9 Organic Milk Brands, Ranked Worst To Best

While organic milk can be a bit more expensive than regular milk in the grocery store, many people still choose to buy it. It falls under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic standards, meaning the cows cannot be given any antibiotics or synthetic hormones to promote growth, and must be fed organic-certified feed. 

Some people, including myself, choose to buy organic milk not just for the organic standards, but because they believe it tastes better. I have found that organic milk tends to be a bit creamier and has a richer taste compared to regular milk. As an avid milk drinker, I admit that I'm one of those people who genuinely enjoys just drinking a glass of milk alone. I often buy different brands of organic milk when I'm grocery shopping, but have never taken the time to compare them. 

With many different brands out there across wide price ranges, I decided to find out which organic milk brand really tastes the best. I went ahead and bought several cartons of different USDA-certified organic milk brands. I tasted each one alone, in a bowl of Cheerios, and with an Oreo. When tasting, I considered the level of creaminess, sweetness, consistency, and overall enjoyment before ranking them from worst to best. So grab your milk glass and let's get tasting.

Maple Hill is an organic milk brand that has been in operation since 2003. This organic milk is made from grass-fed cows, and the company believes that diet is what makes for superior milk. This was the most expensive gallon of milk that I bought for this taste test, and it was also my least favorite.

When I took my first sip, I ran back to the carton to double check that I hadn't accidentally purchased low-fat milk. Indeed, I had bought whole milk, however, it truly didn't taste like it. This milk was very watery and didn't have a creamy taste or texture. When I went ahead and dipped an Oreo in it, my opinion stayed the same. If I had dipped my Oreo in water instead, it would have tasted exactly the same as it did when I dipped it in the Maple Hill milk. With barely any hope left, I gave the bowl of Cheerios a try. As suspected, it tasted like cereal seeped in water. Ultimately, I don't think this milk even stood a chance against the rest of the pack.

Family Farmstead creates a different type of organic milk than other brands. The milk is non-homogenized, meaning it does not undergo a process to redistribute the fat in it. In turn, there is a layer of cream on top of the milk. 

While I didn't dislike this milk, it was my least favorite out of the milks I did enjoy. Right away, I noticed that the milk, in general, had a completely different taste than the other brands. It was almost bland, however, its creamy texture made it a bit more enjoyable. I wouldn't particularly like to drink a glass of this milk alone because the taste wasn't anything special, and I also wasn't a fan of the fact that the consistency wasn't completely smooth.

I was surprised that I actually enjoyed the milk more with the Oreo. The milk gave the cookie an even richer and creamer texture. There was also a stronger aftertaste that reminded me of a decadent dessert. Unfortunately, the Cheerios test wasn't as positive. I felt like the milk actually tasted a bit watery with the cereal, and it made the experience of eating the bowlful less enjoyable.

As a huge fan of Trader Joe's, especially its snacks, I was confident that its milk would rank high on my list. To my surprise, there were many other brands that I enjoyed a lot more. This was one of the cheapest gallons of organic milk that I bought, which is definitely a plus, but if it's an outstanding flavor you're looking for, you might want to look elsewhere. 

Interestingly enough, the Trader Joe's milk had a sweet flavor to it that I wasn't expecting, and that I didn't really enjoy. It took away from the fresh, classic milk taste that I crave, especially in organic milk. It also wasn't as creamy as the other brands, and for me, creaminess in whole milk is a must. It was still fine and something I'd drink, but it didn't stand a chance against some of these other brands.

Eating it with the Oreos made it taste more sugary and less enjoyable. I also thought that the milk's sweetness almost masked the natural nutty taste of the Cheerios. Ultimately, I wouldn't choose this milk if I was able to pick up another brand instead.

Trickling Springs organic milk is produced at Pennsylvania's South Mountain Creamery. The milk is served in a glass bottle, which I must admit is very aesthetically pleasing. I was hoping to absolutely love this milk, but unfortunately I wasn't totally sold. When I took my first sip, I noticed right away that it had a much sweeter taste than all the other milks I tasted. It was almost as if it was slightly vanilla-flavored or had sugar mixed in. It was still creamy, which definitely made it more enjoyable, but I wouldn't drink this milk straight.

When I dipped the Oreo in it, I expected the milk's sweetness to make the taste too sugar-forward. I was actually surprised that it didn't happen, and it tasted like the normal amount of sweetness an Oreo in milk usually has. However, the milk completely changed the flavor of the Cheerios. If you're the type of person who likes to sprinkle sugar over the top of your Cheerios, then this might actually be the perfect milk for you — because you won't even have to add sugar. For me, it was just a little too sweet, as I prefer a more classic taste.

I've seen Horizon organic milk in most mainstream grocery stores, and it's usually the most expensive brand on the shelf. The brand has been around since 1991 and focuses largely on sustainability and, supposedly, the well-being of the cows. While I've had this milk many times before, this time it was different. It has a classic taste with an enjoyably mild sweetness and creaminess. However, as for the mouthfeel, I noticed that this milk didn't feel as thick and creamy as some other brands.

