Oat milk is an easy dairy-free milk that you can make at home in just minutes. I love that it’s nut-free, low in fat, and cheaper than store-bought versions!
Tips for Non-Slimy Oat Milk
The biggest challenge I’ve found when making oat milk at home is that sometimes it can come out with a “slimy” texture, for lack of a better word. There are a few things I’ve found that help you avoid the slimy outcome.
- Don’t over-blend the oat milk. If you have a powerful blender, like the Vitamix, I wouldn’t blend this for longer than 30 seconds.
- Use a fine-mesh strainer to strain the milk. I usually use a nut milk bag for making almond milk, but squeezing oat milk through a nut milk bag makes it more slimy than using a fine mesh strainer or seive. You may want to strain the milk twice through your strainer if desired, but avoid pressing the oats in the strainer, as any sort of “squeezing” action seems to produce more slime.
- Don’t heat it up. You know how oatmeal thickens when you cook it? So does oat milk. I recommend using oat milk for cold recipes, such as over cereals, in smoothies, or in iced coffee drinks for best results. (See my note on coffee below for a hot option.)
- Don’t soak rolled oats ahead of time. I know many oat milk recipes call for soaking the oats ahead of time, to help wash off the “slime,” but I found that soaking the oats actually produces a more-slimy result than just using the dry oats right away. This also makes the process faster, so it’s a win-win.
Oat Benefits
How healthy is oat milk? Considering that 65% of adults have difficulty digesting lactose (which is found in cow’s milk), oat milk is a great dairy-free alternative. In addition, oats contain several important vitamins and minerals.
Here’s why you’ll love them:
- A half cup of dry oats contains 10% of your daily iron recommended intake.
- Oats are high in antioxidants, particularly the group called avenanthramides. These antioxidants are thought to be anti-inflammatory and may help to lower blood pressure.
- Know why oatmeal baths became popular for itchy rashes? The antioxidants in oats are known for their anti-itching effects.
- Oats may also help to improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood sugar levels.
Oats are naturally gluten-free, but they can be cross-contaminated with gluten during processing. If you need a gluten-free milk, make sure you buy oats that say “certified gluten-free” on the package.
How to Make It
Making homemade oat milk is just about as easy as it gets. You don’t have to soak the oats ahead of time, so it literally takes minutes to prepare.
Here’s how to do it:
- Blend. Combine everything in the blender and blend briefly. If you have a high-speed blender, only blend for 30 seconds, so the oat milk won’t heat up and become slimy.
- Strain. Pour the milk through a fine mesh strainer. Do not use a nut milk bag, and do not press the milk through the strainer. You want to squeeze it as little as possible, to reduce the slime-factor.
- Strain again. For a super-smooth milk, rinse the pulp out of the strainer, and then pour the strained milk through again, to catch any extra debris. This is optional, but it does improve the texture.
- Enjoy! You can use the oat milk right away, or let it chill in the fridge for up to 4 days. This milk is best served cold, as it will thicken when heated.
I’ve tested this recipe using rolled oats and steel cut oats, and I prefer using rolled oats for best results. Steel cut oats need to be blended a little longer, or soaked ahead of time, to get similar results, so keep that in mind.
Can You Use it In Coffee?
Oat milk will thicken up when heated, just like it does when you make oatmeal, so the recipe below is not ideal for making lattes. You can add it cold to coffee, like a creamer, but it will not create a foam the way homemade almond milk does.
I’ve even tried adding oil to this recipe, the way store-bought “barista” milks do, but it still doesn’t foam the way my almond milk coffee creamer does. (It will also take on the flavor of whatever you add, so keep that in mind!)
For a warm drink, I imagine you might be able to add extra liquid to help thin it out? It’s something to experiment with, as I haven’t quite figured it out yet!
More Dairy-Free Milk Recipes
Need more dairy-free milk ideas? Try one of these!
- Almond Milk
- Hemp Milk (No Straining)
- Chocolate Almond Milk
- Vanilla Almond Milk
- 2-Minute Almond Milk (No Straining)
- Instant Golden Milk
- Green Milk
How to Make Oat Milk
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 cup rolled oats (certified gluten-free, if needed)
- 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup (optional)
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Add the water, oats, maple syrup (if using) and salt to a high-speed blender and blend briefly, about 20 to 30 seconds, until the mixture looks creamy. Do NOT over-blend, as this will make the consistency more slimy.
- Pour the blended mixture through a fine-mesh strainer, and tap the sides of the strainer to make sure the liquid strains through. (Don't use a spoon to press the pulp into the sides of the strainer, or the resulting milk will be slimy. This is also why you also don't want to use a nut milk bag for straining.)
- For an extra-smooth milk, rinse off the strainer and then pour the milk through it a second time. This will strain out any extra debris for an super-smooth milk.
- Use the milk right away, or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this homemade oat milk recipe, please leave a comment below and let me know how it turns out for you! And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too. We can all benefit from your experience.
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite non-dairy milk?
So the water i used was cold and the coconut oil formed lumps when straining. Make sure the water is room temperature when you blend it. Not sure if it will lump up in the fridge, perhaps a different oil would be better.
