Seasonal Features

Make Your Tea Latte a Super Bowl

Find the Perfect Plant-Based Milk for Your Tea Latte


Looking for a plant-based milk to make your tea latte? Sips by breaks down the best milk alternatives for every type of tea latte, from matcha to chai, London fog to English breakfast. Plant-based milks are more popular than they’ve ever been, and with all the options on the shelves, it can be hard to decide which one is for you. Whether you’re going vegan or just looking for a more environmentally-friendly creamer, we’re here to help you pick the right milk alternative for your super bowl–aka tea latte.

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SOY MILK

Soy milk has been around longer than any other dairy milk alternatives, and for a long time was considered the quintessential vegan milk. It’s produced using either soybeans or soy protein isolate, and often contains thickeners or vegetable oils to for enhanced taste and consistency. Many brands also fortify their soy milk with vitamins and minerals such as vitamin D and calcium.

Flavor & Texture

Soy milk flavor can vary between brands but tends to be mild. The creamy texture makes soy milk a great choice for lattes, no matter which tea you choose.

Nutrition

Soy milk’s nutrition benefits are the closest to dairy milk of any alternatives on this list. Its protein content is on par with cow’s milk, with lower calories, fats, and carbohydrates.

Availability

Because of soy milk’s long-lasting popularity, most grocery stores stock several brands and flavors.

ALMOND MILK

Another popular choice is almond milk, made from either whole almonds and water or almond butter and water. Some consumers avoid almond milk because of its environmental impact–it takes more water to produce than any other plant-based milk. However, it still requires less water than dairy milk.

Flavor & Texture

With a light texture and distinctly nutty flavor, this milk is great for most lattes but may have a stronger flavor that overpowers some mild teas.

Nutrition

Almond milk is less nutritious than some might guess for a product made from almonds. It’s low in calories, but also low in nutrients. The reason for this is twofold–the almonds’ skin is often removed, stripping the almond of much of its fiber, protein, and vitamins. The almonds are also greatly watered down for almond milk. Some brands contain as little as 3% almond in a cup.

Availability

Like soy milk, almond milk is easy to find, with many varieties and brands available.

COCONUT MILK

This tropical milk alternative is made from water and the white flesh of brown coconuts.

Flavor & Texture

Coconut milk has a wonderfully creamy texture, but the coconut flavor is often noticeable in tea lattes. So if you're making a fruity or tropically flavored super bowl, coconut milk would be a great fit.

Nutrition

Like almond milk, coconut milk is low in calories, but also low in nutrients. It may be a good fit for someone on a low carb diet because it contains almost no carbohydrates.

Availability

Coconut milk is common and can be found in most grocery stores, but likely with fewer varieties than soy and almond milk.

OAT MILK

Oat milk has grown significantly in popularity over the past few years. At its base, it’s blended oats and water, but many brands add other ingredients for texture and flavor.

Flavor & Texture

Even with its obvious oat flavor, many tea latte drinkers enjoy the way the flavor blends with that of their tea. Plus, it’s a favorite of baristas, because it’s thick enough for the perfect latte art.

Nutrition

As one might expect, oat milk is higher in calories and carbs than other milk alternatives, and lower in protein and fat.

Availability

A few years ago, oat milk might have been hard to find, but since it’s taken the world by storm, you’ll be able to pick it up in almost all grocery stores.

RICE MILK

Rice milk is made with milled white or brown rice and water, and often thickeners and other additives.

Flavor & Texture

Rice milk is mild enough that it doesn’t add any flavor to your latte, but it also doesn’t add much creaminess. It’s more watery than the other milk alternatives, with a texture closer to skim milk.

Nutrition

Rice milk is slightly lower in calories than cow’s milk, but higher in carbohydrates, and lower in protein and fat.

Availability

Rice milk is available in most grocery stores, but with significantly fewer brands available.

CASHEW MILK

With the popularity of almond milk, other nut milks have started appearing on shelves. Cashew milk is made through the same processes as almond milk, using either cashews and water or cashew butter and water.

Flavor & Texture

Cashew milk is rich and creamy, and the stronger nutty flavor comes through clearly in most tea lattes.

Nutrition

Like almond milk, cashew milk is significantly watered down. Unless it’s fortified with vitamins, it’s low in calories and nutrients.

Availability

As one of the less popular milk alternatives, you won’t find it in every grocery store.

MACADAMIA MILK

Richer and creamier than most non-dairy milks, and with a mild flavor, macadamia milk is well-suited to most tea lattes.

Flavor & Texture

Macadamia milk is rich and creamy, and the stronger nutty flavor comes through clearly in most tea lattes.

Nutrition

Like other nut milks, macadamia milk is low on nutrients. It’s mostly water, with only about 3% macadamia. However, unlike other milk alternatives, macadamia milk is an excellent source of healthy monounsaturated fats, the same fats found in olive oil and avocados.

Availability

Macadamia milk is popular enough to be in most grocery stores, but you might only have one or two brands to choose from. If you can’t find it with the dairy, try looking with the shelf-stable beverages.

PEA MILK

And finally, we have pea milk. Pea milk is made by processing peas into flour, then combining with water and additives, which may include oils, salts, and vitamins.

Flavor & Texture

Pea milk is creamy, with a subtle earthy flavor that can be masked by your tea of choice.

Nutrition

This milk is great if you’re looking for protein and calcium content. In fact, some brands of pea milk have more protein than cow’s milk.

Availability

As a new kid on the block, pea milk is slowly working its way into grocery stores. Some brands refer to it as “plant-based milk” because it sounds more appetizing, so don’t give up if you’re not seeing “pea milk” on the shelves.

About Sips by: We’re a female-founded and led startup that makes discovering tea fun, personalized, and affordable. The Sips by Box is the only multi-brand, personalized tea subscription box. Each month, we match tea drinkers across the U.S. with delicious teas from over 150 global tea brands that we’re sure they’ll love. Based out of Austin, Texas, we are adept at savoring a hot mug even when it’s seasonally inappropriate.