Oatly and Nespresso Pull Together and Release Oatly Barista Edition Coffee Capsule

The flat white has become a quiet signifier. It signals a certain discernment in coffee choices, a preference for something balanced yet assertive. And for those who have long since traded dairy for a plant-based alternative, the milk of choice is often Oatly Barista Edition—silky, stable, with just enough sweetness to round out the sharp edges of espresso.

The Swedish oat-milk pioneer has spent the past decade embedding itself into the cultural word stock of coffee. From specialty cafés in London, Lisbon, Brooklyn, Melbourne, and Copenhagen to the fridges of home baristas, it has become the de facto option for those who care about both taste and like a bit of personality from their brand of choice.

Now, Oatly is taking things one step further: a coffee capsule, co-created with Nespresso, designed specifically to be paired with oat milk.

It is, to put it mildly, a commercially astute partnership.

Nespresso Capsule, Engineered for Oats

At the heart of the launch is the Oatly Barista Edition Coffee, a limited-edition Nespresso Vertuo blend designed to complement the cereal-forward, biscuity notes of oat milk. And, while I have yet to taste it, the promise is a low-bitterness, light-bodied coffee designed for harmony rather than contrast.

Now, I am a specialty coffee drinker—Flat White with oat, sometimes a Cappuccino (if it’s before noon for any Italians reading this). But sometimes, espresso at home is a bit messy, James Hoffmann agrees; Nespresso offers an undeniably neat solution.

That said, most specialty coffee drinkers—especially those accustomed to the precise, measured world of hand-poured V60s and single-origin espresso shots—are wary of pre-portioned pods and their likely roast date. But Nespresso and Oatly are betting on a different kind of coffee drinker: one who values consistency, convenience, and—above all—a predictable, foolproof oat latte at home.

I’ll admit it—my specialty coffee purist instincts made my right eye flinch, but I get it. If it wasn’t Oatly pairing with Nespresso, it’d be a competitor. And let’s be honest—this won’t stop specialty coffee drinkers from ordering their usual oat flat white. It just means Oatly is meeting more oat drinkers where they are.

Actually, come to think of it, specialty coffee roasters are already leaning into Nespresso pods—just not one designed specifically for Oatly.

Karsten Ranitzsch, Nespresso’s Global Head of Coffee, said: "We know more and more people are reaching for plant-based drinks when preparing their favourite coffee recipe which is why we are thrilled about our partnership with Oatly. Bringing our two like-minded brands and expertise together has allowed us to craft an unforgettable new coffee blend. It’s the perfect way to have coffee just the way you like it....as long as you enjoy it paired it with Oatly!

Toby Weedon, Oatly’s Barista Development Director, said: "Thanks to its neutral taste, Oatly Barista Edition brings out the best flavour in coffee. It’s why it is used by professional baristas and embraced by coffee enthusiasts all over the world. We’re delighted to have worked with the experts at Nespresso to finally bringt o market a coffee capsule that was tried and tested especially for the millions of oat drink lovers out there. We hope this global collaboration with Nespresso will spark curiosity in more people to find out for themselves why so many choose it in their coffee."

The capsule launched on January 28th, rolling out across 15 markets, including the UK, US, China, and Australia. As well as being available in Nespresso boutiques, Oatly will be bringing the capsules to run clubs and after-work DJ sessions across Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo, Seattle and New York from now until the end of February.

A Commercial Coup for Both Brands

Beyond the novelty of the collaboration, this is a strategically brilliant move for both companies.

For Oatly, it’s about expanding beyond cafés and supermarkets into the high-margin world of home coffee pod consumption. The brand has long been the unofficial oat milk of specialty cafés, but this partnership formally embeds it into the daily rituals of home baristas who use pods over pour-overs. Given that Nespresso machines sit in millions of kitchens worldwide, this is a significant play in securing Oatly’s dominance as the oat milk of choice.

For Nespresso, the benefit is twofold. With one in two American and European consumers now opting for plant-based milk in coffee, this move is not just responsive but strategic—aligning with a market that increasingly expects alternative milks as standard.

Second, it reinforces the Vertuo system—Nespresso’s proprietary coffee capsule range—as the choice for premium, café-style drinks at home. Unlike Nespresso’s original line, which caters to those drinking espresso straight, the Vertuo system is designed for milk-based drinks, making it the ideal platform for this launch. In other words, this isn’t just about oat milk—it’s about selling more Vertuo machines.

This launch cements something undeniable: oat milk has graduated from alternative to standard.