9 Healthy Plant-Based Milks That Are Making a Splash

Have you heard of potato milk? It’s made from peeled potatoes that are sliced, boiled, and blended with other ingredients such as water, almonds, and maple syrup. The world’s first potato milk from Dug isn’t yet available in the United States, but you can scour the web for potato milk recipes to DIY it.

Potato milk is nutritious. In 8 ounces of Dug potato milk, for instance, you get 3 grams (g) of protein and 2.6 g of fiber for just 92 calories. (That makes it a good source of fiber!) The milk is fortified with calcium, vitamin D, riboflavin, vitamin B12, and folic acid.

Potato milk is thick and creamy, and tastes slightly sweet. It foams nicely for espresso beverages and would make a suitable coffee creamer. What’s more, potato milk is a sustainable choice, as it uses less water than nut milks and requires fewer natural resources than oat milk to produce.

Oats are everywhere these days, so why not in milk as well? “Oat milk is ideal for people with a dairy or nut allergy, or people who need a lactose-free option,” says Moore.

One cup of full-fat unsweetened oat milk from the brand Oatly contains 160 calories, 3 g of protein, and 2 g of fiber. You can also try the newer barista milk, which is an oat milk designed to create a foaming effect and to combine with hot liquid without separating. Compared to full-fat unsweetened oat milk, barista milk tends to contain around the same amount of calories and protein but may contain less fat. That’s according to nutrient comparisons between Elmhurst (milked oats versus barista oats) and Oatly products (chilled oat milk versus barista edition oat milk).

If you’re watching your fat or calorie intake, choose low-fat oat milk from Oatly, which contains 90 calories and the same amount of protein and fiber per cup. “Oat milk has less protein than pea or soy milk, but more than others, like coconut, cashew, and rice milk,” says Moore.

Oats naturally supply nutrients such as potassium, which helps promote healthy blood pressure levels, and iron, which is important for preventing anemia — two benefits that the National Institutes of Health notes.

Still not convinced? Oats boast beta glucan, research shows. “This is a soluble fiber that may offer heart health benefits, as well as aid in proper digestion,” says Melissa Mitri, RD, who’s in private practice in Milford, Connecticut.

Labels vary, so you’ll want to check your oat milk package to see what’s inside. Some varieties will contain more iron than others, as is the case with Pacific Foods Organic Oat Original. So if that’s a concern for you, be sure to check the label. Also, many of these products, including Oatly’s unsweetened milks, are fortified and an excellent source of certain nutrients such as calcium, vitamin A, vitamin B12, and vitamin D. Some brands aren’t as fortified as this, however, so be sure to check the label of your preferred brand to make sure you’re buying a product that meets your needs.

Bonus: If you’re following a gluten-free diet, many oat milks are compliant — including ones from Oatly and Elmhurst — making them safe for individuals managing celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity.

No matter which variety you pick, you can add oat milk to warm beverages like coffee and tea. “It has a creamy, rich mouth feel and doesn’t curdle or separate easily, making it an ideal base for a latte,” says Moore. “You can use it as you would any plant-based milk in smoothies, warm beverages, or cereal.” It’s also fairly easy to whip up yourself — give it a try with a maple vanilla oat milk recipe, courtesy of Moore.

No doubt you’ve been seeing hemp everywhere these days, from CBD everything to hemp seeds and hemp seed butter. Add to that list hemp milk, which is typically made with hemp seeds and sometimes extra ingredients such as oats.

Nutritionally speaking, 1 cup of hemp milk typically contains 130 to 140 calories, 3 to 4 g of protein, and up to 2 g of fiber, based on data from Pacific Foods and Elmhurst, both of which offer hemp milks. You’ll want to look at a specific product’s nutrient label, but some milks are fortified. Per cup, they can be a good source of magnesium, iron, and vitamin D, and an excellent source of potassium and calcium.

Hemp milk boasts other benefits, too. “It contains a particular amino acid called arginine,” says Mitri, and research notes the same thing. “This may help relax your blood vessels and help reduce blood pressure.”

When it comes to cooking with hemp milk, it’s naturally thick and creamy, with a slightly nutty flavor. “It therefore works best in savory dishes such as casseroles and slow-cooker meals rather than in baking,” says Mitri. And of course, brew with it till your heart’s content. “Due to its creaminess, hemp milk is also a wonderful addition to lattes, cappuccinos, and other coffee drinks — as well as in smoothies,” adds Mitri.

If you haven’t tried hazelnut milk, you’re missing out. “Hazelnut beverages provide a delightful nutty flavor,” says Jacqueline Gomes, RDN, who is in private practice and is the owner of Busy Woman Weight Loss in Warren, New Jersey.

A cup of unsweetened hazelnut milk ranges from 30 to 90 calories, 1 to 2 g of protein, and up to 1 g of fiber, according to details from Elmhurst and Pacific Foods. “A good-quality hazelnut milk will contain a higher concentration of hazelnuts, making it higher in calories and fat,” says Gomes. “However, this fat is mostly in the form of healthy monounsaturated fats.” Hazelnut milks typically aren’t fortified, so they contain minute amounts of potassium, iron, and calcium.

Try your hand at adding hazelnut milk to your favorite cupcake or pudding recipe. “A good hazelnut milk offers a creamy, rich flavor that can replace whole dairy milk,” says Gomes. “It works beautifully in desserts, smoothies, and of course coffee.”

