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!
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
- 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.
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?
Did you make this oat milk recipe?
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How To Make Oat Milk
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
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
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.
Lisa Casagrande says
Can you use steel cut oats?
Iosune says
Hi Lisa! Yes, any type of oats will do 🙂
Sue says
Great! Easy, cheap and didn’t curdle in my coffee!!
Iosune says
Hi Sue! So glad you liked it! 🙂
Jasmine says
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!
Iosune says
Hi Jasmin! I've never used one myself to make this recipe, but I think it could work...
Erica says
Can you heat this milk without it going like glugy glue texture?
I made one yesterday and it did this
Iosune says
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.
Carol Horne says
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?
Iosune says
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!
Anna Brown says
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.
Iosune says
Hi Anna! So glad you liked it 🙂
Joy Roxborough says
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
Iosune says
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!
Marion says
Can you tell me why you discard the soaking water when you're soaking oats to make milk?
Thanks
Iosune says
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.
Laura says
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.
Iosune says
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 🙂
Maureen Bannatyne says
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
Iosune says
Hi Maureen! You can use it immediately and then keep leftovers in the fridge for about 5 days 🙂
Michal says
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).
Iosune says
Hi Michal! I don't know... I thought oats were pretty similar in the whole world... I'm glad you liked it 🙂
Leon S. Gill says
Hey i tried to make oat milk but it was not tasty it was yucky why is it so???
Iosune says
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 🙂