Plant milk is a category of non-dairy beverages made from a water-based plant extract for flavoring and aroma. Nut milk is a subcategory made from nuts, while other plant milks may be created from grains, pseudocereals, legumes, seeds or endosperm. Plant-based milks are consumed as alternatives to dairy milk and provide similar qualities, such as a creamy mouthfeel, as well as a bland or palatable taste. Many are sweetened or flavored (e.g., vanilla).
As of 2026, there were about 20 different types of plant milks, of which almond, oat, soy, coconut and pea are the highest-selling worldwide. Production of plant milks—particularly soy, oat, and pea milks—can offer environmental advantages over animal milks in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and land and water use.
Plant-based beverages have been consumed for centuries, with the term "milk-like plant juices" used since the 13th century. In the 21st century, these drinks are commonly referred to as plant-based milk, alternative milk, non-dairy milk or vegan milk. For commerce, plant-based beverages are typically packaged in containers similar and competitive to those used for dairy milk, but cannot be labeled as "milk" within the European Union.
Across various cultures, plant milk has been both a beverage and a flavor ingredient in sweet and savory dishes (such as the use of coconut milk in curries). These drinks are compatible with vegetarian and vegan lifestyles. Plant milks are also used to make ice cream alternatives, plant cream, vegan cheese, and yogurt-analogues (such as soy yogurt). The global plant milk market was estimated to reach 62billion by 2030.
History Before commercial production of 'milks' from legumes, beans and nuts, plant-based mixtures resembling milk have existed for centuries. The Wabanaki and other Native American tribal nations in the northeastern United States made milk and infant formula from nuts.
In English, the word "milk" has been used to refer to "milk-like plant juices" since 1200 CE.
Almond milk spread throughout Europe during the Middle Ages and was popular in parts of the Middle East. Recipes for almond milk in the Middle East date back to around the 13th century as it was mentioned in Muhammad bin Hasan al-Baghdadi’s cookbook Kitāb al-Ṭabīḫ (; The Book of Dishes), written in 1226. It was especially popular during Lent. Soy was a plant milk used in China during the 14th century. Soy milk use in China is first recorded in 1365. In medieval England, almond milk was used in dishes such as ris alkere (a type of rice pudding) and appears in the recipe collection The Forme of Cury. Coconut milk (and coconut cream) are traditional ingredients in many cuisines such as in South and Southeast Asia, East African coastal regions, and are often used in curries.
Plant milks may be regarded as milk substitutes in Western countries, but have traditionally been consumed in other parts of the world, especially ones where there are higher rates of lactose intolerance (see especially ).
Types
Common plant milks are almond milk, coconut milk, rice milk, oat milk and soy milk. Other plant milks include hemp milk, cashew milk, pea milk, and peanut milk.
Plant milks can be made from:
Grains: barley, fonio, maize, millet, oat, rice, rye, sorghum, teff, triticale, spelt, wheat Pseudocereals: amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa Legumes: lupine, pea, peanut, soy, chickpea, Nuts: almond, brazil, cashew, hazelnut, macadamia, pecan, pistachio, walnut Seeds: chia seed, flax seed, hemp seed, pumpkin seed, sesame seed, sunflower seed Other: coconut (fruit; drupe), banana (fruit; berry), potato (tuber), tiger nut (tuber)
A blend is a plant milk created by mixing two or more types together. Examples of blends are almond-coconut milk and almond-cashew milk.
Other traditional plant milk recipes include:
Kunu, a Nigerian beverage made from sprouted millet, sorghum, or maize Sikhye, a traditional sweet Korean rice beverage Amazake, a Japanese rice milk Thandal, a Sindhi beverage made from a mixture of seeds
Manufacturing
Manufacturing methods vary according to the plant source and desired product. A typical process for soy milk, for example, may include the following steps: cleaning, soaking and dehulling the beans grinding of the starting material to produce a slurry, powder or emulsion heating the processed plant material to inactivate lipoxygenase enzymes that can contribute to undesirable flavors removing sedimentable solids by filtration adding water, sugar (or sugar substitutes) and other ingredients to improve flavour, aroma, and micronutrient content homogenizing the liquid to reduce particle size and improve stability and mouthfeel heat treatment, such as pasteurization or ultra-high-temperature (UHT) processing, followed by appropriate packaging and storage
Pasteurized plant milks generally require refrigerated storage, whereas UHT-treated products packaged aseptically can be stored unopened at room temperature for extended periods. Other ingredients may include stabilizers or emulsifiers such as guar gum, xanthan gum or lecithin, as well as salt, flavorings and added micronutrients such as calcium, B vitamins and vitamin D. Plant milks are also used to make ice cream, plant cream, vegan cheese, and yogurt-analogues, such as soy yogurt.
