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    Home > Recipes > How-Tos

    How To Make Oat Milk

    Published: Mar 5, 2020 · Modified: Oct 9, 2022 by Iosune · This post may contain affiliate links · 387 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    A picture of a jar with oat milk with the words how to make oat milk

    Ready to learn how to make oat milk? It's creamy, healthy, and made with 4 ingredients in just 15 minutes. It tastes so good!

    A side shot of a glass jar with homemade oat milk

    Here you'll learn how to make oat milk, one of the most popular kinds of plant-based milk. It’s light, tasty, and lactose-free, but it’s hard to find store-bought oat milk that is not full of sugar and chemicals.

    By making it at home, you’ll make sure that your drink contains only natural and healthy ingredients, and it’ll also be much more affordable! Besides, it's a great way to start switching from dairy milk to plant-based milk.

    To make this homemade oat milk you only need 5 simple and easy to get ingredients and it’s ready in just 15 minutes, which is awesome.

    It’s perfect to make plenty of other recipes and you can enjoy it plain or sweetened. Whether you drink it hot or cold, this healthy, soft, and delicious oat milk needs to be a must in your meals!

    How to make oat milk - Step by step

    Step by step photos of how to make oat milk
    • Soak the oats in water for at least 30 minutes.
    • Drain the oats and rinse them.
    • Add the oats, 4 cups of clean water (1 liter) and all the remaining ingredients to a blender (photo 1) and blend until smooth (photo 2).
    • Strain the milk using a cheesecloth, a strainer, a napkin or a nut milk bag (photos 3 and 4).
    • Serve your oat milk hot or cold.

    Pro tips

    • You can use 1-2 Medjool dates (double the quantity if they are Deglet Nour) or any other sweetener if you like your milk sweet.
    • I usually make unsweetened oat milk so I can use it to make savory and sweet recipes.
    • Salt is optional, but it enhances the flavor.
    • To make the milk, use just 3 cups of water (750 ml), try it and then add more water until you get the taste and thickness you’re looking for.
    • Oat milk goes well with everything. Drink it plain, sweetened, with cocoa, or even add it to your coffee or tea to make a healthy and delicious hot beverage for the cold winter days!
    • Use the leftover oat pulp to bake spectacular vegan donuts, vegan oatmeal cookies or even make chocolate truffles. You can also add it to your smoothies to incorporate more fiber into your diet.
    A picture of 2 mugs with homemade oat milk onto a wooden tray

    What is oat milk?

    Oat milk is a beverage made from oats and water. It is 100% plant-based and dairy-free, and it works as a great substitute for cow's milk.

    Is oat milk good for you?

    Yes, it is! Especially if you make it at home, that way you can make sure to only use whole and healthy ingredients and avoid artificial additives and preservatives. Besides, it will not raise your cholesterol levels.

    Is oat milk gluten-free?

    Oats are naturally gluten-free, but they sometimes can be contaminated with gluten. So if you have gluten sensitivity or suffer from gluten intolerance, remember to buy certified gluten-free oats to make this recipe.

    Looking for more plant milk recipes?

    • Soy Milk
    • Rice Milk
    • Cashew Milk
    • Coconut Milk
    • Almond Milk
    A picture of a Mason jar filled with oat milk

    Did you make this oat milk recipe?

    Please leave a comment below, share it, or rate it. You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST. I’d love to see what you cook!

