Learn how to make oat milk at home! With this easy recipe, it always comes out smooth & creamy - perfect for adding to coffee, baking recipes & more!
Have you tried oat milk yet? Lately, it seems to be popping up everywhere. You can add it to your coffee at Starbucks, buy a carton of it at the store, or even pick up a pint of oat milk ice cream! I had to see what all the fuss was about, so I tried making my own homemade oat milk. I have to say, I’m hooked! It’s super easy to make, it’s smooth and creamy, and it has a yummy oat-y flavor that tastes great in coffee or tea.
Unlike other non-dairy milk recipes, this one doesn’t require any special equipment (looking at you, nut milk bags). And because you don’t need to soak the oats beforehand, it takes minutes to make. All you need is 5 minutes, a handful of whole rolled oats, filtered water, a fine mesh strainer, and a powerful blender! What are you waiting for?
How to Make Oat Milk
Making delicious oat milk is easy! But if you have made other plant-based milks in the past, a word to the wise: it is NOT like making almond milk, where you wring as much liquid as you can out of a nut milk bag. In this recipe, your goal is to squeeze and press the mixture as little as possible. Otherwise, it will end up slimy and grainy. Here’s my method:
- Blend. First, I add the oats and filtered water to a powerful blender (I use a Vitamix) and blend for 30 seconds, until the water looks creamy and white. For the best texture, be careful not to over-blend!
- Strain. Next, place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and pour the oat milk through it. Some liquid may pool at the bottom of the strainer. That’s ok! Discard this liquid and any oat pulp below it. DO NOT try to press the pulp to get more liquid through the strainer, as it will make the milk slimy and gritty.
- Strain again (optional). For extra-smooth oat milk, strain the liquid twice, discarding the leftover pulp both times. This step is optional, but it will yield the smoothest final texture.
- Chill, and enjoy! I like my oat milk best when it’s cold from the fridge. Unlike other dairy-free milks, don’t shake it when you go to use it. Instead, allow any leftover oat pulp to settle at the bottom of the container, and pour the creamy milk off the top.
How to Use Oat Milk
Once you’ve made oat milk, use it as you would dairy milk, cashew milk, or any other type of milk you like. I like to chill it and drink it with ice, add it to coffee, or use it to make a matcha latte. It would also be great in breakfast/brunch oat-y recipes like oatmeal, baked oatmeal, overnight oats, or no bake cookies. Alternatively, use it in any brunch baking recipe that calls for milk, like my vegan chocolate cake, blueberry muffins, banana bread, or cinnamon rolls.
Because it has a strong oat-y flavor, I don’t recommend using it in savory recipes. You’ll find my favorite way to enjoy it in the recipe below. I like to add a pinch of salt and a splash of vanilla and maple syrup to sweeten it up!
Next, try these plant based basics: tofu, tempeh, quinoa, chickpeas, or lentils.
How to Make Oat Milk
Ingredients
- ½ cup whole rolled oats
- 3 cups water
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- â…› teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Combine the oats, water, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt in a blender and blend for 30 seconds.
- Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and strain the milk without pushing any excess pulp through the strainer. This will create a creamier texture that’s not gritty or gummy.
- Add more maple syrup, to taste, if desired. Chill overnight. If you want to drink your oat milk right away, I recommend adding ice - it's flavor is best when well chilled.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Detoxinista’s method
this recipe works out JUST AS THEY SAY IT DOES!! It is so good!! And thankfully – so easy.
I use a coffee filter to make it extra smooth. You can also rinse your oats first. Let them sit in water for about 10 minutes and then throw it away and wash – I feel like it helps with the sliminess.
Just made this! So good. The flavor is great. It did not froth in my frother like store bought but I figured the additive’s & thickeners were probably what makes the store bought froth. Used my organic oats, ancient sea salt & filtered water. So glad I tried homemade. So pure & good!
