Have you ever ordered an oat milk latte (or matcha) at a cafe, and wondered, “Why can’t I ever make it this good at home?”
Yes? Then this recipe is for you.
What is Oat Milk?
Oat milk is rolled oats and water blended together then strained to leave the pulp behind. The result is creamy oat milk perfect for adding to cereal, granola, baked goods, and more.
How is this recipe different?
This recipe is specifically designed to mimic the texture of Oatly’s Barista milk, which froths and heats beautifully, whereas plain oat milk is less creamy, can often get slimy when heated, and tends not to froth well. Talk about a sad latte situation.
What makes Oatly Barista Milk so Creamy?
This brings me to my next point. Oatly’s Barista blend is creamy and froths well largely because it contains a considerable amount of fat in the form of rapeseed oil.
We aren’t oil-free by any means, but would prefer not to drink oil, especially in such great quantities on a regular basis. (Anybody else have a daily matcha / latte habit?)
So, we went to the drawing board to come up with an oat milk that was creamy, rich, and — most importantly — heated and frothed beautifully. Sad lattes begone.
Spoiler alert: We cracked the code.
What makes this oat milk creamy and frothy?
The secret to this quick, 5-ingredient recipe is a blend of ingredients as opposed to pure oat milk. And what a delicious blend it is.
Cashews create a creamy, rich base, which complements the flavor of oats perfectly, while coconut flakes round out the creamy texture while also adding a bit of natural sweetness. This unique blend of oats, cashews, and coconut creates my ultimate, dreamy dairy-free milk!
The best part? It’s oil-free, easy to make, and heats and froths beautifully, making it the perfect latte companion. Whoop!
Once blended, simply strain and watch the glorious stream of rich, dairy-free milk pour into your bowl. Swoon!
Flavor Variations
We opted to add a pinch of sea salt as well as a pitted date for a bit of natural sweetness.
If you’re looking to mix it up, you could also add:
- A handful of fresh berries
- A bit of our Golden Milk Mix
- Cacao or cocoa powder
Simply add when blending to give this milk a flavor boost!
We hope you LOVE this recipe! It’s:
Creamy
Rich
Quick & easy to make
Customizable
& SO delicious
This dairy-free milk is perfect for heating / frothing and adding to things like our Best Matcha Latte, 5-Minute Golden Milk, Feel Good Hot Chocolate, or Perfect Cup of Coffee! It’s delicious with iced drinks as well. Our favorite way to enjoy this milk has been in our Breville Milk Cafe (not sponsored, we just love this thing) mixed with a bit of matcha powder and stevia!
Into dairy-free milk? Be sure to check out our Guide to Making Dairy-Free Milk!
If you try this recipe, let us know how it goes! Leave a comment, tag a picture #minimalistbaker on Instagram, and don’t forget to leave a rating! It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Cheers!
Cashew Coconut Oat Milk (Our Take on Oil-Free Oatly Barista Milk)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup raw cashews (raw is best)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (we like the large flakes, but small is okay, too)
- 1/4 cup rolled oats (not steel cut, gluten-free certified as needed)
- 1 medjool date, pitted (or sub maple syrup or stevia to taste)
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 3 cups filtered water (or highest quality water possible)
Instructions
- Soak cashews (uncovered) in very hot water for 30 minutes, or in cool water for 6 hours or overnight (be sure not to soak longer than 8 hours or the cashews can get too soft).
- Drain and rinse cashews, then add to a high-speed blender with coconut flakes, rolled oats, date, salt, and filtered water. For this recipe (as written) we recommend starting with 3 cups (720 ml) water for a richer, creamier milk. If you prefer slightly thinner milk, add up to 4 cups (960 ml) total.
- Top blender with lid, cover with a towel to ensure it doesn’t spill over, and blend on high for 60 seconds.
- Place a nut milk bag (or thin, clean dish towel or t-shirt) over a large mixing bowl and pour the milk over it. Then strain, squeezing really well until mostly pulp is left — this may take a few minutes.
- At this point the milk is ready to enjoy as is, or it can be refrigerated up to 4-5 days (sometimes — you’ll know if it’s still fresh by the smell).
- This blend is perfect for frothing / heating, or used cold as a thick milk or “creamer” for hot or iced coffee or matcha! We haven’t tested freezing it, but suspect it would work, though it’s always best when fresh.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with full amount of ingredients included. Actual nutrition per serving will have slightly fewer calories, fat, carbohydrates, etc. due to straining through nut milk bag.
