Plant-based milk: oat, almond, soy, pea and coconut compared

Plant-based milk has come a long way from a single carton of almond. Oat, almond, soy, pea, cashew and coconut each bring their own taste, texture and protein, and the right one depends on whether it's going into a latte, a bowl of cereal or a curry. If you're choosing a carton for your coffee, your kids' cereal or your cooking, this guide compares taste, texture, foaming and protein across the plant milks we stock, so the first carton you bring home is the right one.

What is plant-based milk?

Plant-based milk is a drink made from grains, nuts, seeds or legumes blended with water, used in place of cow's milk. In Canada you'll often see them sold as "beverages" rather than milk. Some are just two ingredients, like cashews and water. Others add oil for a creamy texture, minerals so they behave in hot coffee, and vitamins such as calcium, vitamin D and B12. Every plant milk is naturally lactose-free and dairy-free, which is why they're popular with people who avoid lactose or eat vegan.

That's why two cartons with the same base can be very different. The ingredient list and the nutrition table tell you more than the picture on the front.

Oat, almond, soy, pea and coconut compared

Here's how the main types of plant milk compare on taste, texture, coffee and protein. Every carton is a little different, so treat this as a starting point.

Rice milk and hemp milk are two more dairy alternatives you'll find in some grocery stores. We focus on the cartons below, which cover most of what people ask us for.

The best oat milk for coffee

Hot coffee asks a lot of a plant drink. It has to mix into an acidic liquid, hold its texture when heated and, for a latte or cappuccino, take on air as fine microfoam rather than big bubbles. Barista blends are made for that job, which is why coffee shops use them.

Oatly Barista is the classic: made from oats, with rapeseed oil and an acidity regulator that helps it stay smooth in espresso, and it's fully foamable for latte art. Califia Oat Barista holds a stable microfoam without splitting, with sunflower oil for body. Elmhurst Barista Oat skips oils and gums altogether, five ingredients that work as both a steamer and a creamer. Prefer almond? Califia Original Almond Barista froths and stretches well enough for latte art, with a little cane sugar so it doesn't fight the coffee.

For iced coffee and cold brew, foam matters less and taste matters more. A plain oat or cashew milk stirs in smoothly, and the Elmhurst Coconut & Cashew blend adds a richer, creamy texture. For the beans, see our guide to Nova Scotia coffee roasters.

A plant milk latte at home

1. Start cold. Shake the carton, pour about 150 mL of cold barista milk into a clean jug with room to expand.
2. Add a little air. Hold the steam wand tip near the surface for a few seconds, then lower it slightly so the milk spins. You want fine bubbles, not a dry cap of foam.
3. Heat, don't boil. Use your machine's plant-milk setting if it has one. Plant milk can split if it gets too hot.
4. Swirl and pour. Tap the jug to pop big bubbles, swirl until glossy and pour into your espresso right away.

An electric frother does the heating and frothing for you. If a regular carton foams poorly, try a barista blend before blaming the machine. Our matcha latte guide uses the same technique.

Nutritional content: protein, sugar and calcium

If plant milk is replacing a daily glass of dairy milk, its nutrition matters more than it does in a splash of coffee. Here's how five of our cartons compare per 250 mL cup.

The two Oatly baristas are different recipes: the regular one is fortified with calcium, and Organic Barista keeps to organic oats, rapeseed oil and sea salt. "Organic", "barista" and "fortified" describe different things, so pick by the key nutrients you care about.

Ripple milk and other high-protein plant milks

Ripple is made from yellow peas. The protein is pulled from the peas and cleaned up to leave a neutral taste, then fortified with calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A, B12, iron and zinc. Unsweetened Original has 8 g of plant-based protein and 0 g of sugar per cup, and yellow peas need little or no irrigation or fertilizer to grow.

Yofiit is a chickpea milk with pea protein and flaxseed oil, at 10 g of protein per cup. It doesn't taste like chickpeas: it's mildly nutty, and it disappears into smoothies, chia pudding and overnight oats. Soy milk sits in the same higher-protein group; an unsweetened organic soy beverage has about 7 g per cup. It's the original dairy alternative, though we don't have a soy carton on the shelf right now.

Pick the carton for the job: barista for coffee, protein for the glass, plain for cooking.

