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If you’ve ever wondered how to make oat milk at home, you’re in the right place! This quick and easy DIY oat milk takes just 5 minutes, requires only two ingredients (oats and water!), and is a budget-friendly, plant-based milk alternative. This guide covers all the tips and tricks for smooth, creamy, non-slimy oat milk.
save this recipe!I know you’re not supposed to pick favorite children…but of all the plant-based milks out there, oat milk is my favorite (okay, homemade almond milk is a close runner-up).
With it’s nutty, slightly sweet flavor, it just goes well in so many things (like in coffee, overnight oats, and fruit smoothies).
As a nutritionist and sensory scientist, I’ve tested tons of oat milk recipes to crack the code on making it smooth, creamy, and never slimy. This quick recipe gives you perfect oat milk every time (no weird textures, just delicious goodness).
- Super Quick & Easy: Takes just 5 minutes with no soaking required!
- Totally Customizable: Make it unsweetened, vanilla, chocolate, or berry-flavored.
- Smooth & Creamy: No slimy texture, just a light and refreshing dairy-free milk.
Reader rating
“Simple, concise, wonderful, tasty! Thank you, Sarah! Used cheesecloth instead of a dish towel, which worked well!” —Holly
The main ingredients
Oat milk is as simple as can be. Don’t worry, we’ll get to the flavorings later. This is just an overview – jump to the recipe for measurements and instructions!
- Rolled Oats: We will be using 1 cup of rolled oats as the base of this recipe. No need to soak them beforehand! You can use quick cooking oats, but the milk won’t be as creamy.
- Water: We will blend 3 cups of water with the oats to help make the milk.
- Salt: Finally, a pinch of salt helps to bring out the oat flavor.
flavor options
- Sweetened: If you want to keep the oat flavor but prefer a sweet touch, add a tablespoon of maple syrup or brown sugar, or a Medjool date.
- Vanilla: For vanilla milk, simply add ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Chocolate: 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder will work to create a rich chocolate oat milk.
- Berry: For a tasty berry blast smoothie, add ½ cup of mixed berries! You can also stick to one type, such as blueberries or strawberries.
prevent a slimy texture
To prevent your milk from getting slimy, there are a few things that you can do.
- Don’t soak: Soaking is used for other plant milk recipes but is not needed for oat milk.
- Don’t over-blend: Lean on the side of blending too little, as over-blending can release the oat starches and make the oat milk slimy.
- Don’t squeeze: Don’t squeeze the milk through the dish towel – just let it drip out.
Psst: My favorite way to use oat milk is in my Starbucks Copycat Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso!
Creamy 5-Minute Oat Milk (With Flavor Options!)
Ingredients
Oat Milk
- 1 cup rolled oats, 90 g
- 4 cups cold water, 700 mL
- pinch of salt
Optional Flavors
- Sweetened: 1 Tbsp maple syrup, 1 Medjool date, or 1 Tbsp light brown sugar
- Vanilla: 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Chocolate: 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- Berry: ½ cup mixed berries
Instructions
- Blend: Add 1 cup rolled oats and 4 cups cold water to a blender. Blitz just until oats are broken down, about 30 seconds (lean on the side of blending too little – over blending can release the oat starches and make the oat milk slimy).
- 1st Strain: Pour mixture through a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl or pitcher, making sure not to press any pulp (this can lead to slimy oat milk). Discard the oat pulp.
- 2nd Strain (optional): Lay a cheesecloth or thin dish towel in a colander and pour mixture through (use a nut milk bag if you have it). Do not squeeze, just let the milk drain out (squeezing can cause slimy oat milk). Discard the oat pulp.
- Adjust: Add a pinch of salt and optionally blend in your desired flavors. If oat milk is thicker than you'd like, just add a bit more water (up to 1 cup). Serve chilled.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
This didn’t work for me at all. The milk would not strain through the dish towel. Waited 20 minutes and only had 1.5 c milk. Wish it had worked!!
Aw, sorry to hear it! Sounds like you just needed to blitz the oats a little bit more so they were more broken down.
What is considered a thin dish towel? I wouldn’t consider any of my dish towels thin.
Great question! Thin enough for liquid to easily pass through. You could also use a heavy duty paper towel (one that won’t disintegrate with the liquid).
Love !Easy!Healthy!Makes me happy 😃
So happy to hear it, Grace! Enjoy! 😀
Again, simple, concise, wonderful, tasty! Thank you, Sarah! Used cheesecloth instead of a dish towel, which worked well!
So happy to hear you loved it, Holly! Enjoy! 😀
Are you really saying to discard the oat pulp? I hate food waste. Would be great if you had recommendations on how to use the pulp instead, I’m thinking perhaps oatmeal muffins or something else baked. Would that work?
You could probably include it in something like that! It’s really just fiber at that point, most of the flavor goes into the oat milk 🙂