Katie says
Hello, this looks amazing! My husband has recently opted to go dairy free and so I’ve been scouring the internet for recipes just like this. My question is, have you ever used this in place of cream in a soup? Theoretically if it heats well it should work? Just thought I’d ask before delving in. Thanks!
Hi Katie, we haven’t used this specific one, but we think it would work (leaving out the sweetener)! We find coconut milk and cashew cream are both great options for adding creaminess to soups.
Stacey says
Love this recipe – so yummy! Would it work if I freeze the milk to help it stay fresh for longer?
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Stacey! Yes, that would work! We like to freeze in an ice cube tray to make it easy to defrost a small amount when we want to add to a drink.
glandy says
OMG !!!! i finally found a legit recipe for change dairy product.
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe, Glandy! xoxo
AnnieTN says
This is so easy and delicious. We love it and will never buy that stuff in the carton again. Thank you!
We’re so happy you love the recipe, Annie! Thank you for the wonderful review! xo
Sunny says
Love this recipe and making my own nut milk! I didn’t have a proper nut milk bag to work with (just ordered it for the next time) but my Vitamix blended it up very well + fine mesh strainer handled any remaining pulp.
The flavor is pretty light, so I’ll play with more date or maple to add sweetness and possibly blend with coconut milk or cream to up the coconut factor. Overall, a great base to play and perfect! Thank you!!
Thanks for sharing, Sunny!
Emily W says
I really like the flavor of this milk! I am hoping to get some help with trouble shooting. I have gotten a grainy texture both times after making this, but no one else seems to be commenting about it so it must be something I’m doing.
I soak the ingredients and blend on high speed vitamix for what seems like a long time, then strain through a nut milk bag. Tips?
Hi Emily, we’d suggest trying a different nut milk bag with a finer mesh. We hope that does the trick!
Sunny says
Possibly soak cashews in hot water rather than cool (although you may have already tried hot H2O). Soaking coconut flakes and oats may be helpful, too. Good luck!! 🤞🏼
RP says
I have found that I need to strain with a mesh strainer before using the nut milk bag. And if you squeeze too hard on some nut milk bags, you force it through the seams and it leaves unstrained.
Rachael says
Creamy, yes. Frothy yes. But the ratio of coconut to oats makes it more like coconut milk than oat milk. The coconut overpowers the taste of my coffee. I might try it again with less or no coconut in it… 🤷♀️
Do you have a no coconut option?
Hi Rachael, The fat content of the coconut is what helps it froth in our experience, but you could try more cashews!
Cat says
I’ve been using 1/2 cup of Oat & 1/4 cup of coconut and 5 cups of water. (all other measurements the same) it’s great!– but I do add a bit of almond milk to my beverage and foam that on top.
Dionne says
I came here to see if anyone else found the same in their coffee! This recipe is the first I’ve found that the milk doesn’t separate when poured in the coffee, which is huge! I don’t love coconut and it just overpowers the coffee for me, I’m going to play around with less coconut and more cashews!
Britt says
Thank you for this recipe. I have been avoiding store bought nut milk because of the amount of seed oils and awful ingredients, so I was very excited for this. The recipe was easy to follow and tasted awesome by itself. However, when I used it for a latte with espresso, it tasted so foul and sour. I was wondering if you had any advice for me because I see comments that they used it for coffee and it was amazing. I’m not sure if it could curdle from the hot espresso or what. How would you recommend using this for lattes? Thank you so much, Brittney
Hi Britt, that’s so strange! Is it possible it was fresh when you tasted it on its own and then went bad before it was made into a latte? We’re not sure what else would cause that!
Claudia says
Excited to try but do not have raw cashews. Do you think this will work with cashew powder?
Hi Claudia, we’re not familiar with cashew powder, but it sounds promising!
Virginia says
What can we make with the leftovers?
Hi Virginia, you can use it similarly to almond pulp. We have ideas for that here.
Susan Eden says
Can I make this without the cashews?
Hi Susan, we’d suggest replacing them with almonds or macadamia nuts. Hope that helps!
Joan says
I made this recipe this morning. It is incredibly delicious! My coffee tasted so, so good! Thank you for the recipe! This is without a doubt so much better than store bought. Healthier too! Glad I found you.
Aw, yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Joan! Thank you for your kind words and lovely review! xo
S says
I’m confused. Can I use desiccated coconut (shredded coconut US name) or is coconut flakes the best option. Thanks
We prefer coconut flakes, but desiccated coconut will work too!
