How Do You Make Oat Milk?

Oats are one of those amazing ingredients that can be used in so many ways. You can make oatmeal, oat flour, oat milk, and the list goes on. Oatly Oat Milk is a great dairy-free option for those who are lactose intolerant or simply trying to reduce their dairy intake. It's also great if you're vegan because it provides some important nutrients that aren't found in other plant-based milk. In this post, I'm going to show you how to make oat milk at home. It's really easy and only takes a few minutes! So let's get started.

Oat milk is a great dairy-free alternative to cow's milk. It's high in fiber and has a nutty flavor. Making oat milk is easy, and it only takes a few minutes.

Here's how to do it.

We use milk every single day of our lives, from our morning granola to the bechamel sauce. Homemade Oat Milk is by far the cheapest and fastest plant-based homemade milk option.

We like that this oatly recipe is super adjustable, and perfect for your smoothies. You can make it creamier, sweeter or flavor infused. We love using the unsweetened version for recipes such as Vegan mashed potatoes and Vegan Bechamel Sauce.

This dairy-free milk is perfect for your Superfood Green Detox Smoothie, also on this site, to complement your weekly breakfast meal plan.

Ingredients

It requires 2 ingredients, 5 minutes, and a blender.

• Rolled Oats (whole grain oats)
• Water
• Dates (optional)
• Salt (optional, omit if adhering to a Whole Foods Plant-Based diet)

Note: keep your oat milk unsweetened if you are planning to make vegan buttermilk with it and make a vegan apple cake, or vegan mashed sweet potatoes. See our post, explaining the details and the best combinations to make the best vegan buttermilk, easily made with soy milk, this oat milk, or even homemade almond milk.

how is oat milk made

So, how Do you Get Milk from Oats?

Well, it is much easier than getting cow's milk and definitely healthier than dairy milk!

The first thing you need to do to make your own oat milk is put your oats to soak overnight in water. If you don't have the time and want to make it quick, you can also soak them in warm water for 5 minutes and proceed.

I find that making them overnight gives the milk a creamier texture, more similar to commercial oat milk, but better!

Note on Gluten

Remember to shop for Gluten-Free Oats if you have gluten intolerance, have celiac disease, or simply follow a Gluten-Free diet.

Oats are naturally gluten-free. Still, they are usually processed in places with gluten, hence oat milk may contain gluten.

They typically don't guarantee they are gluten-free, so make sure you either look for a certified gluten-free alternative or, like we do, make your oat milk with certified gluten-free oats.

You then need to drain the oats and add them to the blender. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes along with 4 cups of water.

You can optionally add a pinch of salt and your preferred sweetener such as maple, syrup, or dates; or flavor enhancers like cocoa.

Oat milk typically is a little sweet but if you want sweetened oat milk, you can add one or two pitted dates. Remember to remove the inner stone from the dates, as the stone can break your blender; or use homemade date paste.

Then it would be best if you strained through a nut milk bag or fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth. Or even better, a clean t-shirt or canvas fabric bag, then squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

I like using a piece of fabric for Oat Milk because it is thinner, and that nuts milk, that way to strain more pulp out of it.

Suggested sweeteners: dates, raisins, agave syrup, or maple syrup.

Add in ideas: cocoa powder, vanilla extract, banana, strawberry, or hazelnuts.

Soaking your oats

• Soak the oats at room temperature or in the fridge.
• If a day has passed and you forgot or didn't get to make the oat milk, they are at room temperature, change the water, and put the soaking oats in the fridge. If you leave them longer, they will become gooey. In that case, we recommend placing them in a colander under running water for a couple of seconds before continuing with the process.
• If you need to make it the same day, pour warm water into the oats to accelerate the process and leave them soaking for 5 minutes.

Which type of oats?

We find that using Rolled Oats gives better results in general.

If you are on a Gluten-Free diet, look for rolled oats that clearly state it.

How to thicken It

This creamy oat milk recipe is already in the mid-range of thickness. If you want thicker milk, increase the amount of oatmeal.

We find the perfect thickness for our taste is 1 cup of oats / 4 cups of water.

Suggested thicker oat milk options:

• 1 cup of oats / 3 cups of water, if you don't mind sacrificing the final volume.
• 1 ½ cups oats / 4 cups of water, if you want the same volume.

If you want thinner oat milk, reduce the number of oats flakes to ¾ cup or increase water by one cup.

Storing: how long does it last?

It depends on whether you sterilize your equipment and how fresh are the ingredients you used. In general, we have found it lasts about 2-3 days.

We often use oat milk for our morning smoothies or Homemade Granola and overnight oats, so one batch only makes it to the third day. If you are like us, you don't need to sterilize your ingredients as it reaches the 3^rd day without any problem.

If you find that it goes off before expected, easily sterilize your bottles either:

1. Pouring boiling water inside, ensuring the jars are not cold so that they won't break.
2. Then, put them in the dishwasher.

If you have unexpectedly left home or didn't use your milk soon enough and want to prevent it from going off.

You can freeze it in ice cube trays and save them to add to your morning smoothies.

How to use it

I like to drink oat milk as it is, as unsweetened oat milk is naturally slightly sweet, just as rice milk.

You can use it the same way you would use regular milk: in smoothies, in your morning granola or breakfast fruit bowl, in bechamel sauce, or in baking.

Below are some recipes where you could use your oat milk:

• Post-Work Out Smoothie
• Easy Strawberry Banana Smoothie
• Vegan Cauliflower Wings
• Creamy Vegan Sauce for Everything

Why should you do your own DIY oat milk?

Convenience

1. This plant-based milk alternative is effortless to make; it only takes us 5 minutes.
2. You can make only the quantity you need.
3. It is dairy-free milk, so it is apt for people with lactose intolerance.
4. Can be used in a number of recipes
5. This vegan alternative is fully adjustable in flavor, thickness, and sweetness.
6. It's nut-free, in case you have nut food allergies.
7. It has no added sugars as most commercial brands do.

