While it might be a touch of our inner child feeling nostalgic for a carton of chocolate milk from school lunch, we aren’t ashamed to admit that we still love chocolate milk. Served ice cold straight from the fridge, it’s both decadent and refreshing. And with so many options available, we set out to find the best chocolate milk.

Hannah of Ballerina Farm joined us in our blind chocolate milk taste test. The Ballerina Farm has two Jersey cows they get the highest quality milk from daily, so it’s safe to say Hannah is a dairy expert. We sampled 22 different varieties, including some plant-based options, to determine which were the very best. Our ideal chocolate milk has a rich, creamy texture, the perfect amount of sweetness, a decidedly chocolate flavor, and a smooth finish.

The Contenders

  • Winder Farms 
  • Ripple 
  • Darigold Reduced Fat
  • Promised Land Whole
  • TruMoo Whole
  • Maple Hill
  • Rock View
  • Farmers All Natural
  • Trader Joe’s
  • Almond Breeze
  • Promised Land 2%
  • Cocoa Metro
  • Avocado Milk
  • Silk Almond
  • 365 Unsweetened Chocolate Almond
  • TruMoo 1%
  • Straus
  • Rise Oat Milk
  • Kroger 1%
  • Organic Valley
  • Horizon
  • Fairlife

Least Favorite Chocolate Milk

3
Maple Hill Organic 2%

We had high hopes for this organic, grass-fed chocolate milk but were unfortunately quite let down. It was very unappetizing watery appearance and texture were more similar to the plant-based milks we tried, and not in a good way. Coupled with not nearly enough chocolate flavor and almost no sweetness, this higher-price-point milk was just not for us.

2
365 Unsweetened Chocolate Almond

It makes sense that this chocolate milk only has 40 calories per serving– it really doesn’t seem to have much of anything in it. Because it is unsweetened, there is no sugar to enhance the chocolate flavor, leaving this milk completely devoid of any flavor at all. While plant-based milks typically don’t have the creamy texture of dairy milk, other plant-based milks we tried certainly didn’t fair this bad. If you are looking for a plant-based milk, don’t settle for this one.

1
Avocado Milk

While the sleek packaging is cool, that’s about the only thing this milk has going for it. With an initial flavor similar to other alternative chocolate milks, the unpleasant avocado aftertaste came in quite strong and was incredibly off-putting. Pair that with an unappealing texture and this plant-based milk was easily the worst of all the chocolate milk we tried.

Best Chocolate Milk 

3
Promised Land 2%

The fact that this milk clung to the sides of the cup was a good thing, as we loved the smooth, creamy texture of Promised Land’s 2% chocolate milk. It boasted a delicious chocolate flavor not unlike a melted chocolate bar, while still keeping the sweetness in check. Overall, this is a solid go-to chocolate milk that we would absolutely buy again.

2
Cocoa Metro Belgian Style

Cocoa Metro chocolate milk is made with real Belgian chocolate, so it’s no wonder we found this milk to be decadent, a bit sophisticated (yes, milk can be sophisticated), and satisfyingly delicious. Its deep, dark chocolate flavor was a welcome change among many of the other milks that seemed to treat the chocolate as an afterthought. The sweetness isn’t overwhelming but strikes a nice balance with the chocolate.

1
Straus Organic

We were happy to find that our top pick for the best chocolate milk comes from Straus Family Creamery, a collection of 12 small organic dairy farms located in Northern California. With a short ingredient list of whole milk, sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla, it’s no wonder the texture and flavor of this chocolate milk were superior to any other we tried. Bonus points for cute branding and the vintage-y glass bottle.