Is Oat Milk Really Better Than Dairy? Minor Figures Tried to Convince Me

Full disclosure right from the start: dairy put me through school. My Dad worked for Dairy Farmers for 50 years. Our fridge was always well stocked with milk, cheeses and whatever hot new project Dad was working on. So when the folks at Minor Figures tried to convince me that oat milk was better than dairy, I told them that was a hard sell.

But not one to pass up the chance to try something new — especially when it comes to food and drinks — I gave it a go.

We all know that the demand for plant-based alternatives in supermarkets is booming – oat milk sales alone grew by 13% last year, Minor Figures tells me. So it’s no surprise that the company has just added Light Oat Milk to its range, a lower in fat and sugar option.

Now I’m not a big fan of low-fat products generally, so I went for the Minor Figures Barista Oat Milk. For starters, it tastes pretty damn good on its own — and I’m the first to admit that was a surprise. I had expected a cardboard flavour, harking back to the soy milk I tried in the ‘90s. But oat milk has a kind of nutty flavour, and while it’s not as thick as full cream cow’s milk, I’d happily drink this straight up.

On top of my homemade granola (yes, I make my own), it’s ok but gets a bit overpowering of the other flavours in the bowl after a few bites.

But it’s in coffee that Minor Figures Barista Oat Milk really comes into play. It foams up beautifully, and while I’m a double espresso gal, I really enjoyed my coffee hit as an oat latte. I dare say it tastes better than coffee with cow’s milk.

I even tested the oat milk in baking — in the past, I’ve found that plant-based alternatives don’t tend to hold up well when it comes to baking. So I gave it a whirl in some blueberry and oat muffins (rolled oats and oat milk are a natural match, right?) and it worked a treat.

The clincher for me is the cost — the Minor Figures Barista Oat Milk retails for $4.80 a litre at Woolworths, unless you can grab it on special. Most commercial long life cow’s milk is around the $1.50 per litre mark. I doubt that’s a deal-breaker for anyone who’s buying oat milk for health or ethical reasons, though.