Best oat milk taste test

What is oat milk?

Soaked porridge oats are blended with filtered water (and often a dash of sea salt and oil) to make a dairy-free alternative to milk that’s ideal for use in vegan baking, eating with cereal or drinking. Oat milk is also sometimes fortified with extra vitamins and minerals and comes in different varieties: whole, semi (think of this like semi-skimmed cow’s milk), barista-style (good for foaming with a coffee machine) or UHT. With ever-increasing competition on the shelves in this area, we tried more than 20 oat milks to find the best.

How we tested

We tried the oat milks on their own and in a cup of coffee, looking for colour, consistency and creaminess.

At a glance:

• Best soya-free choice: Oatly oat drink whole, £1.95
• Best for an Americano: Califia Farms oat barista blend, £2
• Best for porridge: MOMA barista-edition oat milk, £1.55
• Best allrounder: Alpro barista oat milk, £1.80
• Best for ice coffee: Glebe Farm PureOaty barista, £1.99
• Best for foaming: Oatly oat drink barista edition, £1.75
• Best semi-skimmed milk alternative: MOMA oat original, £1.50
• Best for cereal: Jörd Nordic oat drink, £1.40
• Best for hot chocolate: Tree of Life organic oat drink, £1.90
• Best light oat milk: Plenish organic oat unsweetened, £1.75
• Best for tea: Provamel organic-bio oat, £1.99
• Best for a café au lait: Minor Figures barista oat, £1.80

The results of the best oat milk taste test

Oatly oat drink whole, £1.95/1 litre

Score: 9/10

Best soya-free choice

Creamy with a smooth consistency and rich dairy milk flavour, with no powdery aftertaste. A hint of savoury saltiness was perfect in iced coffee or desserts such as rice pudding. This was the best-tasting oat milk on test, with superior flavour and versatility. We’d happily drink it on its own and in coffee – it adds great creaminess.

Available from:

Amazon (£2.10)
Ocado (£1.95)

Califia Farms oat barista blend, £2/1 litre

Score: 9/10

Best for Americanos

A light but silky-smooth milk with a roasted smell and sweetness that's reminiscent of a flapjack. There's added calcium and an overall dairy-like mouthfeel. It also looks and tastes the most similar to dairy milk, as it has a touch of fat – it's good in coffee, as both liquids combine well to create a tan colour.

Available from:
Sainsbury's (£2)
Tesco (£2)
Waitrose & Partners (£2)

MOMA barista edition oat milk, £1.55/ 1 litre

Score: 8.5/10

Best in porridge

This oat milk has a nice, sweet smell, despite being unsweetened. It's thick and creamy on its own, and slightly more brown in colour than others. This oat milk feels indulgent, and when you add it to coffee, you can taste a fine grain that is not unappealing.

Available from:
Sainsbury's (£1.55)
Amazon (pack of six for £8.44)

Alpro barista oat milk, £1.80/1 litre

Score: 8/10

Best all-rounder

The most versatile milk, this Alpro oat milk has a roasted smell and flavour, with a velvety texture that is drawn out in coffee. Tasters thought this oat milk was the most like dairy milk, and it creates a silky, creamy froth that's good for chai lattes.

Available from:

Tesco (£1.80)

Glebe Farm PureOaty barista, £1.99/ 1 litre

Score: 8/10

Best for iced coffee

This is the sweetest oat milk of the bunch, but also resembles cow's milk the most, making it a good option for those trying to incorporate dairy-free milk into their diet. It also has a nice thickness, so it holds up well in tea, coffee and smoothies to lighten them up.

Available from:

Holland & Barrett (£1.99)
Amazon (pack of five for £16.50)
Morrisons (£1.80)

Oatly oat drink barista edition, £1.90/ 1 litre

Score: 8/10

Best for foaming

On its own, this milk has a slight chemical flavour that's not masked by its slight sweetness, which tasters found disappointing. In coffee, the chemical flavour disappears and the milk becomes a thicker, more velvety liquid that does not separate and foams up very well. It would work in a cappuccino.

Available from:
Tesco (£1.90)
Sainsbury's (£1.90)
Amazon (pack of six for £10.50)

MOMA oat original, £1.50/1 litre

Score: 8/10

Best for a semi-skimmed milk alternative

Slightly more watery than others, but this has a definite smooth, creamy oat flavour with a milky aftertaste. Great as an alternative to semi-skimmed cow’s milk in a cuppa.

Available from:

Ocado (£1.50)
Sainsbury's (£1.50)
Amazon (six for £8.55)

Jörd Nordic oat drink, £1.40/1 litre

Score: 8/10

Best for cereal

One of the thickest milks in consistency, this is very creamy with a dash of sweetness in the aftertaste. We could imagine having this with cereal or drinking on its own.

Available from:
Sainsbury's (£1.40)
Waitrose & Partners (£1)
Amazon (£1.90)

Tree of Life organic oat drink, £1.90/ 1 litre

Score: 7/10

Best for hot chocolate

Super-sweet, this oat milk tastes like the milk left at the bottom of a cereal bowl. This oat drink has the highest percentage of oats of the group at 14%, but tasters found it a bit thin. It tends to dilute coffee, but does draw out some more bitter of notes. Tasters thought this could work well in overnight oats, thick hot chocolate or smoothies.

Available from:

Ocado (£1.90)
Amazon (£1.55)

Plenish organic oat unsweetened, £1.75/1 litre

Score: 7/10

Best light oat milk

A no-nonsense oat milk with no oil (the only one on test to not contain oil) that's slightly more watery in consistency than others. But, it makes up for this in flavour. Fairly transparent in a glass, but great for smoothies or cereal. No artificial sweetness or chemical aftertaste, either.

Available from:

Sainsbury's (£1.75)
Tesco (£2)
Holland & Barrett (£2.99)

Provamel organic-bio oat, £1.99/1 litre

Score: 6/10
Best for tea

Quite watery, but with a nice, smooth finish and no chemical aftertaste. Tastes like good-quality oats, with a refreshingly nutty flavour – a good alternative to skimmed cow’s milk if you prefer a lighter, less creamy milk for adding to teas or coffees.

Available from:

Holland & Barrett (£1.99)
Sainsbury's (£2)
Amazon (eight for £24)

Minor Figures barista oat, £1.80/1 litre

Score: 6/10

Best in a café au lait

Very pale in comparison to the others, with a very milky smell. This would be great in a classic cup of coffee or to drink on its own.

Available from:
Waitrose & Partners (£1.80)
Morrisons (£1.80)
Holland & Barrett (£1.79)

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