    A square picture of a glass jar with homemade oat milk

    How To Make Oat Milk

    Ready to learn how to make oat milk? It's creamy, healthy, and made with 4 ingredients in just 15 minutes. It tastes so good!
    4.58 from 47 votes
    PRINT PIN RATE
    Course: Drink, How to
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 4 cups (1 liter)
    Author: Iosune


    Ingredients 

    US Customary - Metric
    • 1 cup oats
    • 3-4 cups water, I make my oat milk using 4 cups or 1 liter
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
    • 1-2 tablespoon maple syrup or 1-2 Medjool dates, optional
    • A pinch of salt, optional
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    Instructions

    • Soak the oats in water for at least 30 minutes. I usually soak them overnight, but that’s not necessary.
    • Drain the oats and rinse them. Discard the soaking water.
    • Add the oats, 3 to 4 cups of clean water (750 ml-1 liter) and all the remaining ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Add more or less water depending on how thick you like your oat milk.
    • Strain the oat milk using a cheesecloth, a strainer, a napkin or a nut milk bag.
    • Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

    Notes

    • You can use 1-2 Medjool dates (double the quantity if they are Deglet Nour) or any other sweetener if you like your milk sweet.
    • I usually make unsweetened oat milk so I can use it to make savory and sweet recipes.
    • Salt is optional, but it enhances the flavor.
    • To make this oat milk, use 3 cups of water (750 ml), try it and then add more water until you get the taste and thickness you’re looking for.
    • Use the pulp to bake spectacular vegan donuts, vegan oatmeal cookies, or even make chocolate truffles. You can also add it to your smoothies to incorporate more fiber into your diet.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cup (250 ml) | Calories: 169kcal | Carbohydrates: 41.7g | Protein: 2.5g | Fat: 0.8g | Sodium: 10.7mg | Fiber: 4.2g | Sugar: 31.1g

    Update Notes: This post was originally published in March of 2020, but was republished with new photos, step-by-step instructions, and tips in February of 2022.

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    9.0K shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. imber says

      January 10, 2023 at 10:08 pm

      When/how do you suggest adding the dates? I definitely want to sweeten using dates, I just don't know how and when to add them, thanks!

      Reply
      • Iosune says

        January 11, 2023 at 9:36 am

        Hi Imber! As you can read in the third step, you have to add all the remaining ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth, including the dates. Just remove the seeds and add them 🙂 Hope you like it!

        Reply
    2. Antony says

      December 11, 2022 at 10:07 pm

      Just wondering why you drain and rinse the soaked oats, rather than just blending it as is? I'm thinking there is probably good nutrients in that soaking water.
      I could make a batch both ways and see what the difference is, but the wise learn from other people's experience 🙂
      Just threw yet another tetra pak in the bin - I can't keep doing this!

      Reply
    3. Marc says

      April 12, 2022 at 4:09 am

      Question: do you use whole oats or oatmeal?

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        April 22, 2022 at 9:10 am

        Hi Marc! Oatmeal 🙂 Enjoy it!

        Reply
    4. Sandra Capano says

      March 18, 2022 at 10:24 am

      5 stars
      I have just made it this morning.I certainly won't be buying any more carton drinks again.It's absolutely delicious.

      Thank you for the recipe

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        March 21, 2022 at 11:21 am

        Hi Sandra! Thanks for your kind comment 🙂

        Reply
    5. Hannah says

      February 27, 2022 at 10:12 am

      Just wondering how long it will keep in the fridge?
      Fiddling around with blenders on weekday mornings is not appealing.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        March 01, 2022 at 1:31 pm

        Hi Hannah! You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days 🙂

        Reply
    6. Linda Olander says

      December 31, 2021 at 4:52 am

      which type of oats do you recommend?

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        January 04, 2022 at 11:28 am

        Hi! Maybe instant oats 🙂

        Reply
    7. M says

      December 08, 2021 at 7:12 am

      Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I just found it and plan on using it as a much cheaper alternative to buying store bought almond milk. It's just too pricey needing so many store bought ones. I can also use this make vegan yogurt that I just got a starter culture for. Will it last only 5 days as yogurt too?
      Thanks again!

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        December 09, 2021 at 1:15 pm

        Hi! I haven't tried it myself so I'm not sure if it will last 5 days as yogurt too. I'm so sorry!

