The 5 Best Dairy Milk Alternatives for Your Coffee
Nowadays, it feels like everyone is going dairy-free. Whether it’s for environmental reasons, health fads, or simply because your body cannot digest dairy without your lactose tablets (Asian girlies know what’s up); the demand for dairy milk alternatives is booming and it’s expected to be valued at USD 43.6 billion by 2028!
So, if you’re just adopting a dairy-free lifestyle or you just want to try something new, we’ve created this list of the five best dairy milk alternatives to use from our coffee. Let’s see if you can guess which one is our favorite. 🤭
1. Oat MILK
LOL that was a quick reveal 😂 But yeah, we LOVE oat milk and from the looks of it so do a whole lot of people because it keeps gaining popularity every year with a 50% increase in retail sales to US $527.44 million in 2022!
Oat milk is known for its slightly sweet flavor and smooth, silky texture when heated oat milk is ideal for making latte art and a rich coffee.
Apart from that, we also love it because it’s naturally high in fiber, contains beta-glucans that may help lower cholesterol levels, and has a lower environmental impact compared to other dairy milk alternatives like almond milk, as it requires significantly less water to produce. Oh, and oat milk based condensed milk is BANGING.
2. Soy Milk
Probably the first dairy milk alternative to break into the mainstream, soy milk has been a staple dairy milk alternative for years. It has a creamy texture and a neutral taste, making it a great option for coffee. It’s also high in protein, making it a good choice for those looking to increase their protein intake, especially for plant-based diets.
Unfortunately, its popularity has declined steadily in recent years. In the US as well as the UK, oat milk's popularity continues to grow, while soy mill's popularity has a steady decline every passing year. 😢
3. Almond Milk
A very popular dairy milk alternative, almond milk is loved for its slightly sweet taste and creamy texture. It's low in calories, making it an ideal option for those watching their weight, and rich in vitamin E. Almond milk also has a mild flavor that doesn’t affect the flavor of the coffee, its only drawback is that production requires SO much water. You will need 12 liters to produce just one almond nut (and it typically takes about 92 almonds to produce one cup of almond milk), whereas you will use about 48 liters to create a liter of oat milk – for us oat milk is the clear winner.
When creating our vegan cà phê sữa đá, our founder Lan thought long and hard about which dairy-free milk we should use. Almond milk was a close second because of it's flavor and texture, but it was just too unsustainable.
4. Coconut Milk
Recently, coconut milk has been touted around as a superfood. It’s rich in medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are healthy fats that provide quick energy and may boost metabolism. Coconut milk has a slightly thicker consistency and sweet flavor, however, due to its distinct coconut aroma and flavor, it may overpower the flavor of your coffee. Continually, it may not be as sustainable as other alternatives as transporting it to various countries produces many carbon emissions.
5. Rice Milk
Rice milk is a light and sweet dairy milk alternative that works really well with coffee. While it’s not used too frequently in Western countries, it’s a staple in Southeast Asian cuisine. It's a good choice for people with allergies, as it's hypoallergenic and free from common allergens like nuts and soy. However, rice milk tends to be lower in protein compared to other dairy milk alternatives which is important to consider if you're a vegetarian or vegan.
So, What’s the Best Dairy Milk Alternative?
Each dairy-free milk is uniquely delicious, and honestly it all boils down to your own personal preference. However, for us oat milk stands out as the best dairy milk alternative for your coffee for several reasons such as it’s creamy texture, neutral flavor, it’s the more sustainable option, and its growing popularity.
It’s with all these reasons in mind that we chose to make our vegan cà phê sữa đá with oat milk as it tastes just like the real deal. Don’t believe us? Snag SANG and find out today!