: As for the taste, it's also pretty close to a vanilla milkshake, which is why it's going to be a polarizing oat milk. I get that not everyone is going to want their milk to be this sweet—and trust me when I say it is very sweet—but if you want a drink alternative, this is pretty delicious. I wouldn't recommend cooking with it or putting it in very many things, though, besides coffee or tea.
RELATED: 7 Unhealthiest Non-Dairy Coffee Creamers on Grocery Shelves
3. Planet Oat Oatmilk, Original
Nutrition (Per Serving):
Calories: 90
Fat: 1.5 g (Saturated Fat: 0 g)
Sodium: 120 mg
Carbs: 19 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 4 g)
Protein: 2 g
This oat milk cost $3.99 for 52 ounces but it also comes in other container options. It's one of the lower-calorie options, and it contains added vitamins like B12 and D2.
The look: Planet Oat's oat milk is a little on the thin side, but I like that it's an off-white color, because it makes it seem less processed. It's not super thick and creamy, but it's also not watery, per se—it's right in the middle, consistency-wise.
The taste: Interestingly, this tastes like dairy milk to me. It has a really neutral flavor and I kept sipping it thinking my taste buds were playing a trick on me. It doesn't quite have the full body of dairy milk, but it comes the closest to what cow's milk tastes like, of all these listed here.
2. Chobani Oatmilk, Original
Nutrition (Per Serving):
Calories: 110
Fat: 5 g (Saturated Fat: 0.5 g)
Sodium: 105 mg
Carbs: 13 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 7 g)
Protein: 2 g
For $4.79, you can pick up the original Chobani Oatmilk. The brand offers a few varieties of oat milk flavors (should you want to experiment with other options), but the tried-and-true original flavor will give you that classic oat milk taste.
The look: Exactly what you'd expect oat milk to look like: a little bit on the thick side and off white in color. It's not terribly thick, but it's also not runny.
The taste: If you want an oat milk that tastes like nothing, this is the one. This has the perfect neutral flavor for cooking, incorporating into baking, or using anywhere else where you need a dairy-free option that you don't want to taste. (I see you, milk-haters!)
RELATED: The 11 Best Almond Milks To Buy, According to Dietitians
1. The Original Oatly Oatmilk, Chocolate
Nutrition (Per Serving):
Calories: 150
Fat: 3.5 g (Saturated Fat: 0.5 g)
Sodium: 150 mg
Carbs: 24 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 16 g)
Protein: 3 g
Oatly's chocolate milk isn't the only chocolate variety on the market, but it's the only one I could find in stock in my area. It comes in a small container (32 ounces for $5.79) and is the perfect refrigerator addition.
The look: This has a creamy texture that appears nothing like oat milk—it looks like run-of-the-mill chocolate milk. It's thick and a light brown color.
The taste: The chocolaty flavor hides any oat flavor that might be present here, which means it's perfect for kids who are on a dairy-free diet (or adults, for that matter). It's also just a great milk alternative for those times when you want something different to drink. The flavor is fantastic!
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