This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Bryant chapter.
Plant milks have become increasingly popular in recent years, with new brands debuting different varieties and flavors mainly due to dairy’s negative impact on the environment and our health. But there’s so many on the market right now, so we’re here to tell you all about them and which are our favorites!
Alex Frank / Spoon
Here’s a list ranking them from best (1) to worst (10):
Oat milk
Soy milk
Pea milk
Coconut milk
Flax milk
Hemp milk
Hazelnut milk and macadamia milk
Almond milk
Cashew milk
Rice milk
Let’s talk about why we ranked them this way – we’ll start at the bottom, with rice milk.
Rice Milk
Rice milk is the nondairy equivalent of skim milk. It’s super watery, so it’s not a great choice for coffee. But if you’re allergic to nuts or like the consistency of skim milk, then rice milk might be a good choice for you!
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum is cashew milk – it’s super thick and creamy, almost a little too thick to compare to the rest of our nondairy milks. It’s great for making some bomb mashed potatoes, or using as a coffee creamer!
Kristine Mahan / Spoon
Almond Milk
Yes – it’s an unpopular opinion to have almond milk so low on our list – but that’s because we’ve discovered so many other delicious plant milks that haven’t been as much of a powerhouse in the nondairy industry as almond milk has. Almond milk is super versatile and has a great consistency, but it does have a very nutty flavor. It’s good for baking, but we’ve noticed that sometimes it does split in hot drinks. It does have a very high environmental impact as well, using up a lot of water to be produced.
Torey Walsh / Spoon
Hazelnut Milk & Macadamia Milk
We couldn’t decide which is better or worse, so we lumped macadamia milk and hazelnut together. Both of these milks are creamy and slightly sweet (they kind of remind us of almond milk). It’s great for coffee and lattes!
Jessica Kelly / Spoon
Hemp Milk
We love hemp milk because its one of the most environmentally friendly plant milks – it requires minimal water to grow! As far as its taste goes, hemp milk has a slight nutty flavor. It’s also great for those with nut allergies.
Flax milk’s consistency is comparable to your typical dairy milk – it’s not too thick or thin. It has a great, mild flavor and is delicious in coffee or with cereal!
Photo by Delphine Hourlay from Pexels
Coconut Milk
Because of its strong coconut-y flavor, coconut milk is one of those things where you either love it, or hate it. For us, we love it – which is why coconut milk is one of our favorite nondairy milks! Its flavor and consistency are just all around great. It’s great for baking and adding to coffee, lattes, and smoothies, but might not be the best to drink or to use for cereal.
Photo by Louis Hansel @shotsoflouis on Unsplash
Pea Milk
The great thing about pea milk is its high protein content, compared to some other nondairy milks. Pea milk is one of the most comparable plant milks to dairy milk, in regard to consistency and flavor. It has a neutral taste so its an ideal substitute for dairy milk – in smoothies, coffee, cereal, or for baking and cooking – pea milk is a versatile option.
Like pea milk, soy milk is an all-around great nondairy option. It has a high protein content, a neutral flavor, and great consistency – so it’s pretty much perfect for everything from baking and cooking, to using for cereal and coffee, to adding to your smoothies and shakes. If you can, try to always buy organic!
And that brings us to our favorite – oat milk! Not only is oat milk a good choice if you’re considering environmental impact (it uses a lot less energy and water to produce and manufacture than other nondairy milks), but its taste is just unbeatable. It’s a little thicker than some nondairy milks, but not too thick. It also has a great neutral flavor that makes it good for pretty much everything – cooking, baking, coffee, smoothies, etc. Oat milk is probably your best bet if you’re trying to find a plant milk that mimics dairy milk.
