Dairy-Free Oat Milk Products

In January of 2020, I attended the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, where food brands showcase their products to grocery buyers, distributors and press. I am press. 🙂 In case you are wondering what qualifies a food as “fancy” — well, I wonder the same thing! Is dairy-free cheese fancy? Maybe, since you probably have to pay more for it! Actually, the answer comes from history: in the early 1950s, a group of fine food manufacturers, importers and distributors created a trade association and held their first trade show in 1954 in New York. Back then, the foods were considered fancy, and the name has stuck. But I digress…

On this trip, I was on the lookout for great dairy-free alternatives. What I found was a trend of using oats as the base for cheeses, milks and ice creams. Long gone are the days of finding only rice milk dairy alternatives (blech!). Here are some of the oat-based products I have found that are out now or coming out in 2020.

CHEESE

Miyoko’s

The new vegan options from Miyoko’s are nut-free, not cashew-based as their first line of products was. Rather, they are made with oat milk, coconut oil, several different beans and some other ingredients. They actually taste amazing and if you are missing cheese, I would highly recommend these dairy-free alternatives! They will be available in blocks, shreds and thick slices. They are gluten-free and soy-free too.

Ingredients of Pepper Jack: Miyoko’s Cultured Vegan Milk (organic Oat Milk (filtered Water, Organic Oats), Navy Beans, Organic Garbanzo Beans, Cultures), Organic Coconut Oil, Faba Bean Protein, Filtered Water, Potato Starch, Organic Brined Jalapenos (organic Jalapenos, Organic Vinegar, Salt), Organic Tapioca Starch, Natural Flavors, Contains Less Than 2% Of Calcium Sulfate, Organic Cultured Dextrose, Sea Salt, Konjac, Organic Locust Bean Gum, Xanthan Gum, Organic Yeast Extract.

OATzarella

New company Rucksack Foods has introduced an oat milk cheese alternative that is free of the top 8 allergens and gluten, and contains very few ingredients compared to other dairy-free cheese alternatives. The only oil they use is organic extra virgin olive oil. I tried both the Original and Italian Herb flavors of the cheese wheels — I preferred the texture of the Original but I did enjoy the taste of the Herb also (it just seemed a little more grainy). Will also be available in shreds.

Ingredients of Original: Water, Organic Gluten Free Oats, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Tapioca Flour, Agar Agar, Sea Salt. The Italian Herb also includes dried herbs and garlic powder.

BUTTER

Miyoko’s also has an Oat Milk Butter, so if you miss putting a spread on your toast, here’s your chance!

MILK & CREAMER

Oatly

Made with certified gluten-free oats (in the U.S. — they also make products in other countries), Oatly’s oat milks come in full-fat, low-fat and even “foamable” barista version.

Ingredients of Full Fall Oat Milk: Oatmilk (water, oats), low erucic acid rapeseed oil. Contains 2% or less of: dipotassium phosphate, calcium carbonate, tricalcium phosphate, sea salt, dicalcium phosphate, DHA algal oil, sodium ascorbate (antioxidant), tocopherols (antioxidant), riboflavin, vitamin A, vitamin D2, vitamin B12.

Califia Farms

I really enjoy the flavor of this oat milk from Califia Farms. My husband likes the Barista version in his coffee. Some reviewers claim that this one does not froth as well as Oatly’s.

Ingredients of Oat Barista Blend: Oatmilk (Water, Oats), Sunflower Oil, Minerals (Dipotassium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Tricalcium Phosphate), Sea Salt

Silk

Silk has four flavors of their Oat Yeah Oat Milk: The Plain One, The Vanilla One, The Chocolate One and the 0g Sugar One. Nowhere do I see on the packaging or the website that the oats or the products are gluten-free.

Ingredients of The Plain One: Oatmilk (Filtered Water, Oat Flour), Sunflower Oil, Vitamin and Mineral Blend (Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2, Riboflavin, Vitamin B12), Malt Extract, Dipotassium Phosphate, Sea Salt, Gellan Gum, Locust Bean Gum,Natural Flavor, Ascorbic Acid (to protect freshness).

So Delicious

With three flavors of oat-based creamers, So Delicious adds to their huge line of dairy-free products. Choose from Creamy Original, Creamy Vanilla and Snickerdoodle.

Ingredients of Vanilla Creamer: Oatmilk (Filtered Water, Whole Oat Flour), Cane Sugar, Sunflower Oil, Pea Protein, Potassium Citrate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Vanilla Extract, Sea Salt, Natural Flavor, Gellan Gum.

