For Earth Month, I tried all the oat milk I could get my hands on to see which brands in Singapore are the best.
It’s 2024. We’re now living in an era where plant-based milk shares the same shelf space as dairy milk. Thanks to these alternatives, lactose-intolerant friends don’t have to miss out on delicious desserts, iced coffee and other dairy-filled goodies. One of the most common options in Singapore is oat milk: last time I checked, almost 30 brands were sitting pretty in the supermarkets!
As someone who enjoys drinking oat milk, I thought I’d do everyone a service by testing and rating all the options I could possibly get my hands on. Before you call me crazy (I prefer the term “dedicated”), hear me out: I won’t be testing all the brands. If I did, I’d regain all the weight I lost during the fasting month.
So, how is this going to work? For a fair test, I’m drinking one cup of each brand and grading it based on taste and texture; whether it has a nice, nutty flavour or if the consistency is rich and smooth, slimy, or watery. Next, I pair the oat milk with frosted cornflakes to test if they’re compatible. Finally, I highlight the price and see if it’s worth it. Let’s find out who’s the cream of the dairy alternative crop.
Ranking the best and worst oat milk brands in Singapore
1. Australia’s Own Barista Oat Milk
This is the first of many Australian brands I’ve seen in supermarkets. As I pour the contents into my cup, I notice it looks like condensed milk. I’d say this is possibly the closest to resembling oats. I like how creamy and full-bodied the milk is. It has a good nutty flavour, and I imagine it’ll go well with coffee. It’s easy to drink on its own, especially if you don’t like milk. I easily finish my cup! Plus, it combines well with cereal. There’s no sweetness overload; the nuttiness complements the frosted cornflakes. But one carton costs around $7, which might be a lot to some.
Oat-standing or oat-rageous? Knocked it oat of the park. It’s a brand to consider if you’re an oat milk novice. Just don’t look at the price tag!
2. Oatside Oat Milk – Barista Edition
Everything about this oat milk is just perfect. Of course, the fact that it’s “proudly created by a Singaporean” is the cherry on top of the frothed milk. Even though it’s not too thick, it still tastes creamy. There’s not a lot of nutty flavour, so if you’re into that, this might be a drawback. Oatside also pairs well with the frosted cereal, enhancing its sweetness while sharing main character credits. Sure, its almost less-than-stellar consistency may not look appealing in a cereal bowl, but the overall taste trumps everything. A one-litre carton retails for around $6.
Oat-standing or oat-rageous? Ngl, this has been my OG oat milk for the longest time. But after tasting the previous brand, it’s been knocked down to second place.
3. Chobani Oat Milk – Barista Edition
A friend griped that this was the most expensive oat milk they’d ever gotten. At $8 per carton, it’s understandable that you’d have high hopes for this brand. I adore the illustration on the packaging. It’s giving hope, colour, and organic. Chobani bears similarities with Australia’s Own in terms of taste, texture, and even compatibility with cereal. Could it be ‘cos they’re both made from Australian oats? It feels like something is missing, though I can’t quite put my finger on it… Oh, it’s the $8 from my wallet.
Oat-standing or oat-rageous? Neck and neck with Australia’s Own. The only oat-rageous thing is the price.
4. Minor Figures Barista Oat Milk
Full disclosure: this was my first introduction to the oat milk realm, and I’ve always liked it. Now, I’m gonna put my bias aside for this article’s sake, though I may fail on that front. The texture is light but not watery, with a pleasant nutty flavour that makes me want to finish my drink quickly and refill my cup. It pairs well with cereal, though it doesn’t absorb the sweetness. I’d like to reward bonus points for the design: it’s simple, clean, and randomly funny. This baddie costs $6, which I think isn’t too costly.
Oat-standing or oat-rageous? This would’ve ranked a little higher before the test, but it’s sitting comfortably in this position now. Still oat-cellent!
