How to make Oat Milk (that’s NOT slimy! Finally!)
How to make oat milk in under 3 minutes for a creamy and smooth dairy free milk! This oat milk is NOT slimy and is a perfect dairy free nut free milk option!
I won’t lie. I absolutely love buying oat milk. It’s my absolute favorite dairy free milk on the market, and really works for a dairy-free replacement.
But sometimes, I’m in the middle of a recipe, and I run out.
Enter in the best method for how to make oat milk.
After years of experimenting, I finally had cracked the secret tips for how to make non-slimy oat milk. Because if you’ve ever tried to make this before, you’ve probably ended up like me and made some odd and bizarre gooey form that I imagine feels like eating that green slime on Nickelodeon.
So first, let’s go over what you’re doing that’s creating the slimy oat milk recipe, then I’ll walk you through how to make it non-slimy. Just briefly.
Because like my 2 ingredient cashew cream recipe, you’re going to be making this oat milk for everything- coffee creamer, baking cakes, cookies, just drinking on its own…it’s amazing.
Why is my oat milk slimy?
So if you’re like me and have tried to make oat milk before to no avail, you’ve probably encountered: the slimy oat milk.
Ick.
This happens for a few reasons that I’ve noticed others don’t really mention.
You’re soaking your oats when you SHOULD NOT BE: First off, many say to soak your oats. Do not do this. This activates the enzyme in oats that usually makes them bind together (like in overnight oats).
You’re using warm water: The second reason why your oats turn out slimy is because the water you’re using is not ice cold. Think about it. You cook your oats in warm water, right? If you’re using anything but cold water, you’ll start to activate the oats to form that slimy texture we all know as oatmeal!
You’re squeezing the oat milk out: I get it- you want to get all of the water out as much as possible. But it honestly is more of a draining than a squeezing of the water. But I’ll go into how to actually strain the oat milk from the pulp in the next section!
The simplest 2-3 ingredients:
I say 2-3 because you really just need 2, but the third is optional:
- Rolled oats: You can actually even use sprouted rolled oats, such as One Degree Organics (what I used here). If you’re gluten-free, please ensure that you’re using gluten-free oats that are certified gluten-free.
- Water
- Optional: dates, vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, (or even maple syrup!)
How cool is that? Each of the optional add-ins add their own flavors to the oat milk. I do recommend adding in the date and the vanilla extract just for a touch of sweetness, especially for sweet baked good or smoothies. One single date does the trick, and just a teaspoon of vanilla.
However, if you’ll be using this non slimy dairy free milk for savory recipes, then omit the date and vanilla and use the sea salt.🙂
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How to make oat milk (that’s actually creamy, not slimy)
For the full written instructions and ingredient measurements, see the bottom of this post in the recipe card. You can also hit the “jump to recipe” button at the top of this post! Here, we’ll go over a brief overview of the steps, along with providing visuals for a better understanding of the recipe.
Now let’s go over how easy it is to make oat milk:
- Blend.
- Place all ingredients into a blender and blend for only 30-40 seconds.
- Strain.
- Place a cheesecloth, nut milk bag, or thin towel over a large bowl, and strain the oat milk into the bowl, catching the oat pulp in the cheesecloth or bag. If you don’t have any of these options, you can use a super fine-mesh sieve; just be sure to really double strain this oat milk!
- Remove the oat pulp.
- Once all of the liquid and the leftover oat pulp is into the cheesecloth and bowl, lift the cloth or bag up and gently let the remaining liquid drip into the bowl. You can lightly squeeze but don’t squeeze as you would nut milk, or you’ll get slimy oat milk.
- Discard or save the pulp for another recipe, and pour the oat milk back into the blender.
- Strain again.
- Cover the bowl again with your cheesecloth or nut milk bag, and repeat the process once more, catching any oat pulp in the cheesecloth.
And that’s it! Simply pour your double strained oat milk into a clean glass bottle or container and store in the fridge! Seriously this process takes all of 3 minutes and is great for when you’re in a pinch for something creamy to put in your coffee or a sweet recipe 😉
Britt’s final tips:
I just want to make sure that when learning how to make oat milk, you get all of the best tips so that we can avoid any oobleck messes, like I created while figuring out the best methods for making oat milk!
We solved the 3 main issues above, but here are a few more tips just to ensure perfection every time:
- Double strain the oat milk to yield the creamiest and smoothest texture. Just a bit of extra work, but the whole process start to finish really does only take 3 minutes!
