How to Make Oat Milk

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Wood cutting board with ingredients for making homemade Oat Milk

Want to make creamy oat milk at home with just 2 ingredients, 1 blender, and in 5 minutes! Let us show you how!

What is Oat Milk?

Oat milk is simply rolled oats and water blended together then strained to leave the pulp behind. The result is easy, creamy, DIY oat milk!

Blender with oats and water for our How to Make Oat Milk tutorial

How to Make Oat Milk

To make oat milk simply add 1 cup rolled oats + 4 cups water to a high-speed blender and blend on high for 30-45 seconds. Then strain through a clean t-shirt or towel for best results.

We found nut milk bags let too much pulp through. Fine mesh strainers also let too much pulp through, so we don’t recommend using them.

This method yields creamy oat milk every time that’s perfect for adding to coffee, matcha, cereal, oats, baked goods, granola, and more!

How to make Flavored Oat Milk

You can also optionally add sea salt, a date, vanilla extract, cacao powder, or berries when blending for added flavor!

Oat Milk FAQs

How do you make oat milk not slimy?

  • Over-blending can make the oat milk slimy in texture, which is why we recommend blending for about 30-45 seconds.
  • Soaking your oats can also make the oats more prone to sliminess. Just add to the blender with water and blend!
  • Sometimes heating your oat milk can make it become slimy, so we don’t recommend it. Good news: We have a Cashew Coconut Oat Milk recipe that’s inspired by Oatly Barista milk and is perfect for heating / frothing!
  • We recommend straining twice to remove any of that excess starch which can also lend to a slimy texture.
  • We recommend straining with a towel or clean t-shirt as nut milk bags and fine mesh strainers let too much pulp through.

Can you use steel cut or quick oats to make oat milk?
In our experience, rolled oats are the way to go. Steel cut oats are too unprocessed and make less creamy milk. Rolled oats  are just right and make nice and creamy oat milk. And quick cooking oats are too finely processed and tend to create slimier oat milk.

Is oat milk gluten-free?
This can be controversial as some consider even gluten-free oats to be problematic for those with gluten sensitivity and celiac disease. But in our experience, certified gluten-free oats make oat milk gluten-free

How long does oat milk last?
Well sealed in the refrigerator, oat milk should last about 5 days. You’ll know it’s gone bad when it smells funny.

Why did my oat milk separate?
Separation is totally normal with oat milk and many other dairy-free milks. Simply shake well before use!

How do you get oat milk to froth?
If you’re looking to make frothy oat milk for adding to your favorite warm beverages, check out our Cashew Coconut Oat Milk (Our Oil-Free Take on Oatly Barista Milk!).

Want to make more dairy-free milk?

Check out our Guide to Making Dairy-Free Milk!

Assorted homemade dairy-free milks in glass jars for our post on How to Make DIY Oat Milk

How to Make Oat Milk

A quick and easy 2-ingredient, 5-minute way to make homemade oat milk! Naturally creamy and sweet, and perfect for smoothies, granola, and more!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Jugs of non-dairy milk for our Complete Guide to Dairy-Free Milk
4.66 from 177 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 8 (1/2-cup servings)
Course Beverage
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 5 Days

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rolled oats (gluten-free if GF // or sub steel-cut oats*)
  • 3-4 cups water (use less water for thicker, creamier milk!)
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 whole date, pitted (optional // for sweetness // or 1 Tbsp (15 ml) maple syrup)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
  • 2 Tbsp cocoa or cacao powder for “chocolate milk” (optional)
  • 1/4 cup fresh berries for “berry milk” (optional)

Instructions

  • Add oats, water (the lesser range will yield thicker, creamier milk, the higher range will yield thinner milk), salt, and any additional add-ins (optional) to a high-speed blender. Top with lid and cover with a towel to ensure it doesn't splash. Blend for about 30 seconds – 1 minute or until the mixture seems well combined. It doesn't have to be 100% pulverized. In fact, over-blending can make the oat milk slimy in texture.
  • Scoop out a small sample with a spoon to test flavor/sweetness. If it’s not sweet enough, add more dates.
  • Pour the mixture over a large mixing bowl or pitcher covered with a very thin towel or a clean T-shirt. In my experience, it benefits from a double strain through a very fine towel to remove any oat remnants. A nut milk bag seemed to let too much residue through.
  • Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate. Will keep in the refrigerator up to 5 days (sometimes more). Shake well and enjoy cold. DO NOT HEAT or it will thicken and become gelatinous in texture. It's delicious as is or added to granolas, smoothies, and baked goods!

Video

Notes

*You can use steel-cut oats, but I found them to make the oat milk gummy and didn’t enjoy their flavor as much.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with no additional add-ins, and the oat “pulp” nutritional content removed.

Nutrition (1 of 8 servings)

Serving: 1 half-cup servings Calories: 19 Carbohydrates: 3.4 g Protein: 0.6 g Fat: 0.3 g Saturated Fat: 0 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.12 g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 5 mg Potassium: 13 mg Fiber: 0.5 g Sugar: 0.05 g Vitamin A: 0 IU Vitamin C: 0 mg Calcium: 2.64 mg Iron: 0.21 mg

Liked this recipe? Check out our Guide to Dairy-Free Milk for 5 more dairy-free milk recipes!

Reader Interactions

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  1. Ed says

    I don’t consume milk, but I used your recipe (using only 2 cups of water) as a base for ice cream and it came out great, thank you!

  2. Dimari says

    I made it with a Nutri bullet. It worked great, I added a touch of vanilla. I did have to strain it in a mesh strainer several times but that’s okay. I have been changing my diet over the last several months and trying to get rid of meat, salt, sugar, and dairy. Milk was going to be the hardest for me since I used it every morning in Wheaties with a banana or oatmeal with blackberries. I looked around for milk substitutes, ended up on Amazon (where else) saw oat milk, and thought, surely there is a receipt online for that. :D Thank you.

  3. Mikki says

    I will try this today and I am sure it gonna be wonderful!
    Where did you get those gorgeous milk bottles?

    Thank you!

  4. Madge says

    I made this today after extensively reading the comments for tips and tricks! Definitely made sure the water was ice cold and make it according to 3 cups rather than 4 cups and added maple and vanilla as per the recipe. I strained it through a metal mesh strainer then put it in a supa thin old tank top and strained it- boom no trouble straining! The past comments suggested was difficult to do such but no probs here! I made a mess using a food processor but that’s because I had nothing else and the results were still great! Thanks everyone for your comments and obviously yourselves for the recipe ! Totes going to try the barista style one now!

  5. Heena says

    So I tried this out today with 1 cup rolled oats with 3 cups water and 1 pitted date with a pinch of salt. It was little slimy. It looked so great.
    I usually used store brought oat milk in my tea which tastes amazing. So when I used the one I made in tea it was not good at all. It was so thick it killed the taste of tea.

    When I make tea I usually boil the tea leaves in water after a while I switch of the gas and add the oat milk to the vessel and allow it to rest after covering the vessel with a lid.

    Any ideas on how to use this oat milk with tea?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Heena! For tea, we would suggest adding this milk to the cup after the tea has been brewed and served. But we also have this milk recipe which might be closer to what you’re looking for? Hope this helps!

  6. Tom says

    Greetings.
    I have not made this yet but I note that in some cases the end product is not achieved in three efforts. This brought to mind that using ice-cold water may be the solution and or adding some ice into the blender in the blending process. I also have to believe that maybe these super blenders may be breaking down the components of the oats so far that it induces the result of slime. Just a thought. When I make my first batch with a cheap blender I will use ice-cold water.
    Hope this thought helps.

