HOW TO: OAT MILK
This past Sunday, hubby asked me to make biscuits for a late breakfast. I was thinking the same thing. Since my biscuits are better than his, I was happy to make them. While daydreaming about warm biscuits from the oven, I gathered my items. My tried and true biscuit recipe, check! All the dry ingredients, check! Wet ingredients—no oat milk. Huston, we have a problem!
I needed a cup of oat milk, and all I had was a quarter cup left in the carton. I really didn’t want to run to the store for a carton of oat milk. Could I make my own oat milk? I have never made oat milk before, but I had planned to try to make it soon. I had everything I needed in the house, so why not make it today! The entire process only took about 10 minutes. Here is how I did it!
HOW TO MAKE OAT MILK
Add ½ cup of rolled oats (I didn’t try this with another kind of oats) and 2 cups of cold water to a high-speed blender. Blend for 15-20 seconds. The oats and water will make a kind of slurry.
Place a strainer over a bowl, then place a large square of cheesecloth over the strainer.
Pour the slurry into the cheesecloth. Make a little purse with the cheesecloth and squeeze the liquid through. Warning: when you are squeezing the mixture, it will feel slightly slimy. This is normal.
Continue this process until all the oat milk has been strained. Pour strained oat milk in an airtight container. I use canning jars. Use within a week.
A Couple of Notes…
Here are a few things to remember when making oat milk:
Oat milk can be a little fickle. It is easy to go from delicious to a slimy mess. Be sure to stick with rolled oats, cold water, and minimal blending when making oat milk at home.
Consistency is key, but it’s also your preference. For a thicker milk, add less water; add a little more water for thinner milk.
Use chilled. Heating the oat milk will make it a bit slimy. I would not recommend making hot chocolate or gravy with homemade oat milk. Instead go for a store-bought oat or nut milk.
Do not throw away the oat pulp! You can add it to a smoothie, muffin recipe, bowl of hot oatmeal, or a crumble topping for a cobbler or casserole. There won’t be a lot of pulp left, but it is a great way to add a bit of fiber.
…and A Couple SUGGESTIONS
Interested in some variations? Here are a couple suggestions to enhance your oat milk:
Sweeten It Up: You can add a few chopped dates or a couple of teaspoons of maple syrup to the oats and water before you blend to sweeten the oat milk. This can be used as a base for coffee or tea.
Experiment with flavors: You can also experiment with other flavor profiles – vanilla flavoring for a light enhancement. Fresh or frozen strawberries for something fruity or an ice cream base.