Make homemade Oat Milk in minutes with just 2 ingredients. This easy oat milk is super quick, and very budget-friendly, and after years of perfecting my method, it is not slimy!
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"Such a simple and delicious recipe, I'm never buying oat milk again! This tastes like one of the more expensive barista brands!"
- Teresa ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
Two words: Oat Milk. One of my favorite plant-based milks and this homemade oat milk recipe is a game-changer.
Just like my homemade cashew milk, it is super quick and easy to make. No soaking or fancy equipment and it's so budget-friendly! Once you've made some, be sure to give my Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso a try ;O)
This is a recipe that was originally published in 2018. Since then I've made it thousands of times and gradually changed and refined how I do it. This oat milk recipe is my new and improved version. It's quicker and easier than the original, and it's not slimy at all!
If you've made oat milk before you'll know this can be an issue. Be sure to read all of my expert tips to get the very best results. I've done all the testing so you will get perfect results every single time!
Mel x
Ingredients
Oat milk is a very budget-friendly and sustainable non-dairy milk. Much more so than nut milks like almond milk, and you only need 2 ingredients to make it:
I recommend using old-fashioned or rolled oats. Steel-cut oats, quick, or instant oats don't work as well.
You can also include some optional add-ins for more flavor:
- 1 or 2 tablespoons of maple syrup or agave for sweetness. Don't use dates to sweeten this recipe. If you're wondering why see the FAQs.
- A drop of vanilla extract.
- A pinch of salt.
- A couple tablespoons of cocoa powder and sweetener of choice, or some chocolate syrup.
- Fresh berries, cinnamon, matcha or brewed coffee for fun flavor.
To make the milk you will need a blender and a sieve/fine mesh strainer. A nut milk bag, cheesecloth, or very fine cloth or lint-free towel will also work.
Let's Make Oat Milk!
Making oat milk is such an easy process and as long as you have some rolled oats in the pantry, you are minutes away from a fresh batch. Be sure to follow my instructions though. They include several steps that ensure your oat milk remains slime-free.
Here's how it's done:
- Add the oats to a blender with chilled water and any optional add-ins, then blend.
- Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer or nut milk bag twice letting it run freely without help (very important), then decant into a bottle/container of choice and refrigerate.
Adjust the thickness/thinness of the milk by increasing or reducing the water when you blend it or by adding more water after you've strained it. The beauty of homemade milk is you can make it exactly how you like it.
How To Avoid Slimy Oat Milk
- Don't soak the oats before blending.
- Use old-fashioned or rolled oats, not quick or instant oats.
- Use cold water when blending. Heat makes it slimy.
- Do not over-blend. High-speed blenders produce heat as their motor runs and warm the liquid as it blends. Blend in short bursts and not for more than 30 to 40 seconds total. A few ice cubes added with the water can help to keep things cool if you have a blender that runs warm.
- Strain at least twice but let the milk run freely through the strainer. Don't squeeze or smush it.
How To Use Oat Milk
Oat milk is perfect for drinking ice cold with cookies and for use in:
- Baked goods.
- Smoothies.
- Iced coffee.
- Chocolate milk, just add 2 to 3 tablespoons of vegan chocolate syrup.
- Breakfast cereal like vegan granola, overnight oats, or Bircher Muesli.
You can also add a dash to your tea and coffee but do not use it for making hot sauces or hot milky drinks like lattes or hot chocolate because as it heats up it thickens a lot and becomes slimy.
Think about what happens when you heat oats and water to make oatmeal. The mixture thickens very fast because of the starch in the oats. This starch is also present in your oat milk. Commercial oat milk is treated with anticoagulants or enzymes to prevent this happening.
Recipe
Oat Milk Recipe
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 1 cup (90 grams) rolled or old fashioned oats , certified gluten-free if necessary.
- 4 cups (960 ml) cold water , from the fridge. Or as cold as you can get it from the tap with a handful of ice thrown into the blender (reduce the water a little to compensate for the ice).
Optional additions
- 1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt , optional. I don't recommend using table salt.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract , (optional)
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add the oats to blender.
- Cover with around 3 cups / 720 mls of the cold water then blend for a maximum of 30 seconds. It's important that the contents of the blender don't warm up, so try not to blend any longer than that. If you feel it get even slightly warm add a couple of ice cubes to cool it down.
- Check the thickness. It will likely be quite thick like cream consistency. Add enough extra water to get it to the thickness that you like and give it a very quick pulse in between additions. If you are using it as a coffee creamer then it's nice left pretty thick. Otherwise it's better a little thinner.
- Strain the milk through a sieve/fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Do not press or squeeze it while straining. Just let gravity do the work.
- Pour the milk back into the blender jar, give the strainer a quick rinse out, then strain again.
- Once strained twice pour into bottles or jars. At this point if you notice it is still a little too thick, you can fill the bottles to about ¾ full, then add a little water to the bottle and shake to thin it further.
NOTES
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NUTRITION
More Vegan Dairy Alternatives
Recipe FAQs
This is completely normal. Because it is homemade it doesn't contain emulsifiers like storebought oat milk. Simply give it a good shake before serving.
You can use certified gluten-free oats if you need your oat milk to be gluten-free. If you are sensitive to gluten-free oats then I don't recommend you make this beverage.
You can use leftover oat pulp to make my oat pulp cookies, or you can add it to smoothies or oatmeal. You can also dehydrate it (use a dehydrator or spread it out thinly on a baking tray and bake in a low oven until completely dry, then add to granola recipes or energy bars/balls.
