You Can Make Oat Milk At Home, But Should You?

Plant-based milk can be delicious, but many brands are not cheap compared to their dairy competitors. Oat milk is now the number one plant-based milk on the market in the U.S. after surpassing soymilk in 2020. It is a simple recipe, but is it cheaper to make oat milk than to buy a carton from the grocery store?

The ingredients for oat milk consist of oats and water. However, a dash of honey, vanilla, or cinnamon can help with the flavor profile for anyone who likes a bit of sweetness in their milk. With this in mind, the ingredients can be easily found in your pantry or faucet. Generic oats can cost roughly four dollars, and about one cup of oats creates three cups of milk. Simply put, you're spending 30 cents per cup of oat milk used.

However, if convenience is more important to you, there is a plethora of name-brand oat milk on the market today. But with so many oat milk options that include additives and subtle flavor differences, it can be difficult to choose. Whereas, making oat milk from home gives you the choice of what's added to your milk, a cost-efficient amount of supplies, and the feeling of admiration that you made something from scratch — because who wouldn't be proud of that?

Whether you're lactose intolerant or just prefer dairy-free, oat milk made at home doesn't take too long either. Homemade oat milk consists of three parts — blending, straining, and enjoying. It's not a hard process, just a meticulous one in order to produce creamy and white oat milk. The secret? Use rolled oats and ice-cold water. This keeps the oats from becoming a thicker liquid with a gray undertone. But, do not fear if this happens, it doesn't mean the oat milk has spoiled, it just means the water was a bit too warm allowing the starch to become gooey.

While many recommend soaking the oats, this isn't necessary, as it breaks down the starches. Instead, blend the oats and water for a short time, strain using a sieve or cheesecloth, and place in a sealable jar or pitcher. As for taste, creamy oat milk tends to have a neutral oat flavor, but adding sweeteners or tossing in a few dates can add a subtle sweetness. 

Although you are dedicating time out of your day to create your amazing oat milk, it is worth it. The shelf life lasts roughly five days, whereas store-bought alternative milk lasts longer. But if you're a coffee drinker, put milk in your tea, or love cereal, it's easy to use it before the milk goes bad.

A huge difference between homemade oat milk and store-bought is the additives. Many dairy-free milks contain tricalcium phosphate, xanthan gum, or other thickening agents to make oat milk more white and preserve it for longer. However, making it at home helps remove unnecessary chemicals. Avoiding additives and buying certified gluten-free oats when gathering supplies for homemade oat milk is another step to guarantee your milk isn't cross-contaminated and is allergy-friendly.

Whether you're lactose intolerant or simply prefer dairy-free milk, consuming homemade oat milk or grabbing a container from the store helps decrease the number of greenhouse gases emitted into the environment. Alternative milk cuts down on greenhouse gasses compared to dairy farms, which produce "2% of all U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions," according to the National Milk Producers Federation. So, you can save a few dollars and decrease your environmental footprint by making oat milk from scratch.