The 9 Healthiest Oat Milks, According to Dietitians

Oat milk is one of the most popular milk alternatives thanks to its creamy texture and naturally sweet taste. While it's perfect for sipping, adding to lattes, and using it for baking, not all oat milks are created equal. Some of the best oat milk brands are set apart from the worst because they're made with simple ingredients and are low in added sugar.

Making homemade oat milk is as easy as blending oats with water and straining the liquid away from the pulp. While it really is that simple, it's even more convenient to reach for a bottle or box of premade oat milk on the shelf at the grocery store. But with all of the store-bought options, there can be plenty of undesirable ingredients lurking inside.

We've made picking the best healthy oat milk as easy as possible with our expert-recommended picks for the best (and worst) oat milk brands you can buy.

What are the health benefits of drinking oat milk?

Many oat milk options available today are fortified to include nutrients like vitamins A, D, and B12, calcium, and riboflavin, which contribute to oat milk benefits and make it more nutritionally similar to cow's milk. For people who avoid cow's milk because of an allergy or lactose intolerance, fortification can help them eat more of these nutrients often found in dairy. Keep in mind that homemade oat milk won't have these essential nutrients, and as it's not required, some brands skip the fortification.

Thanks to the oats, most oat milk contains between 1 and 3 grams of fiber, 1 to 4 grams of protein, and 10 to 25 grams of carbohydrates per serving. Oat milk isn't a low-carb beverage like some other dairy alternatives, like almond milk, but it does have more fiber and protein, which can help increase fullness and satisfaction.

How to choose the best oat milk:

When selecting the best oat milk brands, here are the parameters we considered:

• Avoid or limit added sugars*. Most oat milk will have some naturally occurring sugar from oats, but some brands add sugars for improved taste. Added sugars in oat milk can range from 4 grams to 25 grams per cup, quickly adding up and making it tough to stick to the American Heart Association's recommended daily limit of 36 grams for men and 25 grams for women. Eating too much added sugar can increase the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes.

• Choose added vitamin D and calcium options. Many people meet their vitamin D and calcium needs through dairy products, so if you're dairy-free, choosing fortified substitutes is a great option. It's estimated that 24% of adults in the United States have low vitamin D levels, and 40% of Americans do not meet the recommended intake for calcium. Many healthy oat milk brands add these nutrients, along with vitamins B12, vitamin A, and riboflavin (vitamin B2) to help fill common nutrient gaps for people who choose not to eat dairy.

• Skip the barista blends. Oat milk that's made for steaming and frothing tends to have a high amount of oil added, which creates a luxuriously creamy texture. If you're using the oat milk in small amounts for coffee drinks as a creamer, the barista blends are fine, but if you're drinking it by the cup (like in a latte), the amount of fat and extra calories can add up quickly.

*You may see "added sugar" on an oat milk label when there's no sugar or other sweeteners in the ingredients list—what's up with that? Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance mandates that if an oat milk brand uses an enzymatic process known as "hydrolysis" to break down the oat starches into simple carbs and sugars, the brand must declare the resulting sugar as "added" even if it comes from the oats. If you prefer to avoid refined sugars, examine the ingredient list to see if they're used. Regardless of the source, sugar is generally processed the same way in the body, so be mindful of your total sugar intake for the day and pair sugary foods with sources of digestion-slowing fiber, protein, and healthy fats. ​​

The 9 best oat milks you can buy

Dietitians recommend you try these oat milk brands for a healthy and delicious dairy alternative. Read on to learn what to shop for, and for more, don't miss The 8 Best Almond Milks to Buy, According To Dietitians.

Best Overall: Willa's Unsweetened Original Oat Milk

If you want a low-calorie, low-sugar, high-fiber, and high-protein oat milk with just four ingredients (water, organic whole grain oats, organic real vanilla extract, and salt), there's nothing else on the market quite like Willa's Unsweetened Original Oat Milk. It's the highest protein option without any added protein because Willa's uses the whole oat grain—bran and germ included—which is also why you'll get an impressive 2 grams of fiber per cup.

Best Low-Calorie: Oatly Super Basic Oatmilk

Oatly is an oat milk brand with numerous offerings, but we're big fans of its newest product: Super Basic Oatmilk. By "super basic," Oatly means just four ingredients: oats, water, sea salt, and citrus fiber. This oat milk is the second-lowest on our list regarding calories, coming in at just 80 when many other brands are over 100. We also love that they keep sugar to a minimum and add some fiber to help minimize blood sugar spikes.

Note that although technically the label says "7 grams of added sugar" there is no refined sugar in this product. The FDA's guidance on sugar labeling mandates that even sugar that's a natural byproduct of the enzymatic process used to make oat milk must be categorized as "added."

