Vegan Yogurt: The Taste-Off
Have you tried to pick out a vegan yogurt lately? Wowza. The options abound! And I am not complaining. I love spending time perusing instead of being obligated to choose the only option on the shelf. (Especially when it expires in two days! Such a drag.) Yes, I get a sick thrill out of standing in the aisle staring at a wall of vegan options. If you don’t share in this joy, this post is definitely for you!
And I want you to know, I am taking my product reviews very seriously. I joke around a lot, and the universe willing I will still be able to infuse humor in the appropriate places, but my goal here is to provide objective info. What you do with that info is up to you.
More on The Vegan Mary’s semi-scientific method for taste tasting yogurts:
Testing flavor was vanilla. Why? Because every brand has a vanilla. And I didn’t want any fruit masking true flavors. Brands also all have a plain version, but you are nuts if you think I am trying those solo on a spoon. Ahh, yes, we’ve apparently found the first limit of The Vegan Mary.
I tried each yogurt twice, on two different days. This was to avoid any taste bud anomalies.
I shook and stirred each container to avoid any settling bias.
All nutrients are listed for the standard (single) serving sizes of 5.3-6 oz.
Consistency key:
Thick – yogurt stays on the spoon when you flip it over
Medium – some yogurt stays on the spoon, some becomes a victim of gravity
Thin – slides right off the spoon
I’ve given specificity and objectivity the ol’ college try, wherever possible. I’m keen on everyone doing their own thing, so I’ve stopped short of providing ratings (i.e., 7/10). Everyone’s taste preferences and nutrition goals are different. I mean, if you love tangy and runny yogurt, you go for it! If you just want a protein-packed way to start your morning and taste is a distant second, you do that!
Silk almondmilk yogurt alternative
Price: $2.39
Nutrition: 190 cal, 5g protein, 19g carbs (3g fiber), 11g fat
At a glance: Medium thick, cream in color with vanilla beans On the tongue: Smooth texture, creamy vanilla flavor, slight tangy finish
Net net: Would definitely buy this. Overall, it was one of the most pleasant to me.
Silk yogurt alternative made with soy
Price: $1.99
Nutrition: 140 cal, 6g protein, 21g carbs (2g fiber), 3.5g fat
At a glance: Medium thick, cream in color with vanilla beans On the tongue: Smooth texture, creamy and tangy flavor, subtle finish
Net net: Would probably buy this if its brand sibling, Silk almondmilk yogurt alternative, isn’t available.
So Delicious coconutmilk yogurt alternative
Price: $2.39
Nutrition: 130 cal, 0g protein, 22g carbs (2g fiber), 4g fat
At a glance: Medium thick, light cream in color with vanilla beans On the tongue: Smooth texture, tangy vanilla flavor, soft vanilla finish
Net net: Would definitely buy this again, based on taste alone. These guys make one of my favorite ice creams too. Sadly, this yogurt is about as healthy.
Oui coconut dairy alternative (by Yoplait)
Price: $1.99
Nutrition: 170 cal, 1g protein, 19g carbs (0g fiber), 10g fat
At a glance: Medium thick, white in color On the tongue: Smooth texture, warm and sweet vanilla flavor, subtle vanilla finish
Net net: Would definitely buy this again. The texture and warm flavor were delightfully different than other yogurts. Overall yum! Way to go Yoplait.
Forager organic cashewmilk yogurt
Price: $2.19
Nutrition: 140 cal, 3g protein, 19g carbs (1g fiber), 6g fat
At a glance: Thin, light cream in color with vanilla beans On the tongue: Smooth texture, tangy fruit and vanilla flavor, tasty vanilla finish
Net net: Would buy this again. First bite took a beat to settle in my mouth, but finish was nice. Second bite was even better.
Coyo dairy free vanilla bean organic coconut yogurt alternative
Price: $2.29
Nutrition: 360 cal, 3g protein, 7g carbs (0g fiber), 35g fat
At a glance: Thick, brilliant white with vanilla beans On the tongue: Smooth texture, rich coconut flavor, tangy finish
Net net: Might buy it again, as it was tasty. But the high fat content is a bit of a turn off.
Ripple creamy yogurt alternative
Price: $2.30
Nutrition: 160 cal, 6g protein, 19g carbs (0g fiber), 6g fat
At a glance: Thin, dark cream in color with vanilla beans On the tongue: Semi-smooth texture (just a bit of grit), tangy flavor, no real vanilla flavor, subtle finish
Net net: Probably wouldn’t buy this again, the grit and tang not to my liking.
Lava plant-based yogurt
Price: $2.79
Nutrition: 140 cal, 2g protein, 9g carbs (1g fiber), 11g fat
At a glance: Thin, cream in color with vanilla beans On the tongue: Smooth texture with bits (of what I am not quite sure), very tangy coconut flavor, tangy finish
Net net: Probably wouldn’t buy this again. The texture and tang just weren’t my thing.
Kite Hill almond milk Greek style yogurt
Price: $2.29
Nutrition: 160 cal, 11g protein, 8g carbs (4g fiber), 10g fat
At a glance: Thick, light cream in color with vanilla beans On the tongue: Gritty texture, very tangy (sharp) flavor and finish
Net net: Wouldn’t buy this again. I’m not blaming the Greeks, but this texture and sharp flavor were not for me.
Silk oat yeah oatmilkgurt
Price: $1.89
Nutrition: 80 cal, 3g protein, 17g carbs (2g fiber), 0g fat
At a glance: Thin, dark cream in color with vanilla beans On the tongue: Smooth texture, tangy and distinct flavor, equally tangy and distinct finish
Net net: Wouldn’t buy this again. Much prefer the taste of Silk’s other yogurt offerings.
Nancy’s probiotic oat milk nondairy yogurt
Price: $1.59
Nutrition: 100 cal, 6g protein, 16g carbs (2g fiber), 1.5g fat
At a glance: Medium thick, cream in color
On the tongue: Smooth texture, smokey flavor with subtle vanilla, aftertaste was more pleasant (the smokiness dissipates)
Net net: Wouldn’t buy it again. Maybe better for use in recipes.
Kite Hill vanilla almond milk yogurt
Price: $1.89
Nutrition: 170 cal, 4g protein, 22g carbs (2g fiber), 9g fat
At a glance: Medium thick, light cream color with vanilla beans
On the tongue: Smooth texture, very tangy with a hint of unknown flavor (seriously cannot put my finger on it, but it wasn’t vanilla), finish was a bit more pleasant
Net net: Wouldn’t buy it again. The tangy, unidentified flavoring was a bit too much for me. Consider pairing with granola or sweet fruit.
Vega protein vanilla cashew milk yogurt alternative
Price: $2.49
Nutrition: 180 cal, 13g protein, 18g carbs (6g dietary fiber), 8g fat
At a glance: Thin, pale brown (linen) in color
On the tongue: Powdery texture, tangy at finish, not much vanilla flavor, no lingering aftertaste
Net net: Wouldn’t buy it again. I much prefer Vega’s vanilla protein powder.
Food for thought: While yogurt provides probiotics (live microorganisms… think the good kind of bacteria), you can also find them in a host of other fermented foods like sauerkraut (I’m working on a killer Rueben sammie recipe now!), kimchi, kombucha, pickles, pickled veg, and fermented soy products like miso and tempeh.