    Tom

      • Tom says

        Thanks for your thanks. I ventured into making this product Sunday, 10/24/2021. I will not do it again. My result from one cup of oats and one cup of ice-cold water and two strainings yielded four ounces. It would take nearly all day to make a quart. Granted four and five bucks a quart is a lot, but for occasional use, it beats all the time it would take me to make the stuff. If there is a way to achieve a quart at a time I would like to hear it.
        My conclusion and assessment of the homemade four ounces is that it was clearly superior to the commercial-grade stuff. Chiobani is the closest but they use far too much vanilla

        • Terry says

          Tom you only got 4 oz because you used 1c oats to 1 c water. The recipe calls for 1 c oats to 3 to 4 c water. Try it again! You might be happier

          • Allison says

            I wonder, would cheesecloth be fine enough when used to line a seive to strain out the solids?

          • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

            That should work, but sometimes it’s hard to drain fully without squeezing!

  7. Caroline B says

    3.4 grams of carbs is latest concern my mother has, I have question is okay for diabetics ingest or should they pass it up?

    If you were make diabetic safe recipe what would that be?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Caroline, We aren’t able to offer medical advice. We’d suggest asking her doctor or dietitian/nutritionist.

  8. Kianna says

    Dana,
    I’m making pumpkin pie and need a replacement for heavy cream. I really don’t want the taste of coconut…do you think if I made this oat milk on the thicker side that it would work as a good substitute?
    Thanks!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Kianna! Thicker oat milk could work, or cashew cream (~1 cup soaked cashews with 1 cup water). Hope this helps!

  9. Cindy says

    I made this using 1/2 c of dry oats, blending them first before adding 1.5 c water and 1/2 tsp sunflower lecithin. Mmmmm! I really only wanted it to mix in with some cold brew coffee, but now I am re-thinking it and might make some extra for my morning oatmeal as well! I already have a nut bag strainer but it is not as fine as it once was so I did order the one you linked to for my next try. Thank you for all of the experimenting you do on our behalf!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Woohoo! Thanks for sharing your experience and rating 5 stars, Cindy! We appreciate you!

  10. Ruth Kirk says

    What fantastic milk! Many thanks. I’m now adding 2 Canderel sweeteners at the blending stage, to give that hint of sweetness in fresh milk. Next time, I’ll try grinding the oats to a flour for 10 seconds before adding the water. I’ve sent for 2 fine mesh nut-milk bags, as my single layer of muslin takes a long time to drain. I squeeze the pulp in its muslin bag after each filtering, and this doesn’t make the milk at all slimy. I’ve also sent for a water-tight Lock and Lock storage/pouring container with a special fitting inside. With a quick shake, this will re-mix the contents thoroughly, so I will always have the best milk possible. Thank you so much for your recipe, and all your ideas and suggestions.
    With all best wishes, from Ruth XXXXX

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thank you for your wonderful review, Ruth! We are so happy to hear you enjoy the oat milk recipe!

    • Tom says

      Ruth. You mention products but do not tell us where to find these products. Would you be so gracious as to make a posting addressing this, please?
      Thank you.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Micaelyn, we fear it would splash out the sides of a food processor, but it might work if you start with less water. Another reader mentioned using an immersion blender with success! Let us know how it turns out!

  11. Jesse says

    Hi! So i made this and the milk came out creamy, for sure, but there is also a distinct chalkiness that I find really unpleasant.

    Does anybody know how to prevent this chalky texture from happening?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Jesse, sorry to hear that happened! We’d suggest using a nut milk bag that’s more fine. This is our favorite. Hope that helps!

    • Richard says

      This recipe is a great start. Easy and quick. But it doesn’t compare well to the commercial oat milks, so I did some brainstorming and experimenting. And I read the label on the commercial item.
      It needs a healthy emulsifier to better combine the ingredients and banish chalkiness.
      I added a heaping teaspoon of sunflower lecithin which is very healthy and does wonders for the texture. And it combines the oats and water so well that straining through a mesh is quick and sufficient.
      I also added a tablespoon of ground flax seed to thicken the milk, which also worked wonders.
      I tested by making a glass of chocolate milk with a tablespoon of cocoa powder and a tablespoon of erythritol, a healthy sweetener. The commercial oat milk made wonderful chocolate milk. The homemade milk needs a bit more oats.
      The flax and lecithin are the main additional ingredients for achieving a wonderful milk replacement.
      Thanks so much for the original recipe.
      My amounts for flax and lecithin are not optimized yet, but they seem close to idea.
      Sometimes minimalism needs a little help.

      • Richard says

        Sorry, I forgot one important detail.
        The commercial product uses oat flour. This is important.
        Put your oats in the dry blender first and blend for about ten seconds until the oats turn to flour. Definitely helps the final product.

          • Richard says

            Hi Katie, thanks for asking.

            I really wanted to increase the lecithin because it’s so healthy, but a heaping teaspoon seems fairly ideal. More tended to slow the straining process more than I liked. If you find other reasons for more or less please let me know.
            I’m tempted to try to match the sweetness of the Kirkland product (which says nothing about added sugar on the label yet is a bit sweet) but working with unsweetened milk seems like a good thing sometimes.
            Probably the best thing to sweeten with, if necessary, is date syrup. Seems healthier than other choices and tends to be pretty tasty.
            I may experiment with that in the future.

          • Furhaana Khamissa says

            Wow wonderful
            Updates ..yes date syrup did the trick.. I experimented with a variety of date syrup …there is a-variety in the Middle East .. preferably the sukari date syrup from Saudi Arabia was delicious…for me that is

    • JAN BREAZEALE says

      I made this today and really enjoy it, it does have a slight chalky flavor not bad. I added honey and my home made vanilla very tasty. Definitely make it more often. The pulp will take good in my bread making

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        Love the additions, Jan. And so glad to hear you enjoy it! Thank you for the lovely review! xo

  12. Barbara says

    With my early morning sleepy head I read 3/4 cups of water 😂 Strained it twice. Still not thinking clear (why is my milk so thick, haha) Added cinnamon and now I have the creamiest sweet oat cream ever. So delicious with my morning fruit.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Yay! Some mistakes were meant to be! Thanks so much for the review, Barbara! We’re so glad you enjoyed your results. xo

      • Heather says

        Is there anyway to make it creamier after blending it for 30 seconds and straining it?Can I add more oats to the already blended milk or will it get slimy?

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          Hi Heather, we’re not sure about adding it after it’s already blended 30 seconds. But to make it creamier next time, we’d suggest using less water or adding coconut or cashews. Hope that helps!

        • Mai says

          I just made oatmilk, It turned out marvelous for my first time making it. Will be making two more batches today and freezing the left over pulp for other uses. I will mainly use left over pulp for smoothies, fish and turkey loaf as well as diy self-care.
          Mahalo!
          Mai

          • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

            We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Mai! Thank you for sharing! Next time, would you mind leaving a star rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo

  13. cc says

    Thank you for this recipe. I was surprised how simple it was to just blend oats and then strain, no presoak etc. I however did not find the straining part easy or simple. It was a messy, tiring disaster my first 2 times. I used Tshirt like cloth, and if I just let it drip over a bowl like the video shows, it would take over a day because so much oat sediment and paste-like film coated the cloth. I had to squeeze and squeeze for any liquid to strain out and it felt pretty unpleasant.
    However, I now pour the first strain through fine metal sieve to take out the bigger porridge remains, and then strain through flour sack towel (thank you for the person who rec. those). I do strain several times but now it flows out much easier. I also like using the date option to add sweetness and flavor

  14. Don says

    So easy! So tasty! So cheap! It’s never going to last for five days though – I’ll drink i faster than that.

