-
Our content is meticulously curated through independent research, testing, reviews, and AI-driven recommendations, all designed to present you with the finest product choices. When you make a purchase through our links, it could result in us earning a commission.
The Best Vegan Milk of 2024
Welcome to our vegan milk review guide, where we dive into the
delightful world of dairy-free alternatives! Whether you're lactose
intolerant, vegan, or just curious, vegan milk offers a delicious and
versatile alternative to traditional dairy. From creamy oat to rich soy, we'll explore our picks for the best vegan milk of 2024. Oat milk is a popular option nowadays, and Willa's Vegan Milk is no exception. It's favored for its healthy ingredients, low sugar, and whole-grain oats. Discover new favorites to splash in
your coffee, pour over cereal, or use in your favorite recipes and savor the plant-powered goodness!Our Top Picks For Vegan Milk
View all ContentsThe Best Vegan Milk
Best Overall
Infused with premium quality wholesome ingredients, including organic whole grain oats, organic real vanilla, filtered water, and a touch of sea salt, this vegan milk from Willa is deliciously smooth and healthy. Each cup of this unsweetened oat milk contains 2 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, and just 1 gram of sugar. It also contains no added sugar content, ensuring good health with each delightful pour.
What’s more, this dairy-free milk requires less water than nut milk or cow’s milk, so it is good for the environment as well. Use it in any of your preferred recipes, including cereals, coffee, and smoothies, to enjoy a luscious flavor. Owing to its healthy, allergen-free, non-GMO, and USDA-approved ingredients, we consider this plant-based vegan milk the best overall on our list.
Pros
- Contains whole grain oats
- Comes in a pack of six
- Healthy, simple ingredients
- Free of canola oil and added phosphates
Cons
- Not creamy but a little watery
- The chalky, gritty texture
Most Travel-Friendly
Ripple’s vegan milk is a perfect alternative to cow’s milk as it is extremely healthy and nutritious. Containing no traces of lactose, gluten, nut, and soy, this beverage comes enriched with vital vitamins, proteins, and minerals. It is also non-GMO, has 40% less sugar and 50% more calcium than other dairy-free milk, and provides 8 grams of nutritious pea protein with each serving.
Being a single-serve, shelf-stable carton, this travel-friendly plant-based milk is excellent for snacks, lunch boxes, and drinking on the go. Available in three flavors, this sustainable, eco-friendly option nourishes your body and tastes delicious, all while leaving a small footprint on the environment.
Pros
- Low in calories and sugar
- Healthy, nutritious, and delicious
- Creamy texture
- Travel-ready, single-serve carton
Cons
- Contains added sugar
Excellent Creamer
Enjoy the rich, creamy, and satisfying taste of this barista blended style oat milk from Califia Farms. For a pleasant, smooth drinking experience, you can pour it straight into a mug and sip it. This perfectly textured milk also serves as an excellent creamer that foams well when frothed and mixed with coffee.
Made with premium-quality whole rolled, gluten-free oats, this unsweetened vegan milk is shelf stable and requires no refrigeration unless you open it. It is also free from nuts, soy, and allergens, so there’s no need to worry about high fat or allergic reactions. Plus, this ready-to-drink milk is also free of gums or stabilizers and gives amazing results when used while cooking or baking.
Pros
- Perfect for drinking, cooking, and baking
- Blends well and tastes delicious
- Comes with six cartons
- Amazing non-dairy creamer for coffee
Cons
- Contains phosphates
Most Delicious
Enriched with the goodness of almonds, this vegan milk from Orgain provides you with ten times more protein than its counterparts. It comes infused with plant-based nutrients, including calcium and vitamin D. With 100 calories per serving, this lactose-free, gluten-free, and soy-free product is a perfect alternative to milk.
Since all of its ingredients have been hand-picked, it provides you with maximum nutritional value. It is also as delicious as it is nutritious, so you can use it to prepare oatmeal, smoothies, cereals, and coffee for a rich taste. What’s more, this vanilla-flavored milk is non-GMO certified and does not contain any artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. On top of everything, one package provides you with six milk containers, each containing 32 ounces of organic vegan milk.
Pros
- Great source of calcium and vitamin D
- Available in sweetened and unsweetened vanilla flavor
- Doesn’t contain carrageenan for thickening
- No saturated fats
Cons
- Slightly thicker consistency
Most Nutritious
Satisfy your taste buds with this shelf-stable plain soy milk from Silk that comes specifically packaged for non-refrigerated storage. This means you can keep it fresh at room temperature until it is unsealed. Made with whole-harvested soybeans, this product guarantees 50% more calcium than dairy milk and 8 grams of protein in each serving.
You can consume it directly or add it to power up several recipes such as cereal, coffee, and a lot more. It also comes free from lactose, artificial colors, casein, peanut, egg, gluten, and carrageenan, making it the perfect non-dairy product. Because it’s low in saturated fats and high in protein content, this non-GMO project verified vegan milk can be considered the safest, most nutritious alternative to dairy milk.
Pros
- Convenient refrigeration-free storage
- An unflavored nutrient powerhouse
- Perfect for traveling
- Creamy in texture
Cons
- It can be slightly overpriced
Vegan Milk: A Buying Guide
If you are new to the world of veganism, selecting a suitable non-dairy product when there are countless varieties on the market can be difficult. Each vegan milk is different from the others in terms of ingredients, nutrition, taste, usage, and packaging, offering unique benefits. Deciding on a particular brand highly depends upon your requirements and preferences.