I don't recommend using dates to sweeten this milk. We need to minimize the blending to stop the milk from warming in the blender and becoming slimy. Dates (even softened ones) will not blend completely before the starch in the oats activates and starts to thicken and become gelatinous. It's safer and easier to add a liquid sweetener like maple syrup.
Trisha says
Hi Mel! Thanks for this recipe. I happened upon it on Pinterest and decided to try it as oat milk here in Madrid is pretty expensive and usually still has some additives. I really liked how easy it was to make and the taste is perfect! Thanks again!
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you enjoyed it Trisha!
gary d says
This works great, thanks! And so cheap.. 2 cups of oats, 2 blender fulls, and I have 1/2 gallon of "milk" that imo tastes actually better than commercial nut milk. I used a nutmilk bag to strain, worked fantastically.
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you are enjoying the recipe Gary!
Laetitia says
Wow this looks great. Tired of spending money on expensive store bought non- dairy milks so really looking forward to giving this a go. Just wondering if you could freeze the milk afterwards- not sure I would be able to finish in 3/4 days. Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
I have never tried freezing it. Perhaps try a small amount first and see what happens. You could maybe half or even quarter the recipe if freezing isn't successful. I hope you enjoy it!
Tari says
Thank you so much for this recipe. This tastes great! I'll never buy milk again now I can make this. I add: 1/8 tsp almond extract, 1/4 tsp truvia & 1/2 tsp sea salt.
A Virtual Vegan says
You are so welcome! I'm thrilled you are enjoying it. Love the almond extract addition. I bet it makes great coffee! Thank you for stopping by to leave feedback. It's much appreciated!
Chío says
Hi!! I always thought making this milk was hard and included stove... But this looks fast and yummy.
Can't wait to prepare it.
The photo shows some kind of oat bar.... Do u have the recipe for those ??? They both look delicious together.
Tnks :D
A Virtual Vegan says
I hope you enjoy it when you get to try it. The oat bar you are talking about is Weetabix. A breakfast cereal. Hopefully they will be available wherever you are so you can try them!
Claire Brady says
Thanks for the recipe. Made the milk last night and being used this morning. Will save a fortune.
A Virtual Vegan says
You're welcome. I love that so many people are enjoying it and saving some pennies at the same time!
Abi says
This was great! Made this quick and easy in under half an hour and doesnt taste too bad either. Ive been trying to switch to vegan milks but have ted the taste of most of them and its quite dicouraging when its cheeper and tastyer just to buy the the evil cows milk ???? this is great that i can make it so cheep and easily at home and doesnt have that horrible chalky muskey taste some alternatives have, thank you very much for the recipe!
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for letting me know!
Katie says
Great way to cut down on unnecessary packaging. Such a good recipe.
Kristina says
I LOVE this oat milk!
Cadry says
One thing I love about being vegan is when I realize I'm out of milk, I can quickly just make some more! I've made many different kinds of nut milk and soy milk too, but I've never made oat milk. I'm excited to try it!
A Virtual Vegan says
Any excuse not to have to go to the store! It is so convenient. Oat milk even more so because it's so quick. Let me know what you think if you try it!
Ghislaine says
I'm trying this tomorrow! My kids are not loving non dairy milks so far... Do you still have to strain multiple times if you're using a nut milk bag? Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
I would think if you use a nut milk bag straining once will be enough. I hope it's a hit with the kids!
Chessie says
Great detailed post and recipe! I will definitely make this, using certified gluten-free oats, and it will certainly save money over other kinds of plant milks. Thanks also for the tip about changing the ingredient amounts. Pretty nifty!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thanks Chessie! Hope you enjoy it!
Karen says
Great and quick recipe. I've made nut 'milks' in the past but they are time consuming and expensive, so this wa just the recipe I needed for a quick fix. Thanks!
Becky Striepe says
I love this recipe! We were out of soy milk, and it's snowing here, so I made this oat milk. It worked great in coffee, and my 4yo son liked drinking it, too!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Becky, that's great! It's awesome for situations like that when you run out or can't get to the shop. Glad to hear it works well in coffee too. I take it black so have never tried!
Stefani says
Just think of all the poor baby oats who can't have that milk now... just kidding!
I'm tickled to find this recipe because what's cheaper and easier to get than a BIIIIIG container of oats? That's right, nothing! Btw, I love cashew milk too, but only since I've started making my own. It's a hugely different animal from the watery stuff you get in a box at the store, so creamy and flavorful.
My current obsession is lavender-infused milk. I've only made that with almonds, but I'll bet it'll work with oat milk, too.
A Virtual Vegan says
Ha ha ha! That reminded me of "The hardest part about being vegan is having to wake up at 5am to milk all the almonds"!!!
And yes oat milk is super, super cheap. It's not as nice for drinking as nut milks (as least I don't think so) but it's wonderful for so many other things. I use it all the time. It's so quick to make too so you can make it as you need it. You really can't beat homemade milks.
I am loving the idea of lavender infused milk! How beautiful. I bet it's lovely warm. Imagine a great big mug with some of my Lemon Lavender Shortbread as an accompaniment....Perfect! I will be trying it. Thanks Stefani :O)
Britney says
This is a great substitute for non-dairy milk. I was concerned about giving my toddler too much soy and tried oat milk. My daughter loves it and it will save me a TON using this instead of buying other non-dairy milks.
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so glad you and your daughter like it and it's an extra bonus that it saves you some cash! I loved the picture you sent of her drinking it!