YOGURT

Now more yogurts to choose from! There are too many to taste — you will have to be the judge and let me know which ones you like.

So Delicious Oat Milk yogurt comes in some unique pie-influenced flavors, like Strawberry Rhubarb.

Ingredients of Strawberry Rhubarb: Oatmilk (Filtered Water, Whole Oat Flour), Cane Sugar, Rhubarb Puree, Strawberries, Faba Bean Protein, Corn Starch, Strawberry Puree, Less than 1% of: Live and Active Cultures, Vitamin D2, Vitamin B12, Fruit and Vegetable Juice (For Color), Natural Flavor, Pectin, Calcium Citrate, Citric Acid.

Nancy’s also has probiotic oat milk yogurt.

Ingredients of Passion Fruit Banana: Oatmilk (water, whole oat flour), faba bean protein, banana puree, organic cane sugar, passion fruit juice concentrate, tapioca flour, coconut oil, banana natural flavor, passion fruit natural flavor, fruit & vegetable juice (color), citric acid, agar, LIVE NON-DAIRY YOGURT CULTURES: S. thermophilus, L. bulgaricus, LIVE NON-DAIRY PROBIOTIC CULTURES: B. bififum lactis BB-12®, L. acidophilus, L. rhamosus LGG®

And so does Silk. Though their oat milk does not say gluten-free, the yogurt does claim to be free of gluten.

Ingredients of Strawberry: Oatmilk (Filtered Water, Whole Oat Flour), Cane Sugar, Strawberries, Faba Bean Protein, Corn Starch, Strawberry Puree, Pectin, Calcium Citrate, Fruit and Vegetable Juice (For Color), Citric Acid, Natural Flavor, Live and Active Cultures, Vitamin D2, Vitamin B12.

ICE CREAM (“Frozen Dessert”)

Oatly

Oat-milk-based ice cream from Oatly has a nice, creamy texture and subtle oat flavor. If you don’t like the taste of oats, go for one of the stronger flavors, like Chocolate, Strawberry, Coffee or Mint Chip.

Ingredients of Mint Chip Frozen Dessert: Oat base (water, oats), chocolate chip (chocolate liquor, organic cane sugar, organic cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin, and organic vanilla extract), coconut oil, sugar, dextrose, glucose syrup, low erucic rapeseed oil. Contains 2% or less of: mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, locust bean gum, guar gum, sea salt, natural flavor.

So Delicious

So Delicious has done it again — dairy-free and gluten-free frozen desserts in many flavors to choose from. (Be aware that these new ones contain pea protein which can be allergenic to people with peanut allergy.)

Ingredients of Oat Milk S’mores: Oatmilk (Filtered Water, Whole Oat Flour), Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Tapioca Syrup, Cane Sugar, Cocoa, Pea Protein, Apple Juice Concentrate (For Color), Chocolate Liquor, Natural Flavor, Guar Gum, Locust Bean Gum, Sea Salt, Sunflower Lecithin, Xanthan Gum.

Van Leeuwen

This popular NY-based ice cream shop Van Leeuwen has just come out with a new vegan line of oat milk ice creams. Be aware that though it seems like they have taken care to use gluten-free ingredients, including their oat milk, their cookie dough used in some flavors is not gluten-free.

Ingredients of Caramel Cookie: oat milk (filtered water, gluten-free organic oats), coconut cream, organic cane sugar, organic virgin coconut oil, cocoa butter, gluten-free oats, buckwheat flour, brown sugar, rice flour, canola oil, vanilla extract (grain alcohol, vanilla bean), salt, organic carob bean gum, baking soda.

Chloe’s Oatmilk Pops

Chloe’s has branched out from fruit pops to include their oatmilk pop line. They come in three flavors: Mint Chip, Salted Caramel and Raspberry Chip and are certified gluten-free. Be aware that they contain pea protein which can be allergenic for some with peanut or legume allergy.

Ingredients of Salted Caramel Pops: Oatmilk (Water, Cane Sugar, Tapioca Syrup, Hydrolyzed Oat Flour, Coconut Oil, Pea Protein, Flaxseed), Natural Salted Caramel Flavor, Sea Salt, Contains Less Than 0.5% Of: Sunflower Lecithin, Locust Bean Gum.

CAUTION: Ingredients in products may change. Please always check current packaging for ingredients and allergens before consuming any product.

Have you tried any of these products? What did you think?