Oat milk vs almond milk for every day

Over cereal and oatmeal, oat milk is creamier and a little sweet, while almond milk is lighter and nuttier, which also suits smoothies. Oatly 4 Ingredient is about as simple as oat milk gets: water, Canadian gluten-free oats, sea salt and citrus fibre, with no added oils or gums. Closer to home, Greenhouse is a Canadian company that started in a little Toronto coach house in 2014, and that house is still its flagship shop. Its Organic Unsweetened Almond has 5 g of protein per cup thanks to a high almond content and a little oat.

Cashew milk, nut milk and coconut milk

Elmhurst has a lovely story: it was a New York family dairy for more than 90 years before it turned to plant milks in 2017, and it makes nut milk with almost nothing added. Unsweetened Cashew Milk is two ingredients, filtered water and cashews, with no gums, oils or sugar, and it's shelf stable until you open it. Once open, keep it in the fridge and use it within 7 to 10 days. Cashew milk also blends smoothly into salad dressings and homemade ice cream. The Coconut & Cashew blend is extra creamy and froths well for lattes, and it's rich enough for soups and curries.

Canned coconut milk is a different product from a carton of coconut beverage: it's thick, rich and made for cooking. Cha's Organics, started in 2006 by Chanaka and Marise, sources its coconuts on fair terms from organic growers, and its Premium Coconut Milk is just coconut and water, with no added sugar. Chill a can overnight and the cream rises to the top. Their coconut cream is the thicker version for curries and whipped toppings.

Cooking and baking with plant milk

For most recipes that call for milk, from pancakes to bread dough, plain unsweetened plant milk swaps in cup for cup. Save vanilla cartons for oatmeal and baking, not savory dishes like mashed potatoes or a cheese sauce, and remember that coconut and cashew flavours can carry into the finished dish.

Need buttermilk? Stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar into 1 cup of plain, unsweetened plant milk and let it stand for five minutes. It won't be as thick as dairy buttermilk, but it works in pancakes and quick breads. For a delicate custard, use a recipe written for plant milk rather than a straight swap.

Plant-based coffee creamers

Coffee creamers are thicker and more concentrated than drinking milk, so you only need a splash. Greenhouse Organic Oat Creamer is four ingredients with no added sugar; Silk for Coffee is an almond creamer with vanilla.

Questions we get a lot

Which plant-based milk is healthiest?

It depends on what you want from it. For protein, pea, chickpea and soy milk lead. For the shortest ingredient list, two-ingredient nut milks win. For calcium and vitamin D, pick a fortified carton. Unsweetened versions keep added sugar down.

What is Ripple milk made from?

Yellow peas. Ripple uses the protein from the peas, which gives it a clean, neutral taste, and adds calcium, vitamin D and B12.

Is Ripple milk actually healthy?

Ripple Unsweetened Original has 8 g of plant-based protein, 0 g of sugar and added calcium, vitamin D and B12, which makes it one of the more nutritious plant milks we carry.

Can a 1 year old have Ripple milk?

Ripple Kids is the one made for growing kids, with 8 g of pea protein, DHA and calcium per cup.

Which is better, almond or oat milk?

Oat milk is creamier and foams beautifully for coffee; almond milk is lighter and nuttier. For more protein, look at pea or chickpea milk.

Is oat milk high in sugar?

Oat milk has a little natural sugar from the oats, which gives it its gentle sweetness. If you'd like 0 g, choose a zero sugar oat milk like Greenhouse.

What type of almond milk do most coffee shops use?

Most cafés use a barista blend, made to steam and froth, rather than regular almond milk. Califia Original Almond Barista is one you can use at home.

How do you make plant-based milk at home?

Blend soaked nuts or rolled oats with about four times as much cold water, then strain through a nut milk bag. Homemade milk isn't fortified and keeps only a few days in the fridge. Our oats guide explains which oats to buy.

Plant-based milk is in the fridge and grocery aisles at both stores: 486 Starboard Drive in Bedford and 590 Portland Street in Dartmouth, open seven days. Shelf stable cartons like Elmhurst keep in the cupboard until opened. For dairy-free yogurt and kefir, see our kefir and yogurt guide, and for a winter mug, our guide to fair trade hot chocolate. Oat and coconut milk also make a lovely golden milk, and a creamy base for greens powder smoothies. In HRM, order by 11 am with Luminate Express for same-day delivery, or choose pickup. Anywhere else in Canada, orders over $80 ship free.

Sources: Oatly Barista; Oatly Organic Barista; Califia Farms; Ripple Foods; Yofiit; Earth's Own unsweetened soy; Greenhouse, About; Elmhurst, Our Story; Cha's Organics, About; product labels. Recipes change, so the carton in your hand comes first.