Thinking Outside the Carton: Oat Milk Products and Menu Items

While the beverage itself has garnered a massive fanbase, oat milk devotees know that the plant-based drink is available in a wide range of other products and menu items aside from the carton. As the second most popular plant-based milk behind almond milk, oat milk sales tripled in 2020, outpacing soy milk by a landslide. 

Food companies and foodservice operators quickly realized oat milk’s popularity and started incorporating oat milk into their products and menu items. Being that it’s dairy-free and nut-free, oat milk is also allergy- and diet-friendly, making it a safe and healthier addition or swap-out in most products.  Here are a few products and menu items that incorporate oat milk.

1. Lucky Jack Coffee

As a popular coffee creamer alternative, it only makes sense that a coffee brand would turn to oat milk for its plant-based consumers. California-based Lucky Jack Coffee sells cold brew coffees and recently launched a line of Cold Brew Nitro Lattes made with oat milk. The certified organic, gluten-free and nut-free canned lattes come in four flavors and contain only 80 calories and 5 grams of sugar. 

With an influx of canned coffee beverages, Lucky Jack wanted to cater to its plant-based and lactose-intolerant consumers while packing the caffeine punch. Its oak milk lattes can be purchased on its website, in select retailers and on Amazon. 

2. My/Mochi

Ice cream-stuffed mochi was an innovation in and of itself, but My/Mochi further revolutionized the trend by using oat milk ice cream for its non-dairy customers. My/Mochi’s new line of Oat Milk Frozen Desserts features oat milk ice cream wrapped in sweet rice mochi dough. The non-dairy, gluten-free treats come in five flavors and contain 100 calories per serving.

“My/Mochi Oat Milk Frozen Dessert reinforces our commitment to revolutionizing the world of snacking with oat milk ranking high on protein and fiber while being allergy-friendly,” said Craig Berger, CEO of My/Mochi in a press release. “We are constantly looking to mesmerize mouths and we couldn’t be more excited to announce this updated offering that all can enjoy.”

3. Bushwick Kitchen

While many customers love the brand’s spicy honey and maple syrup, New York City-based Bushwick Kitchen expanded beyond sauces and condiments last month with its plant-based pancake and waffle mixes. The mixes are made with oat milk and whole grains and come in two flavors: Original Recipe and Cinnamon Oat. 

Pancake and waffle lovers don’t have to sacrifice a light, fluffy texture with crisp edges since oat milk as a replacement for real dairy does the job. Even those who don’t follow a non-dairy diet will be drawn to Bushwick Kitchen’s mixes because of their versatility and flavor. The mixes are available at Walmart and online.

4. Halsa Foods

Translating to “health” in Swedish, Halsa Foods took its name to heart when unveiling its line of oat milk-based yogurt. Unlike most oat milk yogurts, Halsa’s “oatgurt” is free of all enzymes and chemicals, typically used to modify the oats during the production process. Halsa’s line of oatgurt is also free of emulsifiers, gums, phosphates and processed sugar, making it the ultimate healthy snack.

“We cracked the code on how to make plant-based yogurt without a single artificial ingredient,” Halsa said on its website. “We start and end with whole grain oats. Nothing natural removed, nothing artificial added. Clean ingredients, clean process and a clean label.”

The line of oatgurt ships throughout the US and is available in some Wegman’s and Shoprite locations.

5. Baskin-Robbins

Baskin-Robbins recently unveiled its new “Flavor of the Month,” the Non-Dairy Strawberry Streusel made from oat milk. The vegan offering features streusel swirled with strawberry ribbons and cinnamon granola in an oat milk base. While this is not Baskin-Robbins’ first plant-based offering, it is the first oat milk-based ice cream, but the brand said it won’t be its last.

“As the first major national ice cream shop to offer oat milk-based flavors, the experts at Baskin-Robbins have been hard at work creating an oatmilk base that has the same smooth and creamy consistency of traditional ice cream with a slightly sweet oat flavor,” the company said in a press release.

6. Starbucks

In March, Starbucks teamed up with Oatly to launch oat milk drinks nationwide. Now, oat milk stars in Starbucks’ new Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso and Honey Oat Milk Latte.

“When selecting an oat milk, we looked for a high-quality ingredient that is not only delicious, but also complements our coffees and inspires new handcrafted beverages,” said Luigi Bonini, senior vice president of Global Product Innovation at Starbucks, in a press release.

Only a month after adding oat milk products to its menu, Starbucks began running out of oat milk at some locations. The oat milk drinks became wildly popular, but customers would also add oat milk to their regular orders. Starbucks made customers order through its app or online to get oat milk to help preserve the dwindling supply. 

What’s Next for Oat Milk Products and Menu Items?

These oat milk products and menu items are a testament to the beverage’s widespread acceptance as a healthier, more sustainable dairy replacement. As oat milk continues to grow in popularity, consumers can expect it to be a swap out or replacement for dairy milk in a slew of other products.