Pea Milk
RegionalCommercially produced in North America, Europe, and other markets
A legume-based plant beverage commonly produced using protein derived from yellow peas together with water and other formulation ingredients.
About Pea Milk
Pea milk is a plant-based beverage made from yellow split peas (Pisum sativum) — the same legume used in split pea soup. Unlike green garden peas (which are sweet and eaten as a vegetable), yellow split peas are a starchy, protein-rich pulse variety grown as a field crop. Pea milk is a relatively new entrant in the commercial plant milk market, first launched by the company Ripple Foods in the United States in 2016, and has grown rapidly due to its nutritional advantages over many other plant milks.
Pea milk is produced by isolating pea protein from yellow peas (typically as pea protein isolate) and blending it with water, sunflower oil, and other ingredients to create a stable, creamy emulsion. Unlike some other plant milks, pea milk is made from protein isolate rather than whole blended peas, which produces a smoother, more neutral flavour without the strong taste of cooked peas. The resulting milk is white, slightly sweet, and mild-tasting, with a creaminess that makes it suitable for coffee and cooking.
Pea milk's standout characteristic is its protein content — it typically provides 8 grams of protein per 240ml serving, comparable to cow milk and far higher than almond, oat, coconut, or rice milk. This makes it particularly attractive for people who are avoiding dairy but want to maintain adequate protein intake. Pea milk is also free of dairy, lactose, nuts, soy, and gluten, making it one of the most allergen-friendly plant milks available.
Sources & Further Reading
- PubMed — Pea Protein: Composition, Properties, and Applications (2024) — Comprehensive review of pea protein composition, functional properties, and nutritional profile including amino acid analysis
- PMC — Pea Milk Nutritional Profile and Protein Quality (2024) — Beverage-level study confirming ~8g protein per serving in commercial pea milk and noting methionine and cysteine as limiting amino acids in pea protein relative to dairy and soy
Nutrition
Pea milk (240ml / 1 cup, unsweetened commercial) typically contains:
Calories70–100 kcal
Fat4.5 g
Protein8 g
Carbohydrates~1 g
Calcium~450 mg (fortified)
AllergensFree of top 8 allergens
Pea milk is nutritionally unusual among plant milks — it has high protein content comparable to cow milk (8g per serving), low carbohydrates, and is free of all major allergens. It is typically fortified with calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12. Pea protein contains all nine essential amino acids, making it more complete than most plant milks; however, methionine and cysteine are present in lower proportions than in dairy or soy protein, which is why pea protein scores lower than dairy on protein-quality measures such as PDCAAS and DIAAS. Some commercial pea milk formulations supplement with additional amino acids or blend proteins to address this.
Common Uses
◌ Drinking◌ Coffee & lattes◌ Smoothies◌ Cereal◌ Baking◌ Cooking
Pea milk is versatile and can be used in all the same applications as other plant milks. Its high protein content makes it particularly attractive as a post-workout drink and in high-protein smoothies. It froths adequately for coffee drinks. Its neutral flavour makes it suitable for baking, cereal, and savoury cooking without imparting a strong pea taste. It is especially popular among people who need both high protein and multiple allergen avoidance simultaneously.
Interesting Facts
- Pea milk does not taste like peas — the production process isolates and purifies the protein, removing most of the flavour compounds associated with cooked peas.
- Peas are legumes that can fix nitrogen through symbiosis with soil bacteria. Environmental impacts of a finished pea-milk product depend on farming, processing, packaging, and transport, so Milkapedia does not assign a universal footprint here.
- Pea protein contains all 9 essential amino acids — more complete than most plant proteins. However, methionine and cysteine are limiting amino acids in pea protein, meaning they are present in lower proportions than in dairy or soy. This is why pea protein, while impressive for a plant source, scores below dairy protein on quality measures such as PDCAAS and DIAAS. Commercial pea milks sometimes add methionine or blend with other proteins to address this.
- Pea milk was first commercially launched in 2016 by Ripple Foods, a US startup — making it one of the newest plant milks to achieve mainstream retail distribution.
- Yellow split peas (used for pea milk) are different from green garden peas — they are a field-grown pulse variety, harvested when fully mature and dried, with a much higher starch and protein content than fresh peas.