Table of Contents
Ready to discover the best oat milk brands of 2024? We researched, shopped and taste-tested the top brands to bring you the widest variety of oat milk we could find (at least in central Florida). We’ve also done taste tests for the best almond milk brands and the best coconut milk brands if you want to check those out next.
Best Oat Milk Brands of 2024
In our very own rawkstar report, you can see how oat milk brands across the United States stack up. We focused on unsweetened and unflavored varieties, which I recommend using all the time. We then rated them based on the quality of ingredients, taste (and texture) and sustainable packaging.
Califia Extra Creamy Oat Milk
Simply Oat Original
Oatly Oatmilk
Elmhurst Milked Oats
Planet Oat milk Original
Natural by Nature Organic Oat milk
Chobani Oat Plain Extra Creamy
Trader Joe’s Non-Dairy Oat Beverage
Good + Gather Less Sweet Oatmilk
Chobani Zero Sugar Plain Oat Milk
Forager Organic Dairy-free Oatmilk
Silk Oat Yeah! The plain one
Factors to Determine the Best Oat Milk
Oat milk is something I’m reaching for more and more these days due to its creamy texture and mild taste. The goal of our project was to test all of the ‘original unsweetened’ oat milk we could find. Brands are not consistent with their labeling, so we had to get a bit creative.
Here are all the ways we found ‘original’ used with oat milk brands:
- Less Sweet
- Full Fat
- Less Fat
- Original
- Plain
- Unsweetened
- Extra Creamy
- Barista
- Blended with coconut and cashews
How’s that for clarity? While almond milk always has an unsweetened original version, this wasn’t the case with oat milk. We did find the zero sugar plain version of Chobani this year (yay!), yet we couldn’t find a fully unsweetened version of Good and Gather.
We also had to pick between the original and barista version of Oatly!, which threw us for a loop. We came up with a comprehensive list of what is on the market right now at the national level.
While Califia was the stand-out winner in all categories, most of the milk brands we tested were pretty middle-of-the-road. Only three brands, Califia, Elmhurst, and Forager, boasted a simple ingredient list. Simply Oat has a more straightforward ingredient list yet includes the ever-elusive ‘natural flavors,’ which dethroned its seat from our cleanest-ingredients list.
Most of the milk we tested had several additives and gums, which immediately moved them down in the ratings. The sugar content ranges from 1 gram – 10 grams between brands, so make sure to check the label if this is important to you.
Quick breakdown of calories and sugar in the top oat milk brands:
- Natural by Nature: 120 calories, 10g added sugar
- Trader Joe’s: 90 calories, 9g added sugar
- Good + Gather: 90 calories, 9g added sugar
- Chobani Extra Creamy Original: 120 calories, 8g added sugar
- Oatly: 120 calories, 7g added sugar
- Califia: 130 calories, 4g added sugar
- Planet Oat: 90 calories, 4g added sugar
- Silk: 80 calories, 4g added sugar
- Simply Oat Original: 80 calories, 4g added sugar
- Forager: 45 calories, 2g sugar (no added sugar)
- Elmhurst: 80 calories, 1g sugar (no added sugar)
- Chobani Zero Sugar Plain: 80 calories, 0g sugar
I’m still a firm believer that the best oat milk is homemade, so check out my homemade oat milk recipe and let me know how it compares to your favorite store-bought brand.
Where to Find these Oat Milk Brands
All the oat milk brands in this review were purchased around the Tampa Bay area. Obviously, there are regional grocery stores and brands not available here. Comment below with your favorite oat milk brand and store where it can be found so we can try to include it next year! My friend Erin shopped at the following stores to get as many oat milk brands as possible:
- Trader Joe’s
- Walmart
- Whole Foods
- Sprouts
- Publix
- Target
Oat milk brands are steadily gaining momentum here in the United States. For this year’s update, we were able to find two additional brands to try: Chobani Zero Sugar Plain and Simply Oat Original.
Health Benefits of Oat Milk
Like many types of plant milk (and even varieties of dairy milk), oat beverages are commonly fortified with vitamins and minerals. Brands do this to compete in the ‘milk’ category. Oats are a healthy grain in their own right, as you’ll see below:
- Lowers cholesterol: According to a study conducted by the US National Library of Medicine, regular consumption of oat milk for 5 weeks showed lower cholesterol levels.
- Loaded with fiber: 1 cup of oat milk contains 3.3 grams of fiber, 13.2% of the recommended daily intake. If you use this as a base for a green smoothie, then your gut will be thanking you for helping to keep it regular.
- Heart healthy: The soluble fiber in oat milk is also excellent (and necessary) to keep hearts healthy.
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions: not only does oat milk promote human health, it also promotes environmental health. It takes up hundreds fewer square miles to produce than dairy milk, and uses 1/8th of the water consumption expended in the production of almond milk.
- Fortified with B vitamins: Most commercially available oat milk is fortified (as are other dairy and non-dairy milk products). This plant milk specifically is loaded with B vitamins, which helps the body stay energized and also promotes heart health.
Is Oat Milk Gluten Free?
I love that oat milk isn’t only a healthy choice for our bodies and an environmentally friendly choice for our planet. If you’re sensitive to gluten, make sure to read the labels and ingredient list closely. Some brands specify gluten-free oats were used, yet most don’t. If you’re looking for a gluten-free brand, these are ones we found that say “gluten free” on them:
- Planet Oats
- Simply Oat
- Elmhurst
- Calafia
- Chobani (both kinds)
- Forager: states they use “gluten-free oats”
Best Oat Milk Brands FAQs
It really depends on what you are looking for. Unsweetened, plain oat milk that is just oats + water contains small amounts of several nutrients, is low in sugar and has a good amount of fiber. Many store bought brands also fortify their milks with vitamins and minerals, so you can always read labels to determine the best milk for your needs.
