Have you tried oat milk in your coffee yet? Oat milk is creamy and quite tasty, assuming you enjoy the flavor of oatmeal. If I had to come up with another name for it, I’d call it, “essence of oatmeal.” Never mind, let’s stick with oat milk.
Oat milk captured my attention as an eco-friendly, plant-based milk alternative. Oats can be good for farming land and good for us, too. It’s a win-win situation, so I’m excited to share this oat milk recipe with you.
Oat milk really has a lot going for it. Here are a few reasons to love it:
- Oat milk is special diet-friendly, since it’s dairy free, vegan and gluten-free (if you’re using certified gluten-free oats). It’s nut free as well, unlike my other favorite homemade milk alternatives, cashew milk and pecan milk.
- Homemade oat milk is the cheapest alternative milk around.
- It’s easy to blend, even if you don’t have a fancy blender.
- It yields little-to-no waste, unlike almond milk. The oats almost completely disappear into the milk when blended. Hooray!
Ready to learn how to make it?
How to Make Oat Milk
Here’s a rundown:
1) Soak a cup of oats in water for about 15 minutes.
This brief step is worth the effort! After soaking, your oats will blend up better and strain out more easily.
2) Rinse and drain the oats.
This ensures that your oat milk has a nice, clean flavor and creamy (not slimy) texture.
3) Add some fresh water, maple syrup and vanilla.
We’re going to add the water in two equal batches (I’m convinced that the oats blend more thoroughly this way). You’ll also add a bit of maple syrup, vanilla extract, and the teeniest pinch of salt to enhance the milk’s flavor.
4) Blend until smooth.
This will take a minute, but even cheap blenders should be up for the job. Then, add the remaining water and blend again.
5) Strain and chill.
Pour the mixture over a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher. The sieve will catch any stubborn oat bits that refused to blend into creamy oblivion. For best flavor, chill your oat milk for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Oat Milk Notes & Tips
- Fact: Oat milk inevitably tastes like oats. It reminds me of cereal sometimes. Since it’s not entirely neutral in flavor, it’s going to work better in some recipes than others. (If you’re looking for a more neutral milk alternative, try cashew milk.)
- Store-bought (not homemade) oat milk foams up nicely. Store-bought oat milk contains some additives that help it foam (homemade does not). That’s why oat milk is becoming more and more popular in coffee shops as a dairy-free milk alternative. I’ve been having fun playing with store-bought oat milk in our new milk frother (affiliate link/a wedding gift).
- Homemade oat milk thickens when heated. This can be quite undesirable, leaving an oatmeal-like film at the bottom of your pot. I tried making homemade hot chocolate with oat milk, and I didn’t like the results. I’ve tried to find a solution for this issue but haven’t had any luck, unfortunately.
- Is oat milk healthy? Oats are nutritious, so I’d say yes. Oat milk is basically just oats diluted in water, so oat milk offers a lower level of nutrients (and fewer calories) than a thick bowl of oatmeal. Nutrition is relative. My recipe differs from most store-bought options because it is free of preservatives and additives, including added vitamins and minerals.
Change It Up
This recipe, as written below, yields lightly sweet oat milk with the consistency of skim milk. It’s suitable for serving with cereal, etc. Here are a few ways to change it up:
- For thicker oat milk (closer to half-and-half or whole milk), experiment with less water. For the thickest results, use as little as 2 cups water.
- For more savory applications, reduce or omit the vanilla extract and maybe also the maple syrup. Keep in mind, however, that dairy milk contains some naturally-occurring sugar (lactose), so it’s naturally a little sweet.
- For some warming spice, blend in 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin spice blend, or more to taste.
Please let me know how your oat milk turns out in the comments. I want to hear how you put it to use.
Interested in more oat recipes? Here are a few favorites:
How to Make Oat Milk
- Author: Cookie and Kate
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 ¾ cups 1x
- Category: Alternative milk
- Method: Blended
- Cuisine: Vegan
Learn how to make oat milk with this easy recipe! Oat milk is delicious and inexpensive. It’s also vegan, dairy free, nut free and gluten free.* Recipe yields about 4 ¾ cups oat milk.
Ingredients
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats*
- 4 cups water, divided
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Tiny pinch of salt
Instructions
- First, we’re going to soak the oats for 15 minutes so they blend and strain more easily. Place the oats in a pitcher or bowl, and add enough water to cover by a couple of inches. Set aside for 15 minutes.
- Drain the soaked oats in a fine-mesh sieve, and rinse them thoroughly under running water.
