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.
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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.
Tessa Pulchny says
Thank you so much. I just made this! Will save me so much money =) so easy to make.
Iosune says
Hi Tessa! You're so welcome 🙂
Roel Rodriguez says
I used it on oatmeal in place of milk,water
👍
Iosune says
Hi Roel! Thanks a lot for your comment 🙂
Dottie says
Wondering if you can use a
Vitamix and not need to strain. Thank you.
Iosune says
Hi Dottie! I use a Vitamix blender and I prefer to strain it, but it's up to you 🙂
John Davis says
I've made this recipe only once, and the milk turned out fine. I used a strainer, and the milk was a wee bit "pulpy", but I think that problem can be solved by using cheesecloth instead of a strainer. I used the strainer, and pulpy wasn't a problem for me. I sweetened the milk with agave nectar. I will be doing some more experimenting with the recipe, and the great thing is, all my "mistakes" are edible!
Iosune says
Hi John! Thanks a lot for your comment 🙂
Jamila says
Have you used this milk to bake with? I was thinking of making baked oatmeal cups with it. Wondering how it would hold up.
Iosune says
Hi Jamila! Yes, you can use this milk to make all kinds of recipes 🙂
Pat says
Prep: Follow instructions! Details: Put 1 cup oats (I used quick oats) and three cups cold water in a bowl and soak, covered, overnight. Pour the mixture through a seive letting soaking water go down the drain as this water isn’t worth saving. Put three cups of water in blender. Add strained oats and blend on highest setting til pulverized. Pour the blended mix through seive again into a bowl scraping the seive as you go to allow liquid to flow through. You can discard the pulp, or feed it to the poultry or ( this is oat bran folks) use it in baking. Pour the strained liquid through the leg of a stocking (I use a knee high) into another bowl. Much of the liquid will go right through. Massage the stocking to encourage the rest. Discard the pulp as before and either wash (a bit tedious) or discard the stocking.
The “milk” with be somewhat slimy and rather tasteless. Add salt and a sweetener to taste. Fine on cereal but I think the slimy quality would be undesitable in coffee but I wouldn’t know: I don’t drink coffee.
Iosune says
Hi Pat! Thanks for your comment 🙂
Ashley says
I hope I'm not asking a question that was already answered (how many times did you have to repeat why to throw away the soaking water already? LOL), but does anyone find it incredibly difficult to squeeze any liquid out of the nutmilk bag? I've tried the recipe first with quick oats, then steel cut oats, with and then without a colander first, and my hands barely had it in them to squeeze anything out of that nut milk bag! Any tips besides the person who commented on using pantyhose for straining? I loved the result otherwise, but ended up discarding the liquid after squeezing about a cup's worth out 🙁
Iosune says
Hi Ashley! Did you use a powerful blender? You could also try to use a cheesecloth or even a napkin instead, or try to add more water or less oats. Hope it helps!
Sheila says
Can I bake with this oat milk?
Iosune says
Hi Sheila! Yes, you can use it to make all kinds of recipes 🙂
Mark Hitri says
Do you think the soaking water would be good for plants?
Iosune says
Hi Mark! I think so, but I'm not 100% sure...
Gina says
I love oats, what a great idea, thanks!
Iosune says
Hi Gina! You're so welcome 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
Paula Tendick says
Sounds interesting. Do you steep the mixture before straining or does it make the "milk" immediately?
Iosune says
Hi Paula! Once you strain the mixture, you can drink the milk immediately 🙂
Caroline Orton says
Works well. I found it quite thin and went with 2 cups water in the end.
Iosune says
Hi Caroline! Thanks a lot for your comment 🙂