Here’s Why You Should Switch to Oat Milk

Nut Milks (think: almond) can be tasty, but they’re also expensive, and can be terrible for the environment. Thankfully, they’re far from the only dairy replacement out there.

Oat milk has been making its way into coffee shops lately as a frothy latte alternative. So, what exactly is oat milk? Essentially, it’s just oats and water blended together and then strained to remove the chunky bits. It’s great if you can’t drink nut milks due to allergies or if you simply don’t prefer the taste.

Want to give it a try? Oat milk is fairly easy to make at home. We made two versions here to taste test—a steel cut oats and a rolled oats version—and they couldn’t have been simpler.

In each instance, we used ½ cup of oats to 2 cups of filtered water. With the steel-cut oats, you want to soak the grains for about 30 minutes and rinse afterwards to soften and reduce the possibility of a slimy texture. Simply blend the oat-water mixture in a high powered blender for about 30 seconds and then strain through a cheesecloth: Voila!

Both versions were slightly thinner than your average glass of almond milk. The old-fashioned rolled oats milk had a thicker texture, however, and more body than its steel-cut counterpart.

A few editors noted that either would be ideal to put in your morning coffee or tea. It’s also good as a base liquid in a pre- and post-workout smoothie: The carbohydrates in the oats are a good way to replenish your energy.

Homemade oat milk should be refrigerated and stored in an airtight container, where it’ll keep for up to 4 days. The water and oats will separate once settled, so be sure to give it a quick stir before each use.

Feel free to sweeten with a natural sweetener like agave nectar or maple syrup. You can also add vanilla extract and a dash of ground cinnamon for more flavor.

Making oat milk is far cheaper than purchasing a carton of nut milk. (Hooray for cheap grains!) Also, oats are gluten-free. However, they can be processed in a factory with wheat products causing cross-contamination so be sure to read the packaging label if you are celiac or have an intolerance to to gluten. Oats are also lactose-free, vegan-friendly, and soy-free.

Making oat milk at home is super easy, but if you rather just buy some, there are a few companies that sell grain milks. Oatly, a Swedish company that has a complete line of oat drinks, even makes a special edition for baristas that allows the milk to forth just as full fat milk does to make lattes.