- Next, transfer the oats to your blender. Add 2 cups of the water, plus the maple syrup, vanilla extract and tiny pinch of salt. Blend on high speed until the oat milk is smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the remaining 2 cups water and blend again.
- To strain, place the fine-mesh sieve over a pitcher and pour the mixture through. Taste, and add more maple syrup for sweetness, if desired.
- Oat milk tastes best after it’s been chilled in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. It will separate over time, so give it a stir before serving. Oat milk will keep well in the fridge, covered, for up to 5 days.
Notes
*Make it gluten free: Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats.
Suggested equipment: My Vitamix blender (affiliate link) blends oat milk and nut milks like a champ.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Jerome Cure
Cookie + Kate
Do you have a suggested use for the oatmeal left over from making the milk?
This recipe looks like a REAL alternative for this whole milk and half and half drinker.
Thanks for the work, loving care and sharing this idea.
Kate
I don’t, sorry! I hope you enjoy this recipe.
Malcolm Budd
Recipe ingredients reads “old fashioned oats*” but there is no explanation that I could find to which the asterisk refers, other than gluten free. So what are old fashioned oats please? I have rolled and steel cut oats in my pantry. Thank you, great recipes!
Kate
Hi Malcolm! Old fashioned oats are the type of oat, how they are processed. I hope this helps! If your rolled oats are flat, then they are considered old fashioned rolled oats. If that makes sense? Steel cut will not work.
Ripley
Use on your face for a great facial
Amy-Jae Rignola Crawford
Jerome! You can freeze the leftover milk in ice cube trays, store the frozen oat milk cubes in a container (or re-use a baggie) & add to smoothies!
Vel Helton
Can you use oat milk in baking? Want to use it in your bran muffin recipe.
Kate
Hi Vel, you should be able to use it in baking. Homemade oat milk thickens when heated in latte & hot chocolate types of applications. This can be quite undesirable, leaving an oatmeal-like film at the bottom of your pot. I tried making homemade hot chocolate with oat milk, and I didn’t like the results. I’ve tried to find a solution for this issue but haven’t had any luck, unfortunately.
Payton Hubert
It may sound weird but if you have any pets you can just feed it to them. I have birds and they’ll eat it right up. My dogs like it too!
Payton Hubert
It may sound weird but if you have any pets you can just feed them the left over oats to them. I have birds and they’ll eat it right up. My dogs like it too!
Tiffiney L Nicho
Jerome,
You can add the oats to a compost bin if you have one. They decompose rather quickly. Other than that, I can’t think of a suitable use for the oat remains.
Brenda L Hodges
Jerome I used the left over oats for doggies snacks, just pour the left over oats on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper smooth it out and make round flat balls or a large flat ball bake on 350 for 35 minutes or until crisp. My dogs love it.
ophie
I add the oatmeal “pulp” to my oatmeal for breakfast.
Debbie
I get a matcha latte made with oat milk at my local coffee shop. If I recreate at home will it take heating on the stove. I usually transfer to blender after heating to get the froth
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Debbie!
Arianna
Hi, Kate! This is so cool! Oat milk is my favorite non-dairy milk, and I love the idea of making it home! Do you think it would work using a food processor?
Allie
I would also really like to know your thoughts on a food processor! :)
Kate
It may work in a food processor. It may not get as blended, but let me know how it turns out for you!
Tiffiney
I made mine in a food processor and had excellent results! The only added step was straining the finished oat milk a second time before refrigerating… it made a difference from my observed results.
Hayley
I’m super curious about this recipe! I’ve never tried oat milk before and I’ve been dairy-free for almost 2 years so I think it’s about time I do. You mentioned in your recipe this should work fine with a regular (not high powered) blender?
Kate
It should work since you are soaking the oats first!
Malcolm Budd
Thank you for your reply! I will be trying the oat milk recipe today now you have identified rolled oats as “old fashioned”. Steel cut makes the best porridge though!
The cashew nut milk recipe is also very good, a great dairy free alternative!
Jaimee
Yes! I requested this recipe last year and I’m so excited to see it! My own versions of homemade oat milk have been flops, so I am looking forward to trying this one. Have you tried adding some liquid coconut oil into the blending process? I like to have my oat milk a bit richer for my green tea lattes, so I’m wondering how this would turn out. by the way, congrats on your marriage!
Kate
Hooray!! I haven’t tried coconut oil, but that sounds interesting!
Eve-Marie
If I am just going to use this milk over cereal, I’m thinking the little bits of oats may not matter. In that case do you see any reason not to skip the straining step? Thanks!
