How to Make Oat Milk – Smooth and Creamy in Only 5 Min

Tell me: have you tried oat milk yet? Undoubtedly you’ve seen it in your local grocery store or as an option at your local coffee shop.

As a dairy milk lover, I’m always a little hesitant to give non-dairy milk options a try. But, I have to say, oat milk is creamy and delicious.

Homemade oat milk is a simple and easy option because you don’t have to pre-soak like you would for almond milk. Instead, you can just dump everything into your blender and get sipping!

You can use a nut milk bag to strain, but a clean thin dish towel is a great option too! Just use what you have on hand!

What is oat milk?

Oat milk is water blended with rolled oats and then strained into a smooth, creamy liquid.

With the popularity growing of nut milks and other non-dairy milks, oat milk has been propelled into popularity and is now a staple in coffee shops and grocery stores.

Ingredients to make homemade oat milk:

• Water: the main ingredient (other than oats) is water. Use cold water for best results but room temperature works as well. Warm or hot water is more likely to result in slimy oat milk, so steer clear of those.
• Rolled Oats: Rolled oats are the best option for oat milk. Other oats like steel cut oats or quick oats make for a less creamier or slimy milk, so stick to rolled oats.
• Agave nectar: I love using agave nectar because it’s low glycemic, but honey, maple syrup, or a couple pitted dates work to sweeten it up too.
• Vanilla: use a splash to give it a cozy vanilla flavor.
• Salt: helps bring out the flavor and sweetness of the oat milk.

How to make homemade oat milk:

The process for making oat milk is similar to making almond milk, though there are a few key differences. I’ll make sure to bold the differences below!

1. Blend. Place the water, oats, agave nectar, vanilla, and salt in your blender and blend for about 45 seconds. Try not to over-blend your oat milk because it can get slimy if you over-bend. 45 seconds should be plenty of time for your oat milk to blend up.
2. Strain. Place a clean thin dish towel, nut milk bag , or fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and pour the blended oat milk through to strain it. While nut milks, like almond milk, you would try to squeeze as much liquid out, with oat milk, you don’t want to squeeze! Simply let it strain and drip through your towel or strainer and discard any pulp or liquid that doesn’t strain through. Pushing through the liquid that gathers may also push through some pulp which will make for a slimy milk.
3. Double strain. To truly ward off slimy oat milk, double strain. Rinse your towel or nut milk bag (or just get a fresh one) and strain it again. This will ensure you get the smoothest, creamiest oat milk possible.
4. Chill. I love my oat milk chilled, but you can use it immediately in recipes or drinks.

Tips for non-slimy oat milk:

• Use cold water. Warm or hot water can result in a slimier oat milk, so steer clear. Take the time to use chilled or cold water so you get a better, smoother oat milk.
• Don’t soak your oats. Unlike nut milks where you would soak your nuts for hours or overnight, oat milk is less fussy! You can just throw the dry oats directly into your blender. Soaking them will cause your oat milk to get slimy, so for best results, keep them dry and un-soaked.
• Double strain your oat milk. It’s definitely an *optional* step but it creates a smoother oat milk if you take the time to double strain. Think of all that time you’re saving by not soaking the oats, and use some of that time to double strain. You won’t regret it.
• Blend for less than 60 seconds. With nut milks you may be inclined to just blend and blend to ensure you’re really breaking up the nut and incorporating it into the water. With oat milk, the more you blend, the slimier it gets. About 45 seconds is the sweet spot when it comes to blending up oat milk.
• Don’t squeeze too hard! With nut milks you want to squeeze every last drip of liquid through your nut milk bag. Oat milk? Not so much. Allow the liquid to strain and drip through your bag or strainer. Discard any pulp or excess liquid that doesn’t naturally drip through. Squeezing or pushing the liquid through can also push through some pulp which will make a thicker, slimier milk. Skip the hard squeeze and allow it to drip naturally.
• What about separation? If your oat milk separates in the fridge, this is totally normal! Just give it a quick shake before you pour a glass or use it in a recipe.
• How long does it last? Fresh oat milk lasts for about 5 days in the fridge. Try to store it in an airtight container like mason or Weck jars.

Is oat milk gluten free?

Yes! So long as you use certified gluten-free rolled oats, then your oat milk will be gluten free!

How to use oat milk:

You can use oat milk as a sub for most regular or nut milks in my recipes. It’s delicious in smoothies, baking recipes, and in lattes as well!

More dairy free milks you’ll love:

• Chocolate Oat Milk
• Creamy Chocolate Flax Milk
• Almond Cashew Chocolate Milk
• How to Make: Pumpkin Seed Milk
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Almond Milk
• Homemade Cashew Milk
• Peanut Butter Hemp Milk
• Homemade Pecan Milk
• Vanilla Almond Milk