Simple Vegan Blog

  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Start Here
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Start Here
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Start Here
×
Home > Recipes > Vegan Kitchen Basics

How To Make Oat Milk

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

4.61 from 51 votes
Pin Recipe 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 energy balls or 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
4.61 from 51 votes

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!
Prep: 15 minutes mins
Total: 15 minutes mins
Servings: 4 cups (1 liter)
PRINT PIN COMMENT


Ingredients 
 

  • 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
Prevent your screen from going dark

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 energy balls or 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
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below and let me know how it was!
Course: Drink, How to
Cuisine: American
Author: Iosune Robles

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.

More Vegan Kitchen Basics

  • Vegan cottage cheese in a bowl with strawberries placed inside and around it.
    Vegan Cottage Cheese
  • Bowl with vegan blue cheese dressing, with celery and carrot sticks inside.
    Vegan Blue Cheese Dressing
  • Vegan chipotle mayo in a bowl surrounded by ingredients.
    Vegan Chipotle Mayo
  • Spoon taking vegan chipotle sauce from a bowl.
    Vegan Chipotle Sauce
10.0K shares

Comments

  1. Lisa Casagrande says

    October 01, 2018 at 10:31 pm

    Can you use steel cut oats?

    Reply
    • Iosune says

      October 02, 2018 at 9:14 am

      Hi Lisa! Yes, any type of oats will do 🙂

      Reply
  2. Sue says

    September 25, 2018 at 11:37 am

    5 stars
    Great! Easy, cheap and didn’t curdle in my coffee!!

    Reply
    • Iosune says

      September 26, 2018 at 9:38 am

      Hi Sue! So glad you liked it! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Jasmine says

    September 21, 2018 at 3:40 pm

    Hi, I really want to try this recipe but I don't have a proper blender. I only have a hand held soup blender. Do you think this could work or would I need to borrow something better? (Don't have to cash to buy one). Thanks!

    Reply
    • Iosune says

      September 25, 2018 at 9:52 am

      Hi Jasmin! I've never used one myself to make this recipe, but I think it could work...

      Reply
  4. Erica says

    September 06, 2018 at 9:45 am

    Can you heat this milk without it going like glugy glue texture?
    I made one yesterday and it did this

    Reply
    • Iosune says

      September 11, 2018 at 9:10 am

      Hi Erica! It depends on the type/brand of oats you're using. I've heated it successfully in the past. Washing your oats really well after soaking also helps.

      Reply
  5. Carol Horne says

    September 05, 2018 at 3:51 pm

    I'm surprised you don't recommend using organic jumbo oats which haven't been processed to death quite as much prior to arriving in the supermarket?

    Reply
    • Iosune says

      September 11, 2018 at 9:02 am

      Hi Carol! I recommend any type of oats, this way everbody can made this recipe. If you want to use organic oats, good for you!

      Reply
  6. Anna Brown says

    August 26, 2018 at 8:30 pm

    5 stars
    Just made this and had a yummy hot chocolate out of it. The straining was annoying but thats just because Im so impatient if anyone has any speeding up hints and tips Im all ears.

    Reply
    • Iosune says

      August 27, 2018 at 10:53 am

      Hi Anna! So glad you liked it 🙂

      Reply
  7. Joy Roxborough says

    August 25, 2018 at 10:33 am

    Do i lose oat nutrients by discarding the soak water, especially if soaked overnight? I know it's OK to discard water when you soak oat groats or other intact grains. But since the rolled oats are crushed, am I washing away goodness from the oats? I'm wondering why people soak rolled oats overnight and then cook the oats by adding more water on top of what it was soaked in ie 1 cup oats soaked in one cup water and then add another cup water in morning and cook. And how come they soak oats overnight and then eat it raw in morning? Thanks

    Joy

    Reply
    • Iosune says

      August 27, 2018 at 10:48 am

      Hi Joy! It’s important to soak grains to soften, increase digetibility and eliminate phytic acid, which is an antinutrient that binds important minerals preventing your body from fully absorbing them, so it’s better to discard the water, but it's optional, so you can make whatever works for you 🙂 Oats can also be eaten raw. Hope it helps!