Oh I wanted to make oat milk to add to my porridge, would this still work? I guess I am not allowed to heat it up though
I think it would be fine in porridge!
I have read on other sites to soak the oats but drain & rinse like you said with steel cut, wondered if you had tried that method? Or did you find they still were more likely to be slimy? Interesting that compared to nut butters esp. almond which are suppose to be thinner than store bought (they add thickening agents) that HM oat milk is thicker & creamier than store bought! Will have to give it a try. Thanks.
Oh my gosh! You’ve saved me! For so long I have wanted to love homemade oat milk but always found when I made it (using the soaking method) that minimal to no flavour came out in the final product and it was like drinking water. This is the first time I’ve made oat milk and loved it, and it’s even less work than other methods. it’s also great with black tea. I’m stoked. Thank you again!
This is great! I was trying to emulate the Elmhurst brand because it is smooth, steamable and only 3 ingredients (so they say). I found this was very similar – I was able to steam and get foam (with an added tsp of coconut oil- woo!!).
(Note on steamed milk: there was some natural separation in my oat milk and espresso – tho, stirring it in between long sits will solve this issue- lol ;)) I could not get the milk to aerate like store-bought oat milk – but the results this recipe yielded was better than most online recipes AND easier.)
Straining the oats is nearly impossible!
Everything Ive tried immediately clogs and the liquids stop moving through. any tips? thanks!
Thank you this is wonderful. Just wondering if adding the coconut oil, at which point do you do this? Before blending, after blending or before frothing milk for coffee only?
i love your website! Is oat milk fattening because it is a carb/grain?
Oatly use an enzyme processimg to break down the starches to prevent slime
https://www.jeffnobbs.com/posts/is-oatly-healthy#comments
Why after 2 or 3 hours oat milk is separated into two layers, the top layer is water the bottom is oat. How to solve this problem ?
Most homemade non-dairy milks will separate. Just shake it before using it again!
I have tried at least half a dozen different recipes but yours is by far the best…. you have explained ‘why’ you add each ingredient, which I feel is important. So, thank you!
Aw, thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I modified the recipe using steel cut (soaked overnight) with date syrup and a bit of vanilla extract instead of maple syrup. It came out pretty tasty!
What speed do you use on a vitamix?
I always start low then turn it to high. It’s only on high for 20 seconds or less.
I’m 55 yrs old and when I was young my Dad used to make this without a blender and he strained the oatmeal after leaving it in water until it became white as milk. He removed all the water out of it. The sliminess disappears and it’s just in the remnants which I ate cold with a little sugar. My Mom thought I was crazy but I loved it and loved the sliminess after Dad strained it. So good!
Thank you! Before this recipe all of my attempts failed🙈
This is great! I can’t believe how easy that was!
I’m wondering if anyone has tried adding a handful of cashews after its strained for a second blend to give it a little more creaminess and to froth it up for warm drink, without making it slimy.
Wow, sooo creamy!
This recipe is easy and quick! It tastes delicious, and I’m never buying oat milk ever again. Plus, I didn’t get a stomach ache like I usually do with Oatly and other brands. Thanks for the recipe!
I have discovered the solution for slimy oat milk that requires no extra ingredients. Oat milk is slimy because there is starch in the oats. Starch is not soluble in water, it absorbs the water and makes the slimy texture. Starch is a chain of sugar molecules, but if you break those chains into smaller chains they are soluble in water. This is called dextrin. So if you can convert the starch into dextrin you will not have slimy oat milk. The way you do this is to bake the oats at 275 for 60 minutes. I first ground the oats to flour which makes smoother and creamer oat milk, and then bake them. The resulting milk has a tan color, as that is the color of dextrin, but it is not at all slimy. One issue with the enzymes is that they are a catalyst which means they are not used up in the process, Thought it may not be too much of a problem for your digestion, you are ingesting the enzymes along with the milk. Plus, it’s just another ingredient that is not needed.
Thanks for sharing!! I’ll give that a try.
Has anyone tried to mix Almonds and Oats to get a balanced milk?
If my oat milk tastes like pure water, did I not mix it enough? I was using an immersion blender and gave it 30 seconds.
Works perfectly! Don’t have to worry about using a whole carton. Just keep a bag of oats in the cupboard and a milky iced coffee is seconds away. Thanks so much!
I am hooked on Oat milk and have succumbed to the commercial brands up until now. They are so expensive and this turned out amazing with just the two ingredients! I love innovation so I did my own “experimenting”. I kept the organic rolled oats in the freezer. I also blended the water with ice cubes to make the mixture extra chilled. THEN, I used our French Press for the first “straining”, being sure not to press down on the oats all the way. I did this twice. The final step was to strain through a mesh strainer. The milk came out absolutely delicious; so fresh tasting. Thank you for the inspiration! This method did not take very long at all.
This is so good! Love that I can have oat milk without the oil!
When I make this recipe my oat milk comes out so watery. It’s just tastes like super watered down oats and it’s very thin. I’ve tried adding more oats but it didn’t help. I’m not sure what else to do