JJ says
This recipe hits the spot! My husband likes milk in his coffee & I drink mine black. I’ve been slowing moving towards making weekly items myself versus store bought. This is so easy & worth it! Now I sneak in a latte a couple of times a week :)
Question: How do you prevent separation? The first couple of times it was ok. The last few weeks there is significant separation (only reason for a 4/5 stars). I don’t make any substitutions. But will add a tablespoon of vanilla for a change up every other week. And I double strain the liquid through a bit bag. Thanks for any recommendations!
Hi JJ, separation is natural in dairy-free milks! We would suggest giving it a good shake before using!
Sherry says
Love your recipes!! I just told my husband yesterday that I wanted to learn how to make oat milk like Barista. Bingo!!! Here you laid it out for me. Awesome!!! Only one thing I do not like coconut will it still be creamy? Thank you for responding. My name is Sherry.
Hi Sherry, the coconut milk is important to make it thick and creamy! You could try subbing more cashews, but it won’t be quite the same. Hope that helps!
Dora says
Hi there
Did this milk few times already, super delicious, many thanks for the recipe but unfortunately won’t froth for me either, I ‘m using the hand frother
Would you please advise how we can manage in this situation or some tips/tricks we could possibly use to get a froth with a hand held frother?
Hi Dora, what kind of handheld frother are you using? Have you tried frothing warm milk, or just cold/room temp?
Anwen NiT says
Absolutely delicious! I only had unsweetened coconut on hand and so I went for it, adding the date too because … well, it was a cold dreary day and some plant sweetness seemed called for. Coconut, not oats, is the foremost taste in my batch though it’s not overwhelming. I’ll definitely be making this again!
Yay! Thanks for the wonderful review, Anwen!
Marissa says
Are the coconut flakes a must, or can this be made without them and one still achieve the right consistency?
Hi Marissa! You can use more cashews or sub macadamia nuts. Hope that helps!
Julie says
This barista milk is delicious! Even my milk lover son gave it 8/10. It foamed beautifully on my cappuccino. Thanks so much
Yay! Thank you for sharing, Julie!
Sally says
This is a fab recipe, lovely thick creamy milk and made a super cappuccino! Thanks :)
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Sally. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Ashley Di Buduo says
Hi! I’m allergic to gluten and just realized my daily oat milk latte is not gluten free, so I’m on to making a homemade option 😅. I was hoping to add some pea protein to this as well. Do you have any idea if I would add this pre or post blend, or how much might be a good starting point? Thanks!!
Hi Ashley, the texture will most likely be different if you add protein and we aren’t sure if it will get as creamy when heated. We’d suggest add it in at the end, though, after straining.
PinkB says
You can find gluten free oats nowadays, although if your sensitivity is truly high, those might not work
We don’t live without gluten digestive enzymes to avoid troubles
Richa says
I just made this and it is the most delicious plant milk I have made so far!
Yay! Thanks for the great review, Richa!
Jenny says
I had really high hopes for this recipe after trying 2 others. It tasted ok but this one wouldn’t froth either, and the cashews and coconut made my Vitamix feel super oily/greasy. Back to the oat milk drawing board!
Sorry to hear that, Jenny! What type of frother were you using?
Jenny says
A handheld (battery operated) frother. Does fine with my Planet Oat or soy milk. Guess it’s due to whatever additives they use since those don’t contain oil.
Hi Jenny, yes, the gellan gum is probably helping it. For this recipe, we’ve used the Breville Milk Cafe and our espresso machine with success.
Stacie says
I’m allergic to cashews, what would be a good substitute?
Maybe almonds?
Laura says
I adjusted this recipe to be used in an Almond Cow. It’s now my go-to milk for my family. Soak 1 1/3 cups cashews for 30 min in hot water or in cold water overnight. Fill almond cow with water to max line (8 cups). Add vanilla extract to almond cow. Break 2-3 dates up into smaller pieces. In mixing bowl, mix 1 1/3 cups coconut flakes, 0.6 cups oat milks, dates and a couple pinches of salt. Fill almond cow blender cup with half the mixture. Run twice. Remove pulp from blender cup and fill with remaining half of dry ingredients. Run twice. Ready to enjoy! I store mine in a half gallon glass straus bottle – it fills 3/4 of the container.
Love it! Thanks for sharing, Laura!
Renee says
Do you mean 0.6 rolled oats? Says oat milk. I’d love to try this in my almond cow, tysm
Rakan says
It’s a delicious, creamy combo. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get it to froth with the Aerrocino 4. I didn’t sub any ingredients either 🤷♂️
It makes a for a delicious creamy cafe au lait nonetheless.