      Reply
  8. Marion says

    August 23, 2018 at 2:37 pm

    Can you tell me why you discard the soaking water when you're soaking oats to make milk?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Iosune says

      August 27, 2018 at 10:44 am

      Hi Marion! It’s important to soak grains to soften, increase digetibility and eliminate phytic acid, which is an antinutrient that binds important minerals preventing your body from fully absorbing them, so it's better to discard the water.

      Reply
  9. Laura says

    August 07, 2018 at 3:42 pm

    I’m wondering if anyone else felt their oat milk turned out kind of mucous-y? I did 1 cup oats, 3 cups clean water (for the blending part) after soaking overnight. Then I strained through a strainer and again through cheesecloth. It isn’t thick, per se, but the viscosity is off-putting for me.

    Reply
    • Iosune says

      August 08, 2018 at 9:30 am

      Hi Laura! I don't know why, but some people loves this recipe and others complains about the texture of the milk (mucous-y as you mentioned). If you wash the oats really well after soaking them or don't soak them and just blend them with water, your milk will have a good texture 🙂

      Reply
  10. Maureen Bannatyne says

    August 04, 2018 at 2:37 pm

    Did you mean you have to store milk for 5 days before using it or that you can use immediately and it will be ok to use for 5 days? Thank you

    Reply
    • Iosune says

      August 06, 2018 at 10:26 am

      Hi Maureen! You can use it immediately and then keep leftovers in the fridge for about 5 days 🙂

      Reply
  11. Michal says

    July 29, 2018 at 9:06 pm

    Hi, I just made this recipe. I compared it side by side with a store bought oat milk. The bought one is significantly sweeter (about twice as sweet as cow milk) although they claim that it is only naturally occurring oat sugar. Except for that, the home made stuff came out very good in comparison. I wonder if there are any large geographical differences in oats (I live in the Netherlands and the store bought product is Swedish).

    Reply
    • Iosune says

      July 30, 2018 at 9:14 am

      Hi Michal! I don't know... I thought oats were pretty similar in the whole world... I'm glad you liked it 🙂

      Reply
  12. Leon S. Gill says

    July 26, 2018 at 6:25 pm

    Hey i tried to make oat milk but it was not tasty it was yucky why is it so???

    Reply
    • Iosune says

      July 27, 2018 at 9:11 am

      Hi Leon! Have followed all the steps? If you tell me more about the milk, I could help you... Maybe you could add more or less water or some sweetener 🙂

      Reply
« Older Comments
Newer Comments »
4.61 from 51 votes (5 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Iosune with a glass of juice.

Hi, I'm Iosune!

I share easy and delicious vegan recipes perfect for everyday meals and special occasions, all made with simple, everyday ingredients.

More About Me

Most Popular Recipes

  • Photo of a bowl of general tso's tofu served over some rice
    General Tso's Tofu
  • Picture of a dish with homemade vegan jambalaya topped with chopped parsley
    Vegan Jambalaya
  • A bowl with vegan tofu ricotta cheese and some bread slices around.
    Vegan Tofu Ricotta Cheese (4 Ingredients)
  • Photo of a plate of sweet and sour tofu
    Sweet and Sour Tofu
  • Photo of a bowl of vegan vegetable soup
    Vegan Vegetable Soup
  • Photo of a vegan mug cake
    Vegan Mug Cake

Vegan Spring Recipes

  • Jar of vegan lemon curd with lemons around and a spoon scooping curd from the jar.
    Vegan Lemon Curd
  • Bowl of vegan tzatziki sauce garnished with cucumber and olive oil.
    The Best Vegan Tzatziki Sauce (15 Minutes)
  • Vegan pasta salad on a plate with a fork.
    Easy Vegan Pasta Salad (20 Minutes)
  • Sliced vegan blueberry muffin with a delightful, fruity center on display.
    The Best Vegan Blueberry Muffins
  • Photo of some vegan lemon bars
    Vegan Lemon Bars
  • Close-up photo of a dish with a slice of vegan lemon cake and a fork
    Vegan Lemon Cake

Footer

↑ Back to Top • Recipes • About • Contact

© 2025 Simple Vegan Blog. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy • Terms & Conditions • Affiliate Disclosure

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.