How To Pick The Best Vegan Half & Half Milks

Vegan Half & Half – that’s right in this post I am going to be sharing everything you need to know about what vegan half & half you should be putting in that morning coffee. In the post, I will share with you if vegan half & half exists, vegan half & half alternatives, and the best vegan half & half available on the market. Coffee is literally the most popular beverage in the country – perhaps only second to water. As a nation, we drink around 400 million cups of coffee per day with the average American consuming around 3 cups of coffee per day. So, unless you like your coffee black, picking the right half & half for your coffee could be the difference between a decent cup of joe or just a not very good coffee. To start then, I should probably answer the most important question – what vegan half & half are available, and what are they made of?

Best Vegan Half & Half – What Is Available?

Vegan half & half is made from half coconut cream/milk and half a lighter milk such as oat, or almond, whilst Ripple is made from pea protein. Vegan half & half can be sweetened, flavored, or unsweetened.

Best Nut Free and Coconut Free Vegan Half & Half	Ripple Half & Half
Best Vegan Half & Half For Flavored Coffees And Desserts	Califa Vanilla Half & Half
Best Sugar-Free Vegan Half & Half	Silk Half & Half; and Califa Unsweetened Better Half
Best Unflavored and Slightly Sweet Half & Half	Califa Original Better Half

In this post, I am going to be talking about the three best vegan half & halves. Before that I should probably answer some common questions on half & half like:

What is Half & Half?
Is there vegan substitutes for Half & Half?
What is vegan Half & Half made of?

Is there an Oat Half & Half?

What Is Half & Half

Traditional half & half is half milk and half heavy cream. It is used when you want something thicker than milk, but not as thick as cream. Half & half are often added to coffee and are also used in cooking – often in creamy sauces and desserts.

Is There a Vegan Substitute For Half & Half?

A great vegan substitute for half & half is using half coconut cream (coconut cream is the creamiest vegan milk you can get) and half a lighter vegan milk (such as almond milk or oat milk).

What is Vegan Half & Half Made Of?

Vegan half & half is almost always made of half coconut cream – as coconut cream is so creamy it replaces the “heavy cream” part of traditional half & half. A variety of other plant-based milk can then be used for the lighter half of a vegan half & half – from almond to oat to soy.

Is There An Oat Half & Half?

Silk Oat Half Half is a vegan half & half made from half oat milk and half coconut milk. It is interesting that coconut milk is used rather than naturally thicker coconut cream. In my opinion, I think this is because oat milk is creamier than a lot of other vegan milk, so it only needs to be paired with coconut milk, not cream.

Is Silk Half & Half Vegan?

According to the Silk website, Silk Half & Half is vegan.

Silk Half & Half – Where To Buy

Unfortunately, Silk Half & Half can be hard to find. Silk Half & Half can be found in some Walmart, Sprouts, and Safeway stores.

You can also find Silk Half & Half on Instacart here.

Is Silk Half & Half Sugar-Free?

Another thing I really like about Silk Half & Half is that there is no added sugar. Obviously, no added sugar is always a bonus, and it also means you can use Silk Half & Half in savory dishes without worrying about sweetness ruining the dish (think pasta sauces, curries, and soups).

Are There Any Other Vegan Alternatives for Half & Half?

1. Ripple Half & Half

What is Ripple Half & Half?

Ripple Half & Half is an innovative vegan half & half which uses pea protein and sunflower oil to give it the creamy consistency of half & half. Compared to most vegan half & half brands which are made from half coconut milk/cream and half another vegan milk.

You can try a carton of Silk Half & Half from Instacart here.

What Are the Ingredients Of Ripple Half & Half?

Pea protein and sunflower oil are the main ingredients in Ripple half & half. These are what Ripple uses to help create a creamy texture. The full ingredient list according to the Ripple website is:

“Water, sunflower oil, pea protein, acacia gum, cane sugar, contains less than 1% of potassium citrate, sodium bicarbonate, natural flavor, sunflower lecithin, sea salt, gellan gum.”

Ripple is a great option if you don’t like coconut or if you want completely nut-free vegan half & half.

2. Califa Better Half

Califa has a vegan range of Half & Half creamers made from half coconut cream and half almond milk. They are suitable for keto and whole30 diets. There are a few varieties you can choose from – Unsweetened, Original, Vanilla, Hazelnut.

You can find the Unsweetened version of Califia Farms Better Half on Amazon here. This contains 0 grams of sugar so is a great option if you want a sugar-free vegan half & half.

If you prefer your vegan half & half with a little bit of sweetness to it then try the Original Version of Califa Better Half from Amazon here.

Do you love your morning cup of Joe to embody vanilla latte vibes? Then Califa’s Vanilla Better Half might the perfect choice for your morning coffee. You can find it on Amazon here. This variety is flavored with vanilla and just a touch of monk fruit juice giving it a lovely subtle vanilla sweetness. This flavor could work great in desserts but obviously wouldn’t be so suitable for savory dishes.

Califa did also appear to do a Hazelnut flavor of their Better Half – but it is very, very hard to find. On this basis, I suspect the hazelnut variety may have been discontinued.

Is Califa Better Half Shelf Stable?

Califa Better Half is shelf-stable and so can be left unrefrigerated before opening. As Califa Better Half is shelf-stable it can be ordered via Amazon.

Is Califa Better Half Supposed to be Thick?

Califa Better Half is a little thicker than Califa’s creamers, making Califa Better Half a wonderful option if you love a thick vegan option for your coffee.

Vegan Half & Half – The Final Sip

Vegan Half & Half – when it comes to coffee what we put into our coffee can often make or break the drink. Milk makes up such a large part of what makes different types of coffee different. What’s the difference between a flat white, cappuccino, or latte – it is the amount and type of milk you put into the drink. That’s why when it comes to picking vegan milk for your coffee you should be especially fussy. Often some straight-up plant-based milk can be a little too watery and coconut cream (often the thickest plant-based milk) is not a flavor everyone goes for. I love coconut milk and cream, but alone in coffee, I don’t think it works. Half & Half then is a great way of getting thicker textures and more complex flavor profiles to suit how you want to have your coffee.

…now you know.

Beverage makers may change ingredients and/or manufacturing processes. Always double-check ingredients before purchasing any beverages.

Like What You Are Reading

Want to know what is and is not vegan at other coffee chains and restaurants, such as Dunkin’ Donuts (including all of their Holiday Drinks), Coffee Bean, Dunkin’ Donuts, Peet’s, Philz, or Dutch Bros. If you do, then check out my other posts below: