Alt-dairy innovators milk nuts, peas and more for new brands, expanded offerings

As more and more consumers look to plant-based foods, a rising tide of companies is responding with alternatives for their favorite dairy products. It started with soymilk in the dairy aisle, but now consumers can find everything from plant-based chèvre to ice cream and half-and-half.

Califia Farms

Replacing: milk, creamer, drinkable yogurt
Main ingredients: almond, coconut, oats
Market standing: retail

Culina

Replacing: yogurt
Main ingredient: coconut cream
Market standing: retail

Forager Project

Replacing: dairy beverages and yogurt
Main ingredient: cashews
Market standing: retail

Kite Hill

Replacing: milk and yogurt, spreadable cheese, pastas
Main ingredient: almonds
Market standing: retail

Le Grand

Replacing: ready-to-eat sauces and soups, and tzatziki
Main ingredient: rice, cashews
Market standing: limited retail in U.S. and Canada

Miyoko’s Kitchen

Replacing: cheeses, butter
Main ingredient: cashew cream, fermented with live cultures
Market standing: retail

Oatly

Replacing: milk and a range of other dairy products
Main ingredient: oats
Market standing: Its oatmilk line is distributed nationwide at retail and foodservice (mainly coffee shops); its full product range is still being scaled in the U.S.

Perfect Day Foods

Replacing: dairy, starting with ice cream
How it’s made: They add “milk’s essential genes” to tiny organisms that use fermentation to convert plant sugar to whey and casein. Voila, “flora-based dairy protein.”
Market standing: Still developing, with one product in early-stage retail. (They launched a packaged ice cream this month, but it’s already sold out on their site.)

Spero Foods

Replacing: goat cheese, and other soft cheeses
Main ingredient: sunflower seeds
Market standing: direct to consumer, limited online retail

Three Trees

Replacing: dairy milk
Main ingredient: almonds, alone or with pistachios or black sesame seeds
Market standing: retail—nationwide but limited distribution, including Whole Foods

Vega

Replacing: high-protein yogurt
Main ingredient: cashews, pea protein
Market standing: retail