Kate
You really want to strain it! Otherwise it is pretty gritty.
Holly
Oat milk isn’t nutritionally comparable to milk. It’s much lower in protein than milk and has much less calcium.
Kate
Hi Holly, thank you for your feedback! Oat milk is a good dairy-free version for those who aren’t able to have dairy milk. Or who also like to change it up! :)
Cassie Autumn Tran
This looks amazing! I am so pumped to make oat milk right now. CHOCOLATE oat milk, GOLDEN oat milk, CINNAMON SPICE oat milk, maybe even CHARCOAL oat milk?! Sign me up for all the ideas!
Kate
Those all sound interesting!
Kate
I’m so excited to try this, thank you! I have been meaning to make my own homemade milk because its impossible to find non dairy milks in packaging that is *truly* recyclable or reusable. But dont like the idea of buying almonds or cashews (so expensive) just for milk. Oats are such a good alternative.
Kate
You’re welcome! I can’t wait to hear what you think, Kate.
Miriam
Hi Kate,
Have you tried using oat groats? I prefer to cook with oat groats rather than old fashioned oats so I’m wondering if it’ll work as well. I would hope so, but not sure if it’ll blend well.
Thanks,
Miriam
Tanya
Exactly. Same as Miriam. Why not oat groats? They sprout well too. My child loves cooked groats too.
Kate
I haven’t, sorry!
Lisa Sayers
I’ve tried making homemade oat milk lots of times, unfortnately it doesn’t taste like the shop bought stuff at all. Just like slightly oaty water. Apparently there is some sort of ‘enzyming process’ that shop bought oat milk goes through?? I WISH I could replicate this at home. If anyone figures it out I’d love to hear about it!
Kate
A lot of store bought does have an additive to help stabilize it. I have been playing around with different techniques and will update my post if I find a healthy and delicious solution!
Alexis
Lisa— traditional Barista style oat milk (like Oatly) has canola oil for mouthfeel and frothability, so you may want to try adding oil to the mix!
Lisa Sayers
Thanks Alexis, I only recently tried the Oatly Barista oat milk and didn’t like it at all! I have tried adding a little oil as well at home but no joy.
My preferred Oat milk is Dream Organic Oat Drink. Ingredients: oat base* 99,5% (water, glutenfree whole grain oats* 11,5%), sunflower oil*, salt.
These ingredients together at home though just don’t turn into the same thing :(
Camilla
Can you freeze oat milk?
Kate
I don’t believe it would freeze well. But if you try it, let me know!
Shannon Skinner
I definitely need to start making my own plant milk and I think oat milk might be the safest option to start with! Thank you for the recipe, it looks great x
Kate
You’re welcome, Shannon!
Jessica Marquis
I’m so glad you posted this recipe! I’ve been wanting to try making this for a while because I thought it might make a really good/cheap alternative to creamer for my coffee. I also keep hearing that it gets super thick when heated which makes sense and thought to myself “oh I bet that would be good for hot chocolate” (the richer and thicker the better as far as I’m concerned! lol). It’s interesting to here that you’ve already tried it. Was it sort of slimey in that oatmeal type way or was it simply too thick? I believe there is a local chocolate shop near me that makes hot chocolate with oat milk as a vegan option so it has to be possible. If anyone can do it you can! I will be (im)patiently waiting for that recipe! :D
Kate
Hi Jessica! I’m glad you are excited for this one. So far, I haven’t found the perfect trick to make sure it doesn’t thicken too much when warmed. No luck yet! Adding some to your coffee is great, but it will be thick hot chocolate if you use it. But, delicious!
Suzanne
Thanks for the recipe Kate! I am a card caring almond milk person myself but I wanted to give this a try! My son loved it but it tasted slightly thick for me. I wonder if I should add a bit more water next time?
For reference I have a pretty good kitchen aid blender that I used but would also like to know your thoughts on using a food processor. Thanks so much! By the way I use your cookbook almost every day! It is wonderful ♥️
Kate
Hi Suzanne! You could thin it out a little more if you like. It’s more creamy than other non-dairy milks as to why it’s a bit thicker. I haven’t tried a food processor but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! Just make sure it’s strong enough so it blends well.
Amber L
Somehow I missed that you got married! Congratulations! And this looks so easy to make, I’ll try it out soon.
Kate
Thank you! :) Let me know what you think, Amber.
Danie
Do you think o could add cocoa to make this chocolate oat milk?