- Do NOT over blend!! Only blend for maximum 40 seconds, less is even better! Aim for 30-40 seconds, as any more will yield a slimytexture.
- Make sure to store your oat milk in a sealed container: I recommend a Weck or Mason jar that seals airtight. This will help keep your oat milk very fresh!
- If after a day, you notice some oat sediment on the bottom of your glass, don’t worry: This is natural, since we don’t have any gums or thickeners in this non-dairy milk. Simply shake the glass a few times to get your oat milk creamy again.
What can I use oat milk for?
So many things! Really, anything that you would use regular dairy milk or another dairy free milk for. Smoothies, creamy soups, vegan custards, coffee.. the list goes on! I love using oat milk in herbal coffee because I find it creamier without the coconut milk taste.
Try it in my creamy vegan gnocchi soup or my Marry Me Tofu pasta.
It’s also wonderful in baked goods, like this vegan vanilla cake, or raw desserts, like this easy chocolate cheesecake.
You can even just drink this oat milk straight up! It’s that good, especially if you’re adding in the date and vanilla.
How do I know when my oat milk is bad?
Usually, homemade oat milk lasts for about 5 days in the fridge. However, you’ll notice that it starts to smell a little funky when it goes bad if it’s left there too long.
Yes, this is shorter than store bought dairy-free milks, such as almond milk, but it’s also not filled with preservatives that make their shelf life last longer. And, if you’re like me, you go through oat milk pretty fast so no need to worry about your homemade oat milk going bad!
How do I make chocolate oat milk?
If you’d like to transform this classic oat milk into a chocolate oat milk, simply add in 2 tablespoons of melted vegan chocolate into the blender after you’ve blended and strained your oat milk. Pour your oat milk back into the blender and blend again until smooth!
You’re just going to love making your own oat milk as much as I do! If you give this recipe a go, let me know down below in the comments section, as well as giving it a rating for those who haven’t tried it out yet!
As always, I love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there!
Happy oat-milking!
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If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!
Print
How to make Oat Milk (that’s NOT slimy! Finally!)
- Prep Time: 4
- Cook Time: 1
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Method: blending
Description
How to make oat milk in under 3 minutes for a creamy and smooth dairy free milk! This oat milk is NOT slimy and is a perfect dairy free nut free milk option!
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats, sprouted or regular (make sure they’re GF certified if needed)
- 4–6 cups chilled filtered water*
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Optional: 1 date, 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large blender, add all ingredients to the base.
- Blend on high for only 30-40 seconds. Any longer than that will result in slimy oat milk.
- Set the blender aside, and drape a cheesecloth or nut bag over a large bowl.
- Pour the oat milk over the cheesecloth to separate the oats from the water. Do not squeeze the water out of the cheesecloth or nut bag, as this will also result in slimy oat milk. Let the water drip, then when it’s basically all out, discard or save the oats for another recipe.
- Pour the oat milk back into the blender, as we’ll strain the oat milk one more time. Repeat Step 4 once more.
- Pour the oat milk into a glass jar or container that can be sealed and stored in the fridge.
- This oat milk will be good for about 5 days in the fridge. You’ll know when it’s gone bad when it smells different from the first day you’ve made it.
Notes
Please read the blog post for all tips & tricks!
Amount of water: If you want a thicker oat milk, like Oatly or Forager Project, use the 4 cups of water. If you want slightly thinner, you can use 6 cups of water.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 45
- Sugar: 2.8 g
- Sodium: 9.6 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8.7 g
- Protein: 1.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This is so helpful!! Thank you!! Also love the casual oobleck reference hahaha
Aw that’s so awesome to hear, thank you so much!! Hope your oat milk making went well!
Can you give me some ideas of what I can make with the oats after making the milk?
i will never understand why it was made socially acceptable to write a literal essay and make your user scroll through it just for the recipe. it took me longer to find than it did to make the milk.
There is a jump to recipe button at the top of the post that will take you directly to the recipe card. But I include all of these helpful tips so that people can successfully make this recipe (as you can see by the ratings- it’s helped!).
There was a link at the top to go directly to the recipe. Mine turned out well. Good luck.
I realize there is a jump button at the beginning but I agree with you.
Complaining about the way someone is giving you something for free?? Tacky as can be.