    Thinks: I’m going to try using the cheap porage oats that are fine ground as I think they might release the oat-germ (?) almost without blending. I’m interested in playing with the recipe just for fun.

    Thank you for starting me off.

    BTW, I cooked the pulp and ate it, hot like porage and cold like slices of cold porage – both were smashing!

  15. heather says

    Exactly what kind of towel for straining should be used? Linen tea towel? Oxford shirt material? Thankd

  16. Mish says

    I’ve been making Almond milk for years but I’ve run out and I had a quick google considering I’ve got lots of oats and here we are on my goodness this was so so much easier than making Almond milk, for my personal taste buds it even tastes better, now I didn’t use any dates or salt and this did quite well for what I needed it for. I love to make an Almond milk but I’ve just found the cleanup process to be cringeworthy and I always had 600 g of pulp that I didn’t know what to do with or have the time to do anything with a literally had not even 100 g of pulp with this recipe, Plus Almond milk only last for three days and if I can get five days out of this that is fantastic but at the end of the day it was so quick to make there’s no reason why I couldn’t make it up on an as needed basis. I’m going to be raving on about this for anyone who will listen thank you so much!!!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Aw, we’re so glad you enjoy this recipe! Thanks so much for sharing your experience! xo

    • Elizabeth Lualua says

      This is a great feedback. How long did the milk last in fridge compared to the Almond milk you made? Also, what did you use to strain the pulp out?

      • Michelle Lee says

        Hi Elizabeth, I have been getting 4-5 days no issues. I have used my evereco straining bag. Because that’s all I have but I’ve had no pulp/fines in my oat milk at all. What a wonderful recipe. Thanks Minimalist baker!!!

          • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

            Hi Sophie, we haven’t experimented with a Ninja blender. You can find our blender review here. Hope that helps!

  17. Marshall Lake says

    Have you (or anyone) tried using oat groats to make oat milk?

    Groats are less processed than even steel-cut oats so I’m assuming that the unprocess-ness of groats won’t make for good oat milk, but I want to ask anyway.

    Thanks.

    • Danielle says

      I cook oat groats (45-60 minutes), then blend a half cup of them with 3 cups of water and deglet noor dates (1-2 for milk, up to 11 for creamer; for medjool dates use half as many as they are bigger and sweeter).

      • Nisha says

        I’m looking to make a dairy free fudge using oat milk as a dairy milk replacement but also I was thinking of oat flour or rice flour as a milk powder replacement.. do you think my not straining the milk this would work?

    • Penny Dixon says

      I usually make yogurt with store bought soya milk. I couldn’t get store bought oat milk to work, do you have recipe/ method for yogurt using your oat milk?

  18. Archi says

    Thank you for sharing this recipe! I used macadamia nuts in addition to the oats for creaminess and sweetness, maybe 1/2 cup, soaked.

    Also, the pulp is great to add to your bath or use as a body scrub. Oats leave skin very soft. Mix with some coffee grounds or baking soda for extra scrub.

  19. Mollie says

    I usually microwave my Alpro Oat Milk for 30 seconds so it doesn’t split in my coffee. Would that work with this recipe? My blender is rubbish at the moment so I’m trying to justify a new one by thinking I’ll save a fortune if I make my own oat milk (as well as the environmental impact) but I mostly use it for coffee so want to make sure it’ll work before I buy a new one.

  20. Helena says

    This might sound like a silly question, but i’ve read somewhere that oats or rice if aren’t boiled provoke intestinal gas . What do you guys know about this? ^^
    Thanks!

    • Chris Yow says

      I can’t eat cooked oats.{ barf} I eat them raw and dry straight out of the canister. If I eat oatmeal and cream { Blueberry is my absolute favorite!} I put just a little milk over it.{ just enough to wet the oats. It is nowhere near the 1/2 cup it calls for. I would say maybe 1/4 cup} I don’t measure it anything. Then I eat it as is ,cold. I can’t eat hot/cooked oatmeal. I have never had any kind of issues intestinal or otherwise. I realize everyone is different. However, this is just from my own personal experiences.

  21. Michele says

    Hello,
    I just found out what is really in Oatly and so disgusted by the thought that I have been buying it for a whole year. I knew that it was too good to be true. I should have taken the time to investigate sooner.
    At the moment I only have steel cut oats in the house, but will be trying your recipe soon. I do make almond/date milk and it is delicious.
    I am wondering if you have any referrals for the type of tea towel that you show in the recipe. I would like to buy a few to use exclusively for milk making since I will be doing so on a weekly basis now. Thank you.
    Sincerely, Michele

    • Lona says

      Michele, I buy plain white “flour sack” towels, my very favorite multi-use towel for the kitchen, at Walmart. They work beautifully to strain rice for horchata or oats for milk. They’re inexpensive and come in pks of about 3 or 4 for around $5 and can be found i n the housewares.

    • Kate says

      This was so easy. 1 cup organic oats (Greenwise/WF), 4 cups water, a little vanilla. Blended 45 seconds. Strained (fine mesh tea strainer). Poured into small drinkable yogurt bottles leaving a little space at the top. Froze all but one. Always on hand for baking and the occasional bowl of cereal. I don’t know that it would work as creamer tho. Huge savings $.

    • Kelly says

      What’s so: Michele says
      december 14, 2020 at 6:42 pm

      Hello,
      I just found out what is really in Oatly and so disgusted by the thought that I have been buying it for a whole year. I knew that it was too good to be true. I should have taken the time to investigate sooner.

      Could you please advise? I’ve been buying for the last few months and don’t want to perpetuate any bad practices! Thanks

      • Jessica says

        I used Glucoamylase Enzyme, 1/4 tsp and soaked the oats in cold water for 1 hr before blending. You can buy this in Amazon. This improved the texture and added sweetness.
        I got curious myself about this Oatly comment and I do not like suspense. So here is one of the link I found.

        https://www.jeffnobbs.com/posts/is-oatly-healthy
        Hope these help.

  22. Kadhambari says

    Hey Dana,

    Any recommendations for what to do with the left overs?

    As a suggestion, it would be really great if you could start putting suggestions in the notes section of your recipes for what you could do with the left overs.

    I’ve gotten a lot better at reducing waste because my city provides compost, but it would be even better if I could avoid the compost all together.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks for the suggestion! It could be used similar to almond pulp (see ideas here). We’d also suggest scrolling through the comments to see what others have tried.

  23. Rachel says

    I must have tried 10 different recipes, including this one. All are literally the worst things I have ever put in my coffee.

    So…., sadly, I’ve gone back to store bought Oat Milk as life is too short to put up with this. Sorry.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Rachel, sorry to hear homemade oat milk isn’t for you. Store-bought typically has minimal oats in it and instead has added oils and flavorings, so perhaps you don’t prefer the stronger taste of oats? Another idea would be if your oats are old, that could cause them to have a bitter taste.

      • Krista Cairns says

        Agree I buy rolled oats that aren’t steam treated and have to put them in freezer or they go rancid quickly. I am sensitive to the taste apparently as no one in my house notices, but for me rancid oats ruin everything they touch. Freezer trick works great though.

    • Grace says

      I have made this with steel cut quick steel cut oats, and rolled oats. I love it, it’s simple and tasty. There was less pulp with the rolled oats.
      I made several batches at one time to stock up for a weeks worth of smoothies and milk for coffee etc. My husband said he likes it as much as the store bought almond milk, and I was looking to replace the animal dairy because of the cholesterol.
      I only used water and oats, and followed the directions. Actually one of the cups of water I used was ice, I read somewhere this stops the slime. I have had zero sliminess in any of my bottles. I used a linen tea cloth to stain one batch, then a coffee mesh filter for the other, straining ( I only did it once per batch) took a bit of time, but a simple process. I used the leftover oat pulp to make muffins, and in bread, absolutely delicious. Zero waste. Thank you for think easy, inexpensive and healthy recipe!

