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Is oat milk gluten-free? The gluten-free status of oats is quite a controversial topic and oat milk is not immune to that controversy.
With oat milk popping up as an available non-dairy option in many grocery stores and coffee shops, people want to know, is it safe for people with celiac disease?
As a celiac dietitian with over 10 years lived experience with celiac, I’m going to break down the safety of oat milks in the USA for you in this post.
But first, were you ever taught how to identify gluten properly on a food label? If not, sign up for my FREE USA Food Label-Reading Class where I show you EXACTLY what you need to look for on a food label to stay celiac-safe in the USA. This includes how to identify safe gluten-free oat-based products. Stop stressing over grocery shopping in just 4-simple steps with this FREE training!
And before we get into it, I want to say that this blog post is for general education purposes only. If your doctor or dietitian told you something different then do what they tell you as they are more aware of your care plan. If you have questions about the safety of different oat products for yourself, also discuss it with them.
There is a lot of individualization that can happen with oats on a gluten-free diet in the USA, so always make sure you’re checking in with your celiac specialized healthcare team.
When talking about gluten-free oat milk, it’s important we know what gluten is. Gluten is a protein found in barley, rye, contaminated oats, and wheat. It may be helpful to remember the acronym “BROW” when trying to remember what foods have gluten.
In baked goods, gluten holds things together working as a binding agent. It gives texture and chew to foods.
Most people can safely eat gluten. However, some people have gluten sensitivity or celiac disease which means they need to avoid gluten. It can cause digestive issues such as diarrhea and nausea as well as nonintestinal symptoms such as rashes, headaches, or joint pain.
First and foremost, it’s important to understand if oats are gluten-free before we talk about if oat milk is gluten-free. If you didn’t know, the gluten containing grains include barley, rye, and wheat.
However, many use the acronym BROW to represent all 4 grains you need to care about which are Barley, Rye, Oats (sometimes) and wheat. That’s because oats, while naturally gluten-free, are one of the most contaminated gluten-free grains on the market in the USA.
This is because oats are often grown next to or in the same fields as wheat, often share trucks during transportation, and are often processed on the same equipment as wheat. This leaves a LOT of room for oats to be contaminated by gluten.
In fact, in research done on the contamination of gluten-free marked and non-gluten-free marked products, the products that tended to test above 20ppm FDA limits were those with oats in them. (For more on this and the specific studies I’m referring to, I break it all down in my FREE USA Food Label-Reading Class).
So oats are gluten-free when they aren’t contaminated, but how do we know if they aren’t contaminated? Well in the USA, oats are generally considered safe if they meet one of the following circumstances:
This might seem super strict but that’s because as I mentioned before, oats are one of the most commonly contaminated gluten-free food items in the USA.
That said, in some cases, your celiac healthcare team may decide oats are not safe for you at the moment. As always, do what you healthcare team advises over what you read on the internet.
Now that we know more about when oats are gluten-free, let’s talk about oat milk. Oat milk is a creamy non-dairy beverage. It’s made by combining oats with water, letting them soak, then blending them and filtering the fibers out so you’re left with oat milk.
Oat milk tends to be creamier than other non-dairy drinks like almond milk because it absorbs water better resulting in a creamier end product.
Basically, it’s one of many plant-based alternatives to cow’s milk. This is tempting to people with celiac as lactose intolerance is common in this population.
So what is oat milk used for? Generally, if you can use cow’s milk for something, then you can use oat milk for it too. However, I’d say oat milk is most popularly used as a substitute for cream in coffee. This is because it’s reported to froth much better than other plant-based milk.
So is oat milk gluten-free? Oat milk follows the same rules as oats in general when it comes to safety. In order for an oat milk to be considered safe, it must have one of the following:
That said, in my professional opinion, your safest best is going to be certified gluten-free as the the pandemic has really stunted the gluten-free oat supply chain. And of course, if you dietitian told you to do something different, discuss this with them as they are more aware of your gluten-free needs than I am.
While there are instances where oat milk is gluten-free, it also can contain gluten. Most commonly this happens due to cross-contact.