I normally make a hot latte as my morning cup. so 1/4 strong espresso and the rest milk. The theme seems to be heat -> slimy oat milk.Is there a way to do a hot latte with the homemade oat milk, without it turning slimy?
So far, I’ve reheated this and haven’t had a problem with it turning slimy, and some of the other readers have had the same success (comments on YouTube!) so it should work! Just make sure to double strain- that’s what really helps this oat milk stay not slimy, despite heat!
Try what one of the commenters said below and bake the oats/oat flour first for 60 minutes at 275. Then finish the recipe as described. He says this should take care of the slimyness.
Favourite thing to do with the leftover oats? Maybe a face mask or something? 🤗
Oh I LOVE that idea!! I’m going to try that!!
I give the leftover oats to my teen for face masks and back masks to help with her acne, or I put them in lactation cookies for my breastfeeding daughter. Either way they definitely don’t go to waste!
Agreed on not letting them go to waste!! These are GREAT ideas!!
I make granola bars..cranberry, Choc. chips maple syrup chia flax cinnamon vanilla stir with strained oats Dehydrate or oven
LOVE this idea!! Going to try it myself!
hi! im going to try it soon. one question I have is: what do you do with the leftover pulp? any ideas?:)
Hi Jaye!! Yay! Can’t wait to hear what you think 🙂 Here’s a great list of ideas: https://sarahbassett.co/oat-pulp-ideas/ I’ve also just stirred some into oatmeal before I cook it and it works great!
hello!! i just made this and I’m obsessed. one thing though – mine tastes pretty watery and I assume that might just be normal. or is it possible to reduce the amount of water? thanks so much for your info!
Hi Ally! Aw I’m so glad to hear it!! Yes, I’m wondering if it was the type of oats you used- but you can totally reduce the amount of water, and it would be creamier! Enjoy!
My first try at oat milk was a slimy disaster, but I’ve just made a perfect batch thanks to your recipe tips!!
I have discovered the solution for slimy oat milk that requires no extra ingredients. Oat milk is slimy because there is starch in the oats. Starch is not soluble in water, it absorbs the water and makes the slimy texture. Starch is a chain of sugar molecules, but if you break those chains into smaller chains they are soluble in water. This is called dextrin. So if you can convert the starch into dextrin you will not have slimy oat milk. The way you do this is to bake the oats at 275 for 60 minutes. I first ground the oats to flour which makes smoother and creamer oat milk, and then bake them. The resulting milk has a tan color, as that is the color of dextrin, but it is not at all slimy.
You blend the baked oat flour with water afterwards? If so, for how long?
If it’s flour then I assume you can’t strain it?
You’ll be able to strain it through a cheesecloth because it’s not as fine as store bought flour 🙂
is that 275 degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius?
I wondered that, but 275ºC is VERY hot; it MUST be F. 275ºF is 135ºC, really quite low. If it’s 60 minutes, it must be Fahrenheit. It could be 6 minutes, though, I suppose.
The first time I made oat milk, I followed instructions I saw on a youtube video that involved squeezing the bag. mistake. The results were definitely slimy. Following your instructions, i made perfect, non-slimy oat milk. Yay! Thank you so much for the tips as we love oat milk and making our own will save us a lot of money!
I’m so so happy to hear that you’ve had success with these tips 🙂 Yes, many people think making oat milk is like making a nut milk, where you have to squeeze the water out of the bag, but it’s the opposite!! Thank YOU so much for this review!! Definitely try using the homemade oat milk in one of these recipes, it truly makes it so special!! 🙂
Oobleck! Equal parts water and cornstarch, add some food coloring for extra fun! My boys and I love it. Haha
Also, I just got what seems like the same bracelet you’re wearing for Mother’s Day today! (Red Jasper?)
Lastly, THANK YOU for the best oat milk recipe ever!!! Never buying it again!!
SO HAPPY you loved it!! And yes!! It’s red jasper!! How awesome 🙂 Happy belated Mother’s Day to you, and enjoy!! Thanks for being here! 🙂
I’ve got a 5kg bag of ultra fine oats… Will these work the same??
Hi there! By ultra fine, do you mean they’ve already been processed into almost a flour? If so, then I would advise against this! The blender would end up not doing enough work, so your oat milk might end up gritty!
