Tried & Tested: My Favourite Dairy Free Products
So one of the questions I get asked most frequently is “Which dairy free milk can I use in my tea/coffee?”.
The issue with dairy free milks is they don’t naturally emulsify and so many brands will add gums, fats, oils or a whole host of other odd things to prevent them from separating (not what I would want in my morning brew thank you very much!).
So through my own experimentation I have devised the following shortlist of my personal favourites, what I use them for, how they taste etc to take the guesswork out of the equation for you. I also decided there was no point stopping at the milks and so have also added in yoghurts, ice creams, desserts and a few extras.
This is by no means an exhaustive list so if I have failed to mention a product that you have specific questions about please either drop me an email at pliebling@me.com or comment below and I will come back to you ASAP.
With healthy wishes,
Phoebe <3
Key: (WF) wheat free (GF) gluten free (NF) nut free
Milks & Drinks
Rude Health Coconut Drink
(WF) (GF) (NF)
Why I like it
No sunflower oil like in the rest of the Rude Health drink range. Instead a small amount of organic coconut butter is used as an emulsifier
Naturally sweet
Good for
Tea & coffee as it doesn’t separate
Porridge, cereal, desserts, hot chocolate & golden milk – the natural sweetness reduces the need to add any additional sweeteners
Not so good for
Those needing to watch their sugar/carbohydrate intake as it also contains rice making it relatively high in digestible carbohydrate
Rude Health Ultimate Almond Milk
(WF) (GF)
Why I like it
Just organic almonds and water
Super creamy, not overly nutty in taste
Lowest carbohydrate and salt almond milk we’ve found (0g sugars)
Good for
An everyday all rounder
Not so good for
Tea & coffee – it separates and curdles
Plenish Almond Milk
(WF) (GF)
Why I like it
Just organic almonds, water & a pinch of Himalayan salt
Super creamy, not overly nutty in taste
Higher percentage of almonds compared to Rude Health (7% vs 6%)
Good for
An everyday all rounder
Not so good for
Tea & coffee – it separates and curdles
Plenish Cashew Milk
(WF) (GF)
Why I like it
Just organic cashews, water & a pinch of Himalayan salt
Even creamier than the almond version, naturally slightly sweeter in comparison
Lower sugar than almond but with similar protein content
Wheat & gluten free
Good for
An everyday all rounder
Not so good for
Tea & coffee – it separates and curdles
Plenish Hazelnut Milk
(WF) (GF)
Why I like it
Just organic hazelnuts, water & a pinch of Himalayan salt
Super creamy, strong hazelnut flavour
Lowest carbohydrate content of the Plenish range
Good for
An everyday all rounder
Amazingly decadent porridge or hot chocolate
Baking with if you’re a hazelnut fan
Not so good for
Tea & coffee – it separates and curdles
Baking – the strong hazelnut taste can overpower
Oatly Organic Oat Milk
(WF) (GF) (NF)
Why I like it
Just organic oats, water and a little salt.
Naturally a lot sweeter than the nut milks because of the fact it’s grain based
No rapeseed oil compared to the foamable version.
Lower in saturated fat than nut/coconut alternatives
Good for
Tea
Weaning yourself off of sugar or honey on cereal or porridge
Baking & pancakes as the natural sweetness decreases the need for extra sugars or fruit
Not so good for
Coffee – separates & curdles
Those needing to watch their sugar/carbohydrate intake
Oatly Fortified Oat Milk
(WF) (GF) (NF)
Why I like it
Naturally a lot sweeter than the nut milks because of the fact it’s grain based.
Fortified with Calcium, Vitamins D, B2 & B12
Lower in saturated fat than nut/coconut alternatives
Good for
Those with an increased requirement/low intake of Vitamin D, Calcium &/or B vitamins
Tea
Weaning yourself off of sugar or honey on cereal or porridge
Baking & pancakes as the natural sweetness decreases the need for extra sugars or fruit
Not so good for
Contains a small amount of rapeseed oil as an emulsifier
Those needing to watch their sugar/carbohydrate intake
Rebel Kitchen Flavoured Milks
(WF) (GF) (NF)
Why I like it
Just made with water, coconut milk, date nectar & natural flavours including cacao, chai spices, matcha & coffee
No artificial sugars, emulsifiers or preservatives
Good for
To add to smoothies
For an amazing sweet treat
Warm as a decadent hot drink or incredible porridge
Freeze in the summer for an ice lolly alternative
Not so good for
Tea & Coffee
To cook with
Those needing to watch their sugar/carbohydrate intake
Yoghurts
CoYo Coconut Yoghurts
(WF) (GF) (NF)
Why I like it
Probiotic
Natural – no added sugars or emulsifiers
Distinctly coconutty taste but not overwhelmingly so or artificial
Tang of natural yoghurt
Super creamy & decadent
Different flavours including mango, vanilla, cherry & cacao
Good for
To add to smoothies
A sweet snack
To accompany fruit, pancakes, have on toast
Enjoy by themselves
To cook with
Not so good for
Some find they can be overly rich
Coconut Collaborative Yoghurts
(WF) (GF) (NF)
Why I like it
Lower fat content than CoYo so not as rich
Probiotic
Different flavours including natural, mango & passion fruit, strawberry, blueberry & vanilla
Tang of natural yoghurt but not as much as the CoYo ones
Thinner consistency
Good for
To add to smoothies
A sweet snack
To accompany fruit or pancakes
Enjoy by themselves
Not so good for
Those needing to watch their sugar/carbohydrate intake – higher sugar content compared to the CoYo ones because of the lower fat content
To cook with
Rebel Kitchen Coconut Yoghurts
(WF) (GF) (NF)
Why I like it
Lower fat content than CoYo so not as rich
Probiotic
Different flavours including natural, vanilla, cacao & coffee
Tang of natural yoghurt
Very smooth consistency in between the CoYo and Coconut Collaborative ones
Come in a tub with a resealable lid
Good for
To add to smoothies
A sweet snack
To accompany fruit or pancakes
Enjoy by themselves
Not so good for
Those needing to watch their sugar/carbohydrate intake – higher sugar content compared to the CoYo ones because of the lower fat content
To cook with
Oatly ‘Oatghurt’
(WF) (GF) (NF)
Why I like it
Naturally sweet – a great bridging point to move away from sweetened alternatives
Naturally high in beta glucans – good for heart health
Lower in saturated fat than nut/coconut alternatives
Good for
To cook with
Add to smoothies
To serve alongside desserts or fruit
Anything you would use dairy yoghurt for!