Economy

Making it is super Cheap, out of 1 cup of rolled oats you get 4 cups of delicious plant milk.

150 Tetra Paks saved per year: 3 per week!

If you are on a budget, Oat Milk is the most suitable of them all, including cow's milk. It is also the most sustainable plant-based milk alternative, including almond milk and coconut milk. You can either let it in or make it part of your smoothies in terms of the very little remaining pulp.

In general, plant-based milks are more sustainable than dairy milk (cow's milk, goat's milk, and sheep's milk).

Health: 9 oat health benefits

Is oat milk healthy? Let's dive into the health benefits of milk and why it is an excellent dairy alternative.

1. Low in Calories: if you are looking into keeping your waist, this easy oat milk should be one of your allies. Although all vegetable kinds of milk are significantly lower in calories (46kcal per cup) than regular milk, homemade oat milk is lower than its peers (even lower than Homemade Almond Milk (88 kcal per cup) and Homemade Soy Milk (138kcal per cup)).
2. Skin: oat milk's benefits for skin come from its anti-inflammatory properties, which help reduce acne flare-ups. Oat milk is a humectant that helps skin retain water and is widely found in moisturizers. Oat milk contains Vitamin D, which is great for your skin.
3. Bone Strengthening: oat milk contains potassium, magnesium, and zinc, which are potent minerals and are essential for forming and strengthening bones.
4. Fats: oat milk has a zero count of saturated fats and three times less fat than whole milk.
5. Dairy-Free: oats are low in fat and dairy-free, so they are an excellent lactose intolerant choice. It also has a naturally sweet taste.
6. Cholesterol-Free: it contains zero cholesterol. Regular consumption may even lower LDL cholesterol (the bad one) in the blood. This is not the case with dairy milk. Dairy products like butter, cheese, and cow's milk are high in cholesterol.
7. Helps Regulating Blood Sugar Levels: this good friend for people with type 2 diabetes slows down the absorption of carbohydrates in the gut, providing a slower and steadier supply of sugar into the bloodstream. This property is brought to us thanks to its content of soluble fiber.
8. High in Fibre: oat milk has twice the dietary fiber as cow's milk making it an excellent choice for adding fiber to your diet for healthy gut and digestive functions.  making it an excellent choice for adding fiber to your diet for healthy gut and digestive functions. Soluble fiber plays a role in strengthening the immune system, so regular consumption can prevent infections and also helps the body to heal itself naturally. If you want to keep more from its dietary fiber, you either avoid straining your oat milk or use a mesh that is not fine.
9. High in Vitamins: oat milk has our beloved B vitamins folate and thiamine, which support the normal function of red blood cells and the breakdown of carbohydrates, respectively.

If you’re looking for plant-based milk that doesn’t have any added sugar, oat milk is perfect for your needs. It provides the same creamy texture as dairy milk, but oat milk benefits include the same array of health benefits associated with consuming oats.

FAQ

Oat milk benefits are vast, but let's answer some of the common questions about the occasional drawbacks.

Does oat milk make you gassy?

If you are experiencing gassiness or digestive problems after consuming oat milk, there are a few things you could do to alleviate the symptoms. First of all, consider switching back to their soy milk or almond counterparts.

You may be particularly sensitive to oats, so this might help quite a bit. The main issue with oat milk is that it contains oligosaccharides. This carbohydrate is complex for our bodies to digest because we lack the enzyme necessary to break them down.

Because oligosaccharides and other undigestible sugars travel through our digestive system whole, they end up feeding bacteria that produce gas in return.

This issue can be partially solved by thoroughly straining oat milk to remove the solids. If you experience a great deal of gassiness from drinking oat milk, try mixing it with another type of plant-based milk lower in oligosaccharides such as soy or almond.

Another trick is to add some additional ingredients such as ginger and chia seeds which help fight gas production. Although these products are not guaranteed to work for everyone, many have reported relief from these changes.

Can oat milk make you nauseous?

The answers are yes, it is possible that oat milk could make you nauseous. It also depends on how much you drink and what other foods have recently consumed. Oat milk contains poly-unsaturated fats, which are the building blocks of prostaglandins, lipid compounds that have hormone-like actions.

There are both beneficial and harmful prostaglandins in the human body. The negative ones can promote inflammation, intestinal cramps, diarrhea, nausea, etc.

The positive ones help reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure, and ensure gastrointestinal tract health.

Does oatmilk have fiber in it?

Yes. Like other plants, oats contain fiber (or roughage), which is essential for a healthy digestive system and maintaining a healthy weight. Oat fiber contributes to a feeling of fullness after consumption, making you less likely to snack between meals.

Studies have shown that consuming food containing high levels of viscous fiber/oats resulted in significantly reduced hunger ratings of the test subjects.

Oat fiber also slows down carbohydrate absorption, which can help to regulate blood sugar levels and keep you feeling fuller for longer.

Start making the best of all oat milk benefits today; you just need a cup of oats, water, and a couple of minutes.

Is oat milk bad for you in anyway?

Regular oat milk is bad and unsuitable for those with gluten intolerance or celiac disease. This is because oats are often cross-contaminated with gluten during their production. And so the majority of oat milk isn't gluten-free unless it is explicitly certified as such. That's why we recommend using certified gluten-free oats if you want to make your milk gluten-free.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag a photo #ourplantbasedworld on Instagram. Cheers!

Recipe

Food safety

We sometimes take for granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking points to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice. See our full Nutritional Disclosure here.

Please note that some of the links here are affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links. I use all of the products listed and recommend them because they are companies that I have found helpful and trustworthy.