Best Simple Ingredient List: Mooala Organic Simple Oatmilk

Mooala's ingredient list for its Simple Oatmilk is so simple that the three ingredients—organic oats, water, and sea salt—are displayed proudly on the front of the packaging. The healthy oat milk brand's USDA Organic certification is a sign that the oats Mooala uses in its recipe are free from toxic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.

Best Low-Sugar: Chobani Oatmilk Zero Sugar Original

If you want completely sugar-free oat milk, Chobani is the only option on our list that delivers on that promise with its Zero Sugar Original Oatmilk. We love that Chobani also adds 10% of your daily value of vitamin D, calcium, and vitamin A.

Best High-Fiber: Elmhurst Unsweetened Milked Oats

For a healthy oat milk low in sugar, one of your best bets is Elmhurst. "My favorite oat milk recommendation is hands down Elmhurst Milked Oats," says Kristen White, RDN, CLT, The Food Sensitivity Dietitian. "It's frothy and flavorful with only three ingredients: filtered water, whole-grain oats, and salt." With this brand, you don't have to worry about added flavors, [too much sugar], or gums. Each cup has 3 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein to make it a little more satisfying and filling!

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Best High-Protein: Califia Farms Original Protein Oat Milk

Maya Oueichek, MBA, RDN recommends Califia Farms Original Protein Oat Milk as it offers 8 grams of plant protein per serving and is made with gluten-free oats. While most oat milk is short on protein, you'll get as much as a glass of cow's milk with this brand as they add pea protein and sunflower seeds. Unlike many oat milk offerings, this offering is fortified with calcium and vitamin D, with 25% of the daily value (DV) of vitamin D and 45% DV calcium in each cup!

Best for Coffee & Tea: Oatly Original Oat Milk

"Oatly Original Oat Milk has a creamy texture that closely resembles cow's milk, making it a popular choice for those transitioning from dairy milk," says Wan Na Chun, MPH, RD, CPT of One Pot Wellness. While it has less than half the protein you'd find in dairy milk, Oatly fortifies this oat milk with calcium (25% DV) and vitamin D (20% DV)—two ingredients you won't find in all oat milks—as well as vitamin A and B vitamins.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Na Chun also loves that the ingredient list includes simple ingredients like water and organic oats without added sugars. Its mild taste makes it great for baked goods and savory recipes alike!

Best Fortified: Planet Oat Oatmilk

"Planet Oat Original Oatmilk is made with just a few ingredients, and the original blend has no added oils, meaning it's very low in added calories," says Megan Byrd, RD, who loves to use this healthy oat milk in her Oat Milk Latte. It has a small amount of sugar, is under 100 calories, and is fortified with vitamins A (20% DV), D (20% DV), B12 (10% DV), B2 (10% DV), and calcium (25% DV).

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Best Organic: Malk Oat Milk

Amy Archer RDN, CLT, CHWC recommends Malk Original Oat MALK as a great organic, oil- and gum-free oat milk brand made with just three ingredients. This milk is simple, tasty, gluten-free, and a great choice for anyone on an elimination diet who needs plant-based milk with limited ingredients, Archer explains. Made with just water, oats, and salt, this oat milk is as simple as it gets. It's not fortified with additional nutrients, but it's also free from any other additives.

The 3 oat milk options to skip

You may want to skip these oat milks, which are unhealthier than other options available.

Worst: Pacific Foods Oat Organic Original

Pacific Foods recently upgraded its Organic Original Oat Milk, reducing the total sugars from 17 to 13 grams per serving. While this is a step in the right direction, those 13 grams of added sugars still total over 50% of the American Heart Association's daily recommended max for women in one cup. If you're using this oat milk brand in carb- and sugar-heavy smoothies, you'll want to pair it with healthy fats, fiber, and protein to prevent your blood sugar from spiking.

 9 Unhealthiest Coffee Creamers on Grocery Shelves

Worst: Oatsome Barista Blend

Oatsome Barista Blend is great for frothing, steaming, and making coffee drinks taste silky smooth, but when it comes to your health, the 10 grams of fat from sunflower oil and 13 grams of sugar in each cup are not worth it.

Worst: Oatly Chocolate Oatmilk

Adding flavors to oat milk adds variety, but it also adds a lot of unwanted added sugars. Oatly Chocolate Oatmilk has 16 grams of added sugar in each cup. While this oat milk can make a fun occasional treat, drinking it often will increase your added sugar intake quickly.

This story has been updated to include new information, fact-checking, and copyedits.