This creamy and delicious homemade oat milk recipe is made with 2-ingredients, ready in minutes, and delicious in tea or coffee or poured over cereal.
It’s so easy to make your own homemade oat milk!
It has a lovely neutral oaty taste that is delicious to drink as is or to use in smoothies, over cereal, or in your coffee and tea.
All you need is some rolled oats in your cupboard and you’re good to go. Rolled oats blended with water = oat milk!
You can also add a little maple syrup, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt for some optional extra flavoring, but the main ingredients are simply rolled oats and water.
How To Make Oat Milk
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Add all the ingredients to the blender jug and blend for around 1 minute until well blended.
- Strain it through a nut milk bag and you have a creamy and delicious homemade plant milk to use as you please.
Tips For The Best Homemade Oat Milk
- Don’t soak the oats first. A lot of recipes recommend soaking your rolled oats first and then rinsing them very well to remove any sliminess before blending. Yes, oats get slimy. It’s weird. But I actually found in experimenting that the best results came about from not soaking the oats at all. It’s also quicker this way. So just add your oats and water to the blender (plus optional flavorings) and blend!
- Don’t over-blend. Over-blending can also cause the oat milk texture to feel slimy. So you just want to blend it well enough and then stop blending. Usually 1 minute of blending will be more than enough.
- Strain your oat milk. I strain it through a nut milk bag (also sometimes called a nut mylk bag). This is the nut mylk bag I have and am very happy with. To get really smooth oat milk you may even want to strain it twice. You can also strain it through a thin tea towel.
- Don’t heat your oat milk. This homemade oat milk is great in tea or coffee or over cereal. However, it’s not great heated as it tends to get quite thick and clumpy when you heat it. So you can add it to hot drinks and that’s fine, but don’t heat it up before adding it to hot drinks.
What To Do With Leftover Oat Pulp?
A reader commented that they add it to pancake batter to create a nuttier tasting version (awesome idea, thanks Susan!).
You can also use the pulp to make cookies. I found a great recipe for Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pulp Cookies that does exactly this.
This recipe doesn’t result in a huge amount of leftover pulp so you’re also fine to just throw it away unless that is something that goes against the grain for you. If that’s the case then bake some cookies or throw it into some pancakes.
Storing Tips
Keep it stored in the fridge where it will stay fresh for up to 5 days. Shake it up before use as it tends to separate in the fridge, don’t worry this is normal, give it a good shake and enjoy.
More Easy Vegan DIY Recipes
- How To Make Almond Milk
- How To Make Cashew Milk
- Vegan Buttermilk
- Vegan Condensed Milk
- Homemade Vegan Butter
- Vegan Heavy Cream Substitute
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Homemade Oat Milk
Ingredients
- 1 cup Rolled Oats (90g)
- 4 cups Water (960ml)
- ¼ teaspoon Salt Optional
- 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup Optional
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract Optional
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to your blender and blend until well blended. Don't blend for more than 1 minute.
- Strain through a nut milk bag or a tea towel.
- Store the milk in the fridge where it will stay fresh for up to 5 days. Shake it well before use.
- Use in your tea or coffee or pour over cereal.
Video
Notes
- Don’t soak your oats first, I found this caused sliminess, no matter how much they were rinsed.
- Don’t overblend as it can also cause the oats to become slimy. You shouldn’t need to blend for more than a minute.
- Don’t heat the milk as it causes it to get very thick and clumpy. It can be added to hot drinks like tea and coffee though.
- This recipe is gluten-free as long as you use gluten-free rolled oats.
Yvonne says
Can you put the mixture through a juicer? That is how we make our hemp milk, but I’m not sure if it will work for oats. Thanks!
Alison Andrews says
Hi Yvonne, I don’t have any idea how that would work as I’ve never tried it like that. 🙂
Yvonne says
So I tried it…I soaked the oats overnight, drained them and used fresh water to put them through our juicer. I love the flavor and creaminess of the milk! Feels in the mouth like drinking whole cow’s milk. I do see what you mean about the sliminess, although it doesn’t seem to affect the feel in the mouth. Thanks for the good ideas and for creating and maintaining such a lovely website. We switched to a plant-based diet a few months ago, and I absolutely rely on websites like yours for meal ideas, tips, and tricks…it makes the transition so much easier on everyone!
Alison Andrews says
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it! And I’m SO happy our blog has helped in your transition. Thanks for the wonderful comment and review. 🙂
Flo says
Hi, thanks for this recipe. I’ve just made this oat milk because the shop-bought ones are so expensive and waste so much packaging. It’s fab on cereal, but it separated a bit in my coffee. Have you found the same problem and how can I rectify this?
Flo says
I should have said, I only used oats and water because I don’t like it sweet.
Alison Andrews says
Hi Flo, this can sometimes happen with any milks including plant milks, some tips are to wait a little before adding the milk to your coffee, or to add the milk in first and then slowly pour in the coffee. This article from Cooking Light has some tips. 🙂
Lizzy says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made it and used the milk to make a dairy free yogurt ???? it turned out fabulous!
And if you do want to use this milk for a dinner, you can heat it using a double boiler or a glass/stainless steel bowl over a pot of water as it heats at a much slower rate. I used this meats to bring the oat milk to the right temp for yogurt making with no lumps whatsoever ????
Alison Andrews says
Awesome! Thanks for sharing Lizzy! 🙂
Eileen E Rice says
I was just looking for a recipe to make oat milk yogurt. Can you share your recipe?
Paul says
You say not to heat it, but I am like looking for milk I can steam in my expresso maker for lattes. Have you tried steaming it? Thanks
Alison Andrews says
Hi Paul, I haven’t tried steaming it, but I am pretty sure that wouldn’t work great with this either, it would likely become clumpy.
