Make your own homemade Oat Milk in less than 20 minutes from start to finish. It’s so quick, easy and budget friendly!
Two words : Oat Milk
This homemade vegan milk is a game changer.
You’ve all heard of, and no doubt use all kinds of non-dairy milk, but did you know that you can make your own milk from oats?
It’s almost as cool as making your own Vegan Butter! If you haven’t tried that recipe yet you must. Just look at it and it takes literally a few minutes to make!!!
But back to the oats…
This Oat Milk is so quick and easy to do. You need no special equipment. You don’t even need a nut milk bag.
See my video below to see what I mean!
All you need are 4 things:
- oats
- water
- optional add-ins such as a date, a pinch of salt and some vanilla
- a sieve
- a blender
I wouldn’t be without my Blendtec but because the oats are pretty soft, you don’t need a super-duper blender.
I used to make this Oat Milk in a really cheap $40 blender before I upgraded to my Blendtec and the results were fine. The milk will end up slightly creamier if you use a better blender though.
SUPER SPEEDY HOMEMADE VEGAN MILK
Most common vegan milks are nut-based and they take a little while to make because you have to soak the nuts for at least a few hours or overnight before you start. Oat Milk is different. You have to soak the oats, but only for 15 minutes. Then you can jump right in and make it. You’re talking 20 minutes tops.
The number of times this Oat Milk has saved me when I have been about to make a recipe and realized I have no milk in the fridge is unbelievable. We all do it, right? But as long as you have some rolled oats in the pantry, you are never more than 20 minutes away from having some homemade milk.
About to make some Gingerbread Pancakes and realize you’re out of milk?
No worries! Make some homemade Oat milk!
THE CHEAPEST VEGAN MILK
If you use a lot of nut-based milks, things can get pretty expensive, but this is ridiculously cheap to make, which is why I use it in most recipes that call for milk. Cakes, muffins, pancakes, sauces etc.
THE BEST PLANT-BASED MILK FOR COFFEE
This Oat Milk is excellent in tea and coffee and does not curdle.
It’s particularly good in coffee when it has the vanilla and date added.
I drink my coffee black and have never added milk or creamer to it, but tried this in a cup of strong coffee at the weekend. Just as an experiment really, to see if it curdled. It was so good I ended up having another right after. And no curdling.
It doesn’t work so well if you heat it independently before adding to hot drinks though so please do not do this. This includes using a steam wand. If you do heat it independently or use a steam wand you will end up with an oaty custard type concoction 😂
Just remember that if you are using it for savoury things, it’s best to omit the date and vanilla.
Rolled oats are incredibly cheap to buy, and using this Oat Milk rather than more expensive nut-based milks will save you a small fortune.
PERFECT FOR CHILDREN OR ADULTS WITH NUT ALLERGIES
Oat Milk is a great option for people who avoid dairy but are also allergic to nuts. It is also a great gluten-free option as long as buy certified gluten-free rolled oats.
Children tend to really enjoy the taste of Oat Milk because it’s so neutral.
WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVER OAT MILK PULP
You will be left with some oat pulp when you have finished straining your milk and there are a few ways you can use it:
- Make my chocolate chip oatmeal cookies
- Add to smoothies
- Add to oatmeal
- Use a dehydrator or spread out thinly on a baking tray and bake in a low oven until completely dry then use in granola recipes or blend up into flour
HOW TO MAKE OAT MILK
There are just a few simple steps when making your own Oat Milk.
FOR INGREDIENTS, FULL INSTRUCTIONS & AN INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO, PLEASE SEE THE RECIPE CARD AT THE END OF THIS POST
Step 1
Soak the oats but not for long (nothing about this process is long!)
Step 2
Rinse the oats well
Step 3
Add the soaked oats to a blender with the other ingredients and blend until smooth
Step 4
Strain through a sieve, nut milk bag or cheese cloth. I just use a sieve, and not a special one. It was from a cheap set and is very similar to these:
WATCH MY VIDEO TO SEE JUST HOW EASY IT IS!
OAT MILK FAQ
WHY DO YOU HAVE TO DISCARD THE SOAKING WATER AND RINSE THE OATS?
Oats become slimy when they get wet. By discarding the soaking water and rinsing them well before making the milk, you wash off the slime. If you do not discard the water and rinse the oats well then your milk will be slimy.
