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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