Our Non Dairy Yogurt Taste Test

The best dairy free yogurt is creamy, a little bit tangy (you know, like yogurt should be), and it’s probably made from coconut milk. We sat down for two separate taste tests to find the best vegan yogurt and tried loads of soy yogurt and almond milk yogurt, but coconut yogurt consistently outperformed the others in both flavor and texture (with two exceptions). Anyway, after two taste tests, I’m kind of a non dairy yogurt expert. You’re in good hands here!

I eat yogurt almost every morning (one cup Fage 0%, half a chopped-up honeycrisp apple, a drizzle of honey), and as a dairy Greek yogurt loyalist, I have to say I was initially 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. A few of these vegan yogurts are consistently on my shopping list now. 

Here’s what we were looking for: Non dairy yogurt that’s creamy like dairy yogurt, has at least some tang (otherwise it’s just pudding, right?), and, most importantly, that doesn’t have a gross aftertaste. From dairy free Greek yogurt to a silky soy yogurt we can actually get behind, this is the best dairy free yogurt you can buy.

Best Almond Milk Yogurt

This stuff is about as plain as plain non dairy 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. Our taste testers decided this almond milk yogurt would be the best dairy free yogurt to use 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 a lot of the coconut yogurt does. I will warn that in our second taste test, we tried a strawberry-flavored version of Kite Hill’s vegan yogurt and it just didn’t hit; the strawberry flavor was too strong and penicillin-y. But if you’re looking for a plain almond milk yogurt that’s highly versatile, this is the stuff.

Credit: Ryan Martin / Instacart

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best Plain

I’m a big fan of coconut yogurt now, but I will admit that a lot of it is very coconutty tasting; that’s especially true when you’re dealing with plain yogurt. This plain, coconut-based non dairy yogurt from Sprouts definitely has a mild coconut flavor, but it isn’t nearly as coconut-forward as many other coconut yogurt brands. We liked the texture, too. As one of our taste testers put it, “This yogurt is like eating a cloud in a very good way.” Its heavenly texture and subdued sweetness make this the best dairy free yogurt for a breakfast parfait with berries and a drizzle of agave.

Credit: Ryan Martin / Instacart

Rating:

8/10

Sporks

Best Soy Yogurt

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. This non dairy soy yogurt tastes like the good kind of mango —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. It’s tart and not too sugary. And a few taste testers were genuinely surprised that it’s dairy free. If your soy yogurt can pass for dairy yogurt, you’re doing something very right. If you specifically want a soy yogurt, this is the best dairy free yogurt to buy.

Credit: Ryan Martin / Amazon

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Best Sweet

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 non dairy yogurt from Yoplait reminds me of baby food in a really good, nostalgic way. The major difference: This vanilla flavored coconut yogurt is sweet. Like, dessert sweet. But that’s also why it’s so tasty. We revisited this in our second taste test and still agreed it’s the best dairy free yogurt to buy if you want a sweet, dessert treat, even if it lacks that signature yogurty tang.  And who can resist dreaming up uses for these cute little jars? In our second taste test we also tried the strawberry and mango versions, and while mango is pretty great, vanilla is still the best.

Credit: Ryan Martin / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best Berry

Yogurt should be tart. Some dairy free yogurt doesn’t nail the tartness factor. This coconut-based yogurt alternative from So Delicious gets a helpful nudge from the natural tartness of raspberries. Of all the plant based yogurt we tried, this one reminded me the most of a classic low-fat dairy yogurt like Yoplait. It’s not hyper creamy, in fact it’s a little loose, which means it’s some of the best dairy free yogurt to eat as a 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. After our second non dairy yogurt taste test, we can also recommend the strawberry banana flavor.

Credit: Ryan Martin / Target

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best Thick

If you like a nice, thick Greek yogurt or skyr, Siggi’s makes some of the best dairy free yogurt to buy. It’s so dense and creamy. It has a little bit of tang, although not as much as the best non dairy yogurt on this list. But unlike our top dairy free yogurt, this one could not be confused for a low fat yogurt. This definitely isn’t low fat (it has 11 grams per single-serve container), but it’s the best non dairy yogurt if you want something that’s going to fill you up for a while, especially if you supplement it with some diced fruit and pecan crumbles. Siggi’s Mixed Berry flavor is also great, but Vanilla Cinnamon is more versatile and more delicious overall.

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

You know that old saw about how you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover? Well, you shouldn’t judge Cocojune’s yogurt by its slightly weird, clumpy appearance. “I don’t even know if I want to eat this,” one taste tester said when they 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 non dairy 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 , although it didn’t 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 flavors. I can’t stress enough that this is the best dairy free yogurt because it really tastes like yogurt.

Credit: Ryan Martin / Instacart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other products we tried: Silk Greek Strawberry, Silk Greek Vanilla, Nancy’s Probiotic Oatmilk Blueberry, Nancy’s Probiotic Oatmilk Vanilla, Harmless Harvest Vanilla, Harmless Harvest, Strawberry, Dairy Free Oui Strawberry, Dairy Free Oui Mango, Kite Hill Strawberry Almond Milk Yogurt, Siggi’s Mixed Berries

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