Review: Oatly's New Popcorn, Churro, And Matcha Oat Milks Are As Strangely Delicious As They Sound

Whether you drink oat milk because you're lactose intolerant, you desire a plant-based milk alternative, or you simply like the way it tastes, you have lots of options. However, Oatly (the original oat drink company) pioneered the game. After all, the company's founders, Rickard and Bjorn Oeste, invented oat milk in Sweden in 1994. Fast-forward to today, and the brand is wildly popular in the U.S., and you can purchase it at many major retailers. It's even used at Starbucks. Luckily, the brand is always coming up with tasty new products, too. Case in point: Oatly just released three new flavors, Matcha Latte, Popcorn Barista Edition, and Churros Barista Edition. While they all sound uniquely intriguing, if you are wondering whether or not they're actually worth trying, I've got your back.

In an effort to give you some insight into Oatly's new flavors without having to spend your hard-earned cash, I tasted and reviewed all three of them. Something tells me you might be surprised at what I discovered, too. After all, they can't all be bangers... or can they? Let's find out!

Tasting Oatly's new flavors was super fun, but I needed to come up with a succinct way to evaluate them, so here's how I went about it: The Matcha flavor is designed to be drunk over ice, as-is, so that's exactly how I enjoyed it. The Barista Edition flavors, Churros and Popcorn, are a bit more versatile. You can drink them as-is, but the company also urges consumers to add them to coffee, hot or cold, and maybe even cereal. So, I started by tasting them straight-up, over ice, to get a good feel for the flavors and their potency. Then, I added them to iced coffee to see how they held up in a bold brew.

When it came to evaluating each of the new flavors, I focused on taste, texture, perceived quality, mass appeal, its ability to stand alone, and its potential for mixing with other elements, like coffee or cereal. No spoilers, but my favorite of the bunch excelled in all of these categories.

As someone who craves a good bag of popcorn from time to time, I was pretty excited to try Oatly's new Popcorn Barista Edition Oatmilk. Fortunately, it did not disappoint. All it took was one sip for me to pick up on all the crave-worthy elements of the namesake food. Salty, buttery, savory, and minimally sweet, it hit the mark on all fronts. The earthiness of the oat milk below accentuated the popcorn elements in all the right ways, too, and that's before I mixed it with coffee. If I'm being honest, I liked it more than anticipated, and it certainly has mass appeal. Who doesn't like popcorn?

After tasting Popcorn Barista Oatmilk in a cup of iced coffee, it only got better. The roasted notes of the coffee added another layer to the popcorn flavor that really made it shine. It was far from sweet, and the buttery notes amplified the coffee in a delightful way. No surprises there, since adding coffee to butter is something people tend to like. The nuanced flavors did get a bit lost in the mix, but I typically drink my coffee black, so no love lost there. I'm not sure it would make a fantastic addition to cereal, like the next new recipe, but I don't care. Oatly's Popcorn Edition Oatmilk brings a little bit of everything to the table, and I am here for it.

I know I just doled out a bunch of praise for the previous flavor, but Oatly's Churros Barista Edition Oatmilk was even tastier. For starters, it was über creamy, giving it a delectable mouthfeel that was not only hard to resist, but lingered on my tongue long enough to ensure I savored every drop. It also boasted tons of cinnamon with just enough sweetness to keep me coming back for more. It was almost like horchata, but richer and creamier — yum! Seriously, I'd much rather drink a glass of it than plain old, boring milk. I'm not even lactose intolerant.

Once I mixed some of my Oatly Churros Barista Edition Oatmilk into a glass of iced coffee, it was a force to be reckoned with. Cinnamon is one of the best ways to sweeten coffee without sugar or creamer, and this cinnamon-laden oat milk will show you exactly why. Toasty, flavorful, and with a bit of something for everyone, it had all the appeal you could want and more. Despite it being churro-flavored (a dish known for containing an abundance of sugar), it wasn't too sweet, either. Instead, it was expertly balanced and oh so delicious. It would also make a wonderful addition to quite a few cereals, like Golden Grahams, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Pebbles, or even Cheerios. I'm drooling just thinking about it.

Oatly's Matcha Latte Oatmilk is the final flavor I sampled, and it may not be for everyone, but it caught and held my attention. Note that while my box has simply "Matcha Oatmilk" on the front, it's the same product at the "Matcha Latte Oatmilk," just with different regional packaging. Flavored with matcha — a green tea powder from Japan — it was giving all the earthy goodness a lady like me could want and then some. Regardless, Oatly's Matcha Latte was layered with a hint of vanilla and sugar, plus a touch of salt that brought the whole recipe together in expert fashion. In addition, all of the elements added something ambrosial to the oat milk itself. Amazingly rich and creamy, it clung to my palate in the best way possible.

As a complete drink all by itself, I didn't add any Oatly Matcha Latte to coffee or extra matcha, but it wasn't needed. It stands alone on flavor, and fortunately, there wasn't any lack of it. I could, however, imagine mixing it with vodka or tequila to make a mean martini. Just saying.

Admittedly, the potent earthiness of Oatly's Matcha Latte may not be for everyone, but if that's your jam (it's mine), it has what it takes to instantly make you a fan. It sure is more affordable than purchasing a matcha latte from a coffee shop, too.

I don't always write such glowing reviews on new products, not even close, but Oatly really blew me away with its new flavors. Each one of them was carefully curated, and it showed. Each one was deliciously balanced, and they more than delivered on the advertised flavors. Even so, the Churros Barista Edition was my absolute favorite. Sweet without going too far and overflowing with cinnamon, it was nothing short of spectacular. While the other recipes were definitely tasty, it took the cake in terms of mass appeal. All by itself or mixed with coffee, the Churros Barista Edition stole the show. In fact, if oat milk isn't something you are hooked on yet, it might just have what it takes to do the trick once and for all.

Final verdict: I don't see any reason why I should attempt making oat milk at home. Oatly has the process down pat and the new flavors are drool-worthy, so why even bother? Whether you prefer earthy, buttery saltiness, or cinnamon-y sweetness, Oatly has the product for you.

If my taste test has you salivating, you're in luck. All three of the new flavors are available for purchase now. You can snag your own cartons of Churros Barista and Matcha Latte at stores that fall under the Kroger or Albertsons companies (like self-named locations: King Soopers, Food 4 Less, Safeway, Vons, and more), and you can score all three of the new flavors at Raley's. A 32-ounce carton of any flavor costs anywhere between $5.99 to $6.99, but heads up: They are on sale at some Kroger locations for as low as $3.99.

All three of the new Oatly flavors are not only dairy-, nut-, and gluten-free (not all oat milks are), but they are also non-GMO and Kosher Pareve, so just about anyone can enjoy them. As for nutrition, both the Popcorn and Churros flavors feature the same stats for a 1-cup serving: 170 calories, 8 grams of total fat, 12 grams of added sugars, 105 milligrams of sodium, 3 grams of protein, 350 milligrams of calcium, and 620 milligrams of potassium.

Slightly different, the Matcha Latte Oatmilk contains 160 calories, 7 grams of total fat, 11 grams of added sugars, 160 milligrams of sodium, 3 grams of protein, 350 milligrams of calcium, and 70 milligrams of potassium per serving. So, whatever flavor you are drawn to, you can expect a healthy dose of calcium and a decent amount of protein and potassium.