As with many store brands, beware of the added sugar, gums and fillers that might be in your oat milk. This varies widely between brands and if it’s important to you then make sure you read your labels. Also, since oats are a whole grain, they are higher in carbohydrates. This could lead to spikes in blood sugar if your body is sensitive to that. Bring your preferred brand to your health practitioner to determine if this kind of milk the best one for you.
Unsweetened, plain oat milk contains 5 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat, 4 grams of fiber and 5 grams of sugar per serving. Store bought brands typically fortify with vitamins and minerals like iron, vitamin D and vitamin C. Always read your labels to determine the best brand for you!
Thanks for the updated report! This is super helpful.
Hi – thank you for this. I recently found a 6 carton pack of organic oatmilk branded in a simple sleek packaging called “oat”. I am curious to compare this to the others you tested.
Let us know what you think of that one! 🙂
We started buying oat milk online once we started sheltering in place a few months ago. We buy Califia Barista Gluten Free Oat Milk in 6 quart cases, which come in cartons and not the plastic bottles that cause some folks concern, and it tastes great. The milk is shelf stable and does not require refridgeration until opened, and we use it for everything we used to use cow’s milk for. While the online price ($2.50/qt.) is more than in-store for a quart, the fact that it can be ordered online during times like these, more than makes up for the price, at least for us.
(FYI – in case this sounds like a plug, we do not work for, nor know anyone else who works for, Califia. :-))
That’s great to know about the option to purchase online in bulk. Thank you, Eckhard! 🙂
Thank you for doing these reports! I always find them so helpful when deciding which brands to buy. Califia comes in such a cute bottle too- glad it rated so well!
Glad this was such a help for you! 🙂
I don’t get the Oatly hype. I bought a container and regretted it after the first sip. i did try the Chobani and I didn’t find it as bad as this review did. If the Califa oatmilk tastes like it’s eggnog cousin, I’ll pass on that as well. I have
Even though they are all oat milks, they do all have different flavors and that’s such a personal preference. I hope you’re able to find one you like.
I’m so glad you did this test. Oat milk is my choice for my coffee and it’s so thick and creamy. I just love it. Thank you for doing this and sharing about the extra ingredients that are often in oat milk. Other than the added sugar it didn’t occur to me to look at the ingredients list. I think I’ll be changing my brand. 🙂
Yay! I love this so much. I changed to Califia Gluten-Free Oat Milk a few months ago with this pandemic. Thank you for sharing this information.
You’re very welcome, Jackie! 🙂
Glad we could help explain things and assist you in making a well-informed decision, Laura!
YAY! Love this. I switched to Oat milk last year and love it especially in tea lattes. I recently got my SO to switch over from real milk and he loves Califia and my favorite is Oatly’s Low Fat version. So we have both in the fridge now. 🙂 Thank you for the this great review.
That’s great you were able to find one for you and help your SO find one he likes, as well! 🙂
Hi Jen….thank you for all the information. I love oats and anything that you can make with them.
I do have a concern though. Glyphosate… it’s said to be used on oat crops…and not a good thing for us. What do you think?
Hi Janet. Organic farmers are absolutely forbidden from using glyphosate (a synthetic substance) in their farming practices therefore, any certified organic ingredients/products won’t contain it, nor will any products that are certified Non-GMO. Non-organic oats or oat-based products have the potential to contain glyphosate, as this is a farming aid widely used for weed control and crop desiccation.
Awesome! I am happy to know that I’m using the #1 oat milk! I live in the Pacific NW (200 mi from Seattle) and I find Califia at Safeway, usually on sale. Can’t wait until coffee shops add it to their regular non-dairy menu.
Our local coffee shops offer oat milk as an option and I was so happy when I discovered that. I’m sure more and more will follow suit!
Thank you so much for doing these. As a consumer, I get confused by which thickeners are necessary vs which ones are unhealthy. I can’t love these studies enough!! A helpful idea: Maybe make the charts into a pdf for quick access on my phone while shopping!
So glad you’re finding these helpful, Megan! And that’s a great suggestion about the charts. I will pass it on to Jen! 🙂
This is great! While some of the metrics above are obvious. I’m wondering about “quality”. Is quality linked to the how healthy the food is, how long it lasts, etc? Also, I am curious about the packaging metric because while I love the design of Califa, I often avoid it because of the plastic. Thanks for providing a great resource!
Great questions Carrie! We based quality on the following: quality of ingredients, packaging (some companies are certified B corps, so they got a boost in the quality category), and quantity of ingredients. If 2 brands had similar ingredients, yet one used organic ingredients and one didn’t, the organic one was rated higher in the quality category. All of the packaging was considered ‘recyclable’ yet the companies that use certified environmentally packaging got a better rating as well.
Thank you! I have been drinking oatly since discovering oat milk and like it better than almond!.
I agree! Since I’ve discovered oat milk, I have been using it more and more. And it’s great to have a review of so many of the options available!
I agree about Califa, but I like the barista blend best. I bought it for my coffee, but definitely use in other things.
The barista blend makes a great froth when I mix up a drink in my Vitamix. 🙂
Thank you for this amazing research Jen and your work in general. I’ve been following you ever since attending your workshop at WWS (5, 6 years ago?) — best workshop by the way! — and I think you’re a total Rawkstar.
I live in Quebec, Canada and we don’t have nearly as many choices for Oat Milks but I do love Earth’s Own Barista Edition and it’s a Canadian company!
Cheers! To Oatmilk!
So glad you found this helpful, Caroline! Cheers!
Can you do a coconut milk round up/review??
I will let Jen know that’s been requested! 🙂
I was most shocked that Silk scored so poorly! Can’t wait to try out some of these new brands.
Me too!