Kate
Sounds interesting for sure!
Lucy
What would you suggest doing with the strained oats left in the sieve?
Kate
Hi Lucy, I discarded them. But you could compost, I believe.
Sylvia B. Cope
I mixed my left-over
strained oats with a couple of eggs and made pancakes with maple syrup. Very tasty!
Estelle
Quick question – how long would this stay good/fresh for, once you have made it? Thank you!
Kate
Oat milk will keep well in the fridge, covered, for up to 5 days.
Brookie
I was so excited to see this recipe on Instagram this morning as I had just run out of almond milk! I followed the recipe to a T and mine turned out pretty slimy. I wonder if running it through the strainer for a second time after letting it chill would help?
Kate
I’m sorry you didn’t love it! If you found it too slimy, that could work. Did you soak your oats prior to?
keith
I’m almost certain that “slime” that people talk about washing away is soluble fiber which is obviously very good for you. Try without rinsing and see if you can handle it. I find its fine, just stir before use but each to their own. I also use about 6 dates per liter to give it sweetness.
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Keith!
Natalie
Thank you for this! I’ve been wanting to try this in an effort to avoid the carton waste each week. Looking forward to using this recipe.
Kate
You’re welcome, Natalie!
Ronnie Hammer
Have you any idea how to add calcium to the oat milk? It is done commercially but I have no idea how.
Kate
I don’t, sorry! It’s an additive process.
Dena
Ronnie,
I know you can buy powdered calcium… Maybe just mixing that in?
Dana
Hi! I tried this recipe right away as I have a vegan home from college for the summer. ;) The oat milk separated quite a bit in the refrig and doesn’t look too appetizing. Is this normal? Do I need to shake it each time?
Jean
Hey Dana – no expert on this but I know that even my favourite store-bought oat milk needs to be shaken quite a bit before using so I’m thinking that the separation is normal and just a sign that there are no nasty chemicals in the keeping things together :)
Kate
You will want to stir it as it can settle as most non-dairy milks do.
Lorinda
I’ve loved the comments! I gave up coffee to avoid half and half. Maybe making this with less water like you suggest will work for me!
Kate
Great to hear this works so well for your need, Lorinda!
Mary Jo
This Oat Milk recipe is delicious and such a budget saver. It makes a quart of milk and organic oats are cheap. THANK YOU.
Kate
You’re welcome, Mary Jo! Thank you for your review.
Patti
I made this oat milk for the first time yesterday and am now having it with my cereal and berries this morning. Delicious! I love the earthy, rich texture and flavor, and I really like that there are no additives of any kind and I am saving a bit of money and not using a store-bought container (recyclable or not). I tasted the ‘creamed’ oats that are leftover…not bad…then added cinnamon…better. It reminded me of cream of wheat texture. I wonder if warming in the microwave would work. Just a thought. Thank you!
Kate
I’m glad you loved it so much! Sounds like a great way to serve it, too!
Kylie
The trick to avoid the ‘slime’ is to NOT pre-soak the oats. Just place in the blender as is with the water and rest of the ingredients and blend, strain and voila… Oat milk without slime!
Kate
Thanks for sharing your version, Kylie!
HN
I’ll have to try this, as mine was too slimy. I poured it out.
Alex
I can’t wait to try this! I really like oat milk and making it at home seems tasty and cost effective. I read through the comments and others had the same question I have: what to do with the leftover oats?
I will try to find a use for the leftover oats, and if you come up with something Kate please share!
I was able to reuse almond pulp after making almond milk, but I’m not sure about the oats… hmm…
Kate
Hi Alex! I don’t have anything right now, but I will share if I do. Thanks for your comment!
Jessica Schafer
I would imagine the leftovers could be used for homemade granola. That’s the recommendation for using the leftover strained almond pulp from homemade almond milk, so it should work with oats too!
Lexi
Love your blog! I tried this recipe and my oat milk split and seemed to have a thicker consistency after I refrigerated it overnight. Is this normal?
Kate
Hi Lexi! Was it warmed at all? That’s when I found mine thickened up.
LisaM
It looks like there isn’t much left of the oats after all the blending which I find to be a good thing for waste management, but I don’t understand about discarding the water after soaking? Won’t that water have a lot of the oat taste that you are just tossing down the sink?
Kate
Hi Lisa, I find it actually takes some of the grit taste ways and ensures a smoother finished product. I hope that makes sense? It still has a lot of oat flavor!
Dennis
Try adding a small handful of cashews (makes a huge difference) and agave for sweetener.