        Reply
    8. Kat says

      November 11, 2021 at 12:46 pm

      Hi, I tried this recipe using 1 cup of oats and 3 cups of water only. It has come out very thin. Any suggestions on how to make the oat milk thicker? So it is more like shop bought oat milk. Would I just change the ratio to have more oats or is there something else I could add in to thicken it up?
      Thanks

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        November 15, 2021 at 10:35 am

        Hi Kat! You only need to add more water until you get the thickness you’re looking for 🙂

        Reply
    9. Carmen Braun says

      May 19, 2021 at 2:00 pm

      It's great that you offer suggestions on what to do with the pulp at the end, but the recipe links don't call for pulp, just oats 🙁 it would be great if there's more information on how to modify those recipes to work well with pulp, because all that extra liquid in them must require balancing out somehow!

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        May 20, 2021 at 9:18 am

        Hi Carmen! You can add the pulp to those recipes!

        Reply
    10. J says

      May 08, 2021 at 12:19 pm

      Hi what about storage where do you store the milk if you don't want to use it straight away? And how long does it last before going bad?

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        May 10, 2021 at 9:21 am

        Hi! You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or try to freeze it 🙂

        Reply
    11. Teyler says

      April 30, 2021 at 7:42 pm

      Just a heads up! You mention that this oat milk can be enjoyed hot or cold. Store bought brands often have an added anti coagulant in them that stops them from thickening when heated, but homemade oat milk does not. Homemade oat milk will get thick and goopy when added to hot beverages or when used to make puddings or custards. I haven't made your exact recipe, but I make my own oat milk at home and the recipe is similar. I'd imagine that your milk probably thickens as well seeing as you only soak the oats vs heat them.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        May 03, 2021 at 9:23 am

        Hi! I've heated it several times and it never thickens!

        Reply
      • Lynne says

        May 03, 2021 at 10:11 am

        5 stars
        Hey teyler - I use it in my black spicy tea - adding it pretty soon after after pouring on boiling water and it doesn't go gloopy.

        Reply
    12. Lynne Rees says

      April 16, 2021 at 6:34 pm

      5 stars
      I love it! The soaking, draining and rinsing is a good idea. I used a pinch of salt and a little bit of vanilla essence. And I mixed the leftover pulp with chopped pecans, chopped dates and maply syrup and it's currently baking in the oven. It may not be a good enough biscuit but it might crumble up for granola.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        April 20, 2021 at 11:51 am

        Hi! Sounds so good 🙂

        Reply
    13. Annette says

      March 20, 2021 at 8:09 pm

      How long does homemade oat milk last in the fridge?

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        March 22, 2021 at 12:38 pm

        Hi Annette! You can see it in step 5 (instructions) 🙂

        Reply
    14. Raksha Patel says

      February 27, 2021 at 7:09 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks, My Turns out delicious with walnut and Date.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        March 02, 2021 at 10:07 am

        Sounds so good 🙂

        Reply
    15. Julia says

      January 27, 2021 at 6:47 pm

      Hello, could you please tell me why you throw out the soaking water? I've seen other recipes that use it.
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        January 29, 2021 at 9:04 am

        Hi Julia! To get a better consistency 🙂

        Reply
      • Tahira Akhtar says

        September 20, 2021 at 6:54 pm

        Depends on your blender. If you don't rinse it sometimes can turn out quite slimy

        Reply
    16. Thewanderingshrew says

      January 08, 2021 at 12:39 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for sharing your method clearly and concisely, but most of all, for not having cookies or annoying pop ups. I wish there were more web pages like this in the world.

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        January 15, 2021 at 11:21 am

        Thanks for your kind words 🙂 Have a nice day!

        Reply
    17. Bonnie McDougall says

      December 15, 2020 at 3:56 am

      5 stars
      You didnt state which form of oats to use! Groats? Old Fashioned? Quick? Im guessing maybe groats. Cant imagine soaking n rinsing quick oats. Maybe old fashioned!

      Reply
      • Iosune Robles says

        December 17, 2020 at 2:28 pm

        Hi Bonnie! Feel free to use any type of oats. I’ve made this recipe using rolled and also quick oats 🙂

        Reply
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