How to Make Oat Milk

bowl of oat milk on table with spoons full of oats

Many people are choosing non-dairy milks like soy, almond and coconut milk these days either because they are sensitive to dairy products or they are concerned about the effect of industrial dairy production on the health of cows and the environment.

But not all non-dairy milks are healthy or sustainable.

Problems with non-dairy alternatives to milk include:

  • Some are made with GMO ingredients or industrial monocultures (especially soy milk);
  • Some require vast, unsustainable quantities of water and generate tons of waste to produce. (almond milk, rice milk);
  • Some are shipped from fragile, tropical ecosystems thousands of miles away (coconut milk);
  • Some are sorely lacking in taste, nutrition and cooking function (rice milk);
  • Most contain questionable or unhealthy additives like sugar, carrageenan and guar gum.

But there is a non-dairy milk that tastes phenomenal, uses 6 times less water than almond milk, is affordable to produce, and can actually improve incomes for small and mid-size farmers: Oat milk.

What is Oat Milk?

Oat milk has been used for decades in Europe, but is just now becoming popular in other parts of the world. It’s very simple to make, costing just pennies compared to homemade almond or coconut milk.

Oat milk is also better for you than most non-dairy milk alternatives. Oats contain 10 minerals and 15 vitamins as well as a good amount of calcium and iron. Just make sure you soak your oats before using them to remove the phytic acid they contain so it doesn’t keep those minerals from being properly absorbed by your body.

Oat milk is nut-free, dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free (as long as the oats are processed in a certified gluten-free facility), and vegan, so it fits most people’s dietary restrictions. It also has an alkaline creaminess that makes it arguably the best-tasting non-dairy creamer available.

Here’s how to make homemade oat milk.

glass pitcher full of oat milk with bowl of oats on table
4.36 from 17 votes

Homemade Oat Milk

Oat milk is a delicious, eco-friendly alternative to other non-dairy milks, and is quick, cheap and easy to make.
CourseBeverage
CuisinePaleo, Raw Vegan, Vegan, Vegetarian
Makes4 servings
Calories82
Prep Time 10 minutes
Soaking Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
This recipe may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


Ingredients
 
 


Instructions
 

  • Cover oats with 2 inches of purified water and soak for at least 30 minutes, or up to 12 hours. (Longer soaking helps remove the phytic acid that inhibits proper digestion, but it does make the oats harder to rinse and a bit slimey.)
  • After soaking, drain and rinse the oats well. You want to rinse the oats thoroughly so that your oat milk is not gooey like oatmeal. Discard or compost the rinse water.
  • Put soaked, rinsed, drained oats into a blender, add 3 cups of purified water, sea salt, and spices or sweetener, if using. Blend for about 10 seconds, unless you are using dates as a sweetener. If using dates, blend for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until dates are fully incorporated.
  • Strain out pulp in a cheesecloth or nut milk bag. Add more purified water to the strained oat milk, as needed. Use excess pulp as fiber for smoothies or to make muffins, cookies, pancakes or other treats.
  • Store in a jar in the refrigerator and use within 3-5 days. Shake well before using.

Notes

For chocolate oat milk, blend 2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tsp. maple syrup and 1/8 tsp. espresso powder into 1 cup of strained oat milk. Strain through a nut milk bag or fine mesh strainer to remove any lumps.
For cardamom-ginger oat milk, whisk 2 tsp. maple syrup, 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom and 1/8 tsp. ground ginger into 1 cup of oat milk. Strain through a nut milk bag or fine-mesh strainer to remove any lumps.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 82kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 3gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 20mgPotassium: 85mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gCalcium: 16mgIron: 0.9mg

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25 thoughts on “How to Make Oat Milk”

4.36 from 17 votes (14 ratings without comment)

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  1. Can oatmeal be used in your oatmeal milk recipe please?
    Also do you mean distilled water should be used, not tap water?
    Thank you,
    Joan Barnett

    1. You need to use whole oats, and you want to combine it with filtered or purified water, not plain tap water or distilled water.

  2. 4 stars
    The taste is great, and it’s cheap 🙂 . But it’s a PAIN to make! I did wash and wash and rinse and rinse the oats (and even used steel-cut, so they’re not as mushy to start with) – I don’t know HOW many times I washed it – and it still comes out very gooey (and I used a nut milk bag). I would like to find a way to make this that’s a bit less labor-intensive 😉 . I use a Vitamix blender, so maybe it’s harder to squeeze through the nut milk bag because the pulp is so fine?

  3. Are you supposed to rinse the oats until the water is clear? Cause that’s taking a long time (and a lot of water)!

      1. First off, thanks for the recipe!
        If I dont mind the “slimy-ness”, can I use the soaking water? Or are the phytic-acids then still “in there”?

        Thanks in advance!

        1. There are phytic acids in there, but if they don’t upset your stomach you could use the soaking water. You can also use it in your garden or compost.

  4. This oat milk recipe is very east to make. . To buy Organic Oat Milk at the supermarket costs $2.95 AUD per litre. I make your recipe and total cost is 75c. Since making mine own with your recipe I haven’t bought any shop oat milk. So thank you for recipe and helping me to be more of a small foot print person..

  5. This looks great, I am going to give it a go! Out of interest, what do you mean by ‘1-1 pitted dates’? Do you mean 1-2 (1 to 2)?

  6. Is there any reason for using sea salt in particular? Iodized salt, for instance has the micronutrient iodine (but also anti clumping agents), which sea salt does not.

    1. Sea salt is far less salty tasting than the same quantity of refined iodized salt, so if you use refined salt, the final dish could come out too salty. But mainly, I think it is important to use a whole food salt that contains trace minerals, doesn’t contain additives, uses less industrial processes, and is acquired from sources that haven’t been contaminated by micro-plastics. Refined, iodized salt doesn’t meet that criteria.

      1. 4 stars
        I tried this recipe and it sort of made good oat milk.
        Two problems I found: 1) it used so much water! I ended up grinding Bob’s Red Mill, which is what I had, in a Ninja as finely as I could, straining the powdered oats for the larger bits, and using it by the teaspoon raw in fresh water. Very refreshing! Sometimes I’d add cinnamon, vanilla, or raw sugar depending on my mood.
        2) the salt with the microplastics issue? I beg to differ but there’s NO place on our earth now where it’s been found to be free of microplastics. Not even the highest secluded mountain glades thought to be secluded and untouched by pollution. So table salt should be just fine, especially in areas where ppl don’t have a natural source of iodine in their diets.
        And if you know someone who makes soap, ask if they want your leftover oat pulp. It makes the most awesome soap!

  7. Hi. The recipient says disk for 3vto 12 hours but above says
    Just make sure you soak your oats for a day before using them to remove the phytic acid they contain so it doesn’t keep those minerals from being properly absorbed by your body.
    So a day or 12 hours

  8. 4 stars
    Thank you very much Dawn for your generosity in putting this wonderful site together and for the lovely oat milk recipe. I’m wondering….after soaking the oats then dumping that water…..is there not a lot of goodness and food value in that water? Could it be used otherwise and also does the soaking not remove a great deal of the creaminess etc from the oats?
    Thanks again and very best wishes to you.
    Frances

    1. The soaking water is high in phytic acid, which is why you soak the oats. Phytic acid can be hard on the digestive system, so I would recommend discarding it, or using it diluted to water your garden.

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