Kate
Hi Dennis, thank you for sharing! This one is to be exclusively oat milk. I have a cashew milk recipe too, if you wanted to check it out!
Kyrie Dawson
I love oat milk and was so excited to see that you came up with a recipe of your own! I’ve been whipping up batches left and right :) Life hack: a French press is a super easy & pretty tidy way to quickly strain oat milk!
Kate
Thank you for your review, Kyrie!
Lily
I just made this and it’s incredibly easy! It took about 25 minutes to make and that’s including the 15 min soaking time. I didn’t have maple syrup so I used honey and it tastes delicious. Like stated above, it definitely tastes like oats. I’m going to use it to make a chia seed pudding. Store bought milk alternatives have so many additives. I’m so glad I found this blog. Cashew milk is next!
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Lily!
Jo
This is so good! I added a little extra maple syrup. Thanks for a great recipe!
kanikapila david
fyi – ur nutrition link doesn’t contain any info.
Julia
Absolutely loved this recipe, tastes just like skim milk… just slightly oatier. Followed the recipe to a T and had excellent results. I’m only 15 and recently have been looking into consuming less animal products and this recipe will definitely be made many more times.
cara
Too thick for me in a latte but totally psyched to make smoothies with it. I love how you can make it so quickly and as long as you have oats then you have milk
Quinn
I’ve made this twice now and just laughing at myself that I bought oat milk before making in with this recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Simon Cook
First time making it (coming from cashew and almond milks). It’s thicker but I like the way all the oats are incorporated in the milk with very little leftover after straining. Using it to make smoothies and overnight oats. I may experiment using dates to add a little sweetness.
Amber
The milk was slimy for me as well but it could be my blender or maybe I over blended. I froze the leftover oats in ice cube trays and am using for smoothies, so not a lot of waste even though the recipe didn’t work for me. Most of your recipes work out great for me so I’m sure this is just a user error :)
Kate
I’m sorry to hear that! Did you rinse your oats before and let it set?
Victoria Meeks
We made it today and added an little extra oats to make it creamier and it came out great! Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Kate
You’re welcome, Victoria!
Maggie Meador
What’s your favorite milk bottle for storage?
Anelisa
Hi Kate, I am very excited to try this recipe! I’ve been wanting to make my own milk since all the alternative milks at the grocery store have so much preservatives. I have been looking for a Fine – Mesh Sieve but the ones I found aren’t ‘fine’ enough. Judging your sieve based off of the photos looks exactly what I am after. Can you tell me where I can find one? Please & thank you.
Kate
Hi! All my kitchen essentials can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/cookieandkate?linkCode=w61&imprToken=-X4oAq3fg88.Gao1-utKzA&slotNum=3
Trapper Creek
Can I make this with half the water and use the end result to make pumpkin pie?? My daughter is deathly allergic to dairy protein, and I’ve been looking for an alternative solution for evaporated milk.
Kate
Hi Trapper! I like the thought, but I don’t think this will work like evaporated milk. Sorry!
Trapper Creek
Bummer. I’ll figure something out. Thanks for your help!
Jan
Trapper, I don’t know if you’ve heard of it but there is a coconut condensed milk that can be used in pies. Don’t know if you have it in your area. But here is the link
https://www.naturescharmveganproducts.com/
It looks like they make evaporated milk too. There are also recipes online for coconut condensed milk.
Shal Gmyr
I’ve been on a journey of eliminating and cutting out processed foods out of my diet and I am so happy I stumbled across this! My first ever homemade milk turned out to be a huge success and I am so excited to make more! Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipe!
Kate
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Shal!
Isha
Can I use it in smoothies? with berries and nuts?
Kate
Sure! That would be a great use.
Megan
Does this steam well for lattes? I’ve been buying the barista oat milk, but it’s pricey!
Kate
Hi Megan! I do make this with lattes, but it can thicken some when heated since it doesn’t have any additives. Let me know how it works for you!
Maria
My little family had been in search of a recipe that was 1. Non sugary 2. Cheap to make and 3. Easy! And this meets all those while being delicious enough to drink alongside some home baked cookies, and rich enough to pour into our coffee. Thanks so much! I’ll be using this recipe from now on!
Kate
You’re welcome! Thank you for your comment, Maria.
Cath
I don’t like any milk alternatives, so have been on a search for something that works. Recently the only blend I can tolerate is a barista blend from another web site, but I needed something quickly this morning so I gave your recipe a go, I did soak and it did turn out slimy. From what I understand from another source to eliminate the slime factor, blending needs to be a short, quick process – the long blend will yield slimy milk. Shorted the blending time, that should eliminate the slime. Thank you for the recipe!
