We Tried 124 Dairy-Free Milks—Here Are Our 6 Favorites
Don't have a cow—try one of these dairy-free options instead. We tasted 124 brands to find the cream of the crop.
For anyone who's lactose intolerant, has a dairy allergy, is vegan, or just doesn’t like the taste of cow's milk, searching for substitutes is nothing new. To the rest of us, however, the dairy-free options can be daunting, particularly with new varieties of plant-based milks popping up every time we visit the grocery store. We tried 124 brands of plant-based milk alternatives (including oat, almond, cashew, creamers, and more) to find the best—here are our favorites.
Related Items
1 Best Oat: Oatly Full Fat Oatmilk
This sustainably produced choice has a luscious oat flavor and a texture that’s so close to cow’s milk. We loved it poured over granola and as a one-to-one substitute for dairy milk when baking.
To buy: $5 for 64 oz.; target.com.
2 Best Chocolate: Trader Joe’s Cocoa Almond Cashew Beverage
Chocolate and nuts just go together, especially in this creamy delight. Microwave it for instant hot chocolate, or blend it with banana and ice for a smoothie.
To buy: $26 for 4 32-oz. cartons; amazon.com.
3 Best Vanilla: Mooala Vanilla Bean Almondmilk
You know it’s good when you can see little flecks of vanilla bean. This silky and slightly sweet pick stood out from its sugary competitors.
To buy: $6 for 48 oz.; shoprite.com.
4 Best Creamer: Silk Original Soy Creamer
This extra-rich creamer lightens but doesn’t overly sweeten your coffee: It has just one gram of sugar per serving.
To buy: $5 for 32 oz.; silk.com.
5 Best Alternative Nut: Elmhurst 1925 Milked Walnuts
This subtle, earthy nut milk is made with just five ingredients (and no gums or emulsifiers). It’s great in oatmeal and cereal—and tasty enough to drink straight.
To buy: $14 for 2 32-oz. cartons; elmhurst1925.com.
6 Best Almond: Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almondmilk Unsweetened Original
This pick offers more calcium per cup than cow’s milk and delivers the fresh taste of almonds without added sugar.
To buy: $24 for 12 32-oz. cartons; amazon.com.