5. UFC Velvet Oat Milk – Barista Edition
This is a prominent brand on our shelves; the barista edition costs $5.85. As I whiff my cup, I can’t tell if I’m smelling oat milk or soy beancurd. The colour reminds me of Horlicks (remember that brand?). Tbh, I’m pleasantly surprised by this. Even though its texture is not the greatest (it’s gunning for velvety but it feels slimy to me), I enjoy the malty taste. It’s like I’m drinking something comforting and familiar. Unfortunately, once the oat milk is mixed with the cereal, I only taste the former. That’s not a bad thing per se, but if you’re looking for balance, this might not be it.
Oat-standing or oat-rageous? Not super oat-standing, but I still like it. Better to drink on its own.
6. Alpro Oat Milk – Unsweetened
Alpro’s oat milk tastes like oat-flavoured water. To be fair, the packaging did say unsweetened, so I knew what I was getting myself into. The texture is not slimy or watery, but it’s also not rich or full-bodied. I don’t dislike it, but at the same time, it’s not something I will reach for at the supermarket. Surprisingly (or unsurprisingly, depending on how you look at it), the milk goes well with the cereal. The sweet cornflakes balance out the unsweetened oat milk, resulting in a good combination. If you’re keen to try this, it retails for $6.66.
Oat-standing or oat-rageous? On the oat fence. I won’t drink it on its own, but I don’t mind having it with cereal at any time of the day.
7. Otis Everyday Oat Milk
I expect oat milk to be off-white with a robust flavour and creamy texture. This brand delivers in terms of colour but needs work on the rest. While it’s not too watery, it’s not as rich as I want it to be. That goes for the taste, too – it doesn’t hit you until you’ve gulped it down. The consolation is that it’s not cloying, so you can drink this and still feel healthy. Otis fared better in the cereal test. I like that the milk complemented the cornflakes’ sweetness – they have a nice balance. A litre costs almost $7.
Oat-standing or oat-rageous? Like Alpro, I’ll probably only consume this with my whatever-time-of-the-day cereal.
8. Oatbedient Oat Milk Barista
Another friend told me this brand’s carton version isn’t great compared to the sachets, so I didn’t have high hopes. But hey, let’s not write it off till we try it.
After shaking the carton and pouring its contents, there are bubbles in my cup, which I reckon is a good sign that Oatbedient is easy to froth. I can’t tell if my taste buds have gone wonky by now, but after a few sips, it feels like this oat milk tastes slightly off despite its deliciously nutty scent. There’s coconut in it, so that might’ve contributed to the flavour. I’m in favour of its consistency, though: not too thick, but also not watery. It goes decently well with cereal, although the milk taste remains questionable. Be prepared to pay almost $7 for this Singaporean brand.
Oat-standing or oat-rageous? Leaning towards 55/45 for me. If I’m in the mood for something different, maybe I’ll pick this up.
9. Omilk Barista Oat Drink
I’ve never come across this oat milk brand in Singapore before, so the bar was not set high. The milk pours beautifully into my cup and cereal bowl – I reckon it’d make a satisfying ASMR video. It has a thick consistency, almost like melted yoghurt. I looked through the ingredient list and noticed this drink is made from oat powder. Dang! I feel cheated. Regardless, it’s a decent option to go with coffee. Taste-wise, even though the packaging claims “no sugar added”, it’s still sweet. That’s probably because of the powder. Hmph. Don’t mix this with cereal, as it can threaten to overpower your brekkie bowl. If you like thick oat milk, you can get it for around $6.
Oat-standing or oat-rageous? It’s a little too thick for me (cue Pikachu shocked face meme), but others might be into it.
