Oat Milk

Of all the nondairy milks on the market, oat milk has to be my favorite. It’s creamy and oaty, and it blends exceptionally well into drinks—unlike other dairy-free milk alternatives (looking at you, almond milk). While we have our list of the best oat milk brands, a few of them have fillers and preservatives, which are not necessarily something we want on the daily.

Luckily, our oat milk recipe has only four simple, wholesome ingredients: oats, water, maple syrup and a bit of salt. Blend it up, strain it and use this homemade oat milk in coffee, poured over cereal or in place of regular milk when baking.

Compared to other popular milk alternatives, oat milk recipes have more fiber and protein but are higher in carbs. By making your own recipe for oat milk, you’re guaranteed a short ingredient list. Plus, you can decide how much sweetener (if any!) gets added.

Oat Milk Ingredients

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• Oats: The best types of oats to make oat milk are rolled oats, also known as old-fashioned oats. They’re thick enough to make a creamy oat milk. Anything thinner is too processed and will make the oat milk slimy, and thicker oats take much longer to absorb liquid, making the oat milk less creamy.
• Water: Use filtered water for the freshest-tasting oat milk.
• Maple syrup: While our recipe for oat milk calls for 1 tablespoon of the best maple syrup, feel free to use more or less depending on how sweet (or unsweetened!) you’d like it.
• Salt: The salt won’t make the oat milk salty. It simply brings out the flavor of the oats for a tastier oat milk.

Directions

Step 1: Blend everything together

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Add the oats, water, maple syrup and salt to a high-speed blender.

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Cover and blend for one minute; avoid overblending.

Step 2: Strain until smooth

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Place a fine-mesh sieve (or cheesecloth) over a container and strain the mixture through the sieve.

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Discard the leftover solids.

Editor’s Tip: Pour the strained oat milk into a Mason jar, pitcher or recycled glass milk bottle.

Step 3: Chill before serving

Cover the oat milk and chill it for at least 30 minutes. Enjoy it as-is, in your coffee or poured over cereal.

Editor’s Tip: Separation in dairy-free milk is natural. Simply stir it or shake it before serving.

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Recipe Variations

• Change the sweetener: Honey can be used in place of maple syrup if desired. Some people like to use a pitted date, but since we aren’t blending for a long time to avoid slimy oat milk, the date won’t break down very much.
• Double or triple strain: For the smoothest oat milk recipes, strain the oat milk through the cheesecloth two or three times.
• Add flavoring: Flavor the oat milk with a touch of vanilla extract. You could also blend strawberries or blueberries into the mixture for a fruity oat milk recipe.

How to Store Oat Milk

Oat milk keeps well in the fridge, covered, for up to five days. You can also freeze the oat milk for up to one month. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and give the oat milk a good shake before using it.

How long does oat milk last?

When properly stored in the fridge, oat milk will last for up to five days. You can tell oat milk has gone bad if there is a funky smell.

Oat Milk Tips

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Can I use oat milk in recipes?

Oat milk is best for recipes that don’t rely heavily on a type of milk or cream with a high fat percentage. Oat milk does not have a high fat percentage and won’t set up in the same way other kinds of milk or creams would in recipes like creme brulee, ice cream or pastry cream.

Besides those types of recipes, you can use oat milk in place of milk in cereal, brownies, muffins, cakes, quick breads like banana bread, coffees, matcha lattes, and, of course, dairy-free desserts and vegan recipes.

How can I make sure my oat milk isn’t slimy?

Overblending can lead to slimy oat milk. Yuck! For a creamy consistency, don’t blend longer than 20 seconds. Also, do not soak your oats beforehand. Doing so will activate the enzyme that sets up overnight oats, which are thick and pudding-like.

Is this recipe for oat milk gluten-free?

This recipe for oat milk is gluten-free as long as you use certified gluten-free oats. While oats are naturally gluten-free, some brands process their oats in facilities where wheat and other gluten-containing ingredients are present, making those oats not gluten-free. Oats will be certified gluten-free if they are processed in a completely gluten-free facility. Check your oats for a gluten-free certification and check under the ingredients list to ensure the oats were not processed in a facility that handles wheat.