How To Make Oat Milk
Oat Milk is a Dairy-Free Favorite
There are so many non-dairy milk options available nowadays, including almond milk, cashew milk (my personal favorite), hemp milk, and even homemade banana milk.
But oat milk has really taken the world by storm over the last couple of years and surged in popularity. You’ve probably seen it at your local market or favorite coffee shop. Which is no surprise given that this is one of the creamiest dairy-free milks with just the right amount of sweetness and perfect for those with nut sensitivities.
But when it comes to ingredients, commercial brands like Oatly undergo quite a bit of processing. Intensive heating may be used and there’s added oils or thickening agents such as xanthan gum, which help make it extra frothy with a longer shelf life. So if you want to avoid these additives, it’s time to whip up your own right at home.
Let me show you how to make oat milk with a few tips and tricks to create the perfect consistency.
What Type Of Oats Are Best For Oat Milk?
When it comes to choosing oats, rolled oats are your best option. Quick oats are too processed (which can create more slime) and steel cut oats are not processed enough. I describe the different types of oats on my oatmeal recipe.
But always make sure to buy certified organic, gluten free oats. Many commercial oats are processed in facilities that are contaminated by grains such as wheat, barley, or rye. And non-organic oats have been tested to have unsafe levels of glyphosate, an herbicide you definitely want to avoid.
How To Make Oat Milk
In just 3 easy steps you’ll have delicious oat milk in no time:
Blend all the ingredients. Add the oats, water, and any additional sweeteners to a high powered blender. Then blend for 20-30 seconds (make sure not to over blend).Strain the mixture. Pour it through a nut milk bag or thin towel over a large mixing bowl or pitcher. You’ll want to double strain the mixture to make sure all the sediment is removed.Store the oat milk. Transfer the oat milk to a sealed container and store it in the fridge.
Oat Milk Recipe Video
There’s a little nuance to oat milk, so it really does help to watch a quick tutorial video. And in the video below I’ll share my tips and tricks. Give it a watch!
How To Avoid Slimy Oat Milk
The number one complaint of homemade oat milk is that it’s slimy. But you’re in luck. After testing more than 6 batches of oat milk, I have a few tips:
Use ice cold water: heat can make the oats more starchy and gummy (just think what happens when you make oatmeal), so use ice cold water or swap a cup of water for ice cubes when blending.Don’t overblend: if you blend the ingredients too long they’ll start to warm, and you’ll run into the same problem I just mentioned above. Don’t blend for more than 30 seconds.Strain well: strain through a high-quality nut milk bag with a very tight weave. I hardly have any sediment in mine when I use this nut milk bag, but you could use dish towels as well. Just don’t use a strainer or cheesecloth as it’s not tightly woven enough.Don’t over squeeze: as you’re straining and squeezing the oat milk in the nut milk bag, be gentle. You don’t want to squeeze firmly like you do with almond milk as you’ll squeeze out more of the starchy compounds.
How to Make Oat Milk the Least Slimy
If you’d like to go a step further and make your oatmilk the least slimy possible, there’s one more trick: enzymes.
After reading how Oatly processes their milk with enzymes I decided to try the same concept with store-bought digestive enzymes. Here’s what I did:
Added oats to a bowl and covered with an inch of water.Opened two capsules of digestive enzymes and stirred those in the bowl with oats and water, then let it sit for 15 minutes.Strained the mixture over the sink and rinsed it good with water from the faucet.Transferred the washed oats to the blender along with 4 cups of cold water.Blended the oats for 20-30 seconds.Strained the oat milk through a nut milk bag.Stored the oat milk in a sealed container in the fridge.
This was BY FAR the least slimy oat milk option. Why? It’s due to the amylase. Digestive enzymes are typically broad spectrum, with a variety of enzymes to break down many foods, including sugar (sucrase), fat (lipase), protein (protease) and carbs/starch (amylase).
It’s that last enzyme that’s most important to oat milk though. The amylase breaks down the oat starches and makes the oat milk non-slimy.
So then I got to thinking, is there a food with enough enzymes that could do the same thing? Well, there are many foods with natural enzymes, but keep in mind that they’d flavor the milk as well. I tried adding a banana in one batch and honey in another, which both contain natural enzymes. And most importantly, they wouldn’t make the milk taste gross, like if I were to add kimchi or sauerkraut.
Unfortunately, other than flavoring the oat milk, the banana and honey didn’t have much effect on the sliminess factor. But the effect of the digestive enzymes was quite dramatic. The only drawback was that this milk was not only less slimy, but also less creamy. It had a consistency more similar to skim milk. But some folks may prefer that.
If you’d like to experiment further in the kitchen with your oat milk, then give enzymes a try!
How To Store Oat Milk
After it’s blended and strained, pour the oat milk into an airtight jar such as these juice jars or mason jars. Then store it in the fridge for up to a week.
Note: without any stabilizers or emulsifiers the milk will separate in the fridge. This is normal. Just give it a good stir before drinking.
Ways To Use Oat Milk + Tips
Homemade oat milk works great in baked goods, smoothies or cold beverages. But it’s not the best option for hot beverages as it may thicken up and become slightly slimy again. Because it lacks fat (unlike nut milks), it doesn’t froth well either. I did try adding a little coconut oil, but it still didn’t froth well (in my opinion).
When adding a sweetener to your oat milk I recommend maple syrup rather than a date. Because the blend time is so short, a pitted date may not fully blend into the liquid.
What To Do with Leftover Oat Pulp
You can add the leftover oat pulp to cookies, granola or to any smoothie for a nutrient boost. You can also pamper your skin with the oat pulp and create a face mask or add it to a bath.
More Dairy-Free Milk Recipes
While homemade cashew milk is still my personal favorite, it’s always fun to try different options or make blends of these homemade milk recipes:
Cashew MilkAlmond Milk Hemp Milk
How To Make Oat Milk (Non-Slimy + Tips!)
from votes Prep: 10 minutes Total: 10 minutes Servings: 8 servings PrintPinReviewSaveSaved
Description
Learn how to make oat milk in a blender (not slimy) with just oats and water! Want to take it a step further? Add a digestive enzyme for the least slimy oat milk. Watch the video above!
Video
Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats4 cups ice cold water
Optional
1-2 tablespoon maple syrup1 teaspoon vanilla extractpinch of salt
Instructions
Add oats, water, and any additional sweeteners to a high powered blender. Blend for 20-30 seconds. Make sure to not over-blend. Strain the oat milk mixture by pouring through a nut milk bag or thin towel over a large mixing bowl or pitcher. If you’d like, you can double strain the mixture to make sure all the sediment is removed. Transfer the oat milk to a sealed container and store in the fridge.
Lisa’s Tips
This is my favorite nut-milk bag and the large glass measuring bowl I use (so helpful for pouring!).
Nutrition
Calories: 19kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 18mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg Course: Drinks Cuisine: American Keyword: how to make oat milk, oat milk, oat milk recipe
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