9 Trader Joe's Non-Dairy Beverage Drinks, Ranked

Fortunately for those of us who suffer from any type of lactose intolerance or dairy allergy, we live in a time when dairy-free alternatives of our favorite foods are plentiful. It's not uncommon nowadays to enter a grocery store and find a wealth of non-dairy products at your disposal. This rings especially true when it comes to a fan-favorite grocer: Trader Joe's. The chain takes its customers' food preferences seriously, and it's succeeded in formulating excellent alternatives to products that are usually rich in dairy, such as coffee creamer, yogurt, and cream cheese. Browsing its aisles will also bring you to an entire section of dairy-free milk beverages.

Trader Joe's could have created one milk alternative and called it a day; instead, the chain went above and beyond (as it tends to do) to deliver several non-dairy milks for its customers to choose from. Perhaps best of all, you won't find any long lists of ingredients on these boxed milks. Many contain a couple additives and vitamins, but some have an ingredients list that's only two items long.  

This begs the question — how good are Trader Joe's non-dairy beverages really? I grabbed one of each on the shelf at my local store to rank and sipped them at room temperature, testing them for texture, flavor, and consistency.

I should start by saying I've never had rice milk before, so I don't really have anything to compare Trader Joe's Organic Non-Dairy Rice Beverage to. I appreciate that the brand adds calcium and vitamins to this beverage, but not even its benefits can save it from its flavor, and this was my least favorite milk of the bunch. It was unexpectedly sweet, and though it grew on me the more I drank it, I couldn't justify giving it anything above the bottom spot on my list.

Sickly sweet flavor aside, the texture of this rice milk was slightly chalky, and it was of an incredibly thin consistency. It didn't leave the best aftertaste either. This TJ's drink tasted like a sweet rice in beverage form — if that's your thing, maybe you'll enjoy this beverage. I do think it could make a decent drink base or add-in, but only to foods that will mask its flavor, like a smoothie. If you're looking for a coffee creamer alternative, skip this product entirely, as rice milk gives the worst froth of any non-dairy milk. On the plus side, this rice milk could probably make a rich non-dairy chocolate pudding.

Though I'm sure Trader Joe's Non-Dairy Oat Beverage isn't the worst oat milk out there, I'm also quite certain it's not the best. If you're looking for an oat milk for the sole purpose of drinking it as a solo beverage, I'd pass this one up entirely. To its credit, Trader Joe's oat milk is made from only two ingredients: water and hydrolyzed oats. Consumers simply have to weigh the pros and cons here — are you willing to sacrifice some textural integrity for an oat milk that's ultimately subpar to versions that contain more additives? Personally, I would be.

Most of my issues with this non-dairy milk were due to its texture and consistency. Similar to the TJ's rice milk, this oat beverage was slightly chalky, and it seemed to be separating even right after I poured it (and yes, I shook the box first). It was a little too thin and watery to be palatable on its own, and I do think that a thicker texture would have made it tastier. The flavor wasn't bad, especially if you're an oat fanatic — it just tasted like unsweetened, liquid oats. 

I also wouldn't call this oat milk as versatile as some later picks on this list. Its flavor could be off-putting when added to cereal (depending on which kind of cereal you use), and it's not something I would want to taste solo in any dish, though I do think you could use it as a base for a fruit smoothie. 

You'll see three different almond-based beverages from Trader Joe's on this list, and the grocer's Organic Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Beverage was my least favorite of the trio. This was surprising to me — I typically prefer vanilla-flavored products to their unflavored alternatives, but that wasn't the case with these almond milks. Interestingly, I think the vanilla flavoring was just too potent, and it overshadowed the almond flavor that I enjoyed in TJ's other almond beverages. 

Enjoyment of this non-dairy beverage will likely just be a matter of personal preference. If you like heavy vanilla flavoring, then you might find yourself gravitating toward this drink. I will say, I think I would have preferred a sweetened vanilla almond beverage to this unsweetened version — the vanilla flavoring tastes out of place and somewhat heavy, whereas a sweet element could have lifted it a little. The milk was also slightly thinner than I'd have preferred, but it still boasted a smooth texture. This would be a decent base for a non-dairy milkshake or a bake that you'd add vanilla to anyway; however, you won't find me enjoying it solo anytime soon.

We've made it through the few non-dairy Trader Joe's milks that I'm unlikely to purchase again — the remaining selections were all varying degrees of enjoyable. Trader Joe's Unsweetened Almond, Cashew, & Macadamia Nut Beverage stands apart from other non-dairy milks simply because it uses a combination of nuts to achieve a superior flavor and texture, and though it wasn't my favorite of the bunch, I had few qualms with it.

This non-dairy milk was definitely nutty, and I quite liked the strong cashew flavor with a hint of macadamia nuts. My biggest complaint was that this TJ's product wasn't sweetened, and that's the only reason I think it doesn't necessarily hold its own as a drink. I'd recommend pairing it with something sweet to make it shine, like a sweet cereal or a hot chocolate, though you shouldn't feel like you need to mask its flavor. Its texture is silky smooth and incredibly creamy without being too thick. Though the nuts come through well when enjoyed solo, their flavor isn't strong enough to overpower whatever you may use this in, and I'd absolutely try it as a base for various non-dairy concoctions.