Not so good for
Contains small amounts of organic rapeseed & palm oils as emulsifiers
Those needing to watch their sugar/carbohydrate intake
Nush Almond & Cashew Milk Yoghurts
(WF) (GF)
Why I like it
Organic & probiotic, just made with natural almond milk
Great as an alternative if you find coconut too rich
Great flavours – natural, peach melba, blueberry, caramel & hibiscus (almond) and natural, vanilla, lemon & strawberry (cashew)
Good for
To add to smoothies
A sweet snack
To accompany fruit or pancakes
Enjoy by themselves
To cook with (add to sauces etc) or for making raw desserts
Ice Creams & Desserts
Booja Booja Ice Creams
(WF) (GF)
Why I like it
Organic, made with water, cashew nuts, agave syrup & natural flavours
No hydrogenated oils, artificial colours, flavourings or sweeteners
Great variety of flavours including coconut, vanilla, maple pecan & chocolate truffle
Good for
An amazingly delicious dessert or treat that you’ll end up fighting the dairy eaters for!
Not so good for
Those needing to watch their sugar/carbohydrate intake as they do contain agave syrup making the digestible carbohydrate quite high
Coconut Collaborative Frozen Yoghurts/Desserts
(WF) (GF) (NF)
Why I like it
Not as rich as the CoYo versions
More fruit flavour options – including mango, raspberry, chocolate & vanilla
Also make different flavoured frozen yoghurt lollies – great for kids or limiting your portion sizes!
Good for
Desserts, sweet treats, kids
Less of a coconutty taste for those who aren’t massive fans
A great bridge to wean off of artificial sugars
Not so good for
Those needing to watch their sugar/carbohydrate intake – higher natural sugar content because they contain more fruit compared to the other alternatives
CoYo Coconut Ice Creams
(WF) (GF) (NF)
Why I like it
Organic – made with pure coconut milk & natural flavours
Comparatively low sugar content to the Booja Booja range
Unusual flavours – natural, raw chocolate, tamarind & sticky date, vanilla & nutmeg
Good for
An amazingly delicious dessert or treat that you’ll end up fighting the dairy eaters for!
A better alternative for those watching their sugar intake
Not so good for
Those watching their saturated fat intake
Some find they can be too rich
Lickalix Ice Lollies
(WF) (GF) (NF)
Why I like it
Organic – very simply made with coconut milk and fruit or raw cacao
A great flavour range including 2 alcoholic versions!
Good for
Perfect for little & big kids alike
Not as rich as some of the other versions & not overly coconutty in taste
More widely available than some of the other options
Miiro Ice Cream
(WF) (GF) (NF)
Why I like it
Organic – made with coconut milk, raw cacao butter/powder, coconut oil & coconut sugar
Incredible flavours; peanut butter, chocolate hazelnut & salted caramel
Good for
Basically a dairy free Magnum
Contains sprouted pea protein to help balance the sugar content of the product, in addition to a significant amount of fibre that the others lack
Not so good for
Contain some gums & carrageenan as stabilisers
Relatively high fat, calorie and carbohydrate content compared to other options
Others
Oatly Organic Oat Cream
(WF) (GF) (NF)
Why I like it
Organic
Naturally sweet – a great bridging point to move away from sweetened alternatives
Naturally high in beta glucans – good for heart health
Lower in saturated fat than nut/coconut alternatives
Good for
To cook with
To serve alongside desserts or fruit
Anything you would use dairy cream for!
Not so good for
Contains small amounts of organic rapeseed & palm oils as emulsifiers
Those needing to watch their sugar/carbohydrate intake
Oatly Creamy Oat Fraiche
(WF) (GF) (NF)
Why I like it
Naturally high in beta glucans – good for heart health
Naturally sweet – a great bridging point to move away from sweetened alternatives
Probiotic – slight tangy taste like the dairy version
Lower in saturated fat than nut/coconut alternatives
Good for
To cook with
To serve alongside desserts or fruit
Anything you would use dairy creme fraiche for!
Not so good for
Contains small amounts of organic rapeseed & palm oils as emulsifiers.
Those needing to watch their sugar/carbohydrate intake