10. 137 Degrees Real Oat Milk Original
This Thai brand smells like almond soy beancurd and somehow kinda tastes like it, too. It’s strangely sweet and masks the nutty flavour. Those who prefer something less sweet might not take too well to this. It doesn’t have a thick consistency, making it an easy drink to chug down. The oat milk goes okay with cereal, but that bizarre taste becomes more pronounced, leaving an aftertaste. “Job’s Tears” is part of its ingredient list, though I’m not entirely sure what that is. Perhaps that’s the contributing factor to its flavour. This brand’s oat milk retails for $7.
Oat-standing or oat-rageous? Uncertain. I’m not offended by it, despite the weird lingering aftertaste. But ultimately, it’s not for me.
11. Moma Original Oat Drink – Unsweetened
This is the first of two UK oat milk brands I’m trying. As I pour the drink into my cup, I notice that Moma’s is darker than the others I’ve tried – it almost looks like a diluted iced milk tea. Taste-wise, it notches up higher than the ones below this brand, though that’s not saying much. The watery texture is a letdown, probably ‘cos no thickening agent was used. My frosted cereal overpowers the milk before getting soggy fast. A one-litre carton will set you back $7.50.
Oat-standing or oat-rageous? “It’s aight,” as the young kids say it. Would I be mad if cafes used this in their drinks? Probably not, though I’ll skip the oat milk altogether and pick another alternative.
12. Oatly Dairy Free Oat Milk Drink
“Eeee!” is the first thing that escapes my mouth as I pour this oat milk into my cup. Oh dear, that’s not a good sign. The colour looks like I mixed my foundation with water. Based on my description, you can roughly tell its consistency. The nutty flavour is mild. I almost didn’t want to do the cereal test, but that would be unfair. Long story short: I should’ve followed my instincts. If whatever I said didn’t turn you off, you can get your hands on this for $6.50.
Oat-standing or oat-rageous? A major “pass”. Nothing else to add, Your Honour.
13. Nestle Goodnes Oat Dairy Free Oat Drink
The colour of this oat milk brand looks similar to Australia’s Own… and the comparison stops there. The packaging states it’s “rich, creamy, and oat-some”. Am I drinking the same oat milk as advertised? I get the creaminess, though admittedly, it’s mild and there’s nothing rich about it. The saving grace is the decent nutty flavour. When paired with cereal, the cornflakes’ sweetness overpowers the milk initially before it gets drowned out. This brand costs almost $6; honestly, it should go for cheaper.
Oat-standing or oat-rageous? The latter. Best to leave this on the shelves and walk away.
14. Rude Health Barista Oat Drink
Its colour is fairer than the other oat milk, with what looks like a greenish tinge. (Sorry, I can’t quite tell – I’m partially colourblind.) This is made of 13% oats, the highest of all the brands I’ve tested. But does it taste good? I got a rude awakening after taking the first gulp. The following sips confirmed my initial feeling: this isn’t good. It doesn’t taste like oat milk – more like an imposter. The texture is watery despite the gellan gum in its ingredient list. I was so disappointed, I almost skipped the cereal compatibility test. But for the sake of neutrality, I pressed on. Two words: don’t bother. The milk didn’t pair well with cereal. That’s almost $8 down the drain…
Oat-standing or oat-rageous? Absolutely, rudely oat-rageous. I’m affronted that I even bought this.
Oat my goodness, I’m officially done!
After consuming 14 cartons of oat milk and powering through several rounds of a bloated stomach, I conclude that Australia’s Own is the cream of the crop, with Oatside and Chobani trailing closely behind. I can picture myself drinking the three brands interchangeably, alongside the occasional cup of Minor Figures and UFC Velvet.
There’s a lot of chatter on TikTok about how oat milk is not entirely healthy for you, but you be the judge. If you’re concerned about ingredients and sweetness levels, I encourage you to research what your body responds to best. And of course, take everything in moderation. One thing I’d like to highlight is that apart from Moma and Rude Health, the others are halal-certified, so our Muslim friends on the plant-based route can enjoy them too.
Do you agree with this ranking? Did any of your faves make it to the list? DM us, we’d love to hear your thoughts.