Vegan Milk Alternatives – 10 Delicious Non-Dairy Plant-Based Substitutes for Cows Milk

Looking for a delicious vegan milk substitute? Then you've definitely come to the right place! More and more people are switching to plant-based milk alternatives. There are mainly ethical, but also ecological and health reasons for this.

For example, cows are dehorned, artificially impregnated and separated from their offspring immediately after giving birth. The Factory farming milk production is also extremely resource-intensive and accelerates climate change. Last but not least, antibiotic and pus residues in high-fat animal milk pose a health risk to ourselves. Whatever your motives are: fortunately, there are great options for replacing cow's milk with vegan milk.

In this article, I will therefore introduce you to delicious alternatives to cow's milk! Whether for children, for baking, for muesli, as a barista version for coffee, for cooking or simply for a comparable taste. Let's go!

Advantages: Why should you prefer plant-based milk alternatives?

Vegan milk substitutes, for example, are ideal for those who lactose intolerant are. But there are so many more reasons to choose it over classic cow's milk. So before we move on to the exact varieties, I would like to give you a few more details about the most important motifs along the way:

• Protect animalsThe Dairy industry is pretty brutal. Animals have to suffer and die for every animal-based foodstuff - including milk and dairy products. Switching to plant-based milk alternatives therefore also means taking an active stand against the exploitation of animals and really promoting animal welfare.
• Protect the environment: By drinking vegan milk, you are improving your ecological footprintas much less water and land is needed to produce them - and significantly fewer CO2 emissions are generated. So you also conserve natural resources in everyday life and take decisive action against environmental problems such as climate change and species extinction.
• Stay healthy: Many plant-based milk alternatives are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, folic acid and many other health-promoting nutrients. They are also naturally lactose-free, contain fewer kilocalories and usually have even more protein. You are also acting even more in line with your own values if you do not accept animal exploitation for your breakfast milk.
• Discover diversityIn the world of plant milks, there really is a wide range of flavors and nutritional profiles. You are guaranteed to find the milk alternative that best suits your needs.

Tip: If you want to know more, Why vegans don't drink cow's milkjust click through to the linked article.

10 types of plant milk: Which vegan milk is best for replacing cow's milk?

Motivated enough? Then we can now take a look at the plant-based alternatives to animal milk that you can in almost all supermarkets and organic markets find.

Here I will now introduce you to the best and most animal-friendly types of milk that are ideal as vegan milk substitutes. You will also find out how Sustainable and environmentally friendly is the respective milk.

Notice: I will also give you a product recommendation that you can in the range from my partner Velivery* (or alternative partners). You can then simply "test" yourself there.

1. oat milk

When it comes to vegan milk substitutes, oat milk is never far away! The oat drink is one of the most ecological milk alternatives. Production (mostly in Germany) uses only small amounts of water and greenhouse gas emissions are also kept within limits. In addition, the Land consumption very low compared to the production of cow's milk.¹

Fortunately, oat milk not only tastes delicious, but also can be Foam up very well, which is why it is often used as a vegetable milk for coffee. Also used for Baking or for delicious sauces the slightly sweet milk is super suitable!

My recommendations:

• Oat milk* (from Oatly)
• Barista oat milk* (ideal for foaming, from Oatly)
• Oat Cuisine* (vegan cooking cream from Oatly)

2. soy milk

Soy milk enjoys the Lowest water consumption among milk varieties. On the other hand, it does not perform as well in terms of water pollution as, for example, oat milk. Nevertheless, it is a great, ecological cow's milk alternative.

Anyone who fears a protein deficiency on a vegan diet will be proved wrong, especially by soy milk. It is one of the most protein-rich plant drinks. In addition, it is also relatively easy to whip. The Neutral taste makes the soy milk additionally versatile.

My recommendations:

• Organic soy drink* (from Provamel)
• Soy cooking cream* (from Alpro)

Tip: A common argument is "Rainforest is cut down for soy - and only vegans consume that". In the linked article you can find out why you should avoid animal products rather than soy products if you want to avoid the Save rainforest want.

3. rice milk

For the cultivation of rice is a High water consumption necessary. In addition, the Greenhouse gas emissions from wet rice cultivation are enormous, even though they are nowhere near the negative values of cow's milk.  

The rather watery consistency and the rather Sweet taste but still make the rice drink a delicious vegan milk substitute. However, the rice milk can be not foam up so well, such as the oat or soy milk.

My recommendations:

• Rice drink* (from Provamel)
• Rice Cuisine* (Cooking cream from Provamel)

4. pea milk

Another particularly protein-rich milk alternative are pea drinks! As a rule, they are made from yellow peas. The mostly short transport routes improve the eco-balance of this vegetable milk immensely.

The white pea milk Tastes slightly creamy and is a great supplement for anyone who does a lot of sport, Build muscle vegan or simply want to eat a high-protein diet.

My recommendation:

• Pea protein drink* (from Vly)

Good to know: An argument often heard against the vegan lifestyle is "No animals die for milk". In the linked article you will learn why this is unfortunately a serious mistake.

