However you’ve landed on needing a good milk alternative, we’re guessing you have your reasons. After all, plant-based milk alternatives (sometimes called “mylks”) have been known to cost as much as twice the price as regular dairy milks, according to a 2021 study from Food Dive.
Maybe you’ve developed a lactose intolerance or are simply looking for tastier new additions to your plant-based diet. Whatever has brought you to your search for the perfect milk alternative, this guide will help. As someone who’s spent the better part of the last five years trying every mylk option under the sun, I’ve learned a thing or two along the way about which brands and varieties taste best, what they pair well with, and how much they cost. Here’s our handy guide to the eight absolute best milk alternatives.
What’s the Deal With Plant Milks?
Before we dive into which milk alternatives made our list, it’s helpful to understand a bit about the plant milk industry, which provides insights into why these drinks cost so much, and also why they can be found seemingly everywhere these days.
The main reason for both of these things is that plant milk companies are required to spend a lot of money on processing, packaging, and marketing in order for their products to succeed. On the flip side, the same researchers behind that Food Dive study say the dairy milk companies don’t spend nearly enough on R&D and also that they price their products too low. Translation? Plant milk might not be expensive so much as it is accurately priced for profit.
But one thing’s for sure: The plant milk industry is on fire. In 2021, plant-based milks accounted for 16% of all retail milk dollar sales, to the tune of $2.6 billion in sales, according to a recent study from the Plant Based Foods Association.
The trajectory for plant-based milks doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon either, since these numbers also represent a 33% growth in the industry over…