Nutritional comparison with cow's milk Many plant milks aim to contain the same proteins, vitamins and lipids as those produced by lactating mammals. Generally, because plant milks are manufactured using processed extracts of the starting plant, plant milks are lower in nutrient density than dairy milk and are fortified during manufacturing to add precise levels of micronutrients, commonly calcium, vitamin A and vitamin D. Animal milks are also commonly fortified, and many countries have laws mandating fortification of milk products with certain nutrients, commonly vitamins A and D.
Packaging and commerce
Plant-based milks have emerged as an alternative to dairy in response to consumer dietary requests and changing attitudes about animals and the environment. Huffington Post stated that due to health and environmental reasons as well as changing consumer trends, more individuals regularly buy non-dairy alternatives to milk. Between 1974 and 2020, dairy milk consumption of people aged between 16 and 24 in the United Kingdom decreased from 94% to 73%. In Australia, there is decreased confidence within the dairy industry, with only 53% being optimistic in the future profitability and demand for dairy products per a Dairy Australia report.
To improve competition, plant milks are typically packaged in containers similar to those of dairy milks. A scientific journal article argued that plant-milk companies send the message that plant milks are 'good and wholesome' and dairy milk is 'bad for the environment', and the article also reported that an increasing number of young people associate dairy with environmental damage. There has been an increased concern that dairy production has adverse effects on biodiversity, water and land use. These negative links between dairy and the environment have also been communicated through audiovisual material against dairy production, such as 'Cowspiracy' and 'What the Health'. Animal welfare concerns have also contributed to the declining popularity of dairy milk in many Western countries. Advertising for plant milks may also contrast the intensive farming effort to produce dairy milk with the relative ease of harvesting plant sources, such as oats, rice or soybeans. In 2021, an advertisement for oat milk brand Oatly aired during the Super Bowl.
In 2020, one major coffee retailer – Starbucks – added oat milk, coconut milk, and almond milk beverages to its menus in the United States and Canada. By 2023, refrigerated oat milk sales in the United States had reached approximately $551 million for the 52 weeks ending May 21. Planet Oat was the leading individual brand in the segment, accounting for 35.2% of refrigerated oat milk dollar sales during that period.
A key dietary reason for the increased consumption of plant-based milks is lactose intolerance, such as in Australia where intolerance affects 4.5% of the population. In the United States, around 40 million people are lactose intolerant.
Standards As of 2026, international standards for manufacturing and labeling of plant milks do not exist. Regionally, such as in the United States, plant-based, non-dairy beverages are required to comply with local, state, and federal requirements for manufacturing, packaging, labeling, distribution, and marketing. Such beverages must also prove a shelf-life of six months from their manufacturing date, may have refrigeration requirements, must have a shelf life of at least three months from the manufacturing date, and must have an allergen statement on the label if made with a plant source potentially containing an allergen.
Plant milk products in the United States may undergo random analytical testing by federal inspectors to meet microbiological standards.
Environmental impacts
The environmental impacts of dairy and plant-based milks can be measured by metrics, including land use, greenhouse gas emissions, freshwater use, and eutrophication. Across all metrics, cow's milk has significantly higher impacts. On average, its production uses around 10 times as much land and 2 to 20 times as much freshwater as the production of plant-based milks. Additionally, dairy production creates around 3 times as much greenhouse gas emissions and 2 to 10 times as much eutrophication.
Among plant-based milks, the environmental impacts vary. For instance, while almond milk produces among the fewest greenhouse gas emissions, it also uses more freshwater than other plant-based alternatives.
The environmental impacts of plant milks vary according to factors including crop water requirements, farming practices, region of production, processing and transportation. Almond-based milk substitutes have been criticized for their water requirements and the use of pesticides in some production systems. Life-cycle assessments generally find that plant-based milks have lower greenhouse gas emissions and land use than dairy milk, although water use varies considerably between plant sources and production systems.
Labeling and terminology Historically, a number of plant-based beverages have been traditionally referred to as "milk". One of the first reliable modern English dictionaries, Samuel Johnson's 1755 A Dictionary of the English Language, gave two definitions of the word "milk". The first described "the liquor with which animals feed their young from the breast", and the second an "emulsion made by contusion of seeds", using almond milk as an example.
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the use of the term "milk" for plant-based drinks became controversial. As demand for plant-based milks increased, dairy manufacturers and distributors advocated for legally restricting the term to animal products only: arguing that consumers may confuse the two, or be misled as to the nutritional content of plant-based alternatives.
Many jurisdictions strictly regulate the use of the term "milk" on food labelling. Some countries have outright banned its use for non-dairy products, while others mandate that "milk" only be used with qualifiers (such as "oat milk") on non-dairy alternatives. Where use of the term "milk" is restricted, plant milks may be labeled with terms reflecting their composition (such as "oat drink"), or absence of ingredients (such as "dairy-free").
Australia and New Zealand Food standards in Australia and New Zealand are developed by the same common body, called Food Standards Australia New Zealand. As of 2024, products sold as 'milk' without qualifiers in Australia or New Zealand "must be milk" which is defined as an animal product. Qualifiers such as "soy milk" are allowed, due to the use of quotation marks in the legislative instrument.