To help you make an informed purchasing decision, we have carefully curated a buying guide comprising all the key things you should consider while choosing your next vegan milk brand. Quickly give it a read to make a smart and healthy choice next time your household runs out of milk.
Why Should You Go For Vegan Milk?
There are plenty of reasons for choosing vegan milk instead of traditional dairy milk. These can be listed as follows.
- Some animals live under miserable conditions at factory farms and may be treated cruelly to get dairy milk. Vegan milk, on the other hand, is cruelty-free.
- The production costs for vegan milk are significantly less than for dairy milk. This is because it cancels out the need to house and breed animals. Plus, the cost of their waste disposal is also saved.
- Vegan milk tastes consistently better than dairy milk.
- Dairy milk contains saturated fat, while most vegan alternatives are low in saturated fat but don’t compromise on protein and calcium content.
- The dairy industry produces the greenhouse gas methane, which is seven times more damaging than carbon dioxide.
- Many people felt relieved from digestive problems, acne, and congestion when they stopped drinking dairy milk and switched to vegan milk.
- Since lactose-intolerant people cannot digest lactose-rich dairy milk, they can turn to vegan milk, which is free of lactose.
- At so-called animal welfare dairy farms, cows are still sent to slaughterhouses when they stop giving milk. Vegan milk can put this cruelty to an end.
What Ingredients To Look For in Vegan Milk
Ingredients play a vital role in determining the nutritional value of vegan milk. Here are some that you should look for in your next non-dairy product.
Wholesome ingredients
High-quality, wholesome ingredients maintain all the fiber and proteins in the vegan milk, making it a waste-free product. It also helps in creating a richer taste, along with maintaining better nutrition.
Sugar
The majority of vegan milk comes unsweetened, while some contain added sugar for taste. Your preference will usually depend upon your requirements and taste. You should always check this aspect before buying any such product, as you cannot add sweetened milk to recipes that are meant to taste salty. Plus, choosing unsweetened vegan milk can save you a lot of calories.
Calcium
The majority of vegan milk brands offer at least as much calcium as you can find in pure cow’s milk. You are advised to select a product that provides at least 300 milligrams of calcium per serving. For this, you can check the label of your vegan milk to see if it has 30% of your RDA (recommended dietary allowance) of calcium. Luckily, some brands offer 50% more calcium than dairy milk.
Protein
The majority of plant-based vegan milk options provide 8 grams of plant protein per serving, but some brands even offer a higher protein content. So, if you want to consume a protein-rich product, you should specifically check this factor.
Factors To Consider While Buying Vegan Milk
Allergen-free
If you are allergic to certain things, then you should check beforehand that the product you are going for is free from that allergen. Ideally, you should choose a completely non-dairy product because it’ll be gluten-free, lactose-free, soy-free, dairy-free, carrageenan-free, and free from any preservatives. And, if it doesn’t contain artificial sweeteners, that’d be the icing on the cake.
Taste
You won’t like to invest in a product that tastes awful, so before finalizing the purchase, check its flavor carefully. Some vegan milk options are unflavored, while some come infused with vanilla or chocolate flavors.
Travel-friendly
If you are looking for a travel-friendly option, then you should choose one that comes as a single-serve carton. This way, you’ll be able to consume it fully in one go without feeling the need to refrigerate any remaining vegan milk.
Shelf stable
You may want to invest in a product that is shelf-stable and requires no refrigeration. Such products are convenient to handle and can easily be carried while traveling.
Coffee-friendly
If you are highly skilled at making amazing vegan lattes at home, then your choice of plant milk should be soy, oat, or specially designated “barista brand” almond milk. You may also look for sweetened options, as unsweetened varieties may taste bitter after steaming.
Calories
If you are a calorie-conscious person, you should go for a low-calorie product. Typically, the calorie count for various plant-based milk ranges from 25 to 140 calories per 8-ounce serving.
Nutritional powerhouse
If you want to maximize your nutrition with every sip, you can opt for a fortified product. You can also select high-protein plant milk such as soy or pea. Several plant-based vegan milk options even come with added omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, and vitamins B and D.
People Also Asked
Which vegan milk is the healthiest?
The healthiest vegan milk depends on individual dietary needs and preferences. Options like almond milk and soy milk offer protein and essential nutrients, while oat milk provides fiber, but it's important to choose unsweetened varieties to avoid added sugars.
Is vegan milk better than dairy milk?
Whether vegan milk is better than dairy milk depends on individual dietary preferences, health considerations, and ethical concerns. Vegan milk offers a cruelty-free option with potentially lower environmental impact, while dairy milk provides certain nutrients like calcium and vitamin D but may pose concerns for lactose intolerant individuals or those with ethical objections to animal products.
Is almond milk better than oat milk?
Both almond milk and oat milk have their own nutritional benefits and flavor profiles, so the choice depends on individual preferences and dietary needs. Almond milk is lower in calories and often higher in calcium, while oat milk typically contains more fiber and can have a creamier texture.
Does soy milk have side effects?
Soy milk is generally safe for consumption for most people, but some individuals may experience digestive issues or allergic reactions. Moderation is key, especially for those with soy allergies or thyroid conditions, as soy contains compounds that may affect hormone levels.