What stood out to me the most was that this milk felt substantially colder than every other milk in the taste test. I kept all the brands in the fridge, but for some reason, it felt colder. I've actually noticed this before with this brand — I don't know what the secret to that is, but colder milk is definitely more enjoyable.

The milk's flavor was neutral, so it doesn't change much about the Oreo, but I don't think that it made the cookie richer — which isn't a bad thing. As for the Cheerios, I absolutely loved it. The coldness of the milk matched with the neutral flavor made the actual taste of the Cheerios stand out.

Good & Gather is one of Target's in-house food brands, and it tends to have affordable options when compared to other brands that the store carries. What was interesting about this milk is that it tasted absolutely identical to the Horizon organic milk. I tried both milks side by side, tasted them back and forth, and truly could not find a difference. Every single thing that I said about the Horizon milk holds true for Good & Gather, even down to the Oreo and Cheerios tests.

The only actual difference that I could find between these two milks was the price. The Good & Gather milk was nearly $3 cheaper than the Horizon milk. Now that I know they taste exactly the same (in my opinion), I will definitely be buying the Good & Gather milk over Horizon from now on. It's cold, creamy, pleasant, and overall enjoyable. The only reason that this milk isn't at the top of the list is because it didn't have as creamy of a mouthfeel as other brands did.

The brand Organic Valley dates back to 1988; it's been a pioneer of the organic food movement since its inception. While the company has grown a lot since then, it still maintains the same organic practices that it originally began with. The brand sells organic creamers in addition to milk. When I took a sip of this milk, I immediately thought that it tasted almost like half-and-half. It was incredibly smooth, not too thick, and perfectly creamy. It was hands-down the creamiest milk that I tasted.

When I dipped an Oreo into this milk and took a bite, I was immediately in heaven. This is the kind of milk that Oreo is talking about when it says "milk's favorite cookie." The milk's creaminess added softness and fullness to the cookie. While I enjoyed the Cheerios with it, I do think that the milk was slightly too creamy for the bowl of cereal. I wasn't able to taste the full spectrum of the Cheerios' slightly nutty, toasted oat flavor. Ultimately, I loved this milk, but it wasn't as well-rounded as I had hoped.

Wholesome Pantry is ShopRite's in-store brand. It carries produce, pantry staples, meat, beverages, and dairy. It's one of the best grocery store brands to buy organic products from in the U.S. Its organic whole milk was priced similarly to Target's Good & Gather milk — making it the second-cheapest one I sampled. Wholesome Pantry tasted almost exactly like Organic Valley's product — just as sweet, but a little less creamy.

I couldn't tell a difference between the two in the Oreo test — the taste was just as enjoyable. The Cheerios test is where the real difference between the two milk brands showed itself. While the Organic Valley milk was just a bit too creamy to enjoy with a bowl of Cheerios, the Wholesome Pantry milk ended up being the perfect consistency for it. While I enjoyed this milk immensely, I do think that it needed to be a bit more creamy to be fully enjoyable on its own.

Stonyfield Organic is one of the oldest organic brands on this list, dating back to 1983. This certified B-Corp takes extra care when it comes to environmental impact, which is always a plus. I will say that this milk was one of the most expensive milks I bought, but it was worth it for the taste.

By itself, the Stonyfield milk tasted identical to the Organic Valley milk. It was full and creamy, not too sweet, and extremely satisfying by itself. The real difference appeared in the Cheerios test, where the creaminess of this milk somehow didn't eclipse the entire flavor of the cereal. The creamy, delicious milk still let the flavor of the Cheerios shine. The Oreo test was perfect, too. 

Ultimately, Stonyfield was delicious in all three levels of the taste-test: on its own, with the Oreos, and with the Cheerios. It won the trifecta, making it the best organic milk that I've ever tasted.

The first thing I did to rank these organic milks was try them by themselves. As I went on with my tasting, I would sometimes go back to other milks to compare and to try to keep the taste test as accurate as possible. I took note of the sweetness, creaminess, and the thickness of each. 

Then, I dipped half of a gluten-free Oreo in the milk and held it for five seconds. I took note of whether the milk enhanced the flavor of the Oreo. Lastly, I tasted each milk with a bowl of Cheerios. Similar to the Oreos, I looked to see whether the milk enhanced the cereal or took away from it. I also paid attention to the texture, noting if the milk was too thin for an enjoyable bowl of cereal, or too creamy where it overtook the flavor altogether.

The top-ranked milk, Stonyfield, had everything that I was looking for. It was thick and creamy, not overly sweet, and had a smooth consistency. It was enjoyable to drink by itself, and it also enhanced the flavors of the Oreos and Cheerios.