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7 plant milks ranked by flavor, froth, and cost

Latte lovers, take note: not all plant milks steam, foam, or taste the way you think they will.

Food & Drink

Latte lovers, take note: not all plant milks steam, foam, or taste the way you think they will.

Ever stare at the dairy case, oat in one hand, almond in the other, wondering which carton will make tomorrow’s latte sing?

Last week I faced that exact stalemate. My cart already held espresso beans and an urge for silky foam, yet the wall of plant options stalled me.

So I turned the kitchen into a mini lab—seven cartons, one reliable espresso machine, a steam wand, and a spreadsheet tracking flavor, froth, and wallet pain.

The results surprised even my coffee-snob friends. Let’s sort the winners from the watery understudies.

1. Oat milk

Baristas rave about oat for a reason. As one coffee writer put it, “The key to a perfect latte isn’t just the espresso – it’s the oat milk’s balance of protein and fat.”

In practice, it pours a velvety micro-foam that even beginners can coax into latte art. The taste? Softly sweet, almost graham-crackery, and it never bulldozes the coffee.

The snag is price. Wholesale cafés are paying about $6.97 a gallon right now, roughly 70 % more than dairy. At home I’m seeing $4.49 for a 32-oz barista carton. Worth it if you crave café texture every morning.

2. Soy milk

Protein is a froth-maker’s best friend. An alt-milk tech blog notes, “Soy milk has a high protein content, which allows it to froth similarly to dairy milk.” 

The foam holds long enough for slow sippers, and the flavor is neutral-nutty once you dodge the curdle trap (steam gently under 140 °F).

Cost is the big win: my local big-box sells organic Silk soy at $3.97 per half-gallon, making it the cheapest plant pick on this list.

3. Almond milk

Ever wondered why some cafés charge extra for almond but not oat?

Blame supply chains, not froth. Almond can whip up a medium-density foam if you buy “barista” blends; regular cartons stay a bit bubbly-thin.

Flavor swings from slightly sweet-marzipan to toasted-cereal depending on the brand. I’ve mentioned this before but almonds shine in iced lattes, where oat can taste mushy.

Wholesale price averages $6.56 a gallon, though shelf-stable store brands run closer to $3.30 per half-gallon. Middle-of-the-pack value, middle-of-the-pack performance.

4. Cashew milk

Quick story: backpacking in Vietnam, cashew coffee blew my mind – creamy without dairy. At home, unsweetened cashew milk recreates that silkiness in cortados, though its foam is shy, more cappuccino “wet” than dry micro-foam.

Silk’s half-gallon jug rang up at $4.38 (≈ $8.76 per gallon), so you’re paying a little premium for the mouthfeel.

Flavor skews buttery-rich, making it a dream for hot chocolates and golden lattes. If texture matters more than towering foam peaks, cashew earns its spot.

5. Pea milk (Ripple)

Think of pea milk as the gym-bro of plant drinks: 8 g protein per cup and a surprisingly dairy-like texture. Ripple’s 48-oz bottle at Target costs $4.29 – that’s roughly $11.44 per gallon, pricier than almond but still below coconut.

Foam quality sits between almond and soy – dense but a tad slippery, so art hearts spread fast. Flavor is lightly sweet with no legume aftertaste, though purists may detect a whisper of earthiness.

6. Coconut milk

Tiki flavors meet coffee – a polarizing combo. Coconut’s natural oil gives a luscious mouthfeel, yet the foam collapses quickly unless you buy specialty café blends.

That indulgence isn’t cheap. Restaurants are shelling out $9.91 per gallon on average, and cans or cartons rarely drop below $4 for 32 oz.

I save coconut for iced mochas or Thai-inspired cold brews where the tropical note feels intentional. Hot lattes? I reach for oat.

7. Rice milk

A Tasting Table roundup didn’t mince words: “Rice milk just doesn’t froth. It won’t even steam.”

They’re right. Zero fat means zero structure, so the “foam” looks like dishwater bubbles. Flavor is watery-sweet – pleasant in cereal, lost in espresso.

Value isn’t stellar either. Shelf-stable Dream Rice runs $2.99 for 32 oz, or roughly $11.96 per gallon. When oat offers triple the texture for a couple of dollars more, rice lands at the bottom.

Final thoughts

Choosing plant milk used to mean settling, but 2025’s lineup lets you fine-tune for taste, latte art ambition, and budget.

Want café-level foam? Oat or soy.

Watching pennies? Soy or almond.

Crave velvet body over bubbly peaks? Cashew or pea.

Feeling beachy? Coconut (just chill your drink).

And rice? Keep it for smoothies.

Experiment, take notes, and remember: the “best” milk is the one that keeps you excited to brew tomorrow.

Jordan Cooper

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Jordan Cooper is a pop-culture writer and vegan-snack reviewer with roots in music blogging. Known for approachable, insightful prose, Jordan connects modern trends—from K-pop choreography to kombucha fermentation—with thoughtful food commentary. In his downtime, he enjoys photography, experimenting with fermentation recipes, and discovering new indie music playlists.

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