Why Burger King Replaced Dairy With Oat Milk For a Few Days—Then Changed Its Mind

Burger King Austria recently made headlines after becoming the first in the world to launch Oatly’s new Baristamatic oat milk, designed specifically for use in push-button coffee machines like those found in fast-food chains. But Burger King didn’t just choose to offer the drink; it opted to totally replace cow’s milk with it in stores across the country.

For several days, customers ordering coffee at Burger King Austria received Oatly’s Baristamatic oat drink instead of dairy. While the move was initially met with enthusiasm, it was soon reversed.

Burger King Austria

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“Oatly and Burger King Austria had reached a joint agreement to replace cow’s milk with Oatly Baristamatic oat drink in all restaurants in Austria,” a spokesperson for Oatly told VegNews. “The response in the first few days of the introduction was overwhelmingly positive, but Burger King Austria has now decided to offer its guests both Oatly oat drink and cow’s milk again in the future.”

While no specific reasons were given, it seems Burger King Austria may have felt that completely removing dairy was a step too far, too soon. “Removing cow’s milk from the menu to raise awareness of plant-based options may be controversial for some, and we accept that,” the spokesperson continued.

A world first for Oatly’s Baristamatic

The Baristamatic oat milk, introduced earlier this year at Anuga 2025, was designed to help improve dairy-free coffee options, particularly those made with push-button coffee machines in the fast-food sector. 

“Automatic machines have previously been struggling a little bit with plant-based [milk] in general,” Fay Schönbeck, Oatly’s product development lead, told Daily Reporter. “Both in terms of performance, but also in terms of developing machines that can handle plant-based milk alternatives.”

That’s why the new Baristamatic oat milk has a slightly thinner texture than Oatly’s other products, which are known for their thick, creamy consistency. “[This] improves performance in the machine to maintain consistent output and avoid sedimentation,” added Schönbeck.

The rollout of Oatly’s Baristamatic in Burger King’s push-button coffee machines marks a major step forward for the industry—even with the reintroduction of cow’s milk—making dairy-free milk more accessible to the mainstream and to consumers eager to embrace plant-based options.

Cutting dairy could have supercharged Burger King’s climate goals

There’s no doubt that Burger King has been a pioneer of mainstream plant-based fast food. The chain already offers meat-free and vegan options worldwide and has even opened fully meatless pop-up restaurants. In Austria, alongside oat milk coffee, diners can order the Plant-Based Whopper, Plant-Based Long Chicken, Plant-Based Nuggets, and a Plant-Based Wrap.

Oatly

Still, eliminating cow’s milk entirely would have been a dramatic step toward the company’s sustainability goals. Burger King has repeatedly emphasized its commitment to reducing its environmental impact. In the UK, for example, the chain has pledged to make half of its menu plant-based by 2030 in an effort to cut carbon emissions.

Dairy farming is a leading source of methane, a greenhouse gas around 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over 20 years, and is responsible for nearly half of the global temperature rise since 1750. Yet, despite this, most major dairy producers still lack credible plans to curb methane emissions.

Burger King’s progress is still significant, says Oatly

Despite the reversal, Oatly sees progress in Burger King Austria’s efforts.

“For us, it is an important signal to promote the transition to a plant-based and thus more sustainable food system,” the spokesperson said. “We are therefore delighted that major foodservice players such as Burger King Austria are supporting this mission and taking at least the first step toward offering their customers oat drinks as a plant-based option.”

“Together, we want to set an example for a lower-emission diet and encourage people who may not have come into contact with oat drinks before to give it a try,” they added.