I’d like to try this soon. Can the oat milk be frozen into cubes to use later in shakes. Thank you
Yes, absolutely!! Genius idea 🙂
It sure is! So why on all the oat milk cartons i read does it say not to freeze it??
Do you have any recipes for the oats after making the oatmilk with them? Hate to just throw them out.
Hi Sarah! I don’t have an official post, but I typically just stir them into my oatmeal or add them to a smoothie 🙂 Here’s a great article, though, I’ve heard of a few people that use them for face masks, etc! https://sarahbassett.co/oat-pulp-ideas/
Thanks for sharing and I have managed to make my favourite oat milk with no more slimy.
Great simple way, I made the mistake of doubling my cheesecloth when straining first time, much better to strain twice. I like being able to make it so quickly and adjust the sweetness. It was very watery compared to the commercial products but smells and tastes much better.
How do people thicken oat milk in cheesy sauces? I was thinking of trying cornflour…
Hi Trina, commercial oat milk contains oil. When you blend all ingredients with oil, the mixture emulsifies and creates a creamier texture. Commercial oat milk often uses seed oils like canola. I personally prefer avocado oil, which also has no flavor but is better nutritionally.
Exactly what I was looking for. I was sure it was less expensive than buying milk.
I’m also a vegan. Thanks!
So happy to hear it!! Enjoy 🙂
What can I use instead of cheesecloth?? I want to make this now for my daughter leaving for college tomorrow. We have been looking for a good reliable recipe.
Hi Elissa! Oh yes, you can also substitute in a thin cloth napkin or very thin dish towel if you have them. Just make sure that it’s clean! 🙂 Enjoy!
When you say “pour the oatmilk back into the blender…” is this just to use as a vessel to pour it back out to strain it again or am i supposed to blend it again before the second straining? Sorry, I wasn’t clear about that. I’m excited to try this recipe, so I didn’t want to mess it up :))) Thanks!!
Yes, exactly, you’ll just pour it back in as a vessel to then strain it once more! I just figured it was easiest that way 🙂 Less hassle! Enjoy!
works awesome! thanks!
That was an EXCELLENT question!!!
I noticed some recipes use a dash of sunflower oil. What is the reason for that?
I’m thinking that was probably to help make the oat milk creamier, but if you don’t squeeze too hard and you do the double strain, you’ll still get really creamy oat milk!
Easy Peasy Perfect. Thanks so much!
So glad you loved it!! Thanks for the review! Enjoy!
Can you make it using a French press coffee maker?
Hi Pam! I wouldn’t recommend that, as I would imagine it squeeze the oats too much, which will result in slimy oat milk. I hope that helps!
I actually did use a french press for my second strain because I don’t have cheesecloth on hand, and it worked! (I did a first strain through a metal/screen strainer to get most of the larger pulp) and then I poured it into the french press to strain a second time. I pressed it slowly down and was careful not to get it ALL the way to the bottom so I didn’t squeeze any remaining pulp too hard, then poured it as I would my coffee, keeping it upside down for a few moments to let it strain through the press! It worked for me, no sliminess! Husband and 4-year-old-son both approve! We will now be using this in place of our other milks!
Hi! I can’t wait to try this recipe. Can I use quick 1-minute oats?
Hi Krysten! I would stick to rolled oats- you’ll get a creamier milk!
Thanks so much. loved all the information you provided. My first attempt turned out well. I will use chilled water next time. I had some difficulty steaming it for use in a latte. Do you have any recommendations to make the homemade oat milk better for steaming?
Hi Dennis! So glad to hear it! So I actually have a trick- to create foam, I pour the unheated oat milk into a blender and blitz it for 30 seconds- that will create the foam. Then you can pour the milk into a tea pot or saucepan, being mindful of the foam, and heat it that way. Or microwave, whichever is preferred!
Hello.
Thank you for sharing.
can i heat this oat milk? its not gonna be slimmy ?
Hi Isabel! Correct, you can heat the oat milk, and it won’t be slimy! 🙂
I quarted the recipe to make enough for a single glass of oat milk. It turned out pretty decent! I didn’t have dates and I used a sieve and the texture wasn’t slimy at all. I think when I make this again I will cut down the amount of water down so it is less watery. I prefer a creamier oat milk.
*quartered
It worked! Homemade oat milk with NO SLIME! Thank you for the money saving recipe and most of all the great tips.
Woo!! I’m so happy to hear it!! Enjoy 🙂