HOW LONG WILL OAT MILK LAST ONCE MADE?
Oat milk will last for 3 – 4 days in the fridge.
Oat Milk
Make your own homemade Oat Milk in less than 20 minutes from start to finish. It's so quick, easy and budget friendly!
Ingredients
- 90g / 1 cup rolled oats
- 960mls | 4 cups water for making the milk , plus extra for soaking
- 1 - 2 medjool dates , (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract , (optional)
- small pinch salt , (optional)
Instructions
Add oats to a large bowl or jug and cover with water. Leave to soak for 15 minutes.
Pour through a sieve discarding the liquid then rinse the oats very well a number of times under running water. This step is really important so don't skip it. (see my FAQ below if you want to know why).
Put the rinsed oats, optional vanilla, optional salt and optional dates into a blender.
Cover with around 3 cups / 720 mls water then blend until it's as smooth a you can get it. The time it takes will vary depending on your blender. In a Blendtec or a Vitamix it will take around 1 minute.
Check the thickness. It will likely be quite thick like cream now. Add enough extra water to get it to the thickness that you like and give it a quick pulse to mix.
If you are using it as a coffee creamer then it's nice left pretty thick. For other things it's better thinner.
Strain 2 or 3 times through a sieve. You can use a nut milk bag if you have one but it isn't necessary. If you use a nut milk bag straining once will be sufficient.
Pour into a lidded container and store in the fridge.
Recipe Notes
I recommend straining this Oat Milk at least twice. Three times is best if you have time.
Some separation will occur during storage as with all homemade milks so shake well before using.
It will last for 3-4 days in the fridge.
This milk works really well when added to hot drinks, but please do not try heating it independently with a steam wand or any other method, for instance when making lattes, hot chocolate etc. When heated it becomes very thick, very quickly and ends up unsuitable for use in drinks.
This recipe can easily be adjusted to make smaller or larger amounts to suit your usage. Hover over the number of servings in the recipe card and slide the slider to s how how much you would like to make. Ingredient quantities will change accordingly.
Molly says
Can you use a food processor instead of a blender? It’s all I have 🙁
A Virtual Vegan says
I’ve never tried but I can’t see why not. I would imagine it will be fine, but you will end up straining a lot more oaty bits out of it out because they won’t be blended up quite as well. You also might not need quite as much water as you will be straining out more oaty residue.
Suzanne Wynn says
Hi. Thanks for this. Does your nutrition info include dates? Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes it does include dates. The nutritional info for this recipe isn’t very accurate I’m afraid though because I can only calculate it with everything that goes in. Lots gets strained out at the end with this milk and there is no way for me to calculate that and reduce the numbers.
LSH says
I accidentally bought quick oats. Can I use them?
A Virtual Vegan says
You can. It wont make any difference.
Dana Pehrson says
Thank you so much for the recipe, especially about the part of rinsing the oats. I did add 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and after two screenings it is delicious!
A Virtual Vegan says
You’re welcome Dana. I’m so glad you are enjoying it!
Sean says
Would it be okay if I don’t strain it after?
A Virtual Vegan says
A lot of oaty remnants get strained out, even when you use a high powered blender. Personally I wouldn’t want to drink it like that, but if you don’t mind then go for it. Maybe try it and see what you think then strain after if you want to. If it’s waste you are concerned about, you can add the pulp to smoothies, dry it on low in the oven and add to homemade granola, or you can make these cookies with it: https://avirtualvegan.com/chocolate-chip-oatmeal-cookies/
Zz says
Wonderful!! I reccommend rinsing your strainer as you strain the oatmilk to get the best possible consistency.
emma says
are the nutrition facts including the optional ingredients like the dates?
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes it includes the 2 optional dates. It is just a guide though, especially with this recipe, because it gets strained after you make it so you don’t end up consuming absolutely everything that goes in. It’s probably a lot less calories than I calculated by the time you deduct that!
Cheyanne Kester says
Hi, I just made the milk, but it doesn’t taste all that good. I’m going for a more sweet, kind of like sweetened almond milk, taste. How would you recommend I do this?
A Virtual Vegan says
Just add extra dates or some maple syrup to make it sweeter.
