How to make oat milk

Do you quite like the idea of making your own oat milk? Maybe you’ve never tried it before and fancy making some and sampling it for the first time? Or perhaps you’ve been buying it from the shop for a while now and like the thought of making your own? Well this article is the place to be, because we’re going to talk you through everything you need – and everything you need to do – to make oat milk. But before we delve right on in with the oat milk recipe, we’d like to shine a light on why it’s so great.

What does oat milk taste like?

Does it taste like oats? Milk? Or both? If you’re reading this article and haven’t tried oat milk yet, the general consensus is that it tastes like cow’s milk, but with an oat finish. It’s also said to be a teeny bit thicker and naturally sweeter than other non-dairy milks too.¹ However, the best way to find out what it tastes like, is to whip up the DIY recipe below and sample it for yourself…

Is oat milk good for you?

Well, it essentially contains oats and water, as well as a few other extras, so surely that’s a good thing?

Oat milk benefits

• Suitable for most diets – it’s vegan-friendly and lactose, soy and nut-free due to the fact it’s made from oats and water²
• Packed full of nutrients – and by that we mean packed! Vitamin D, protein, fibre, calcium, Vitamin A, riboflavin, Vitamin B12, potassium and iron, it’s all in there³
• Great for bone health – because it’s often fortified with calcium and Vitamin D, which are good for maintaining healthy bones⁴
• It’s also good for the gut - eating foods that contain beta-glucan has also been linked to gut health⁵

Oat milk and calories

Been wondering about oat milk calories? Well, one 240ml cup of unsweetened, fortified oat milk contains around 120 calories. And when you compare this to other types of milk (e.g. soy, almond or dairy), oat milk does tend to contain more calories, carbs and fibre. While, on the other hand, it contains less protein than soy and dairy milk.⁶

Oat milk recipe

Oat milk is really simple (minimal ingredients), not to mention, relatively quick to make (around 15 minutes).⁷

Oat milk ingredients

• 1 cup oats (100 g)
• 3 to 4 cups water (750 ml to 1l)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
• 1 to 2 tbsp maple syrup or 1 to 2 Medjool dates (optional)
• A pinch of salt (optional)

Instructions

1. Pour out your oats into a container/bowl and then soak them (you can leave them overnight if you want to).
2. The next day, drain the water from the oats and rinse them through.
3. Get rid of the water they’ve been soaking in.
4. Add the oats, 3 to 4 cups of clean water (750 ml to 1l) and all maple syrup or dates and salt to a blender and blend the mixture until it’s smooth. Add more or less water depending on how thick you want the consistency of your oat milk to be.
5. Strain the milk using a cheesecloth, strainer, napkin or nut milk bag.
6. Store your oat milk in an airtight container in the fridge.
7. Enjoy it for up to five days!

Nutritional information

1 x 250ml of oat milk = 169 calories, 31.1g of sugar, 10.7mg of sodium, 0.8g of fat, 41.7g of carbohydrates, 4.2g of fibre and 2.5g of protein.

Some tips for using your DIY oat milk

1. Don’t over blend your mixture because this can potentially make your oats turn slimy. Blending them for one minute is usually a sufficient amount of time.
2. Don’t heat your milk, it can make it really thick. You can still add it to hot drinks though.
3. If you want your oat milk to be gluten-free, then you need to use gluten-free oats to make it.⁸

Now you know how to make your own oat milk, discover some of the other ways you can add more oats into your diet by reading this article, ‘How to eat oats.’ Buy Milks Last updated: 18 September 2020 Sources 1 http://www.eatingwell.com/featured/StriveEverythingAboutOatMilk 2 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/oat-milk#benefits 3 https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a27079365/oat-milk-nutrition/ 4 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/oat-milk#benefits 5 https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a27079365/oat-milk-nutrition/ 6 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/oat-milk#nutrition 7 https://simpleveganblog.com/how-to-make-oat-milk/ 8 https://lovingitvegan.com/oat-milk/