Thanks for the review, Rakan!
Lisa says
What do you do with the remaining blended oats and cashews? Does that just go in to waste or can that be used in some way?
Hi Lisa, you can use it similar to almond pulp (we have recipes for that here).
sabrina says
I want to try this so bad!! The only this is im having trouble finding the raw cashews. Will it work the same if they have been baked? thats the closest thing i’ve found up to now :(
Hi Sabrina! We haven’t tried it with roasted cashews, but other readers have had success with it! The flavor will just be slightly different. Hope this helps!
Tricia Hedahl says
Hey Sabrina – Costco has raw cashews!
Virginia says
Good morning! I tried making this today (followed the recipe ratios). Two questions:
1) Does blending for a full minute help create the creaminess? 2) If I want to try to make the milk thicker, would adding more soaked cashews or oats help?
I wouldn’t say my milk results were watery, but I would love to figure out a way to add more of a creaminess. Thank you and have a lovely day!!
Hi Virginia, blending it for the full minute does make it creamy! Also you could add extra cashews to make it thicker and creamier! Hope this helps. xo
Virginia says
I went back and blended it for a bit longer – the consistency is much thicker now! :) Thank you. Can’t wait to try it in my coffee tomorrow morning.
Whoop! We’re so glad you’re enjoying it, Virginia. Thank you for sharing! xo
Chloe says
Made this and was so excited to have a cheaper alternative to buying Silk Oat Milk. I made it and it was the most watery oat milk I’ve ever had! Not creamy at all. Very disappointed :(. I’m going to try again and add more cashews to see if it helps but I’m not holding my breath. It tastes more like oat water than oat milk.
Hi Chloe, sorry to hear this didn’t turn out as creamy as you’d hoped. Did you happen to make any substitutions or modifications to the recipe? It isn’t necessarily as thick as the store-bought oatly barista milk, but in our experience it is much more creamy than watery. Let us know if we can help trouble-shoot any further!
Jules says
I used to have this problem with any DIY non-dairy milk, I can’t say this is your problem but my issue was my blender was not strong enough to get the pieces fully blended. I had a higher end food processor. Believe it or not but just putting it through a small blend with a single serve blender from Walmart after the intial blend in the processor got me a MUCH MUCH creamier and thick milk result.
Depending on your blender this could be your issue as well.
Thanks so much for sharing, Jules!
Yuval says
Sounds awesome! Can I substitute the coconut flakes with coconut flour?
Hi Yuval, unfortunately we don’t think that substitution would work. It would most likely turn into a “smoothie” texture and be much more difficult to strain. Hope this helps!
Jennifer says
This recipe has been a life saver for my morning coffee! With oat milk gaining massive popularity my local grocery store is often sold out and this simple recipe gave me the confidence to try making it myself. Can’t see myself going back to store bought ever again.
Woohoo! So glad you enjoyed, Jennifer!
Inna says
When you say “rolled oats” do you mean traditional or quick cooking?
Hi Inna, we mean traditional rolled oats, not steel cut or quick cooking! Hope this helps. xo
Lori says
I can’t have coconut. It there a way to sub for something else?
Hi Lori, you can use more cashews or sub macadamia nuts. Hope that helps!
Christine says
This is the best non dairy milk I have EVER had. It only took me 20 years or so to find something this good. Now my search is over, I will not buy any more in the carton that I don’t like…… but didn’t have a choice. Lol. I didn’t have cashews so I used almonds, and I only had sweetened coconut so I used that and left out the dates. And it was fantastic, creamy, thicker and smooth, not overly sweet and most important …great tasting, I love it …thank you so much for this awesome recipe. Oh and I added the pulp to my homemade bread…so no waste. :)
Woohoo! So glad you enjoyed this milk, Christine. Thanks for the great review and for sharing your modifications!
Lucy says
I can’t tell you how long I’ve stood in the non-dairy creamer aisle debating what to buy and left empty handed each time. This recipe is a dream come true. On my second batch. Cut down a bit on the coconut this time just to see if I like it better. It was wonderful with the full amount though. Thank you, thank you!
Aw, yay! We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe, Lucy! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Johan says
I bought all these ingredients, but I am also keen to try with Pecan nuts (since they are lower in carbs), im wondering, milk like Oatley uses an acidity regulator, I see this with other barista milk products as well, I take it there is some reason for this?
Hi Johan, according to google acidity regulators are often included to maintain the ph of a product and help keep bacteria from growing. This is important for store-bought items, but is most likely unnecessary in a homemade milk that is finished within a week. Hope this helps!