We Tried Every Oat Milk Creamer We Could Find. This Was Our Favourite For Coffee

I’ll be honest: plant-based alternatives are not my first pick for coffee. Sorry! I’m true-blue for dairy when it comes to coffee or strong black tea, and until this taste test, most brands of almond, oat, coconut or soy milk I’ve tried just don’t get close to mixing into either beverage or interacting with their flavours the same way. (Green tea and matcha however, are a different story; I love oat milk in both. It’s perfect for their lighter, more delicate taste.)

This isn’t to say I think dairy is somehow more neutral or a flavour standard. Cultural norms have an outsized influence on this, and for many, the taste of dairy might well be enough to want to look for alternatives, let alone for dietary or environmental reasons.

But finding a good one isn’t easy! There’s plant-based milks, plant-based creamers, and plant-based barista blends, which are specifically designed for foaming. In our search for a favourite, we stuck to oat-based beverages, which happen to be a favourite among staffers, and ruled out oat milk, as it’s usually too thin to mix into coffee, opting for creamers and barista blends instead. We tried each option straight, then mixed each into drip-brewed coffee. Read on for the results.

Greenhouse Oat Creamer, $7

We’re sorry to say this creamer was quite unanimously disliked when tasted on its own—some did not like the texture of the ingredients used to stabilize or thicken the creamer, while others noted a sour aftertaste. A couple of tasters changed their mind when it was mixed into coffee, but not enough to make it a top pick. 

Silk Barista Oat Barista Blend, $6.70

This pick was solidly middle-of-the pack in the taste test results, with the words “inoffensive” and “mild” used often—and, as you’ll notice in later picks, that turned out to be a plus among editors, who preferred their oat milk be less detectable in coffee. 

Minor Figures Barista Oat, $6.50

A couple of lactose-free lifers mentioned beforehand that this U.K.-based brand was their go-to for coffee. “Tastes like literally nothing which honestly is great for me,” wrote one editor, a sentiment repeated more than once. While a few testers really did like it mostly because it didn’t boast much flavour, this was also the reason it didn’t come out on top.

Califia Farms Oat Barista Blend, $5.80

Mild flavour may have been a preference among testers, but a thin texture was not. Most notes agreed: this option was too watery and basically disappeared into coffee.

Elmhurst Unsweetened Oat Creamer, $8.50

When sipped on its own, editors didn’t mind the flavour of this thicker oat-based creamer—some described it as almost nutty. Mixed into coffee, however? A different story. “This gives my coffee a weird, almost sour aftertaste,” wrote one tester. “Tastes a bit like Coffeemate,” wrote another.

Oatly! Oat Creamer, $10

The notes on this popular oat creamer were generally favourable: testers described it as neutral, mild, and inoffensive. “What I think of when I think of oat milk,” wrote one. Despite this, not a single editor was moved to vote for it as a favourite. Maybe its mild taste flew a little too far under the radar?

Earth’s Own Barista Blend

Testers agreed: Earth’s Own oat milk products for coffee had the strongest oat flavour among the set of options we tried. Many seemed to prefer this! For the barista blend specifically, editors appreciated the silky texture, which was described as close to 2% milk. 

Earth's Own Oat Creamer, $8

Given how many picks on this list fared well for playing it safe and mild with flavour, it was surprising to see the far-and-away favourite take top spot because it boasted a stronger flavour, thicker texture, and acted the most like dairy among the bunch when mixed into coffee. This creamer from Earth’s Own impressed tasters when sipped straight, and was described as rich, creamy, and faintly sweet without being cloying—and it also tasted of oats. You could see little striations of it when mixing it into coffee, the way you might with whole dairy milk or cream. Or as one editor put it very simply, “YUM.”

How we select our products. We’re committed to finding the best and most accessible pantry ingredients, and that means being able to test and judge them fairly: in the same place, at the same time, under the same conditions. This means not every single brand available on the national market is going to make it to our Toronto-based kitchen. Some items are only regionally available in a specific province, while others are priced well out of the average grocery budget. Here’s what we guarantee: at least half of our picks will always be available nationally, we will always include selections from major grocery store chains. And if there’s a pick you really think we missed, we’d love to hear about it: letters@chatelaine.com.