Wtf is ancient sea salt lol
Oh! Here it is. I posted a picture on your Instagram page. I wanted to see if it posted but couldn’t figure out how. I don’t use Instagram much so I’ll have to spend some time learning how it works. Anyway, I wanted to post a comment, fortunately I scrolled further down and found where to do that. I tried your oat milk on homemade gluten free granola and it was pretty good. I was out of regular milk so I made it up just before I used it. That means it was warm so I poured out what I wanted to use and added a couple of ice cubes. Then I stuck it in the freezer for 2 minutes. I know the ice cubes melting must have thinned it out a little but I’d still like to know if there is any way to give it a little richer texture. I’m a lifetime milk lover so far me to say that I like this oat milk is saying a lot. Among the top reasons why I love whole milk is the texture so you can see why that’s important to me. If it looks/tastes like skim, low fat, 1%, or no fat milk forget it. 2% I can handle but nothing tastes like fresh whole milk right out of the fridge.
Not sure if anyone else has answered and I haven’t done this. I’d try more oats or less water. That’s what I’ve done with almond and cashew milks.
How long will this oat milk keep in the fridge? Maybe I should say how long is the shelf life in the fridge? Thank you!
3 days in the fridge. Better not keep at a shelf.
It’s better than milk
Can this be frothed up for a barista coffee or will it turn to glue?
So easy and delish. How long does this keep in the frig?
Easy to follow, clear instructions. Thank you ??
So glad you enjoyed it, Lynda!
I made this recipe! I omitted the sweetener and vanilla so I can use it in different recipes! Don’t over blend! Very creamy! Yum Yum!
Delicious! Can’t wait to try this oat milk in my cereal. Also, I heated the leftover ground oat in the microwave about 40 seconds then added a drizzle each of maple syrup, brown sugar and avocado oil. It tastes EXACTLY like cream-of-wheat….which I haven’t had for years because I eat a gluten-free diet. So Happy!!!!!
That sounds awesome!
I use Red Mill Gluten Free Oats (Celiac disease, normal oats ARE NOT safe for Celiacs!) and blend in water to make my protein shakes, no filtering. Makes an extremely hearty protein, as all 6g of protein per serving of the Red Mill stays in the milk. I use 1 cup of oats for a 16oz shake, so 12g of protein from the Oats plus the 25 from my GNC AMP protein powder. If you’re trying to bulk up like me or you’re trying to lose weight using a protein based meal replacement powder, this is the extra kick in the pants your shake needs. I stay full well after 8 hours when I drink these after my morning workout.
Hi, i was wondering if a stick blender would work as i dont have a blender.
Hi Rose, yes, I think a strong immersion blender would work!
I was very excited about this and followed the steps carefully, but when I tried to drink the oat milk the following day, it was very slimy. Is there a certain speed we should use to blend for 30 seconds? Any tips on how to avoid the sliminess?
I had the same issue. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks!
Hi, I would blend on high for 30 seconds but not longer. Pressing the oat milk through the strainer can also cause sliminess. For the best texture, just place the strainer over the bowl and pour slowly, letting the milk drip through at its own pace. I wouldn’t use a nut milk bag or cheesecloth here. Hope this helps!
Hi! Any idea the nutritional info? Like calories, fats, carbs, protein?
Hi Hannah, we don’t calculate nutrition facts for our recipes unfortunately, but you could use an online nutrition calculator to get an estimate.
The calorific value will be the same as the oats used, plus any sweeteners you feel you need. I personally think it’s sweet enough
Can one make oat milk extra creamy by using less water (or more oats)? Or will that just make it slimy/gritty? I found that works with almonds, and it’s so much better than the store-bought kind that seems so watery to me.
Hi Amy, you could increase the oats here to about 3/4 cup for a thicker oat milk.
How will I reserved the oat milk for Weaks
Hi, the oat milk will keep in a covered container in the fridge for about a week.
How long will this keep for? I’d like to make a weeks worth at a time. Also is it freezable?
Thanks
Hi Jo, it keeps for a week, shake it before using it each time because it’ll separate.
Thank you.
Is it freezable?