How To Make Oat Milk

How to Make Oat Milk

When it comes to dairy-free milks, you’ve heard of almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk, maybe even macadamia nut milk. But, have you heard of oat milk? It is the perfect dairy free milk for those who may also have nut allergies or soy allergies. It works great in smoothies, with cereal, even with dipping Oreos! You can use it in baking recipes as well.

Ingredients and Equipment

Ingredients

Oats – For this recipe, rolled oats work best. Rolled oats are oats that have been separated from the husk, steamed, and flattened. Rolled oats work well for milk because they soften more and quicker than other types of oats. For example, steel cut oats are not steamed or rolled, they are just cut into thin slices. They don’t work well in baking or making milk because they won’t soften. Rolled oats will give you the creamy, smooth texture you want. Water – Filtered water works best for this recipe, as it is not cooked before consuming. Make sure to use cold water. Warm water changes the texture of the oats. Think of what happens when you make oatmeal. That is what will happen if you use warm water. Sweeteners – You do not have to add sweeteners, but I like to. Without a little bit of sweetener, the milk doesn’t taste like much. You can use dates, maple syrup, honey, agave, brown sugar, vanilla extract, or Stevia. If you want to make chocolate oat milk, then add a little bit of cocoa powder as well! Pinch of Salt – A pinch of salt brings out the flavors of the other ingredients, and also balances any added sweetness.

Equipment

High Speed Blender – Because the oats don’t react well to over-blending, you should use a high-speed blender. I have a Blendtec blender and it works really well for oat milk. Strainer – To strain the milk you can use a fine mesh strainer, cheesecloth, a thin tea towel, an old (but clean) t-shirt, or a nut milk bag. I repeat myself several times in this recipe, but this is important – DO NOT squeeze or force the mixture through the bag. It will turn out slimy. Sealed Container – The milk needs to be stored in a sealed container to ensure freshness.

How to Avoid Slimy Oat Milk

This milk recipe can turn out slimy for a few reasons. First, if you soak the oats before blending. With rolled oats, you can put the oats in the blender right away – no soaking needed. Second, heating the oat milk makes it slimy. Make sure to use cold water to blend, and do not heat. It will turn slimy or even to an oatmeal consistency. Third, if you blend the oats and water for longer than about 30 seconds, then it will turn out slimy. A high-speed blender works best for this recipe. Finally, when you strain the milk, use a fine-mesh sieve, nut milk bag, or cheesecloth, but do not force the milk through. Let it naturally strain out. Pushing it through can allow too much pulp to come through.

How To Make Oat Milk