The plant-based milk category heads into 2026 with momentum – both from Washington and from brands rethinking taste, nutrition and functionality, according to the Plant-Based Foods Association (PBFA).
The trade group points to a major accessibility win this year when the Senate unanimously passed legislation expanding access to plant-based milks within the National School Lunch Program.
“The US Senate unanimously passed legislation expanding access to plant-based milks within the National School Lunch Program. This amendment gives schools flexibility to serve plant-based milks that are nutritionally equivalent to dairy milk, impacting approximately 30 million US students annually,” PBFA said.
It explains, the policy opens new markets for farmers growing soy, oats and peas, while reinforcing plant-based milk’s place in mainstream foodservice.
PBFA also highlights emerging innovation – from mung bean, chickpea and lentil milks to mycelium-based formats and convenience launches like Silk’s cold foam creamer.
Still, the trade group emphasizes lingering hurdles, adding that fair labeling remains a challenge as states challenge use of terms like milk and yogurt.
Tastewise: A maturing category with a premium tilt
The plant-based milk category is transitioning out of its automatic-growth phase (between October 2023 - October 2025) and into a more nuanced, premium-oriented market, according to Miriam Aniel Oved, head of integrated marketing at Tastewise.
US restaurants serving alternative milks fell 8.1% over the past year to roughly 103,900 locations, yet the share of restaurants featuring alt milks edged up to 11.2%, reflecting that the remaining operators lean more heavily into them, Oved said.
Which ingredients are trending and emerging?
Coconut, oat and almond milks still dominate online conversation, comprising 88% of discussions in the same two-year time period, per Tastewise.
Coconut leads at 31% and is up 4% YoY, driven by its versatility in cooking. Oat milk follows at 28.5%, continuing to grow slowly and increasingly appearing in home recipes. Both are favored in taste-driven, café-style consumption, especially coffee, Oved notes.
Almond remains large at 28% but is declining at roughly 4% YoY, with conversation around it feeling increasingly outdated compared to oat and coconut. Soy, smaller at 6%, is rebounding, up 12% YoY, driven by health-oriented contexts such as fitness, energy, gut health and even weight-loss drug conversations.
Niche milks – pistachio, pecan, barley, chia, vanilla nut – remain tiny individually (less than 1% share) but are collectively posting triple-digit growth, reflecting consumer experimentation and interest in specialty formats, per Tastewise.
Menu listings mirror these trends: coconut appears in 65% of alt-milk listings, almond 37%, oat 28%, and soy 11%, mostly in coffee, tea, smoothies, lattes, horchata and culinary dishes like curries.
Barriers and category challenges
2025 revealed that taste, texture, affordability and perceptions of ultra-processing are just as important as sustainability. Consumers are pairing alt milks with indulgent formats like sugary coffee drinks and bakery items, creating tension with health-focused expectations, Oved said.
“Plant-based milk has to work first as milk in the cup and on the bill, not just as a values statement,” she added.
Looking ahead to 2026: Functional, indulgent and versatile
Oved identifies three major trends driving growth:
- Health and functionality: Health remains the top functional motivation, with consumers talking about fitness (6.4%), weight management (4.8%), energy (3.9%), and gut health (3.4%). Weight-loss drugs, while niche, grew 462.6% YoY, signaling opportunities for higher-protein, lower-sugar and GLP-1-friendly alt milk options.
- Taste and indulgence: Taste dominates experience-related discussions (~33%), followed by convenience (20.6%), ease (16.9%), and indulgence (8.7%). The fastest-growing consumer topic, “tradlife” (+270% YoY), reflects a desire for comforting, familiar products. TikTok DIY trends, such as making oat milk at home, underscore opportunities for alt milks that foam well, taste great, and work across both better-for-you and treat-yourself occasions.
- Culinary versatility: While coffee, tea, lattes, and smoothies remain central, alt milks are increasingly used in cooking, with main-course applications up 51.2% YoY, including soups, sauces, and savory dishes.