Annie says
Just made some and it came out great! Thank you for the recipe.
Susan says
Have you ever tried making oat milk yogurt? Please post your recipe if you have.
A Virtual Vegan says
I haven’t. I haven’t tried making yogurt at all actually but you have just give me the best idea. I’m busy writing and creating recipes for my cookbook at the moment but I’ve added yogurt to my list of to-do’s for when I’ve finished!
Karen Joslin says
Susan, I’ve made yogurt using half oat milk and half coconut milk. It’s tasty, but thickening is an issue. I’ve gotten it to thicken using Pomona’s pectin, however, it begins thinning out as soon as you put it in a bowl. (Sort of like how ice cream melts in a bowl.) I just made a batch of this oat milk to try making yogurt with half soy milk instead of half coconut milk. Soy milk thickens really well because of the protein content, so I’m hoping a soy-oat combo will work well. (I’ve tried using all soy milk, but I don’t like the taste.)
J says
How much would this end up costing approx.?
A Virtual Vegan says
I have no idea. I don’t calculate cost when I create my recipes. There is no point because the cost of ingredients vary so much depending where you live.
Gae says
Hi I’ve just tried this…I’m trying to find something I can use when I’m away(an island) as buying ‘milk alternatives’ or local milk(not very good!) is expensive! I really didn’t mind the look or texture (?) but I found it smelled like I had oatmeal in my tea! Does one get used to the smell?? Otherwise…great alternative to highly processed & overpriced ‘milks’!
A Virtual Vegan says
It’s made from only oats and water so there’s no getting away from the fact that it’s going to smell like oats. I don’t drink tea with milk in it, but in coffee I don’t find it noticeable. Maybe you would prefer nut-based milks?
Adrian says
Love the fact that people leave feedback and questions and you respond! Gonna try this (sorry, annoys me when people just say gonna try it but there’s more!) – have you tried this in your butter recipe? Hoping 2 birds with one stone and a cheap option!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Adrian. I make it my mission to respond to all comments, even if it takes me hours. It’s something I think is really important.
I have made my butter with the oat milk and it’s fine. The only downside is that the oat milk doesn’t stay fresh for longer than 3 days, 4 days max. So the butter doesn’t either when you use it to make it. If you want it to last a couple of weeks in the fridge it’s best to use store bought milk rather than homemade. Having said that, if you are able to freeze the excess butter that would solve the problem. I freeze mine in silicone ice cube trays because I don’t use much of it. Then I just pop out a cube whenever I need some. Hope that helps!
Mark Homer says
For soaking, how long is not long: For those wary of phytates this is not trivial–otherwise, why mention it at all?
Nice, relaxed presentation generally.
A Virtual Vegan says
Full details, including soaking time, are given in the recipe at the end of the post.
Alicia says
Straight out of the blender this tastes amazing! I’m not sure what I did wrong though because the morning after I made the oat milk I used it in cereal and it had an incredibly slimy texture. I rinsed the pats thoroughly and put the milk through a sieve 3 times – is there anything else I could have done incorrectly?
A Virtual Vegan says
It doesn’t sound like you did anything wrong. It does go a little slimy when left sitting overnight. It’s one of the downsides of oat milk. It shouldn’t be too bad though and once you give it a good shake it should be ok to use again. One thing I have learnt from readers when making this, is if you blend it for too long and it gets warm in the blender it can make it slimier. With modern high speed blenders this can happen easily if you aren’t careful. Maybe that’s the case here?
Toni says
Does the soak water have any other negatives to it besides slimy?can it be used as base for cooking (stews..etc.)any nutrients in it ?
A Virtual Vegan says
I have no idea about how many nutrients are left in it. I’m sure it could be used in cooking if you wanted to. I just water my plants with mine.
Stacie says
I just made this!! 🙂 So cheap, and a great dairy free alternative! It tastes pretty good too. I am freezing some so I wonder if it keeps well in the freezer. If not, I buy my oats in bulk (.99/lb) so I can quickly make more. I also really love making my own rice milk so this is another great option. Thanks a ton for the recipe!
A Virtual Vegan says
That’s awesome Stacie! I haven’t actually tried freezing it. I would imagine it would be ok though with a real good shake. Thanks so much for stopping by to leave feedback. I really appreciate it!