Kate
I hope this one meets your expectations, Cath!
Alexandra
Thick hot chocolate milk is very tasty and called champurrado. It is a popular beverage in Mexico.
Oat milk may be great for it.
Kate
Let me know what you think! It does seem to thicken a little when warmed, but you may like it with this.
Lydia
Made the oat milk! I did not put anything it. Kept it plain. Used it to make smoothies. My 7year old certified it tasty! This weekend going to try pancakes.
Lynn
Almond milk does not yield waste. The pulp can be used in a variety of ways! If someone chooses to throw the pulp out, it’s them creating the waste. Not the milk.
Chaitanya
Hi, thank you so much for sharing this. I wonder if I can make Oats milk powder out of it; just to carry around with me wherever I go.
Can you help me with that ?
Kate
Hi, Sorry I don’t have a method for that. Thanks for your review!
knitski
I just made this oat milk. I used 3 to 3.5 cups of water as I wanted it to be a tad bit thicker. The flavor is fine as I am a big fan of maple syrup. I think it bit less vanilla and tad bit more salt would be best for me. I made a mocha coffee, and hot chocolate mix I use and add in the oat milk after I let the coffee cool just a bit. I don’t notice any grit from the oatmeal, no sliminess, and the test will be tomorrow morning’s coffee. I will have to tweak the vanilla for sure but I think this will work for me. I am trying to reduce my dairy to the lowest possible level I can when I can. Kate, thank you! Your recipes work and I appreciate your efforts in testing them!
Ofelia
Followed the recipe and instructions to the letter yet still got slimy texture. Oat milk is still acceptable after 2 days’ use, but slimy texture a bit off-putting, for example, when poured on dry cereal. May be able to salvage what’s left by using it in a smoothie. But will not be making this recipe again.
Stephen J Weir
I’m sure that the recipe will work out but when you scale 2X and print it, the recipe does call for 8 cups water but the instructions line 3 only call for 2 cups and 2 cups, leaving 4 cups unaccounted for.
Kate
Hi Stephen! Thank you for your comment. I’m sorry to hear that it’s not working well for you. I will look into it!
Stephen J Weir
Oh, Kate, I figured it out and the oat milk is great. Thanks.
Crystal
I switched out the maple syrup for a date and it turned out great. Using it in breakfast bakes – like pancakes – for my mini. This was helpful thanks.
Nerys Wells
This is the recipe I use regularly for my oat milk, and it’s great! I use sugar instead of maple syrup (for cost), chill my water with ice cubes, and don’t blend for more than a minute (to stop it going slimy). I find that it’s good for 2/3 days in the fridge. Thanks for the recipe! xx
Kate
Thank you for sharing how you make this, Nerys!
Debbi:-)
You are an angle posting this recipe. This oat milk glides down my throat more easily than any liquid I have ever created! And if anyone is wondering what to do with the mushy oats leftover, I think I’ve solved the crime :-P. If you find any kids or children lying around the house, you can feed it to them – I placed some in a bowl in the middle of the floor and it was gone in just days! Now thats what I call a win-win-win-win-win! ;-D
Kate
You’re sweet! I’m happy you love this recipe and its perfect for you. Thank you for your review!
Angela
Thanks for the recipe! I made it but despite rinsing and soaking, my oat milk is still quite slimes. Any pointers there?
Kate
Hi Angela! I’m sorry to hear that. I honestly haven’t experienced slimy homemade oat milk, so I’m not sure what to suggest, but hoping to get to the bottom of it soon. Can I ask what kind of blender you used, and if you had to blend it for a long time to make it creamy?
Angela
Hi Kate!
Thanks for the response. I didn’t blend it for long. I used a typical cuisinart and blended it for less than a minute because it was completely blended already!
Anne Wilson
Super easy to make once you have the right equipment. I have a nutri bullet so quick and easy creamy to. i added i date and 2 teaspoons of maple syrup and a pinch of salt
gabriella
can i strain the oat milk through cheesecloth or a coffee filter ??
Kate
Hi Gabriella! Cheesecloth should work well. I’m afraid a coffee filter might filter too much—you might end up with oat-flavored water!
Katie
Thanks for the recipe! This is going to save me so much money.
I would recommend straining the mixture twice. After my first strain, it felt a little slimy but straining it a second time made the texture much more like what I’ve come to expect from oat milk. I can’t wait to try this in a latte!
