Homemade Oat Milk

What is Oatmilk?

If you’re lactose intolerant, I’m sure that you’re very familiar with all the non-dairy milks popping up. If you’re lactose intolerant and have a nut allergy, I’m sure you’ve heard of oatmilk.

In my opinion, it’s the best of the nondairy milks. Unlike almond, it’s creamy and thick. And unlike soy, it doesn’t leave that weird leftover taste. It’s got a high fat content that makes it perfect for baking or drinking!

It’s also SO cheap to make! It’s just oats, water, salt, and vanilla. Making the amount of oatmilk in the recipe ended up costing me about $0.15, verses the $4ish you get buying form name brands like Oatly or Chobani.

What’s It Used For?

Oatmilk is an incredibly versatile, being used anywhere you may normally find dairy products. Some of these uses include:

• Coffee Drinks

• Quiche

• Sweet Bakes (brownies, etc)

• Enriched Bread Dough

• Creamy Pasta Sauce

• Mashed Potatoes

Here are some of our recipes using oatmilk!

Why Is It So Good For Baking?

Out of every vegan or non-vegan milk out there, oat milk has by far been my best friend in the baking world. Everything I’ve made using oat milk is lighter and fluffier, and so far has kept me from any strangely dense bakes. So naturally, I started to wonder why that is.

First off, it has a neutral taste compared to soy, almond, or coconut milk. You get the richness of the milk while the oat blends into the background, almost indistinguishable from the flour.

Second, the chemical makeup of it. It has a uniquely high fat content and to its water-soluble fiber(called mucilage). This fiber is found in many different plant based products, generally in the shells surrounding the seeds being consumed. IE, the outermost layer on the oats. This fiber acts as a natural emulsion stabilizer.

There are many different types of mucilage, all of which originally came from plants, but many have been concentrated into individual strains. These are used for anything from enhancing concrete(cactus mucilage) to food packaging nanofibers (basil seed mucilage). In the case of oat milk and baking, it strengthens the bonds between glucose(flours) and polysaccharides(fibers, sugars), leaving you with the strong structures unhindered by saturated fats found in dairy milk. Oils(aka liquid fats) are the enemy of getting air into your structure.

Homemade Oat Milk

Simone Peironnet | 5/17/2021

• prep time: 30 seconds
  

• Strain time: 2 minutes
  

• total time: 2.5 minutes

Servings: 40oz or 5 Cups

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Quick Oats
  

• 4 Cups Water
  

• 1 Tbsp Vanilla
  

• Pinch Salt
  

Special Equipment: Blender, Sealable Jar/Bottle, Cheese Cloth (like this)

Instructions:

1. In your blender, combine all ingredients. Pulse for 30 seconds, longer than that the oat milk can get slimy.
   
   
2. Strain through a cheesecloth into a sealable jar/bottle. Don't push down the oats or try to squeeze out the cheesecloth into your container, this will also make your oatmilk slimy.
   
   
3. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and enjoy!
   
   

Stumped on how to use this? Try these recipes!