Here's The Best Plain Yogurt Brand On Store Shelves

Plain store-bought yogurt seems like a pretty cut-and-dry thing, right? Like, how could they be that much different from each other? It turns out, they can differ between brands in terms of nuances — when you're ranking goods based off simple elements like texture and creaminess, the details do make a difference. We taste tested seven plain yogurts to see which should always end up in your fridge, and the winner had some unique characteristics that the others simply didn't.

Just to be clear, this wasn't a comparison of Greek yogurts, which we consider a different product. We went with full-fat regular yogurt whenever possible to experience the entire flavor profile of each product. Our winner was the Extra Cream Top Whole Milk Yogurt from Alexandre Family Farm, which our taste tester lauded for its pasture-like grassy flavor (which was a good thing). They said, "This is unlike any yogurt I've had; it's almost yellow in complexion from the farm-fresh cream. There is a deep earthiness from the grass factor. It is runny, pourable even, but smooth and delicious nonetheless." This may not sound like your standard dairy product, which is exactly why we think you should buy it.

There are enough varieties of plain yogurt in the dairy aisle to make your head spin. Aside from what we know as regular yogurt, there are also all those different international yogurts, like Greek yogurt, French yogurt, Icelandic skyr, and Australian-style yogurt, plus vegan varieties and more. Greek, which has gained a massive amount of popularity, is yogurt that's strained to remove excess whey, making it thicker and creamier right off the bat. French yogurt is different in that it isn't strained and is typically made in its own individual serving containers, such as little glass jars. 

The difference with skyr is the ingredients. It is made with skim milk only, and traditionally, it also contains rennet. This technically makes skyr a cheese, but really it tastes like a super thick yogurt. We can't argue about the fact that each has its own merits, but when it comes to plain store-bought yogurt, we do have a very strong preference for Alexandre Family Farm's version, since it tastes about as close to farm-fresh as you're ever going to get.