    • Alan says

      I am with you so far. I bought a carton of Oatly and found it very palatable and creamy so I thought to make my own using this recipe. It tastes watery even though I doubled the oats in it. Can’t believe how feeble it is. I’ll pay the professionals unless I can improve my own.

  24. Valerie says

    Love this simple recipe! I made this in two batches. The first batch was made following this recipe to a T, but it turned out too bland for my taste. For the second batch, I reduced the amount of water to 2 cups and added 3tbsp of honey. After that, I mixed it with the first oat milk and the result was amazing! It’s creamy and sweet, not slimy at all. I will be making it again soon, because everybody just loved it so much, it didn’t even last a day. Thank you very much for this.

  25. Yuri says

    LOOOOOOOVVVEEE! I used a vitamix and over-blended the first time which turned out slimy but didn’t bother me much when adding it to my hot coffee. I add teaspoon of lavender flowers to make lavender infused iced matcha lattes and it’s my new obsession! Thanks for tip about using iced cold water and blending water and dates only before adding the oats, I will definitely make those changes for my next batch! I use the finest mesh strainer first then a nut bag and put my milk through twice for an amazing texture! I also add the pulp to my smoothies or feed it to my worms to make vermicompost! Looking forward to trying the OATLY copy cat with your golden milk mix!!!!

  26. Laura Rudin says

    Hey,

    have you been able to finish the oat milk recipe that’s inspired by Oatly Barista milk and is perfect for heating / frothing that you mentioned. For us, living in Norway, is more sustainable making oat milk than cashew and coconut, but we love to heat the milk and with the oat milk I make (same as your recipe) that is a problem. Thank you kindly,

    Laura

  27. Nikki says

    I usually don’t leave reviews but for this recipe it was a MUST. My daughter and I were out of oat milk so I pulled up this recipe I saved in my recipes folder and gave it a try. The results turned out A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! I took others suggestion of using ice cold water. Used 3 cups icy water instead of 4, 1 cup of oats, 1 tsp of honey, 1 tsp of vanilla extract and pinch of salt. blended for exactly 30 seconds, used a cheese cloth to GENTLY strain oats. The results were a delicious CREAMY oat milk. Used it to eat with our raisin cereal topped with cut up bananas and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Both my daughter and I ate it all. The only thing that I love more than this recipe itself is that when using a reusable cheese cloth this method is ZERO WASTE! No more cartons ending up in a landfill or in our oceans. That makes me feel so Happy! A recipe great for the body and for the earth! I’m in love!!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe and opening up a new way to enjoy oat milk. XOXO

  28. Jacob says

    Great recipe! Although i still need to nail it. I’ve tried a couple of times now and it generally ends up a bit slimy. The recipe says to add more oats for creamier result but I’m not sure how creamy the guide recipe is? I use 50g oats to about 400ml water and blend with a Nutri Bullet for 30 seconds. I then strain through a tea strainer, then through a tea towel. Would more water or less blending be a better approach?

      • Vanessa says

        I have a big bag of barley oats and I don’t know what to do with it… Do you think it would work with this recipe?

        • Liz says

          Barley is an entirely different grain than oats. Did you perhaps mean rolled barley? or is it pearled barley. I would think that barley would be more wheat tasting, but maybe not. I guess you will have to try it and let us all know!

      • Macy says

        Tried this and it worked great! Mine wasn’t slimy. I used a squirt of agave and tsp of vanilla, great for my coffee!

        I’m curious, how do you figure the nutrion information for something like this?

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          Thanks for sharing, Macy! We estimate that half the nutrition is removed in the pulp. But it’s hard to know for sure without doing a science experiment!

      • Jacob says

        Cool thanks! I adjusted the recipe slightly for me and now have it spot on. Have you got any tips to avoid separation and splitting when using the milk in tea/coffee? Any simple ingredients to add to achieve this?

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          Perhaps some sort of gum or starch. We haven’t tried it though. Let us know if you do some experimenting!

  29. Jay Gadhia says

    I find if you freeze the oats first, you end up with a smaller chance of slime. It’s warmth or heat that creates the gelatinous texture. A nut milk bag works perfectly for me with frozen oats.

  30. Paul says

    Is slimy a bad thing? As someone who likes okra, natto and mulukhiyah, I would say absolutely not. But I totally get how it could be quite a turnoff if you’re not into it.

  31. Joey says

    Great recipe! So simple, fast and it worked with my immersion blender as well! I didn’t use any sweetener, only a bit of vanilla. It tastes really good but next time I’ll definitely add the dates. <3

  32. Hyder says

    Thank you for this. Ive made mine using juicing blender the one with build in fine strainer. It works well. Now I dont have to worry about buying mill for my protein shakes.
    Thanks Heaps!

      • Byron says

        Hello, I’m a farmer and I’m wondering if there would be interest from consumers buying a larger bag of rolled oats to be used for this purpose at Farm gate prices, rather than inflated middleman. Also would conventionally grown oats be adequate or do people want organic product? As a farmer we don’t like organic because it is bad for the soil.

  33. Celine says

    I tried a quarter batch using a stick blender (don’t have a normal blender) and strained/squeezed through a kitchen towel. Result was a tiny bit slimy so I think I overmixed (I thought it could handle it since the stick blender is less efficient than a normal blender). It’s also somehow a bit watery as well, my coffee tastes fairly black.

    Verdict: use a normal blender. Otherwise it’s not bad but not great either.

  34. Katie says

    This is a great recipe, I’ve made 2 batches since yesterday! It’s really helpful that you’ve shown the nutritional information minus the oat pulp unlike every other recipe :) I’m wondering though, could you tell me the approximate nutritional values of the oat pulp that’s left after each batch? I’ve added the pulp to some brownies and I want to try different recipes whenever I make a batch of this oat milk but I’m struggling to log it on MyFitnessPal! Thank you :)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Katie, we’re so glad you enjoy it! The nutrition info is really just an estimate here as we don’t have a way to measure what’s remaining in the pulp. But we estimated it’s about half of the total nutrition of 1 cup oats + 1 pinch salt for a batch.

  35. Jan says

    Vitamix users: I kept making this and it turned out slimy every time. To fix that I now blend just the date and COLD water first on high and turn it off. Then I add the oats (and pinch of salt at some point) and immediately turn it to high and really only leave it on for 9 seconds or so. I then STRAIN but DON’t SQUEEZE it through a nut milk bag. Yes some liquid is left in the nut milk bag since I don’t squeeze – but it’s just not worth risking the slime lol.

  36. Melanie says

    I was wondering if anyone has a recipe for the leftover oat pulp/mixture? It feels wasteful just throwing good oats out

  37. Linda says

    OMG This is absolutely the best. I like it much better than almond milk! I added a tsp of maple syrup and a tiny bit of vanilla. I used a thin t shirt and squeezed it through. I threw out the pulp and gave my t shirt a rinse and threw it in the laundry. I will cut out the front and back of this t shirt and use it exclusively for oat milk.
    Thanks for sharing.

