The hype around oat milk has been off the charts for the last few years. Since Swedish company Oatly brought its version to market in 2016, shortages have been a regular occurrence. It recently opened a manufacturing facility in New Jersey to help meet demand. Meanwhile, other brands entered the plant-based milk market, including Califia Farms, which launched its oat milk products in early 2019. Now, Trader Joe’s Non-Dairy Oat Beverage is on shelves (and refrigerated sections) in stores.
The shelf-stable version runs $2.29 for a 32 oz. box, the refrigerated version runs $3.99 for a 64 oz. box.
My main use for the non-dairy oat beverage is in coffee. But I tried both of them straight out of the box and found the refrigerated version better tasting overall, a little sweeter, with a little more body, making it similar to 1% cow milk. Of course, the trade-off is it has a few more ingredients than the shelf-stable version, including xanthan gum. The shelf-stable is just water and hydrolized oats and it was thin, even thinner than non-fat cow milk, with an oaty flavor, but was ok. I couldn’t see myself drinking a glass with cookies or eating my Cheerios with it.
But let’s get to the coffee. I steamed the shelf-stable version, and while it foamed up nicely, it was still a little thin in a latte. If anything, I’d suggest going with a single shot, because without any fat to diffuse the coffee flavor, it ends up being fairly strong. It does have an oaty aftertaste to it, but it’s not overpowering the coffee. The bigger issue for me was the lack of body.
To compare, I also bought a box of Oatly’s Barista Version oat milk and while it was more expensive, ($4.49 at Metropolitan Market), it was heads and shoulders above the Trader Joe’s version in coffee. It had a nice mouthfeel and the oat flavor was subtle. For coffee, this is my pick.
Overall, Trader Joe’s non-dairy oat beverage (refrigerated version) gets my vote. I’ll be experimenting with it more in recipes over the coming weeks. Get the Oatly for your coffee.
Check out our other recent “We Trieds” from Trader Joe’s:
Trader Joe’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Mochi Ice Cream
Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Dip
Trader Joe’s Cinnamon Bun Spread
Trader Joe’s Chocolate Salted Caramel Mug Cake
