How to Make Oat Milk (3 Flavors, Easy Guide)
Homemade oat milk is one of the easiest plant-based milks you can make: blend 1 cup of oats with 3 cups of filtered water for about 3 minutes, strain, and you have a creamy, dairy-free milk ready for coffee, cereal, or baking. Below is the plain recipe I always keep on hand, plus two flavored versions — a chocolate oat milk and a golden turmeric oat milk — so you can turn one base into three drinks.
Oat milk is one of my favorite types of milk, and this is the recipe I always prepare because it is perfect for drinking on its own or for adding to your coffee. We use milk in so many ways — in drinks, in cakes, in the cappuccino and the flat white — but not everyone can or wants to reach for dairy. Oats are cheap, easy to find, and turn into a smooth milk in minutes, which is exactly why I keep coming back to this one. Even if you are not lactose intolerant or vegan, I recommend you try it out for yourself.
What you need for the base oat milk
The plain version keeps things simple: 1 cup of oats, 3 cups of filtered water, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and an optional pinch of salt or sugar. Rolled oats work best here because they blend down smoothly and release just enough starch to give the milk body without turning it gluey. Filtered water matters more than you would think — it keeps the flavor clean, since oat milk is mostly water and takes on whatever is in it. The vanilla is optional but rounds out the taste, and a tiny pinch of salt sharpens the sweetness. If you want it sweeter, you can use dates to sweeten your milk, as in the chocolate version below.
How to get smooth, non-slimy oat milk
The single most common oat milk problem is a slimy texture, and it comes down to two things: over-blending and warm water. Blend on high for around 3 minutes and no longer — the more you run the blender, the more starch the oats release, and heat from a long blend makes it worse. Use cold or room-temperature filtered water rather than warm, for the same reason. When you strain, pour the milk through a clean napkin or a nut milk bag and squeeze it out with your hands. Do not force the pulp too hard, since the finest starch is what passes through and thickens the milk. If yours ever comes out thick, thin it with a little extra water and skip the second blend.
Three flavors from one base
Once you have the plain oat milk down, the flavored versions are easy. For chocolate oat milk, blend 1 cup of oats, 3 cups of filtered water, 3 Medjool dates, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract all together, then strain the same way. The dates do the sweetening naturally, so there is no added sugar, and the cocoa gives you a drink close to the chocolate milk you probably loved at breakfast as a kid.
The third recipe is a golden turmeric oat milk, or golden milk as some people like to call it. This one starts from already-made oat milk: warm 2 cups of oat milk with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, 1 teaspoon of turmeric, half a teaspoon of nutmeg, and half a teaspoon of cinnamon. Add half a cup of the oat milk and the rest of the ingredients to a small pot over medium heat, bring it to a simmer, then turn off the heat and whisk until well incorporated. Stir in the remaining milk, divide between cups, and serve warm. It has the nutrients to give you a healthy energy boost for the day, and it works with real milk too if that is what you have. If you like this one, you will find more ideas in my recipes with turmeric.
How to store it and use it up
Homemade oat milk has no preservatives, so keep it in a sealed jar in the fridge and use it within about 3 to 4 days. It naturally separates as it sits, which is normal — just shake or stir before pouring. Beyond drinking it straight or stirring it into coffee, this milk is a solid swap anywhere you would use dairy: pour it over baked oatmeal, blend it into a vegan chocolate milkshake, or use it in pancakes. If you are moving away from dairy in general, my guide on how to replace dairy in your diet and my other plant milk recipes are good next stops.
Give it a try — I am pretty sure everyone will love it. If you make the plain oat milk or either of the flavored versions, please rate the recipe below and leave a comment telling me how the turmeric latte or the chocolate one turned out for you.
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Oat Milk – 3 flavors
Ingredients
For the Vanilla oat milk:
- 1 cup oats
- 3 cups water filtered
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt or sugar optional
For the Chocolate oat milk:
- 1 cup oats
- 3 cups water filtered
- 3 Medjool dates
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Turmeric oat milk:
- 2 cups oat milk
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp cinnamon
Instructions
Making the vanilla oat milk:
- Pour all the ingredients into a food processor and blend on high until smooth, for about 3 minutes.
- Strain the oat milk by pouring it through a nut milk bag or a clean cloth into a clean container.
- Use your hands to squeeze the milk out of the nut milk bag. Enjoy!
Making the chocolate oat milk:
- Pour all the ingredients into a food processor and blend on high until smooth, for about 3 minutes.
- Strain the chocolate milk by pouring it through a nut milk bag or a clean cloth into a clean container.
- Use your hands to squeeze the milk out of the nut milk bag. Enjoy!
Making the turmeric oat milk:
- In a small pot on medium heat, add ½ cup of the oat milk and the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a simmer.
- Turn off the heat. Whisk until well incorporated.
- Stir in the remaining milk. Divide between cups and enjoy.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Blend 1 cup of oats with 3 cups of filtered water on high for about 3 minutes, until smooth. Strain the mixture through a clean napkin or a nut milk bag into a clean container, then squeeze the pulp with your hands to get all the milk out. Add a teaspoon of vanilla and an optional pinch of salt or sugar for flavor.
Sliminess almost always comes from over-blending or using warm water, both of which make the oats release too much starch. Blend for no longer than about 3 minutes and use cold or room-temperature filtered water. Avoid squeezing the pulp too aggressively and do not re-blend the strained milk, since that reactivates the starch.
Because it has no preservatives, keep homemade oat milk in a sealed jar in the fridge and use it within about 3 to 4 days. It naturally separates as it sits, so shake or stir it before each use. If it smells sour or off, throw it out.
Yes. All three versions are made only from plant-based ingredients — oats, water, vanilla, dates, cocoa, maple syrup, and spices — so they are fully vegan and dairy-free. They are a good option if you are lactose intolerant, following a plant-based diet, or simply moving away from dairy.
Blend 1 cup of oats, 3 cups of filtered water, 3 Medjool dates, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract on high for about 3 minutes. Strain it through a clean napkin or nut milk bag and squeeze out the milk. The dates sweeten it naturally, so no added sugar is needed.
Yes, the golden turmeric oat milk here is exactly that. Warm 2 cups of oat milk in a small pot with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, 1 teaspoon of turmeric, and half a teaspoon each of nutmeg and cinnamon, bring to a simmer, then whisk off the heat until smooth. Serve it warm for a cozy energy boost.
wow the golden milk is just delicious! 🙂 Thank you, I replaced my coffee with this and it’s a life-changer!
You’re welcome! So happy you liked the recipe!