    Linda

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Linda. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

  38. Jayne Ryan says

    I’ve made this several times and each time I have the same problem. I use 3.5C of water. I blend it for 30 seconds in my Vitamix with the dial turned all the way up, but at the lower Variable speed, not the High speed. I pour it through a dish towel like your video shows, but your video doesn’t show what happens after the first few seconds. In the beginning it pours through great, but by the time you’ve poured half through it stops filtering. I have to pull all 4 corners of the dish towel together and hold it up to begin draining again. I can get about 1/2 to drain this way and the rest stays in the dish towel, dripping Very slowly. And then what to do with the gloppy left overs if you don’t have a garbage disposal in your sink. I’m concerned about putting any of this gluey mess down there and it is a nightmare to get out of the cloth. What am I doing wrong. I haven’t heard anyone else complain about these things or maybe I didn’t read enough comments. Thanks. I’d really like to get this to work.
    Jayne

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Interesting! I haven’t had this issue personally. Have you tried using a nut milk bag vs. a towel? I’m wondering if your towel is too thick. Only thin ones strain well…

      • Rosi says

        You should really be using cheesecloth. Couple layers of that will be easier to strain. Then you can use the leftovers for pancakes or something baked

    • Lauren Jones says

      I think a mesh strainer works very well – I just strain it twice. It avoids the whole mess of a dish towel/t-shirt.

          • DB says

            If you have a coffee grinder or a spice grinder you can put just the oats in the grinder and pulse til they’re like flour then mix in a covered jar with water and the other ingredients. Strain. They can’t be over blended this way so they won’t be slimy. Hope that helps!

      • Srishti says

        The recipe turned out well, I used it further in a chocolate chia seed pudding.
        Substitutions:
        -Leftover Ground rolled oats for the shortfall of whole roleld oats.
        -Forgot to add vanilla essence but it turned out fine without it.
        -For the straining, I used a fine seive first then some cheese cloth. Texture came out perfect.

    • Greg says

      I had the same issue with the clogging with the t-shirt. I switched to a nut bag and haven’t looked back. I feel like it’ll be longer lasting than a t-shirt would have been – I also didn’t like the idea of putting the shirt in with all my other clothes and using it later to strain more oats.

      As for the leftovers, don’t throw them away! Use them in a smoothie or cookies!

      Best of Luck, Greg.

  39. Claire says

    I made this but sadly as soon as I slowly heated for coffee it turned into a gloopy slimey mess. I tried again with a double straining through muslin but still the same problem. It was good in tea though where I didn’t have to heat first.

    • Issabelle Wendolek says

      Hey, I noticed the calories are much lower then other recipes, I’m just wondering if the nutrition counts the dates and sweetner or is it just the oats and water?

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        Hi Issabelle, The nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without the optional ingredients, but with the oat “pulp” nutritional content removed. It’s likely other recipes are including the pulp (which doesn’t get consumed as part of the milk).

    • Jyoti says

      Hi for masala tea, maybe try boiling water, teabags and masala , strain and then add the oat-milk (like English tea!) Perhaps won’t turn slimy and you will storage the masala chai taste. Let me know if it works 😃

  40. Cheryl in MA says

    YUM. I’ll never buy almond milk again. Love the flavor and it lightens my coffee perfectly. Thanks so much!

  41. Brittney says

    This recipe seems to have less calories than any of the other homemade oat milk recipes I’ve seen online. Why may that be?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Brittney, The nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with the oat “pulp” nutritional content removed. It’s likely other recipes are including the pulp (which doesn’t get consumed as part of the milk).

  42. Carrie says

    What towels do you recommend? BTW I tired my first batch that I made last night and it was a bit starchy tasting but still really good!!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks for sharing! Any thin dish towel will do, especially flour sack towels (they’re thin but durable).

      • Ollie says

        I actually use a fine sieve and the back of a spoon and it works well. I found the old T-shirt clogged too quickly. I make a litre twice a week now and it is great in tea or coffee, but doesn’t warm well so steer clear of hot chocolate. Plus you get porridge from the left overs – zero waste!

  43. Melissa says

    This is a great recipe! For me it made a huge difference to use refrigerated water. With room temp water it was slimy even straining it through a t-shirt, but with very cold water I can use a nut milk bag (which is quicker and easier for straining) with zero sliminess. The nut milk bag might leave an extra bit of sediment in the bottom but for me that’s no problem.

    • Michelle says

      Hi Dana, I’ve been following your recipes for a while now (falafel, dairy free milks most recently) and they are just so precise, always works like you describe them to be, and I can really trust it. I don’t usually leave comments but thanks so much for this – love from Malaysia!!! Ps I made all of this with less water so it works better with coffee + hot drinks.

      • Norma says

        To strain use a cotton cheesecloth strainercalled a colador in Spanish. A common manual Latin coffeemaker aka a Thai tea strainer on Amazon.I hope this helps.

        • Jacob Evenich says

          Great recipe and tips. It’s nice that you were able to address the issue of sliminess. Thanks for all the suggestions. Side note…. Oats are not gluten free. People who are truly coeliac should consider this with all “gluten free” oat products. The proteins that Form the gluten chains have different names and there for result in a gluten with a different name but that’s just a loop hole. I make sourdough with oat flour all the time and trust me there is plenty of strong gluten formation in the dough. In many countries outside the US it is illegal to label oats as gluten free. Worth reading into. Great recipe as always!!

  44. JCH says

    I have made this several times now with Rolled oats in a highspeed Vitamix blender. I used a T-shirt, towel, nut milk bag, and cheese cloth. Every time after blending it, it just pools and doesn’t go through. Only if I squeeze it through but then it becomes very slimy.

    Any idea what could be going wrong?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi there, we do find it needs to be squeezed to go through a nut milk bag (or any of the above). Check the Oat Milk FAQs in the post for troubleshooting tips!

    • Chelsea says

      I had 100% cotton bags, and they were a pain in the patootie. It took 20 minutes of straining to squeeze milks through. My sister showed me the one she uses, and it works like a dream. I don’t love buying or using plastic, but the cotton bags left me just as frustrated as you.

  45. marge201 says

    1 cup rolled oats + 4C water produced 5 cups of unstrained oat milk. I used 2C for a muffin recipe and froze 3C in a freezer tray containing six 1/2C slots for the next batch of muffins. No plans to use it in coffee. For muffins, this is perfect! It was the 4th batch using this particular recipe and this batch was the best, maybe because of the oat pulp. Who knows!

        • Jess says

          I just used an immersion blender and I thought it turned out okay. Maybe not quite as creamy as I’d have liked so I will probably blend a little longer next time.

        • Steph says

          I used an immersion blender (plus strainer to get rid of excess gunk). Came out perfect and easy to clean up. The big test will be how it pairs with my coffee tomorrow! :) … Thanks for the recipe!

          • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

            Yay! Thanks for sharing, Steph! Let us know how it goes with the coffee =)

    • gigi says

      as a university student who wants to become vegan, i was worries that buying non dairy milk would be too expensive but this is the perfect way to go! i found using a muslin cloth worked a lot better than the tea towel :)

  46. Talula says

    Hi! I am keen in trying out your recipe for Masala Chai and using this oat milk recipe for the milk substitute in that recipe. But it says to not heat — will it not work heating this oat milk for making the Masala Chai? Really wanted everything homemade!

  47. Oliver says

    Surely there must be a way to make home made oat milk that you can heat up? Why is there such a difference over store bought oat milk? Would prefer not to use cashews, they’re not cheap!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Oliver, typically store-bought non-dairy milks have very little oat and are mostly water, natural flavors, and gums.

  48. SK says

    Great recipe, took no time at all, and I tried sweetened and unsweetened- great to have options !
    A few places online suggest you can freeze oat milk. Has anyone tried with this recipe?

  49. Melissa says

    I had been using oat milk in my granola for a few weeks and noticed I started getting headaches everyday. I thought it may have been one of the preservatives so I tried this recipe instead. Not only did my headaches stop, but I found my new favorite non-dairy milk alternative! Thank you for this wonderful and easy recipe!

