Delicious, creamy oat milk is a dairy-free favorite! I would even say an oat milk latte tastes better than a cow’s milk latte, particularly if you have a really lovely oat milk blend. For alas! Not all oat milks are created equal, and some are much nicer than others.
My favorite oat milk, the one that trumps all other brands, is absolutely the one I make myself at home. It is simple, easy, I can flavor it if I want to, and best of all, it is SO MUCH CHEAPER than buying premade oat milk from the store.
The issue with homemade oat milk is that it can often become slimy. But, with a few tricks, we can reduce the likelihood of that happening. Read on!
What Can Oat Milk Be Used For?
Oat milk can be used for most of the same things as dairy milk. You can use it in baking, on granola or oatmeal, as a replacement for cow’s milk in cereal, and even to make smoothies and lattes!
Do I Need Any Special Equipment To Make Oat Milk At Home?
You will need a blender and sieve that can strain the oat milk from the chaff after blending. Some recipes say to use a nut milk bag or a t-shirt, but I find a sieve works best. Why? Because when you are straining the oat milk, you shouldn’t squeeze it to get all the liquid out, or sometimes bits of the oat get through, and I find if you strain it in a nut milk bag, then you don’t get enough liquid out unless you squeeze it! So, a sieve is best as you can gently lift and stir the pulp as it strains, getting all the drink through without pushing any gluey pulp through.
Ingredients To Make Oat Milk At Home
1 cup of rolled oats
3 cups of cold filtered water
Pinch of sea salt
1 ½ teaspoons of lemon juice (optional)
A dash of maple syrup (optional)
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence (optional)
½ teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)
How To Make Oat Milk At Home
Step 1 – Add the oats, salt, and lemon juice (optional) to a blender. Lemon juice will add a little lemon flavor, but it will also help break down the components that make your oat milk slimy!
Step 2 – Blend for 30 seconds, not more than that or the milk may end up slimy.
Step 3 – Strain the blend through the sieve into a large container. DO NOT push the chaff around too much, as it will get through the sieve into the milk. Instead, gently stir and lift the pulp around as the milk strains.
Step 4 – Discard (or eat!) the pulp, and strain the milk again to ensure you get all the little bits of oat out.
Step 5 – Add the flavorings you like to your oat milk. If I have used lemon juice, I find it needs maple syrup and vanilla essence. If I have not used the lemon, I might add more salt. Play around to figure out what works for you, but instead of blending it again, I put mine in a jar with a lid and shake the seasonings in. Benji cat approves of this method.
And there you have it! Fresh oat milk on hand for all of your dairy-related needs.
Notes/Tips/Troubleshooting
- Oat milk has a habit of getting a bit slimy. This is because of compounds in the oats that form a mucoid layer, giving it a slimy texture. The salt and the lemon juice should help to prevent this.
- Use rolled oats, not instant oats. Rolled oats aren’t as processed and don’t break down as fast. Using instant oats tends to make slimy oat milk. Though, in a pinch, you can use instant oats if you use the milk pretty quickly.
- Ensure you purchase oats certified and labelled gluten-free if you are celiac! Some oats do contain gluten.
- The oat milk will last a maximum of 5 days in the fridge. If it separates, just give it a shake before using it.
- The quality and freshness of your oats matters. If your oats are old and manky, your oat milk will taste old and manky.
Nutritional Facts
Here are the nutritional values for 1/2 cup of oat milk, though they will vary depending on what you add to it:
- Calories: 65
- Total Fat: 0.5 grams
- Saturated Fat: 0.1 grams
- Trans Fat: 0 grams
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2 grams
- Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2 grams
- Cholesterol: 0 milligrams
- Sodium: 4.7 milligrams
- Total Carbohydrates: 14.5 grams
- Dietary Fiber: 0.8 grams
- Sugars: 9.5 grams
- Protein: 1 gram
- Potassium: 27.3 milligrams
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FAQs
Oat milk is not high in sugar if you make it yourself and do not add any sugars, but a lot of the store brought oat milk brands do contain sneaky sugars, so check the label if you want to avoid this.
Technically not, as dairy milk has more protein and other nutrients and less anti-nutrients such as phytic acid. Though, if you are lactose intolerant like me, then oat milk might be the better choice!
I can only tell you why I drink oat milk, as I cannot speak for everyone, and it is because dairy milk upsets my stomach and makes me feel sick, and oat milk does not! So I can still have my delicious iced lattes and smoothies without the stomach ache.
How to Make Oat Milk At Home
Ingredients
1 cup of rolled oats
3 cups of cold filtered water
Pinch of sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice (optional)
A dash of maple syrup (optional)
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence (optional)
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)
Instructions
Step 1 – Add the oats, salt, and lemon juice (optional) to a blender. Lemon juice will add a little lemon flavor, but it will also help break down the components that make your oat milk slimy!
Step 2 – Blend for 30 seconds, not more than that or the milk may end up slimy.
Step 3 – Strain the blend through the sieve into a large container. DO NOT push the chaff around too much, as it will get through the sieve into the milk. Instead, gently stir and lift the pulp around as the milk strains.
Step 4 – Discard (or eat!) the pulp, and strain the milk again to ensure you get all the little bits of oat out.
Step 5 – Add the flavorings you like to your oat milk. If I have used lemon juice, I find it needs maple syrup and vanilla essence. If I have not used the lemon, I might add more salt. Play around to figure out what works for you, but instead of blending it again, I put mine in a jar with a lid and shake the seasonings in.
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