Tiffiney
Jerome,
You can add the oats to a compost bin if you have one. They decompose rather quickly. Other than that, I can’t think of a suitable use for the oat remains.
John Brosnan
I’ve been making oat milk for a number of months now. I use the 1-cup-of-oats to 4-cups-of-water ratio. I also use oat groats which, when soaked overnight, give the milk a very oat-y taste which I love and which I don’t get with rolled oats. I use a NutriBullet Pro (the small 32 oz blender), and blend for about 30 seconds. However, I want to make bigger batches at one time, so I purchased the bigger, 64 oz NutriBullet blender, but even when I do everything the same, I still can’t get the same results from the bigger blender. The milk isn’t as good. The pulp is different. I’ve tried blending longer, which didn’t make a difference. Any ideas on how to go from a small blender to a large blender for oat milk? Thank you.
Kate
Hi John, that sounds interesting. I haven’t had any issues with my recipe and blender combination. It could be the power mixed with volume of contianer?
John Brosnan
Thank you for the reply. I ended up using rolled oats instead of groats and make a double batch with the same blending time — 30 seconds. That seems to work.
Jenny
I add the left over oats pulp to my morning yogurt.
The upside of oat milk thickening with heat is that it makes the most awesome, seriously delicious vegan chocolate pudding! And it only takes15 minutes! I made it the first time with a purchased oatmilk but it works just fine with DIY oat milk.
Carolyn
I would have thought that the left over oats make good porridge
Jen
Could honey be substituted for maple syrup?
Kate
Hi Jen, I prefer maple here but you could try it. It may be harder to mix in.
Sylvia W
Yay! I had heard about oat milk a few years back, but neither my life nor my kitchen were up to the task of trying to make it. Then recently commercial oat milk started showing up in my markets so I jumped at the chance to try it and I fell in love! I have a nasty allergy to anything cow milk, and the first 20 years were rough. Nowadays there are so many more options! I can make pizza and grilled cheese these days! Anyway, even though the cost of non-dairy milks and creamers is not the only issue for me, if I can DIY it I want to try, and I happen to adore the taste of oats (had my bowl of Cheerios with oat milk this morning LOL). Looking forward to trying this ASAP, since I am nearly out of my commercial ‘milk’ and creamer. If I have questions after my first try I’ll be back, but this sounds wonderful! Hoping to make both a milk and a creamer by adjusting the water content, so maybe I can stop paying through the nose to enjoy my coffee ;-)
Been a reader off and on (scheduling recreational reading being a major issue for me) so it doesn’t surprise me to find my dream recipe on your site <3
Kate
I’m glad you love this one and have been able to find something you can enjoy! I appreciate your review, Sylvia.
K9
i loved the idea of this its just tastes a bit watery and weak. Can anyone tell me what i am doing wrong?
Kate
Hi! I’m sorry to hear that. Did you measure the correct amount of water? Did you add the maple syrup and vanilla?
K9
So I used 3 cups with a measure 250 ml of water, and I used 1 cup of oats. Not sure if that’s the right measurement. I did add vanilla essence but cant get my hands on maple syrup or honey. I think I over blended it and that made it watery but I am not sure. And I found it creamy and had no slime it just tasted weak and watery. Thanks for the help!
Kallan
I am so excited to try this! We spend $16 a week on oat milk and throw away four containers each week, but we don’t have a high powered blender (except a personal blender, but I don’t want to make a million batches).
A tip for those who find it is not strained enough — line the outside of your mesh sieve with a clean t-shirt!
Kathy
I Love your recipes thank you for
Doing what you do! I did make it and it turned out slimey although I did soak it first but based on other reviews maybe I blended too long. I used the vitamix and by the time I finished blending (maybe 3 minutes total) there were no oats to strain out it was all blended and just poured right through the sieve. I will use it for baking bread and see if Blending less will help.
Kate
Hi Kathy, I’m sorry to hear that. I didn’t blend mine that long so that is quite interesting.
Brynlee
I made this recipe yesterday and it turned out kind of sticky and thick. But it tastes good! It also works well with honey and not maple syrup.
Do you use rolled oats?
Kate
Hi! Did you soak and then rinse before adding to the blender? Yes, I did use rolled oats.
William
Kate, for non sliming oat milk you need a digestive enzyme called amalyze. Add it to the blender at the start, just a tiny amount is needed. Like milligrams tiny.
Even better, if you want you can now pasteurize your quarts in a hot watter bath. You are not canning! refrigeration is still required.