      • Nancy says

        Made my own Oat milk last night and created chia pudding for the morning. I wanted to make Chia pudding, but went to the fridge and realized I had no veggie milk. I did have lots of oats, so I decided to make that for the first time. It is absolutely the best Chia pudding ever. I love your recipes.💖

    • Lara says

      I also got headaches with a lot of the store bought but milks. Turned out it’s because of a histamine intolerance which doesn’t go well with some of the additives. Took me a while to figure that out. This oat milk is perfect!

  50. Alicia says

    This recipe is so easy and delicious! I’ve made it every couple of days and it consistently turns out well. I just use a fine-mesh strainer because I’m lazy and the texture isn’t too slimy for use in iced coffee. Using just a fine-mesh strainer makes the oat milk a little to slimy for my taste to use with other things like cereal. Thanks for the recipe!

  51. Ashley says

    Im looking into a dairy free option to cook and bake with and put in smoothies and we have access to oats more than dairy free milks so this seems to be the answer. It says not to heat, but does that apply to baked goods? I was also wondering if I blended it in a smoothie if that would affect the oat milk with being blended more? Or is it that extra pulp that changes the texture and makes it slimy?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Ashley, it will work well in baked goods and smoothies! It’s heating and then adding to warm beverages that causes an issue. Hope that helps!

      • Dani says

        Thank you for this recipe I can’t wait to try it. I jus wanted to clarify, it says for calories it is “19kcal” – I just wanted to know the exact number in calories or how to convert that? Or If it was a typo. Thanks!

      • Norma B says

        Along that line, I was hoping to use this to cook my oatmeal each morning. I would mix the oats and cinnamon with the oat milk before heating. To avoid the floppy mess, Perhaps I should use half oat milk and half water? Thanks!

  52. Jacob Corn says

    Great recipe, I’ve been using this with generally very good results depending on my different experiments, I tend to use about 1/4 tsp salt and a cap full of vanilla to a litre of the stuff and it has the desired taste, thanks minimalistbaker!

    • Natalie says

      First time making oat milk! I only added 3 cups of water and was going to gradually add more but then liked the creamier taste! I blended for 45 sec and was left with quite a bit of pulp – next time I will try blending slightly longer and hope it doesn’t turn out slimy. I used the pulp for some apple muffins.

      • Tammy Pierce says

        You really overcomplicated this. It takes forever to strain through a t-shirt and super messy. But, blended for one minute in my Vitamix it was fine with zero straining. I added a pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt and 2 packets of Truvia (stevia) sweetener. It tastes great. As for “slimy” – I call that “creamy.” It’s great in my coffee instead of creamer. And I use it in all my cooking that calls for milk.

  53. Alex says

    Sad to say this recipe was too thick and way too slimy for my liking. I added a few more cups of water to thin it out and 1 extra date to try enjoy the taste however still not the consistency I was hoping for like other homemade plant based milks I’ve made. Thank you though!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Sorry to hear that was your experience, Alex! Oats can be tricky. What kind of oats were you using?

      • Alex says

        Organic rolled oats. If I give it another go, I’ll report back with results. Thanks for your hard work with recipes.

      • Alex says

        Organic rolled oats. If I attempt again I’ll report back results. Thank you for your hard work with recipes and answering questions.

        • Becky says

          Thanks for the recipe! I was expecting it to run through the tee shirt much faster—it actually didn’t go through at all without really squeezing it! Have I done something wrong? I see another commenter asked but I’m curious if I’ve made a mistake since nothing could naturally filter. Should I blend for more or less time?

          • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

            Hi Becky, we wonder if the t-shirt material may have been too thick? A nut milk bag works best!

    • Bernadette says

      We just made this on high speed Vitamix. Hardly any pulp! Strained beautifully thru a regular strainer. I tried it in coffee (hot and iced), I personally preferred it with iced coffee but I’m also usually a black coffee drinker hot so milk at all was a bit off putting for me.
      Loved this recipe tho! Made it on a whim and have no regrets!

      • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

        Thanks so much for sharing, Bernadette. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

    • Megan says

      I am curious, when will you roll out the Oatly-inspired recipe? I haven’t tried the recipe as is, yet, but it’s on my to-do! I love your site and cook recipes from it weekly. Thank you so much for doing what you do!

  54. Dawnivan Sept says

    I made this tonight, made both a chocolate and a plain. They both turned out great and not slimy at all. I used my fine mesh produce bags and hist doubled them up. I strained twice and didnt squeeze so not as much particulates went through. It’s a little gritty but not bad if you are having it with something. Defiantly will be buying a better bag solution to make this again. I used 2 tbsp of honey for a sweetener which made it really yummy. Very happy with this recipe and I am excited to make this again and again and to save a few bucks by making my own oat milk. Thanks for the recipe :-)

  55. Chandni says

    Pretty good recipe for oat milk. This was my first time making it. I modified based on comments and ground the date up a little bit with water first. I made half a batch to try it out. I blended my oat/water mix for 30 seconds and then strained with a thin towel. It turned out pretty decent. Straining did take some time but the result was relatively smooth. I added some to my french press coffee and didn’t heat the mixure up further.

  56. Crystal says

    I’m excited to try making this but I hate the idea of wasting the pulp! Any ideas on how to use the leftover pulp?
    Thanks!

      • Marianne says

        How about using coffee filters to strain? I use melitta filters that I have too many of to strain my homemade yogurt. Is that too fine for the oat milk?

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          We haven’t tried it, but we have a feeling it would be too difficult to strain. You could try with a small amount!

        • Ash says

          I strained three times and it was a perfect texture. The pulp was just like a bowl of cream of wheat and was already sweet because of the dates. I threw in some malt powder and ate it! So tasty=]

    • Elaine says

      I have used the leftover pulp to thicken a soup and a pasta sauce . Kept it in a covered glass dish in fridge for 2 days and it stayed fine. Bon Apetit !

      • Ayla says

        I made this today using your ratio 1 to 4 cups. Added a little vanilla and regular white sugar for hubby’s tastes. Strained through fine mesh metal and it came out just fine. Thanks for the alternative to almond milk. I’ve been wanting to get hubby off almond milk for a while.

    • Selena says

      I searched it up on google and there are tons of recipes (i.e. oatmeal pulp cookies, guacamole, gazpacho, etc.).

  57. Rachel Houston says

    This is getting my family of 5 through our stay at home time!
    I could fill my entire refrigerator with soy milk and it wouldn’t be enough for a month at our rate. :) For public health reasons we are trying to grocery shop once a month right now. It’s so easy to store the simple ingredients, and this consistency is very similar to the original soy milk we prefer.
    My blender couldn’t handle the dates but I now soak them in hot water for half an hour and then it’s fine. My friend recommended 1.5 cup ice instead of 1 of the water cups. I haven’t had texture problems yet. Cheers!

  58. Alexi says

    This was so easy. With the current situation, I’m trying to avoid going to the grocery store more than once every 7-10 days. I drink smoothies almost every day, or have oats or use for tea. I used to buy oat and almond milk, and really don’t plan on it anymore because this recipe is perfect. This is WAY cheaper and creamier without the unnecessary ingredients in store bought varieties.

    I used Quaker whole rolled oats, a pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla like the recipe suggested. Blended on the Ninja for 35 seconds. Next time I might try almond extract. I used a cloth produce bag to strain the milk and I only had to do this once, though it probably took a few minutes to strain through (with a little help from me squeezing the bag). It was not slimy after 1 time of doing this. Did this whole thing twice and came out great both times. Thank you Minimalist Baker for this oat milk recipe :).