This is because oats are at high risk for cross-contact in growing, processing, and manufacturing. In fact, as mentioned above, research on the contamination of gluten-free food items is most commonly found in products with oats (learn more about this and the study in my FREE USA Food Label-Reading Class).
So while this beverage is naturally gluten-free by ingredient, due to its high risk for gluten contamination, it’s only considered actually gluten-free when it meets special circumstances as stated above.
Now that we know when oat milk is gluten-free, let’s talk about some of the common brands of oat milk on the market. Some of which are gluten-free and safe for people with celiac disease, and others of which might not be.
A reminder that if you want more help with identifying safe gluten-free foods (including those with oats like oat milk, check out my FREE Label Reading Class).
First up on the list of oat milk to check for gluten is Chobani Oat Milk. When looking at the label, I do not see a gluten-free certification. I do however see a gluten-free claim, however, this is not typically enough to ensure safety when it comes to oats in the USA.
When reading further on the label I see yeast extract listed, however, we aren’t worried about the gluten-free status of the yeast extract because it must be gluten-free due to the gluten-free claim on the label.
So there is no gluten-free certification and there is no designation that the oats are purity protocol on the label. When looking further into the gluten-free status of the oats I could not find a statement of what kind of oats are used on their website or in their FAQs.
Because of this, I would recommend someone with celiac disease choose a different oat milk product. However, you comfort-level or needs might vary.
While Chobani oat milk is off the table, Oatly Oat Milk is gluten-free and safe to drink. While I can’t find the gluten-free certification on the actual product label, the Oatly FAQ page states that all U.S. Oatly products are certified gluten-free by GFCO. This means their products have to meat <10ppm standards. They also state that they source certified gluten-free oats for their products as well.
This means that Oatly is perfectly safe for those with celiac disease to consume, as long as they tolerate oats. So the next time you see oatly in the store, don’t be afraid to grab it! As always read the label and company statements and assess the suitability for yourself.
Next up, people often wonder if Trader Joe’s Oat Milk is gluten-free. Now the gluten-free status of Trader Joe’s oat products is probably one of the most common questions I get in my Instagram messages. So let’s break this down!
Remember that when determining the safety of oat products we are looking for a gluten-free certification, purity protocol oats, or a statement on the company website indicating the gluten-free status of the oats (and that company must not have a history of abusing oats).
When looking at the Oat Milk by Trader Joe’s, this Non-Dairy Oat Beverage product contains a gluten-free claim but this one does not. And on their FAQ page, they do state that they do test their gluten-free marked products to verify they meet <20ppm FDA standards.
However, there is no transparency or indication of the status of the oats used in the gluten-free market oat beverages and given the higher rate of contamination in oat-products with gluten-free claims, I’m not comfortable saying the gluten-free marked product is generally celiac-safe.
Of course, if you have any questions, bring them up with your dietitian and assess suitability for yourself. The topic of oats is very individualized and so general safety standards may not meet your needs.
Planet Oat Milk says it’s gluten-free in their FAQ, however, there is no statement on testing or sourcing of the gluten-free oats and it is not certified gluten-free. The company does not have a public statement of safety however a reader did contact them and found out they use certified gluten-free oats. This would mean it’s generally safe.
Again, remember oats are a highly controversial subject and there is a lot of individualization that happens with them so if you have questions about the suitability of products for yourself, definitely bring them up with your dietitian.
Another gluten-free oat milk to enjoy is from Califia Farms. Their oat products are all gluten-free and per their FAQ, all of their products meet the <20ppm gluten-free guidelines.
Additionally, they have a separate section in their FAQ section dedicated to the oats used. In this section, they verify they use gluten-free oats in their oat products. Because of this, I feel comfortable saying they are safe. But again, you might feel differently and that’s okay. Oats are a very individualized topic.
Lastly, most commonly found in grocery stores, you might wondering if Silk Oat Milk is gluten-free. On the Silk Oat Milk website listing, they say this product is gluten-free but it is not certified gluten-free and the status of the oats used is not directly addressed.
Additionally, if you view the Silk Oat Milk FAQ (accessed 9/8/2022), it says all silk products except for their oat milk are suitable for a gluten-free diet. Because of this, I’d advise people with celiac to choose a different oat milk.