Allergic to nuts and avoiding dairy? Sesame milk may be your new BFF! “Sesame milk has a bit of a toasted yet slightly nutty flavor — even though it's not a nut,” says Sarah Gold Anzlovar, RDN, who’s in private practice in Medfield, Massachusetts.

In addition to its sesame seed base, this milk may include ingredients such as pea protein, as is the case in Hope & Sesame Unsweetened Original Sesamemilk. Or as with Three Trees Black Sesame Almondmilk, it may contain almonds (a clear no for those with an allergy to the nut). A cup of the Hope & Sesame milk contains 90 calories, 8 g of protein, and less than 1 g of fiber. Sesame milk is typically minimally fortified. With the Hope & Sesame milk, one serving is an excellent source of vitamin D and calcium.

Many sesame milks are made with white sesame seeds, but some come from black sesame seeds, as with the Three Trees milk and a black sesame milk from Sesamilk. Either is a great option for a latte or as a base for a smoothie, overnight oats, or your morning cereal, says Gold Anzlovar. “You can also use it in baked goods that call for any other kind of milk,” she adds.

Milk from bananas? Yup, it’s a thing! “Banana milk isn’t made from nuts like some other plant-based milks, so it may be a safe choice for people with nut allergies, if the brand says that it is nut free,” says Michelle Dudash, RD, author of Clean Eating Kitchen and founder of Spicekick Meal Spice Kits in Carmel, Indiana.

Some banana milks contain just banana and other spices, while others contain added sugar. For example, Banana Wave Unsweetened Original is sweetened with just bananas, while Mooala’s BananaMilk also contains spices like cinnamon. Sweetened varieties of banana milk are made with cane sugar and can contain up to 6 g of added sugar. “This is where reading the ingredients list becomes important,” says Dudash. This means that calorie counts vary widely, from 60 to 80 calories per cup.

Because other ingredients range from sunflower seed butter to soybeans and oat flour, nutritional profiles have a wide range, too. Thus, 1 cup of fortified banana milk can supply up to 1 g of protein, 1 g of fiber, 150 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin A (a good source), and 1.5 mcg of vitamin B12 and 4 mcg of vitamin D (excellent sources).

“You can substitute banana milk cup for cup as you would in smoothies, cereal, baked goods, and even coffee,” says Dudash. “It does taste like banana. Some banana milk brands are sweeter than others, so keep that in mind if preparing a dish that is on the savory side.”

Previously sold mostly as pistachio paste, to which you add water to create your own milk, pistachio milk is now readily available bottled and ready to drink.

While Táche Unsweetened Original Blend pistachio milk is made mainly with pistachios, pistachio milk is often a combination of pistachios and other ingredients. One popular pistachio milk, Three Threes, contains pistachios and almonds. This milk comes unsweetened and per 1 cup contains 100 calories, 4 g of protein, and 2 g of fiber. Another pistachio milk, from Elmhurst, is made with pistachios and rice.

Pistachio milk typically isn’t fortified. But in the Three Trees product, for example, you’ll get small amounts of potassium, calcium, and iron — as well as a helping of the heart-healthy monounsaturated fats found in pistachios. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 1 ounce of unsalted pistachios provides 6.6 g of monounsaturated fat.

This milk is a good choice for people with diabetes who are avoiding dairy milk or who are following the ketogenic, or keto, diet because you can find milk blends with just a few ingredients and no added sugar.

It tastes delicious on its own, and you can use pistachio milk instead of traditional milk in muffin or quick bread recipes, or blend it into smoothies.

You’ve had nut milks at your fingertips for years, so why not try a milk made from seeds? Although the milk is nut free, it has a nutty taste. Made from flaxseed, it’s a good choice for people with a nut or dairy allergy.

Some flaxseed milks are unsweetened, while others contain added sugar — so calories per cup range from 70 to 120. Per tablespoon of whole flaxseed, you get 2 g protein and 3 g fiber, making it a good source of the latter, notes the USDA.

One popular variety of flaxseed milk, Good Karma, provides 8 g of protein and no fiber, while a version from Manitoba Flax offers almost 4 g protein and 3 g fiber (a good source).

Flaxseed milk is typically fortified. Per cup of Good Karma, for example, you get 310 milligrams of calcium (an excellent source), 140 mcg of vitamin A (a good source), 1.4 mcg of vitamin B12 (an excellent source), and 2.3 mcg of vitamin D (a good source).

Blend flaxseed milk into a smoothie or add to your mug of coffee.

Sweet enough without the need for added sugar, a cup of Milkadamia Macadamia Milk is typically just 40 calories per cup — but with only 1 g protein and less than 1 g fiber. Only some varieties are fortified. Milkadamia’s product, for example, is an excellent source of vitamin D and calcium.

“The benefits of consuming macadamia milk are that macadamia nuts are a good source of monounsaturated fats, and they are low in carbohydrates,” says Tracee Yablon Brenner, the outpatient integrative dietitian project coordinator at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, New Jersey. This low-carb characteristic makes the milk a particularly good choice for people with diabetes who are avoiding dairy milk or who are following a keto diet. Per the USDA, 1 ounce of macadamia nuts has 3.9 g of carbs. They also provide magnesium and are a good source of iron, according to the USDA.

And its creaminess offers many culinary applications. “For a nutty flavor, use macadamia milk in lattes and smoothies and to top off a bowl of granola,” says Brenner. “You can also use macadamia milk instead of coconut milk in golden milk, curry sauce, and a piña colada.” Plus, it’s delicious when blended with frozen bananas or strawberries into a nice cream, adds Brenner.