Is Oat Milk Gluten-Free (A Breakdown of Various Brands)

As people are increasingly avoiding gluten, many people are also avoiding dairy. When you have to avoid both, it can make staples–like milk–difficult. A popular non-dairy milk of choice lately has been oat milk, but if you are gluten-free, is oat milk safe? Read on as I explain what to look for, and show you the ingredients of each of the main brands so you don’t just have to take my word for it.

Oats Are Fraught With Controversy

Ask ten Celiacs or gluten intolerant people whether they feel safe with oats, and you’ll probably get a split answer. For example, on my Instagram Stories, I ran an informal poll and asked my readers that if they are gluten-free, if they feel safe drinking oat milk. Out of the 40 who voted, 10 said they would not feel comfortable drinking oat milk.

Oats by themselves are not a gluten containing grain. The concern comes from how they are processed. Many people fear that cross contamination (also known as cross contact) happens because oats are often processed with wheat, or other gluten filled grains and thereby, they are no longer safe.

That is why many people who follow a strict gluten-free diet, will only eat and drink certified gluten-free oats, that can attest to being processed separately with stricter safety controls.

Oat Milks By Brand

So, which oat milk is gluten-free? Which should you drink? I’ve broken them down by each brand, and listed their claims and well as their ingredients so you can make an informed decision all in one place instead of having to click around from website to website. *Remember, to always go off of the product in hand, in case anything has changed since the time of publishing.* 

Chobani Oatmilk Original

On the front of the package it self identifies as: “No lactose, no nuts, no gluten”. 

On the package the ingredients read: “Oat blend (water, whole grain oats), contains 2% or less of: rapeseed oil, sea salt, vitamin D1 (yeast extract), calcium carbonate, gellan gum.”

My takeaway: I think most people would feel OK about drinking this milk, as it says “gluten free” on it, but some may not because it’s not third party verified and the ingredients don’t say gluten-free oat blend. Drink at your own discretion.

Bettergoods Extra Creamy Oatmilk

There are no marketing call outs on this package that say anything about gluten. 

On the package the ingredients read: “Oatmilk (water, oats), vegetable oil (high oleic canola and/or sunflower oil), calcium carbonate, dipotassium phosphate, salt, gellan gum, Vitamin B12, Zinc, Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2.”

My takeaway: I think some people would pick another brand, based on the fact the packaging does not give any indication if it is safe. There is also no phone number listed to call the directly to ask. Drink at your own discretion.

Oatly Oat Milk

On the front of the package is says: “No dairy, no nuts, no gluten”.  On the side of the package it also has “Certified Gluten Free by the CFCO.org” as well as “Glyphosate Residue Free”.

The ingredients read: “Oat base (water, oats). Contains 2% or less of: low erucic acid rapeseed oil, dipotassium phosphate, calcium carbonate, tricalcium phosphate, sea salt, dicalcium phosphate, riboflavin, vitamin A acetate, vitamin D2, vitamin B12.”

My takeaway: I think this is the strongest contender for those who want to feel certain that they’re drinking something gluten-free, as this has third party verification.

Silk Kids Oatmilk Blend

On the side of the package it self identifies as gluten-free.

The ingredients read: “Pea and Oatmilk Blend (water, pea protein, oat concentrate), Sunflower Oil, Cane Sugar, Contains 1% or less of the following: DHA Algal Oil, Inulin, Vitamin and Mineral Blend (Dipotassium Phosphate, Calcium Phosphate, Magnesium Sulfate, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Potassium, Iodide, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2, Vitamin B12, Riboflavin [B2]), Sea Salt, Natural Flavor, Gellan Gum, Sodium, Ascorbate, and Vitamin E (To preserve Freshness).”

My takeaway: I think some people would feel OK about drinking this oat milk, as it says “gluten free” on it, but some may not because it’s not third party verified and the ingredients don’t say gluten-free oat blend. Drink at your own discretion.

Califia Farms Extra Creamy Oatmilk

On the front and back it self identifies as gluten-free.

The ingredients read: “Oatmilk (water, oats), Sunflower Oil, Dipotassium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Sea Salt, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2”

My takeaway: I think some people would feel OK about drinking this oat milk, as it says “gluten free” on it, but some may not because it’s not third party verified and the ingredients don’t say gluten-free oat blend. Drink at your own discretion.

Oatsome Organic Oat Drink

On the front it self identifies as: “No dairy, nuts, gums, gluten or GMO’s”.

The ingredients read: “Oat Milk (Water, Whole Grain Gluten-Free Organic Oats), Organic Sunflower Oil, Sea Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Riboflavin, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12.”

My takeaway: I think some people would feel OK about drinking this oat milk, as it says “gluten free” on it, but some may not because it’s not third party verified and the ingredients don’t say gluten-free oat blend. Drink at your own discretion.

Kirkland Signature

Note that I do not have a Costco membership, so I was only able to go off of their website, and not a product in hand.

Unfortunately, the photos of the product on their site do not show the label, and they do not list the ingredients anywhere on the product’s web page. I have contacted Costco to let them know they should include that, and had an online chat with their customer service to ask them directly if it’s gluten-free or not. They reported: “Organic oats are naturally free of gluten. The Kirkland Signature Organic Oat beverage is gluten free but is not 3rd party certified gluten free. The manufacturing site producing the organic oat beverage does not have gluten in the facility. There is no potential for cross contact at the beverage manufacturing site.”

My takeaway: I think some people would feel more comfortable buying this if there was any indication on the label or on the website, but having to dig for this may make it difficult for people to trust it based off of the product in hand. Drink at your own discretion.

Malk

I could not find Malk sold in a store near me, so I went off of their website.

There is no label or text on the product that says it is gluten-free, other than in the actual ingredient listing. 

The ingredients read: Filtered Water, Organic Gluten Free Oats, Himalayan Pink Salt.

My takeaway: I think some people would feel OK about drinking this oat milk, as it says “gluten free” on it, but some may not because it’s not third party verified and the ingredients don’t say gluten-free oat blend. Drink at your own discretion.

Other Factors To Consider

Obviously, everyone will have their own contributing factors that affect their decision to drink oat milk. Some will care what type of oils are used. Some will care about the amount of sugar. Some will care if it’s organic, or is NON-GMO. Some will care if it has gums in it. Some will care about the availability of it (for example, I could not personally find Malk in stores near me). And, some will care about what works in their budget. Some will worry about adding extra carbs into their diet. Some will like that it’s nut free, because many dairy-alternatives use nuts and many are allergic to nuts as well. 

If you’re worried about it from a nutritional stand point–whether this plant based milk can substitute in your diet for a regular cow’s milk, you’ll need to talk to a registered dietitian or nutritionist.

Overall, these decisions are weighty and can be heavy. I wish you the best in making the choice for your own individual diet, and hope this information, all in one spot helped set you on a path towards making a good choice for you.

Other helpful posts: I have a post on what taco seasonings are gluten-free, what tortilla chips are gluten-free, what candy is gluten-free, and which cereals are gluten-free to help you with other food choices!