Yogurt. It’s breakfast. It’s a snack. It’s fun to say. And thanks to the wonder of vegan food science, people who don’t consume dairy products can get in on the creamy fun.
I eat yogurt almost every morning (one cup Fage 0%, half a chopped-up honeycrisp apple, a drizzle of honey), and as a dairy-full Greek yogurt loyalist, I have to say I was dubious that yogurts made with milk alternatives could be as good as the real thing. Now I’m eating my words—and a lot more non-dairy yogurt.
For this tasting, the Sporked team was joined by Good Mythical Morning writer Meghan Malone, who’s been on the hunt for a suitable yogurt alternative since she found out she’s lactose intolerant. We found six—coconut-, almond-, and soy-based varieties—that will convert any dairy yogurt lover.
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- Cocojune Vanilla Chamomile
You know that old saw about how you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover? Well, you shouldn’t judge Cocojune’s coconut-based yogurt on its slightly weird, clumpy appearance. “I don’t even know if I want to eat this,” Meghan said when she peeled back the lid on the little cardboard cup. This yogurt is deceptively smooth and creamy, and doesn’t have as aggressive a coconut flavor as some of the other coconut-based yogurts we tasted. The chamomile is lost on me, but the vanilla is perfectly balanced with the tartness of the yogurt itself. We also tried and really liked Cocojune’s Strawberry Rhubarb variety, although it didn’t quite have the same impact as some of the other fruit yogurts that were part of our taste test. I doubt you can go wrong with any of the Cocojune flaves. I’m kind of dying to try their Lemon Elderflower now. Like, right now. Give.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Instacart
- So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt Alternative, Raspberry
Yogurt should be tart. Some dairy-free yogurt just doesn’t nail the tartness factor. This coconut-based yogurt alternative from So Delicious gets a helpful nudge from the natural tartness of raspberries. “This is really good,” Meghan said. “It doesn’t taste coconutty and it doesn’t taste dairy free.” This one reminded me the most of a classic low-fat dairy yogurt like Yoplait. It’s not hyper creamy and a little loose, which means it makes for a good snack rather than a full meal, and the fruit flavor is incredible. Calling your line of dairy-free foods “So Delicious” is a bold move, but turns out they weren’t lying.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Target
- Dairy Free Oui by Yoplait, Vanilla
When I was a child but not a baby, I used to make my mom buy me jars of baby food because I thought they were fun snacks and I liked the way they tasted. Maybe it’s the jar, maybe it’s the consistency (and the inclusion of tapioca starch), but this yogurt from Yoplait reminded me a lot of baby food in a really good, nostalgic way. The major difference: This stuff is sweet. Like, dessert sweet. But that’s also why it’s so tasty. Meghan thought it tasted like melted vanilla milkshake. Sporked staff writer Danny Palumbo compared it to marshmallow fluff. This might make me sound like a little bit of a yogurt pervert, but I haven’t stopped thinking about Oui since we tasted it. And who can resist dreaming up uses for these little-ass jars?
Credit: Ryan Martin / Instacart
- Silk Peach Mango Dairy-Free Yogurt Alternative
Please don’t scream at me, but I think that mango flavored things taste better than actual mangoes. I’ll assume this resulted from a life of eating bad, unripe mangos, so if anything you should pity me. The flavor of this soy-based yogurt tastes like the good kind of mango flavor—juicy, tart, sweet. You can even see bits of fruit in the mix, which is a nice touch and adds just a little bit of texture. Fruit flavor aside, this soy-based yogurt from Silk was a pleasant surprise. Danny praised it for being tart and not too sugary. And he was genuinely surprised it was dairy free. If your soy yogurt can pass for dairy yogurt, you’re doing something very right.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Amazon
- Sprouts Vegan Yogurt Alternative, Plain
“It’s almost like eating nothing,” Meghan said of this plain, coconut-based yogurt from Sprouts. But it wasn’t a knock: “It’s like eating a cloud in a very fine way.” All of our tasters loved that this one was creamy, pleasantly coconutty (but not coconut forward), and didn’t have the weird aftertaste we detected in some of the other plain dairy-free yogurts we tried. We’re loving this for a breakfast parfait. Sporked staff writer Jordan Myrick said its light sweetness would go well with some berries and a drizzle of agave. Or apples and honey if you want to go my breakfast route.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Instacart
- Kite Hill Plain Unsweetened Almond Milk Yogurt
This stuff is about as plain as plain, vegan yogurt can get, but Kite Hill’s almond milk-based yogurt alternative seems useful. It’s got a great, thick consistency, and even smells like traditional dairy yogurt, according to Jordan (I forgot to sniff it). They suggested it would be great as a base for a non-dairy tzatziki or another yogurt-based savory sauce. I use yogurt as a sour cream substitute, and this would work for that too since it doesn’t lean sweet like some of the coconut ones do.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Instacart
Best of the Best
Best Berry
Best Vanilla
Best Fruit Flavor
Best Plain
Best for Cooking
We’re Pretty Nuts About These 5 Almond Milks
Almond milk. As Sporked editorial assistant Naajia Shukri put it: “It gets the job done.” If you’re allergic to soy or if dairy makes your stomach gurgle, almond milk is a totally serviceable thing to pour on cereal, blend into a smoothie, or splash into your coffee.
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Kite Hill is one of my favorite plant based/non-dairy brands! So glad to see they made the list!
Best option for diary yogurt
Do the fruit yogurts have chunks?