Next on my list is Trader Joe's Organic Non-Dairy Unsweetened Coconut Beverage, a tropical food lover's dream. I'm not normally a fan of coconut milk, as many I've tried have had an incredibly strong coconut flavor. TJ's version, on the other hand, stands apart by boasting coconut notes that are neither too strong nor too subtle. I could see this being an easy milk to use in various tropical concoctions. The coconut flavor will accentuate any other coconut or pineapple elements you may add, but it can also fade into the background should you want other flavors to take center stage. 

Personally, I think this milk is begging to be made into a frozen piña colada or a coconut milk margarita. When enjoyed on its own, it had a fairly subtle flavor for coconut milk, and it took until the end of my sip to really taste the coconut in it. Its texture is wonderfully smooth, but it felt slightly watery, and I found myself wishing it was just a bit creamier. Though definitely drinkable on its own, this coconut milk was kind of bland, but I'd still absolutely grab this as a fun addition to tropical cocktails. 

This selection and the next one on my list (the non-organic version of the same milk) are fairly interchangeable. The only reason I placed Trader Joe's Organic Unsweetened Original Almond Beverage lower than its non-organic sibling is because I did taste some subtle differences. Ultimately though, your choice between the two will probably come down to whether you generally prefer to stock your house with organic products. If that's you, go ahead and grab the organic box; if you're indifferent, you may find its non-organic counterpart to be slightly better. 

This beverage had a pronounced almond flavor which I quite enjoyed, though it would be a turnoff if you're at all almond-averse. Its texture was smooth, but it seemed slightly thinner than the other one, and its flavor was just a touch more subtle. If you (like me) are nit-picky when it comes to flavor variations, do what I did — buy a box of each unsweetened almond beverage and have a taste test. I bet you'll taste a couple differences, and then it will be up to you to decide which one wins the permanent shelf spot in your pantry. 

Now, onto Trader Joe's Unsweetened Original Almond Beverage: The non-organic sibling to my previous pick. I didn't expect to enjoy this beverage as much as I did. I tend to eschew almond milks in favor of oat milk — I often find them to be slightly thinner, with a nutty flavor that can taste somewhat chemical depending on the brand. I got none of that with either of Trader Joe's almond beverages, and would happily enjoy this on its own. 

As with the last selection, you won't enjoy this milk if you're not a fan of almonds, as its almond flavor is quite potent. I didn't even think it needed to be sweetened, which was a complaint I had about some other beverages on this list. Its texture was smooth and creamy, and it was neither too thick nor too thin (though I did find it to be slightly thicker than the organic version). This would make a great milk for a granola cereal or some non-dairy scrambled eggs. But you could always enjoy it on its own, or even make it into chocolate milk or hot chocolate. I applaud Trader Joe's on this almond milk — it's truly one of the best I've had. 

Am I typically a fan of pumpkin-flavored things? No. Will I be buying Trader Joe's Non-Dairy Pumpkin Oat Beverage again? Absolutely. I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed this one (especially considering that its regular oat beverage took a bottom spot on this list), but I think TJ's found a beautiful balance in this non-dairy beverage. Perhaps the thing I appreciate most about it is its subtlety — if you're after a strong pumpkin-flavored drink, you may not be as big of a fan of this as I was.

The pumpkin was gentle and unassuming, and rather than hitting me from the beginning of a sip, it gradually became more pronounced throughout my sip. Flavor aside, its texture was impeccably smooth, though I found myself wondering if I wanted it just slightly thicker. It's very drinkable on its own, and my only qualm came from trying to figure out how else to use it. An immediate pairing idea was Trader Joe's seasonal Pumpkin O's. This pumpkin-flavored oat milk could also be elevated with additions as simple as a dash of cinnamon and some whipped cream, and you may find me trying to craft an autumnal cocktail with it later. 

Finally, my favorite of Trader Joe's non-dairy beverage selections — its Non-Dairy Chocolate Oat Beverage. Given that I'm not a fan of chocolate milk or Trader Joe's regular oat milk, my expectations for this one were slim. However, it ended up being a rich, fairly indulgent drink that I can see a ton of uses for. If you grab a box the next time you're at the chain, it may just become a versatile staple in your pantry. 

When I do partake in chocolate drinks, I typically like them to be thick and taste like dark chocolate. This non-dairy beverage ticked neither of those boxes, yet I still found myself taking sip after sip. You can taste the oats slightly, but the cocoa was strong enough to mute most of the oat flavor. And though it wasn't as thick as I usually enjoy, I didn't want it to be any thicker — it was rich enough as-is. I'd happily enjoy this chocolate-flavored oat milk on its own again, but I'd also be tempted to warm it up and use it as the base for my favorite hot chocolate recipe. You could even use it to add some interest to your morning coffee, or to make a yummy oat milk chocolate pudding. 

When trying each Trader Joe's non-dairy beverage for the purposes of ranking them, I wanted to get the full, unadulterated experience of each, so I sampled them by themselves at room temperature. As far as flavor goes, I was fairly flexible on what I was looking for, and it was fine for a certain milk to showcase the flavor of its base. What I didn't want was to taste anything out-of-place, which is what knocked TJ's rice and vanilla almond beverages down several pegs on my list. 

Equally as important as each milk's flavor was its texture. None of the milks were very thick, which worked to the favor of some and which I think was a disadvantage to others (for example, the pumpkin oat beverage could have been slightly thicker). A couple of the milks were unfortunately very slightly chalky, which prevented them from getting a higher score. The highest-scored non-dairy milks were smooth in texture and didn't show the slightest sign of separating, and their flavors were pleasing and natural enough to keep me coming back for another sip.