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Alexi. We are so glad you enjoy this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

      • Steve says

        Straining out the pulp means there won’t be much calcium so I will take a calcium pill. There isn’t much calcium in oats anyway (100 grams of oats yields 5% of the RDA) so the store bought has calcium added.

    • PAULA says

      Thanks for the info. I have been looking for better ways to not buy regular milk. Witch I have and have been losing weight. Regular cows milk and bread makes me fat. My weight is coming off since I made a complete lifestyle change.

    • PAULA says

      Thank you! I will try this and see how it goes. I am completely staying away from cows milk it causes me to gain weight and takes days to get it off.
      I have tried almond milk but almonds do not go with everything. I have now purchased coconut milk and love that.
      My friend recommended oat milk. I was looking for it to buy and came across this article.

      I would sure rather make my own then buy it.
      I dont use much milk to begin with and most then time it goes bad before I use it all.

      This will work perfict.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hmm, unfortunately we don’t think it would work as the water would probably spray out the sides. But perhaps your food processor is different?

    • Lioretta says

      I tried mine using a small food processor but I don’t know if it works as well as using blender though. I only add 1/4 of the water while blending the full amount of the oats, then I strain it, move it into a jug and add the rest of the water there. The result is great for me.

  59. Allison says

    Made this yesterday and I ABSOLUTELY love it! I didn’t experience a slimy or gummy product as some others did. I mixed some of the oat milk into lukewarm coffee to avoid any alteration to the oat milk and then heated this coffee/oat milk mixture up– tasted great and texture was smooth. I also used the leftover oat pulp from the straining process as a mix-in for my morning bowl of oatmeal- a great way to repurpose that which may be tempting to toss out. Thanks so much for this sustainable and totally do-able recipe!

  60. Kayla says

    Since my 2 year old and I don’t do well on dairy milk, we go through quite a bit of almond milk (which is not cheap!) I had some oats in the cupboard and after seeing how easy it would be to make oat milk, I gave it a try! I only got a little frustrated when it took forever to strain. I used a thin kitchen towel over a bowl. I ended up hand squeezing it which made it go much faster. :) I used 1 tbsp maple syrup and 1 tsp imitation vanilla extract for some flavor. This made a good 24oz. My son loves it, and it costed me next to nothing, so this may be my new go-to for his milk :). Thanks for the recipe!

  61. Ann says

    Hi
    1/ Can I toast the oats to eliminate the raw oat taste
    2/ Do I soak overnight at room temp or in the fridge
    3/ Can I use a coffee filter instead of cheesecloth?

    Thanks!

  62. Crystal says

    Thank you for this awesome recipe! My daughter recently developed an allergy to almond milk so I had to find an alternative and stumbled upon your recipe. She loves this oat milk even more than the almond milk! So it’s a win win!
    However, the first time I made it the dates didn’t blend up enough in the 30 seconds the recipe states to blend the dates with water and oats . I would kindly suggest updating the recipe to blend the dates with water for 2-3 minutes before adding the oats and blending for 30 seconds. This is what I do and it’s perfect. We have a Ninja professional blender.

  63. Tanya says

    For me 1 date has never been enough :) it is more like 2-2.5 as you have on your picture. Keep up the great work, dear Minimalist Baker!

  64. Max roberts says

    I made this as above. Although the oatmilk looked good it didn’t taste anything like the oatmilk we buy and it curdled upon heating while trying to make a latte.
    Poor information above as you did not specify this was not the right mix for coffees.
    Looking at the comments below and on the other page this mixture clearly does not work.

    Waste of time and energy.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Max, sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy this recipe. We list in the instructions (in all caps) that it does not heat well. We’ll see if we can make that more clear.

    • Nicolay Bastos says

      Max roberts, a little aggressive there, bud. It’s a free recipe for oatmilk that literally takes 5 minutes of minimal effort. Thanks, Minimalist Baker, mine turned out great. Now I can stay home a few days longer before my coffee runs out ;)

      • Robert A White says

        Thank you for this recipe. I have a very high speed blender and I ran it for 45 seconds, then strained it through my very fine mesh strainer into a milk jug. I saved the pulp (bran fiber) for later to mix with chia seeds to make a very interesting and tasty pudding. The milk I got was of a nice consistency, but rather bland for me, so after rinsing out the blender, I put the milk back in the blender and added sea salt, vanilla, malted milk powder, and stevia to taste. The end result was a really good tasting substitute that even my son said tasted pretty good.

  65. Lou says

    This was a great, quick substitute for my regular almond milk, which I ran out of. I had it immediately with some homemade granola, and then again this morning in my smoothie. I simply poured mine through a fine mesh sieve, not minding the extra oat pulp that came through with it as it’s pretty fine. It settles at the bottom of the jar, so you get just the milk if your pour it without shaking. I shake mine up for a good mix since I’m using it mostly for smoothies.

  66. Cheralyn says

    I’ve tried making this recipe 3 times now… and each time it’s slimy and won’t strain through a towel or t-shirt. I use a Vitamix…

    1st time – followed the recipe exactly for 1min= slimy and wouldn’t strain
    2nd time – blended only 30 sec = slimy and wouldn’t strain
    3rd time – blended for 30 sec added 1/2 cup more water = slimy and still wouldn’t strain.

    Is there a secret to making this receipt in a Vitamix?
    I’ve made the cashew milk recipe you have before is it worked out fine.

          • Kaitlin says

            I have the same issue. I did it for 20 seconds and it still won’t really strain. I have to keep stirring with a spoon to scrape the film off the T-shirt to make it filter. Next time I’ll try just 10 seconds. I’m using regular rolled oats from trader Joe’s. I guess the Vitamix on high is just too much?

          • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

            Perhaps? What do you mean by “really won’t strain?” Is it too thick?

          • Dru says

            Another Vitamix user here. I have same exact problem. Blending the old fashioned oats and water for 40 seconds on highest setting blends the oats so fine that the liquid is like a clay slip for pottery. It won’t strain. It almost immediately clogs the t-shirt, and then the thin towel, that I’m trying to strain it through. Tried again for 25 seconds. Same problem. Going to try again but not using the highest setting. Has anyone using a Vitamix had any luck on straining this?

      • Cheralyn says

        Thank you for your help!
        I have tried the “Oatly” recipe and really really like it, I was hoping there was an easy fix to solving the “slimy” situation with the plain oat milk
        Thanks again :D

      • Lioretta says

        The recipe works well. No slimy oat milk and was easy to strain. I tried to use the oat milk to make chocolate pudding and turned out great. Definitely making this again. Thanks!

        • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

          Thanks so much for the lovely review, Lioretta. We are so glad it worked well for you! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

    • Christa says

      The trick is to use ice water. It does not make the oats slimy and you can easily pass it through a nut bag. I used refrigerated water and added 4 ice cubes to the cold water. Works like a charm!
      I also tried it without cold water and it does get slimy!

  67. Ellie says

    Was lovely easy and pretty much identical to shop bought oat milks. It did go slimy and gloopy when I heated it up (I should have read the entire post first!!) I then tried adding it cold to coffee, and then heating that up for 30seconds and it stayed the same consistency as when it was cold. It did need a bit of a stir though. Will definitely be making again!

  68. Jana says

    Just made this (about half the quantity). Added a small tsp of sugar, and a drop of vanilla, then whizzed it up in Nutribullet.
    Poured into my tea, lovely !
    I did not strain the milk, and there is pulp in the bottom of the jug, but a gentle swish thickens the mixture and makes it creamier.
    It’s my first time making this, and i imagine i can use the last thicker part of the mixture to add to oatmeal, soups, pancakes and so on.
    Great to come across this recipe, very useful, thank you !

