Which Vegan Milk is Best For Baking?

If you’re wondering which vegan milk is best for baking, unsweetened soya milk is a good all rounder for most recipes. It has a high protein content, is widely available and does not affect the sweetness of your cake or bake. Other plant based milks can be good for baking too depending on the recipe.

Which Vegan Milk is Best For Baking?

Unsweetened Soya Milk

Unsweetened soya milk works well in most recipes. It has a higher protein content than other milks which is important for creating the right texture and structure. It is better to use unsweetened than sweetened as it may affect to sweetness of your bake too much. By using unsweetened you can control the overall sweetness better. Soya milk also has a relatively mild and plain taste which is good for all sorts of baking.

Unsweetened Almond Milk

Almost milk is also good for baking because it has a high protein content. Again, unsweetened is best. It can add a slight flavour to bakes which can be good for some recipes such as Bakewell Slices which has almond in already.

Is Oat Milk Good For Baking?

Oat milk can be ok for baking but it contains much less protein than other plant based milks. This can sometimes result in a gummy texture and no rise.

Is Coconut Milk Good For Baking?

Coconut milk comes in two forms – the coconut milk drink type found with other plant based milks in the supermarket or the coconut milk than comes in a tin. The coconut milk that comes in a tin is a great substitute for cream in some recipes such as ganache as it has a high fat content (as long as you use the full fat version). Coconut milk drink has little protein so does not work well in recipes that require structure like a sponge cake but could work in things like crepes. Both types of coconut milk add a distinctive coconut flavour.

What Are The Main Things To Consider When Choosing A Vegan Milk?

The main things to consider are –

• Will the milk add a flavour?
• What is the protein content?
• Is it unsweetened?
• What is the role of the milk in the recipe?

Facts About Plant Based Milks

• Oat milk accounted for more than half of UK plant-based milk sales volume in 2025, making it the most popular type, followed by soya at 22% and almond at 17%. https://gfieurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/GFI-Europe_UK-plant-based-food-retail-market-insights-2024-2025.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com
• A 2024 study of UK supermarket products identified 246 plant-based milk alternatives, a 68% increase since 2020. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/micronutrient-fortification-of-plantbased-dairy-and-seafood-alternatives-changes-over-a-five-year-period/A2DAE6B230F1F50974D63BCE5A74179B?utm_source=chatgpt.com
• Around 10% of people in the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey between 2019 and 2023 reported consuming plant-based drinks during the survey period. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/plant-based-drinks-health-benefits-and-risks/sacn-and-cot-assessment-of-the-health-benefits-and-risks-of-consuming-plant-based-drinks-summary?utm_source=chatgpt.com