Oatly leans into café culture and taste-driven creativity
Oatly used 2025 to re-center its value proposition on taste, texture and cultural relevance – particularly through its café roots. That meant spotlighting its hero Barista Edition Oatmilk and building experiential programming like its seasonal Lookbook series, created with insights from more than 60 barista market developers, explained Priscilla Garcia, VP of portfolio strategy, Oatly North America.
The brand also released its first Future of Taste Report, exploring global flavor trends through its barista network and research partner CultureLab. On the nutrition and sustainability side, Oatly hired its first US nutrition director and earned recognition as a Climate Solutions Company by the Exponential Roadmap Initiative, Garcia said.
Oatly’s distribution expanded this year – especially in club channels – and the brand added its first seasonal limited-edition product, Hot Cocoa Oatmilk, alongside a new Vanilla Oatmilk launching next month.
Looking to 2026, Oatly sees opportunity in functional and flavor-first beverages – from colorful lattes to matcha to experiential formats. The brand is already testing these ideas abroad with launches like Matcha Oat Drink and Popcorn-Flavored Barista Edition Oatmilk.
“The next wave of growth in plant-based won’t come from being viewed as only an alternative – it’ll come from being the option people choose simply because they love it,” Garcia said.
Silk doubles down on protein density
Silk is taking aim at one of the biggest nutritional gaps in the category: high-quality plant protein.
“Protein continues to be a top nutritional want and need for consumers … plant-based sources of protein only account for one third (33%) of American’s total estimated protein intake,” said Kallie Goodwin, SVP of plant-based beverages, Danone North America.
To meet that need, the brand is debuting Silk Protein, which Goodwin says delivers “the highest protein content of any plant-based beverage on shelves,” with 13 grams of complete plant protein, 3 grams of fiber, and less sugar than both conventional and value-added dairy milk.
Looking forward, Goodwin predicts a shift toward “protein plus” – bundled benefits such as lower sugar, more nutrient density, on-the-go formats and hybrid plant/animal blends.
“These trends map back to Silk’s continued commitment to drive innovation forward … to deliver on both taste and nutrition,” Goodwin said.
Join us for the Positive Nutrition broadcast on Healthy Snacking, Jan. 21, 2026
Nearly nine out of 10 consumers snack daily to fuel their busy days, carve out a mindful moment of 'me time' and connect with family and friends, according to consumer research. But what they are reaching for is changing along with their motivations. We explore what types of snacks – including categories, flavors, sizes, and nutritional profiles – modern shoppers want.
We also look at what ingredients and diets are gaining traction, how marketing and merchandising is evolving and how brands and retailers are meeting these needs. Check out interviews with Chobani, Almond Board of California, The Hartman Group and Johns Hopkins University, among others.
Whole Moon bets on whole-ingredient simplicity
Launched in 2024, Whole Moon brings a legacy of whole-ingredient soy milk from South Korea to the US. Whole Moon’s founder, Jonghoon Lim’s father developed a whole soy milk in the 1970s – a product still sold in Korea today – and Whole Moon extends that heritage through oat, almond, pistachio and coconut varieties with protein naturally from roasted soybeans, according to the company’s President Susan Knight.
The brand is leaning heavily into whole ingredients as a differentiator, tying them to texture, drinkability and nutritional familiarity, she said.
On broader category trends and consumer behavior, Knight believes there’s growing interest in whole‑ingredient products and a resurgence of soy.
Scaling smart and marketing bold
For 2026, Whole Moon is focusing on scalable production, securing a co-packer capable of meeting demand from major retailers:
“[W]e have a co-packer who can keep it and can scale like crazy for us,” said Knight.
Marketing is geo-targeted, emphasizing taste, texture and whole ingredients through social media campaigns:
“We’re going to be out there saying this product is so good you don’t need to cover it up in your cereal, cover it up in your coffee, or cover it up in your smoothie. You can actually just drink it on its own, and it’s actually even better tasting than milk,” she explained.
Currently, Whole Moon is available in Whole Foods, Sprouts and Kroger’s, among others. The brand expects to reach 10% of US grocery stores by year-end, letting retailers guide expansion while prioritizing areas where the product resonates, Knight added.
