Sweet and creamy oat milk: a cheaper, faster, nut-free plant based milk alternative
Since becoming a vegan nearly five years ago, I've grown to love the long and messy process of preparing homemade nut milk.
In fact, most of the time, I enjoy the process more than the end result! Because no matter what type of nut (or combination of nuts) that I use, I find the nutty flavor too overwhelming. I’ve tried altering my blends to achieve a smoother taste, by adding water to dilute the nutty flavor; dates to sweeten it; and different extracts, like maple or coconut, to change the flavor entirely. Still, I have not yet tested a recipe that I genuinely enjoyed.
That is, until I discovered oat milk.
Before making my own, I had tried it once or twice in a matcha latte - and it was the best I’ve ever had. I had no doubt that it was because of the oat milk.
No longer than an hour later, I had gone home, did some research and prepared a batch of my own.
If you’ve never tried oat milk before, it is naturally sweet, very creamy in texture and (obviously) possesses none of the ‘nuttiness’ that homemade nut milks often have.
It’s ideal for those with nut allergies wanting to explore plant based milk alternatives; or anyone wanting a fast, easy and cheap alternative to nut milk because there’s very minimal soaking required (20 minutes, max.) and it can be made using as little two ingredients.
I enjoy it in baked goods, smoothies, cereal, coffee, etc. and as a sweet treat on it’s own!
Oat Milk
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Yields: 1.5 liters
Ingredients
1 cup gluten free steel cut oats
3 cups filtered water
2 dates (optional)
1 tsp raw vanilla bean powder (optional)
Directions
Soak oats for 20 minutes in a bowl of water; drain and discard water, and rinse the oats well (rinsing is really important to avoid your oat milk having a slimy texture)
Combine filtered water and oats in a high powered blender; begin blending on a low speed and gradually increase to highest speed. Blend for 45 seconds total, with the last 10 seconds on the highest speed.
Place a nut milk bag (or cheese cloth) over a large bowl and slowly pour mixture into the cloth (pouring in small batches works best).
Use your hands to wring the bag/cheese cloth, draining the liquid from it and into the bowl.
Set the pulp aside in a small bowl. Rinse your blender and bag/cheese cloth well.
Repeat the process; place the bag/cheese cloth over the blender, and pour the oat milk into the bag/cheese cloth, and wring the mixture from the bag to drain the liquid again - this time into the blender.
Blend the oat milk on med-high speed for 10 seconds (add the optional vanilla and dates at the beginning of this step).
Pour the milk into an air tight milk or mason jar. Store in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
*Tip: store the pulp in the freezer, and repurpose it to bake cookies, cakes, breads, and lots more. Or use it as an exfoliating face mask while it's still fresh!