Also for foaming, a small dose of Lechithin and Guar gum helps greatly. I mix hem at low speed in the blender after filtering them milk.
All of the above are perfectly natural.
Rachel Collier
Can this be done using oat groats?
Kate
Hi Rachel, I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for certain. But since they are more dense, I don’t think this recipe would work.
Wendy Elizabeth Robson
I tried ( decided to spare borrowing Vitamix ) with what was cupboard available – quick?) oats and used for ai iced ‘ latte’ with half cup of ‘capsule ‘ coffee: ( thanks to my hairdresser for idea !) and stick blender..I I soaked a little longer before straining . it was great and my picky latte taster couldn’t mail it was oatmeal ! Thank you!
Paul P
Hi Kate, and thank you for this. Yet another amazing simple recipe :)
My oat milk still ended up being kind of slimy. I did soak it and rinse it quite thoroughly, and then strained it after the first foray in the blender. No particulate matter really detected.
Any suggestions ?
It tastes great aside from the slime!
Kate
Hi Paul, I’m sorry to hear that. It could be the brand of oats, possible. I’m sorry it wasn’t ideal.
Rachel
Ok, thank you. I followed the recipe as is and it turned out great!! I’m a huge fan of yours :)
Rebekah
This turned out really goopy and thick for me, I couldn’t drink it :P
Worth a try though !
Kate
Hi, I’m sorry to hear that! Did you soak and rinse your oats?
Rebekah Campan
I did! Maybe I soaked them for too long – I think I left them for closer to an hour
Farrah Frager
My daughter loves chocolate oat milk, but store bought is a bit pricey. I found your recipe and saw that I already had all the ingredients so I decided to give it a whorl. I added 2 TBS of unsweetened cocoa powder and a little more maple syrup. Voila! Chocolate oat milk. My daughter liked it and she said it tasted similar to the store bought one she likes. Score! Thank you Kate!
Kate
That’s great! Thank you for sharing, Farrah.
l
Thank you for the recipe! You mention water in three parts of the recipe but the volume specified in two areas only adds up to 4c. Could you please clarify? Thanks.
Kate
Hi! Your volume will increase with the oats. I hope that helps!
Annette Henry
Hi,
As we speak I’m baking the blueberry oatmeal bake. Made half batch for me, live alone. Question: you mentioned it doesn’t heat well., but what about baking. My dad’s going thru radiation to his bladder & may need to cut out his Lactaid brand milk. So wondered if he liked the oatmeal bake minus fruit, if I could try oat milk? I personally thought almond milk was horrifying & I’m soy intolerant so almond milk is as far as I got. I’m ok with goat milk (certain brand), go figure.
Kate
Hi Annette, I find it thickens as it warms. You could try it, but I haven’t loved the results in the past. Let me know if you do and how it works for you!
Krystina
You can use the left over pulp for bliss balls! Just add dates, cocao powder and some maple syrup. Blend it back up and roll into balls. Pop into refrigerator for 30mins and you’ve got some healthy delicious bliss balls to devour!
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Krystina!
Jane Camero
I have been trying different oat milk recipes and so I tried this one. I must say that this was by far the slimiest so far. Others said not to soak the oats or to process them nearly as long as this recipe. I think they were right. This was not quite as bad as the “slime” that kids make to play with but it was that close. If I did something wrong I don’t know what it was. I had to strain it through a nut bag because the dates left pretty large chunks in the milk. I have a high speed blender (Vitamix) so maybe I should have soaked those dates a while too. Sorry but this one was a bust.
Kate
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love this recipe. Did you rinse the oats after soaking?
Amy
I’ve had the same experience, trying multiple oat milk recipes using my vitamix and, no matter what I try, it still ends up slimy. Think I’ve made 5 batches to date – tried soaking the oats and not soaking the oats; used very cold water and only blended in the vitamix for 30 seconds to ensure the milk doesn’t get hot; strained through a nut bag twice. I’ve noticed immediately after making the milk I can drink it without as much slim, then it sits in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or longer and turns slimy. Even after shaking it up, still slimy. I’m going to buy some rolled oats vs. quick oats to see if that helps, and also try the amylase, but I’m definitely getting discouraged. I really want it to work since it would save me a lot of money each month. Any suggestions on how to use the amylase would be appreciated.
Kate
Have you tried different oat brands?
Johnna Kolemba
So my oat milk separated is that normal
Kate
Hi Johnna, It will separate over time, so give it a stir before serving. Oat milk will keep well in the fridge, covered, for up to 5 days.