Easy 5 Minute Creamy Oat Milk Recipe (No Vitamix)

I often make oat milk at home instead of buying it from the store because it is so inexpensive and easy to do. A bonus of making your own oat milk is that it’s free of preservatives and additives that are found in many commercial versions. I also hate the packaging of plant-based milks. Even though tetra-packs can be recycled, it’s a lot of waste.  Making oat milk is an eco-friendly choice because it minimizes my carbon footprint compared to the production and transportation of commercially packaged oat milk.

Photo by Tijana Drndarski on Unsplash

DIY oat milk allows you to customize the recipe to suit your taste preferences and dietary needs. You can experiment with different flavors, sweeteners, and thickness levels to create a drink that works perfectly for coffee and tea, smoothies, or other recipes. I have found that it is the easiest homemade milk at the cheapest cost because nuts are so expensive! Who wants to discard ground nuts into a green bin at today’s prices? So let’s get to work making our own milk!

Ingredients and Equipment

To make my own oat milk, I generally use only two ingredients along with water: organic oats and shredded coconut. I recommend using organic oats to avoid excessive pesticides and herbicides, particularly glyphosate.  Organic farming practices prohibit the use of glyphosate, so certified organic oats aren’t treated with this herbicide. Glyphosate has been linked to potential health issues including cancer, endocrine disruption, and gut microbiome disturbances.

A basic recipe is to use only oats and water.  I have found that a little shredded coconut or raw cashews makes the milk creamier. Cashews are quite expensive, so I generally use coconut, but it does add a hint of coconut flavour to the milk which I like. If you want your oat milk to be sweeter, you can opt for sweetened shredded coconut or add a little maple syrup.  I generally don’t bother adding a sweetener, so I have the flexibility of using the milk for savory recipes.  

Half recipe with 1/2 cup oats and 1 Tbs shredded coconut

In terms of equipment, it is best to use a high-powered blender to thoroughly blend the oats and water into a smooth mixture. Many people use a Vitamix for creating creamy sauces, but these are one of the most expensive blenders on the market starting at $500 CAD. I also read that the inside of the Vitamix has Teflon which can begin to break down into the food, and that’s not something I want to be eating. I use a Ninja blender which works very well for creamy sauces.  It’s reasonably priced at about $150 making it a much more affordable option. 

A nut milk bag or cheesecloth is essential for straining the oat milk to remove any remaining oat pulp and achieve a silky texture. You could also use a fine mesh sieve, but I think it’s worth investing in a nut milk bag to produce the best results. I can whip off a jar of oat milk in about 5 minutes, so we always have plant milk on hand by grabbing staples from the pantry.

Step-by-Step Recipe

The standard recipe for oat milk is 1 cup of rolled oats with 3 to 4 cups of water, depending on the desired consistency.  My Ninja blender has a smaller “bullet” style cup that is easier for clean up, so I usually start with ½ cup of oats instead. 

Dry ingredients in the blender cup

I add cold water up to just under the Max line. Make sure the water is cold, otherwise the milk will become extra slimy. If you want to add other flavour ingredients like coconut or cocoa powder, now is the time to do it. I add 1 Tbs of coconut shreds for every ½ cup of oats.

Add up to 2 cups of water to dry ingredients

I usually blend for 1 minute which breaks down the oats and coconut well, but the longer you blend the slimier it gets. Some people dislike that texture so they stop at about the 30 second mark.  I prefer the milk to be creamier and I achieve that consistency at the 1 minute mark. 

Blended oats using the Ninja blender

Once blended, I pour the mixture through a nut milk bag, which is set into a bowl so I can separate the liquid from the oat pulp. 

Pour the oat mixture through the nut milk bag in a bowl

I simply squeeze the bag to extract as much liquid as possible. The result is a smooth, homemade oat milk that’s ready to use in your favorite recipes or beverages.

Fresh oat milk!

I re-use tomato sauce mason style jars to store the oat milk in the fridge. If I want to sweeten the milk with maple syrup, I usually add 1 Tablespoon into the jar with the milk.  If I want to add vanilla flavour, about 1 teaspoon is usually enough to give it a hint of vanilla. I generally don’t add the maple syrup or vanilla during the blending process because it isn’t necessary to blend these ingredients, and they are lost in the pulp.

Re-use a jar to store your oat milk

I have tried several recipes using the leftover pulp, but to be honest I haven't found one that's tasty enough. If you have discovered a way to make use of the leftovers, please share in the comment section! I usually feed the pulp to our worm bins or add to the green composting bin picked up by the city.

Shelf Life and Uses

Homemade oat milk with will last for up to a week, but a full batch is typically gone in two days in our household! The oat starch settles on the bottom, so it’s important to shake well before each use to ensure it’s well mixed.

Homemade oat milk is incredibly versatile and can be used in a variety of ways. I usually use it in my tea or coffee but it can be poured over cereal, blended into smoothies, or used as a dairy substitute in cooking and baking. I also use plain oat milk in savory plant based recipes like broccoli soup and alfredo sauce.

Variations

Other than flavour variations using cocoa or vanilla, you can also experiment with the ratio of oats to water.  The classic recipe uses 1 cup of oats to 4 cups of water, but I find it too thin for my tastes.  I think it’s because I use milk mostly in coffee and tea, where I prefer to have a cream-like consistency.  For that reason, my standard recipe is 1 cup of oats to 3 cups of water.  

I like to enhance the creaminess with raw cashews or coconut shreds, but it’s also possible to add oil to the recipe.  I avoid adding free oils to my recipes and choose to use unprocessed food, so that’s why I stick to nuts or coconut.

Here’s a printable version of the recipe. Enjoy!

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