You can make your own creamy oat milk at home in the blender with just 5 ingredients and it takes just 2 minutes. Vegan, gluten free and so cheap to make. It tastes even better than store bought too.
This oat milk recipe comes out smooth and creamy every time and it's perfect for adding to cereal, coffee and smoothies. Oat milk is having a bit of a moment, and we can see why! Follow all our tips to see how to make oat milk and save yourself a fortune on store bought milk alternatives.
If you are looking for some other milk alternative recipes, they why not try our Homemade Almond Milk or Banana Milk?
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What is oat milk?
Homemade oat milk is basically milk made from oats. It's a vegan alternative to dairy milk and it is just rolled oats blended with water and then strained. But we added a couple of extra ingredients to flavour this oat milk recipe, but they are optional. You end up with deliciously creamy oat milk made in minutes.
Why you will love it
- Cheap - Oat milk can be expensive to buy, which seems crazy as oats are so cheap to make. Making it yourself will save a fortune.
- Quick - There is no need to soak the oats first. You just blend them up with all the other ingredients so this is ready in just 2 minutes.
- Adaptable - We have given you the basic recipe, but also provided ways to adapt it so you can have different flavoured oat milk.
- Vegan - If you are looking to lower your dairy intake, then oat milk is a great swap to make and it's so easy to make yourself.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Oats - Rolled oats are the perfect oats for this recipe. Steel cut oats aren't processed enough and don't give a very creamy oat milk and quick cook oats are too processed and you get a slimy milk.
- Water - Use ice cold water to prevent the milk going slimy.
- Salt - This is optional, but it does help to enhance the flavours.
- Maple syrup - We like a little sweetness in our oat milk. You could use honey, but this recipe wouldn't be vegan any more.
- Vanilla - Adds a nice richness to the milk.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
How to make oat milk - Step by step
One: Place all of the ingredients into a blender.
Two: Blend until the oats are as fine as possible.
Three: Place a nut milk bag (or muslin) over a bowl, and empty the oat mixture into it.
Four: Squeeze the bag to extract as much milk as possible.
Five: Pour into a glass or bottle and refrigerate.
Health benefits
We love oat milk not just because of it's flavour, but the health benefits too. Here are some amazing oat milk benefits:
It is dairy free and low in fat and it's a great choice for those that struggle with lactose. It is also high in fibre and it's cholesterol free (this is for the basic oat and water recipe).
Oats are great for helping to regulate your blood sugar levels too and don't forget that oats are a great plant based protein.
Variations
This oat milk recipe is fairly simple, with minimal ingredients and that's exactly how we like it. You can make it with just oats and water, but we like to add a little vanilla and salt for flavour and then some maple syrup for sweetness. You could use honey instead of maple syrup or even dates for a natural sweetness - but these may not fully blend with the quick blend time.
Other ways that you can vary this oat milk recipe is by adding cocoa powder for a chocolate oat milk, or some strawberries for a strawberry milk.
How to use oat milk
You can use this oat milk recipe the same way you would use any milk. We add it to coffee, cereal, granola, smoothies, oats and baked goods. If you are looking for some recipes to use it in, then why not try some of these:
- Make Ahead Smoothie Packs
- Croissant French Toast Bake
- Microwave Porridge
- Smoothie Bowl
- Rice Pudding
- Oat Milk Hot Chocolate
We wouldn't recommend using it in savoury dishes, because it does have quite a strong oat flavour.
Top tip
If you are going to add it to coffee, we find that cooling the coffee down a little first and then adding the milk helps to reduce the curdling.
Storage
Store: You can store homemade oat milk in a well sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You will know that the oat milk has gone bad as it will have a funny smell.
Freeze: You can freeze it if you have too much that you don't waste, but it is best fresh. After defrosting, it can go a bit grainy, so we wouldn't recommend using defrosted oat milk in tea or coffee.
Defrost: You can defrost oat milk in the fridge overnight.