Lastly, most commonly found in grocery stores, you might wondering if Silk Oat Milk is gluten-free. On the Silk Oat Milk website listing, they say this product is gluten-free but it is not certified gluten-free and the status of the oats used is not directly addressed.
Additionally, if you view the Silk Oat Milk FAQ (accessed 9/8/2022), it says all silk products except for their oat milk are suitable for a gluten-free diet. Because of this, I’d advise people with celiac to choose a different oat milk.
Now that we’ve covered whether or not different brands of oat milk are gluten-free, let’s talk about oat milk available at coffee shops. With oat milk becoming all the rage in lattes, it’s important if you want to order a drink from a coffee shop with oat milk that the oat milk is safe.
Below I’ll share with you if the oat milk found at Starbucks, Peet’s Coffee, Tim Hortons, and Dunkin Donuts is safe in the USA.
First up, is the Starbucks Oat Milk gluten-free? In the USA most Starbucks use Oatly Oat Milk. Because Oatly is a certified gluten-free brand of oat milk, this oat milk is safe.
However, while most Starbucks in the USA uses Oatly, not all of them do. I’ve heard reports from Starbucks baristas that some locations are using Starbucks brand oat milk which is not considered celiac-safe.
So when ordering a latte with oat milk at Starbucks in the USA, just verify that they are using Oatly oat milk and not the Starbucks one. For a complete guide on how to order gluten-free drinks at Starbucks in the USA, check out this link.
Now to check the oat milk from Peet’s Coffee! All of Peet’s Coffee & Tea drinks are gluten-free except for their oat milk lattes.
This is because Peet’s Coffee uses oat milk from Pacific Foods which is not gluten-free. Because of this, it’s advised you order your lattes from Peet’s Coffee with a different kind of milk.
Next up on the gluten-free oat milk coffee shop list is Tim Hortons. Tim Hortons now offers the option to have oat milk added to your drinks, however, Tim Hortons uses Chobani Oat Milk.
As discussed above, Chobani Oat Milk does not have a gluten-free certification and there is no designation that the oats are purity protocol on the label.
When looking further into the gluten-free status of the oats in Chobani Oat Milk there was no specific statement found in the Chobani FAQs. Because of this, I would advise you to select a different non-dairy milk option to add to your latte at Tim Hortons and opt out of their oat milk.
Lastly, you may be wondering if the Dunkin Donuts oat milk is gluten-free. They use planet oat which does not have a gluten-free certification or state the status of the oats they use publicly as of writing this, however, a reader did contact them and confirmed they use certified gluten-free oats.
Do with this information what you will. For a complete guide on what’s gluten-free at Dunkin Donuts, check out this link!
Now that we know when and which oat milk is gluten-free, let’s talk about if you need to worry about cross-contact with oat milk in coffee shops.
When ordering gluten-free drinks from coffee shops, it’s always important you are asking for cross-contact precautions. I generally always advise you to ask for the steam wand, frother, or blender to be cleaned if they are involved in making your drink.
However, when it comes to oat milk, I’m less concerned about oat milk causing cross-contact complications. While the contamination of oat milk in the USA can be at unsafe levels, the likelihood of that contamination transferring to the same high levels in coffee drink preparation are low… instead I’m more concerned about other ingredients potentially involved in making drinks.
For example, at Starbucks, the Chocolate Cream Cold Brew has gluten in the cold foam. This means that the cold foam made in the frother for this drink would contaminate the frother. Thus, it’s good practice to ask for all of these things to be cleaned before your drink is made, just in case.
Oat milk is gluten-free sometimes. But like all oat products, you need to be careful because oats tend to be heavily contaminated if not properly sourced. That said, some people with celiac may not tolerate oats well anyways and need to avoid them regardless of their gluten-free status. Do what makes sense for you and your body.
In the case of buying celiac-safe oat milk, make sure you’re buying oat milk that is certified gluten-free purity protocol or that has a gluten-free statement of testing on the label or on the website (note this only applies if the brand does not have a history of abusing oats like Cheerios).
Now I know it can be tricky determining what is and isn’t safe to buy in the USA, so if you need help identifying gluten on a food label, don’t forget I’ve got an ENTIRELY free class to help you learn. Sign up for the class here or with the button below.