  69. Hilary Knight says

    I now use maple syrup rather than dates or other dried fruit because (in my blender, anyway) the dates don’t get sufficiently incorporated into the milk if one blends for the recommended time: I was left with finely chopped dates in the cheesecloth. Made a nice snack, though . . . . :–)

    • Crystal Dean says

      I had the same problem (Ninja blender here). And I was thinking next time I could blend the dates and water together then add the oats after. Might be worth a try ! ?

  70. Vicky says

    I have tried a couple of batches of this and it tastes great and I love it on my cereal, but when added to tea or coffee it sinks within a few minutes and I may as well be drinking black tea. I have tried adding oil and putting the milk in first. Am I not straining enough? Any other tips?

  71. Jeanine Briguglio says

    I LOVE THIS MILK!! And so does our grandson with homemade chocolate syrup :) What can I do with the leftover oat ‘pulp’?

  72. Karen says

    I made this morning it turned out great. I was looking for something WFPB SOS for my coffee. This will work great. Thanks for sharing.

  73. Fonda says

    The video shows a quick strain no pulp … it takes hours for my oat milk to strain and I end up with quite a bit of pulp. And even after all that I ended up with sludge on the bottom of my tea cup this morning after I finished my tea. I tried twice following the instructions. Any ideas?? ?

    • Li West says

      I always squeeze my bags when straining the oat milk, but a lot of people say it leads to that slimy texture. I guess for me it doesn’t really bother me? I think it makes it creamier.
      To each their own.
      Good luck!

    • Justing says

      OAT MILK

      So I blended together 4 cups water 1 cup oats
      and a splash of vanilla+almond extract and dash of salt
      I guess it’s Oat Milk Just like that!I slowly poured the Oat milk on top of a shirt, with a bowl underneath
      At first the water strained right through but as small oat bits were stuck in the shirt less and less liquid passed through until it didn’t appear to be letting any through at all. And there was still half of the oat milk left!So after waiting about 2 hours I decided to squeeze the shirt
      This worked pretty well, but it left lots of “Oat Pulp” on the shirt
      I spent 15 minutes scrapping the Oat Pulp off the shirt…As i did, I noticed what I didn’t yet pour of the Oat Milk in the blender to have separated
      The Oats had sunk to the bottom!
      That gave me an idea…First I slowly poured off the top… More Oat Milk! Until I got to the beginning of thicker looking Oat Milk (Oat Cream).
      Then I let it sit but it did not separate any further
      So I added in syrup, so maybe the density of the syrup sinking to the bottom would push the water up
      But that didn’t work at all
      So I blended it all then poured it into a pot on the stove and simmered it on low for a bit
      It did thicken, and came out as porridge!
      The syrup sunk to the bottom and burned… But lucky me, it burned just right
      There was a thin layer of delicious cooked syrup!
      I call it… NEW ENGLAND TAHDIG!

      2nd attempt –
      I put the syrup in at the start, but all other ingredients/amounts the same.
      Rather then Strain I let it SIT
      After about 20 minutes-it is resting in 4 layers
      There is a layer of fine oats resting at the top
      Then there is the water (This is the smooth/silky Oat Milk)
      Then there is a layer that looks like cream (this is the slimy Oat milk) which slowly gets thicker
      Then there is thicker pieces of oats resting at the bottom.
      (The syrup mixed in with the water through blending and never separated… So this batch is Sweetened!!)

      So I can either scrap off the top layer, then slowly pour out the Oak Milk and as much “Oat Cream” as I want, until I either reach chunks of Oats that are too thick, or too much Oat Cream making my Oat Milk potentially slimy
      -OR-
      I can measure and cut a Milk Carton to the perfect level where the Oat Cream ends and the Oat chunks begin (I would Need to install a valve to allow the oats to separate from the water. After 20 minutes+ I could then open the valve).
      There would still be a lot of liquid in the top and bottom layer. If I add mesh to the valve I might be able to get a little more out, but more likely it’s better (Easier. Less Time consuming. More efficient) to Just accept what Oat Milk one gets from this method and either Bake the rest for Oat Flour or simmer the rest for Porridge
      Granola with porridge seemed to help the oats stay together in a bar like form, though still pretty crumbly, so additional emulsifiers are needed (I’ll need to try it, after my fast, to fully understand the results)

      I ended up choosing the first option BUT (thanks to Mom) put the bottom layers through a fine mesh strainer. Like with the shirt, the oats would gunk up and stop the liquid from pouring through, so I used a spoon to move the oats out of the way, and squish them down, pushing the liquid through, until only the wet Oat Pulp remained (which I couldn’t do with the shirt).

    • Kendra says

      I just made some and used a double layer of cheese cloth. Only strained once and no pulp or graininess. Also squeezed the liquid so I didn’t have to wait long. Love this recipe! Will be experimenting with less water to see if I can make thick coffee creamer.

  74. Lara says

    Hi there,

    Thank you so much for sharing.
    Please can you tell me how you calculate your nutritional information for this recipe?

    Kindest regards,

    Lara

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Lara, the nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with no additional add-ins, and the oat “pulp” nutritional content removed. We approximated that about half of the calories, fat, fiber, carbs, and protein would be lost in the pulp. Hope that helps!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Jade, feel free to decrease the amount of water next time for a creamier consistency. Hope that helps!

  75. Doug says

    Been making it every week since I found this in early December…. WOW so quick and easy. I use about 3/4 dropper of liquid organic stevia for sweetener and less than a 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to make it more alkaline…just because. I also only add 3 cups of water to blend and then just add the other cup through my fabric when I have strained the first 3 cups….mainly because my blender gets too full with 4 cups. But Wow so tasty and easy….10 min. Sure beats the 4$ ish price tag at health food stores…thank You!!!

  76. Vicki says

    I have a question that I have been googling but can’t get a sure answer. Is oat milk good for cholesterol lowering as Oatmeal is. I thought it was just the fibre that did that but one sight said there was something in the oats that lowered your cholesterol and it was also in Oat milk. Is this true, do you Know?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Vicki, we aren’t able to offer nutrition advice and would recommend checking with your doctor or a nutritionist. But it is our understanding that it is the fiber/bran in oats that aids in lowering cholesterol.

  77. Ann says

    I usually make cashew milk for my dairy intolerant daughter and never had to strain it.My vitamix maked it so smooth that no pulp is left behind.Is it a reason to why not let any pulp inside the milk?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Ann, some non-dairy milks work better than others without straining. Cashew milk tends to work better, though we still prefer straining it for even more creaminess.

      • Joey Bevan says

        Can I ask if there is a way to use the pulp leftover for something ? I’m trying so be a zero waste as possible ! Any recipes or ideas?

        • Laura says

          Joey, it’s not the same as oat fiber but check out oat fiber recipes for an idea on how to repurpose it. Love that you’re thinking about waste! I bet it would work well for a granola mixed with whole rolled oats for that crumbly textue you get from manufactured granolas.

        • Vegan Mango Queen says

          I use the left over oats to make no bake cookies! i don’t have the recipe measurements with me but it’s just the oats, coconut oil, peanut butter, cocao powder, agave or dates. Or you can make date balls aka protein bites with similar ingredients.

        • Janet says

          I added a little water (can’t say how much because I eyeballed it) and simmered it on the stove for about 4 minutes. It came out something like cream of wheat.

  78. David Leeds says

    Where did you get that black label maker ? So cool !

    Love this receipe. Especially as almond milk is so bad for the planet and bees.

  79. Adeline Gray says

    This was my first time making my own oat milk and this recipe made it an enjoyable experience. Thanks, it turned out really yummy. I cut the recipe in half and it turned out fine.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, Adeline. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We haven’t tried it, but according to Hurom, it’s possible! Let us know if you give it a try!