Eileen E Rice says
I made the recipe as stated without the maple syrup. However, after I strained it, it was a clear color or translucent color. It was whitish in color. I’m wondering if I did something wrong
Alison Andrews says
Did you blend it very well? I’m not sure if you did anything wrong. My only worry is that if it wasn’t blended enough that it might be too watery and that might be what you’re describing.
Brittney says
I prefer a thicker cream for my coffee – if I use less water (maybe 3 cups instead of 4?) will this result in a thicker, creamier texture, or will it throw the whole recipe off?
Thanks!!
Alison Andrews says
Hi Brittney, you can definitely do this, it won’t throw the recipe off. All the best! 🙂
Shameika Bahamas says
I was desperate… forgot to soak almonds overnight! ugh… kiddos were hungry and my eldest said, “can’t we just make OAT milk!?” I thought, “surely you have to soak the oats… which means we’re back where we started. I check THIS website, which is what I used to make a couple vegan birthday cakes this year… which were a hit… and the recipe was a SAVIOR! It didn’t require soaking, and it was SUPER easy. Follow the recipe exactly and it will be perfect. Not too thick not too thin. Just know that it will be a little slimy, even if you don’t over blend. I did one minute in a Ninja and still a little slimy as I strained in the nutbag but nothing much. It was great. Loved it. More accurately… the kids ages 10-3 loved it! They had second.
PS: Sweetened with Coconut Sugar.
Alison Andrews says
So glad it was a success! Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂
Mariana Katz says
Thanks Alison! I still can’t beleive how easy to make this receipe is!.
And the taste is super good!.
I just moved to Tokyo and was struggling to get any kind of vegan milk. I mean you can find them but they are more expensive than usual.
I just found that 90g of Rolled oats did not correspond to “a cup”.
I followed the quantities Indeed.
Today I made it again but just measuring with a cup and it was also yummy!;
I just prepared a cup of golden milk with it, but forgot you said not to heat it because it made lumps, so next time I would just add it to my hot drinks.
Alison Andrews says
Hi Mariana, so happy you enjoyed it! Yes a standard cup can differ from place to place, we use US cup measures, but for a recipe like this it doesn’t really matter so I’m glad to hear it worked both ways. It’s usually only in baking that things have to be really precise. Thanks so much for posting and for the awesome review! 🙂
Georgia says
Can I use a food processor ? to make oat milk, and quick oats?
Thank you.
Alison Andrews says
Hi Georgia, not as far as I know. A food processor (at least all the ones I’ve used) wouldn’t work for this as they don’t blend fast enough to break it down properly.
Lisa says
Hi Alison, great recipe…ps I’m a big fan of your site, especially the cake section!!
We’re vegan because my toddler and baby have dairy intolerance…but we’ve been recommended to buy shop oat milk as it has added calcium to be the same as Normal milk. Any suggestions where I can get this if I make their milk myself?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Lisa, sorry I can’t advise on this as it’s not my area at all. So glad you like the cakes! 🙂
Deborah says
Do you have any guidance on blenders? I’m wondering if I can use my regular home blender. Not ready to spend $400 on a vitamix. How fast does it need to be? Thanks so much!
Alison Andrews says
Hi Deborah, I don’t think a high powered blender is a must for this recipe and your regular blender should work fine. Just blend as long as needed so it looks well mixed. 🙂
Judi says
The “sliminess” is simply the soluble fiber in the oats thickening up as it is mixed with the water. It’s also what makes chia seeds thicken “puddings.” It may seem gross, but actually that fiber is good for you. THAT’S what makes your cholesterol go down when eating oats on a regular basis. I like this method better than those that rinse away all that good soluble fiber. It’s there for a reason…why not include it! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Alison Andrews says
Good point, more fiber is always a good thing. 🙂 Thanks for sharing Judi!
FRANK says
I just want something to put in my coffee. Any ideas to make this oat milk more viscous/
Alison Andrews says
Hi Frank, it’s great in coffee as is! 🙂
Jim says
Hello, I’m going to try making this very soon. I’m surprised store bought oat milk actually costs more than store bought cashew milk. This looks super easy. My question though is, do you have a recipe for the cereal / mix you’ve put in the bowl for the photos with the oat milk, it looks very good!
Alison Andrews says
Hi Jim, we just used a store bought granola and put bananas and coconut flakes on top. 🙂
Jim says
Thanks for the info, it looks quite good. What’s in it if you don’t mind? Want to start making my own to save $$$.
Alison Andrews says
Hmmm, no idea sorry! I don’t have that brand to hand right now. There are some great granola recipes around though, here is a selection of recipes from Minimalist Baker.
Niamh says
I tried pasteurising the oat milk to make it keep for longer. I placed the glass bottle with the oat milk in (with the lid on loose, or totally off) into a pan of boiling water and heated the milk to 65/70 degrees celsius for a few minutes, checking the milk regularly with a thermometer. I just opened the bottle 10 days later and it is still in perfect condition. The heat didn’t make it separate either, as it was only heated to 65 degrees. You can also put the lid in the boiling water to sterilise it whilst the milk is heating up. If you put the lid on whilst the milk is still hot, as it cools it creates a slight vacuum, which helps the milk last even longer!
I’ve also been drying the oats out in the oven afterwards and then blitzing them in a coffee grinder and using the ground oats to make a really gentle face mask/scrub for sensitive/eczema prone skin!
Alison Andrews says
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Rachael Hanssens says
Amazing taste & so.easy to make.
My Favourite milk substitute so far.
Alison Andrews says
Fantastic! Thanks so much for the great review! 🙂