Frequently Asked Questions
We use a nut milk bag because we use them a lot for making our Ginger Shots. However, if you don't have one then you can use a muslin, clean tea-towel or even a clean t-shirt.
If you end up with slimy oat milk, then there are a few reasons for that. You don't want to blend the oats for too long. About 50-60 seconds is optimum. Make sure you also don't soak the oats, as that will make them slimy. You just need to add them straight to the blender with water. You can also strain it twice which will remove extra starch which can make the oat milk slimy. Make sure you don't over squeeze the liquid out, as you will squeeze starch out too.
If you use certified gluten free oats then that will give you gluten free oat milk.
This is totally normal and happens with most milk alternatives. Just give it a good shake to mix it up again.
Don't waste it! We like to add it to porridge for some extra oaty goodness.
There are 110 calories in this portion of oat milk.
Extra tips
• Homemade oat milk is best enjoyed cold, so chill it in the fridge before serving.
• Don't throw the leftover pulp away. It can be added to smoothies and porridge so nothing goes to waste.
• It is totally normal for oat milk to separate. Just give it a shake before serving.
• Don't over squeeze the liquid, as you will squeeze out starch too which will make it extra slimy.
• Homemade oat milk won't get frothy like store bought will, as it doesn't have the same stabilisers added.
• Salt is optional, but it does enhance the flavour.
More oat recipes
If you’ve tried this homemade oat milk recipe, then let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - You can use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
How to Make Oat Milk
Ingredients
- 110 g (1.33 cups) Oats
- 750 ml (3 cups) Water
- 1 teaspoon Maple syrup
- 0.5 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 pinch Sea salt
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients into a blender.
- Blend until the oats are as fine as possible.
- Place a nut milk bag (or muslin) over a bowl, and empty the oat mixture into it.
- Squeeze the bag to extract as much milk as possible.
- Pour into a glass or bottle and refrigerate.
Recipe tips
- Homemade oat milk is best enjoyed cold, so chill it in the fridge before serving.
- Don't throw the leftover pulp away. It can be added to smoothies and porridge so nothing goes to waste.
- It is totally normal for oat milk to separate. Just give it a shake before serving.
- Don't over squeeze the liquid, as you will squeeze out starch too which will make it extra slimy.
- Homemade oat milk won't get frothy like store bought will, as it doesn't have the same stabilisers added.
- Salt is optional, but it does enhance the flavour.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Kathleen
Quick, easy and a perfect non-dairy alternative for the whole family.
Gwynn
Oat milk is my favorite plant based milk and I'm so happy that I can make it at home now! I never knew how easy it was to make!
Tayler
This is my favorite oat milk recipe! I've made it several times and it always turns out perfectly.
Ieva
I always wanted to try making my own oat milk, and your recipe convinced me! Honestly, so easy, and not as messy as I thought it would be. Love the vanilla and maple syrup in it too! Tastes great!
Mirlene
This oat milk was easy to make! Way better than the store bought kind and I know what's in it too!
Beth
This oat milk is so much better than the premade stuff I usually buy at the store. This will be my go-to milk from now on.
Tara
Such a fun homemade recipe! I love the addition of maple syrup and vanilla. It sounds so good.
Nic
mmmm this oat milk recipe is FABULOUS!
Andrea
Had no idea it was this easy to make. I really like that your recipe is a smaller batch. That's perfect for my needs.
Janessa
This oat milk turned out wonderfully. I'll never need to buy it again!
Vicky
I love oat milk, but I didn't realize it was possible to make it at home. This is a simple recipe! Do you think this oat milk would go well on cereal?
Dana
We are all about oat milk in this house and I've never thought to make it. This was so much easier than I'd imagined.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
I always have oast in the house and can't believe this is so easy and quick to make. What a great idea.
Biana
Thank you for sharing! I didn't realize how simple it is to make oat milk.
Michele
I loved this oat milk, and this recipe because it was so easy to make.
Katherine
I love making oat milk. So easy and inexpensive!