5. almond milk

Almonds cut due to the high water consumption Unfortunately, almond milk does not fare quite as well from an environmental perspective. Nevertheless, almond milk is roughly on a par with plant-based competitors such as soy or oat milk in terms of land use and greenhouse gas emissions. As a vegan milk substitute, however, it is definitely a much more ecological alternative to animal milk.

Almond milk Tastes slightly sweet and is especially preferred by people who follow a gluten-free diet. Personally, I even find it the tastiest compared to the other plant-based milks! But for ecological reasons I prefer oat milk, which also tastes great and is so versatile.

My recommendations:

• Almond milk* (from Alpro)
• Barista almond milk* (for foaming, from Alpro)
• Almond Cuisine* (vegan cooking cream from Ecomil)

Tip: Another, rather unknown alternative are drinks made from macadamia nuts. In the linked article you will even learn how to make Make macadamia milk yourself can!

6. spelt milk

Spelt drinks are also among the vegetable milks that are from domestic raw materials and therefore have a good environmental footprint. However, in my experience, it is not yet available on every supermarket shelf compared to the milk alternatives mentioned so far.

The somewhat mealy tasting spelt milk Lathers up quite well, but is due to the gluten content Rather unsuitable for allergy sufferers. In addition, it is not as rich in nutrients as, for example, soy milk. Nevertheless, spelt milk is basically a more environmentally friendly and for many also tastier alternative to cow's milk.

My recommendation:

• Spelt drink* (from Allos)

7. hemp milk

Sustainable milk can also be produced from the seeds of the hemp plant, as hemp cultivation is basically very resource-saving takes place.

The hemp milk is rich in proteins, healthy fats and valuable nutrients Omega-3 fatty acids. As with spelt milk, however, you have to look a little harder to find it in the supermarket. But you're guaranteed to find this vegan milk substitute in the health food store.

My recommendation:

• Hemp drink* (from Ecomil)

Good to know: However, a kind of "milk rush" is not to be expected, as only the seeds and not the leaves of the hemp plant are used to produce the milk. 😉

8. lupine milk

A vegan milk substitute made from sweet lupins? Why not! Not only do they look beautiful in the fields, the plant can also be used to conjure up a very ecological milk. The low-resource cultivation in Germany and Europe makes the nutrient-rich drinks a sustainable and climate-friendly alternative to animal milk.

Lupine milk is rich in essential minerals and proteins. It is also suitable for allergy sufferers as it contains no gluten! Compared to more well-known vegan milks, however, the selection is not yet so huge that you can find it in every supermarket.

My recommendation:

• Lupin drink* (from LUVE)

9. hazelnut milk

If the hazelnuts of your favorite milk grown in Germany hazelnut drinks also belong on the list of sustainable milk alternatives. Unfortunately, studies on water consumption and land use are still relatively scarce. Nevertheless, hazelnut milk can only be more ecological than cow's milk because it avoids the "animal detour".

The milk from hazelnuts not only tastes nice and nutty, it also contains valuable Nutrients, such as E and B vitamins, as well as Calcium, Iron and Zinc. In addition, it usually comes without added sugar.

My recommendation:

• Hazelnut drink* (from Alpro)

10. coconut milk

Unfortunately, coconut milk is not one of the most ecological, vegan types of milk. This is mainly due to the long transport routes and the preferred Cultivation on monoculture plantations, which the species extinction Accelerate.

Coconut milk, which also tastes slightly nutty, is rich in vitamins and minerals such as calcium or Magnesium. Unfortunately, it also contains many saturated fatty acids. Nevertheless, it is a healthier, more environmentally and animal-friendly alternative than cow's milk - and that's saying something after all the criticism in this paragraph!

My recommendations:

• Coconut milk* (from Alpro)
• Barista coconut milk* (ideal for foaming, from Alpro)
• Coconut milk cuisine* (Cooking cream from Ecomil)

Tip: If you want to know, what you can do against the extinction of speciesthen be sure to read the linked blog article.

Vegan milk substitute: search, try and replace cow's milk permanently

Not every plant-based milk alternative tastes good to everyone and is suitable as a delicious, vegan milk substitute - of course! 🙂 But from my own experience, I can safely say that you will enjoy at least 2-3 of them.

And yes, the plant-based milk alternatives are certainly not all ecological - but they are all more ecological than resource-wasting cow's milk. Simply choose the most ecological vegan milk if your main motive is environmental protection.

As a rule, however, you will be healthier, more environmentally friendly and, last but not least, more animal-friendly with all the milk alternatives mentioned than with the mother's milk from cows. There are certainly always points of criticism - but there is really nothing to be said for the latter these days. So let's stop sucking on the teats of mother cows together.

"Reason starts in the kitchen."

Friedrich Nietzsche (more at Veganism Quotes)

I hope that I have been able to make one or two vegan milk substitutes tasty for you here. Do you have any questions or can you think of any other plant-based milks that are still missing from the list? Then please write me a comment!

Stay animal friendly, healthy and sustainable,

PS: You want to help even more with the Stop factory farming? Then you'll get the most effective tips in the linked article!

References:

1. Mathias Tertilt: Are milk alternatives healthier and more environmentally friendly? (as of 10.11.2021), available at https://www.quarks.de/gesundheit/ernaehrung/sind-milchalternativen-gesuender-und-umweltfreundlicher. [09.02.2024]. ↩︎