Best Vegan Milk for Coffee: 10 Dairy-Free Options Tested
It’s nearly impossible to walk into a coffee shop these days without seeing at least one non-dairy milk on the menu. Whether it's oat, almond, or soy, plant-based milk options have become staples in cafés around the world. And now, the choices are expanding even further — from macadamia to flaxseed — with new dairy-free milks designed specifically for use in coffee, lattes, cappuccinos, and smoothies.
At Coffee Time, we evaluate multiple espresso coffees each year. Our standard testing method typically uses a 3:1 ratio of steamed whole milk to espresso to judge how a coffee performs in a cappuccino. In those tests, we’re focusing on the coffee’s performance in milk, not the milk itself.
But with the rise in popularity of vegan milk alternatives, we decided to reverse the focus. This time, we set out to discover the best vegan milk for espresso, testing how different plant-based options perform when paired with coffee.
How We Tested Dairy-Free Milk for Espresso
To keep the testing consistent, we used three espresso profiles: a traditional Italian-style blend, a light-roast single-origin espresso, and a naturally processed espresso. Our goal? To see how each plant-based milk handled the pressure of being steamed, textured, and poured — especially in a cappuccino format.
We sourced 10 popular non-dairy milk brands from stores:
Almond Milk
Califia Farms Almond Barista Blend
Califia Farms Unsweetened Almondmilk
Pacifica Almond Milk
Three Trees Organic Black Sesame Almondmilk
Oat Milk
Oatly Original Oatmilk
Califia Farms Oat Barista Blend
Malk Organics Oat Malk Original
Soy Milk
Silk Unsweetened Soymilk
West Life Organic Unsweetened Soymilk
Coconut Milk
365 by Whole Foods Organic Unsweetened Coconutmilk Beverage
The Best Vegan Milks for Espresso-Based Drinks
Out of the 10 options tested — only two vegan milks delivered consistently strong results in espresso drinks. Pacifica Almond Milk and Oatly Oatmilk.
These standout choices offered a good balance of flavor, texture, and foam stability when steamed, making them ideal for home baristas looking to craft dairy-free cappuccinos or lattes.
Some of the other options may still work well in cold brew, pour-over coffee, or iced espresso drinks, but didn’t perform well with steam or frothing, which is crucial for hot espresso-based beverages.
Final Thoughts: Choosing the Right Plant-Based Milk for Coffee
Coffee shops often stick to their preferred non-dairy brands, but if you're brewing at home, finding the right plant-based milk can elevate your espresso game. Whether you're lactose-intolerant, vegan, or just experimenting with dairy-free options, knowing which non-dairy milks perform best with espresso is key.
If you’re looking for the best vegan milk for cappuccinos or want to know which dairy-free milk froths best, keep an eye out for barista-specific blends — they’re formulated to deliver the microfoam and texture needed for high-quality espresso drinks.
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