Author: This is the best homemade oat milk, smooth, creamy, and never slimy. No chalkiness, no weird aftertaste, just perfectly balanced oat milk made in just 5 minutes with simple ingredients. It's extra creamy, lightly sweet, and you can use it for baking, smoothies, oatmeal, or flavor it for a rich, creamy drink.
Creamy, dreamy, and better than store-bought. This homemade oat milk recipe uses a few simple tricks to give you that silky texture without any gums or additives. It's ready in just 5 minutes and perfect for coffee (try it in my Pecan Crunch Oat Latte), cereal, smoothies, or baking. Once you try it, you'll never go back to store-bought!
Why This Homemade Oat Milk is a Staple
- The key to non-slimy oat milk: use ice-cold water + ice, blend 30-45 seconds max, and strain gently (don't over-squeeze).
- Ultra creamy: A little shredded coconut adds richness and body without gums or emulsifiers.
- Ready in 5 minutes: No soaking, no fuss. Just blend, strain, and enjoy.
- Perfect for everything: Great for coffee, cereal, smoothies, baking, or drinking straight from the glass.
Ingredients for Homemade Oat Milk
- Cold water: Cold is key to preventing slimy oat milk!
- Ice cubes: A small handful helps keep the mixture extra cold while blending, which prevents excess starch release.
- Rolled oats: Old-fashioned rolled oats work best because they do not require soaking. If using steel-cut oats, soak them for at least 30 minutes or overnight before blending.
- Unsweetened shredded coconut: The secret ingredient for extra creaminess without needing gums or emulsifiers.
- Maple syrup (optional): Adjust the amount to your liking.
- Vanilla extract (optional): Adds a subtle sweetness and enhances the flavor.
- Salt: A pinch balances everything.
- Optional neutral oil: 1 to 2 teaspoons mimics the richness of store-bought oat milk, but this is optional.
How to Make Oat Milk at Home
- Combine: Add the cold water, ice, oats, shredded coconut, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, and optional oil to a blender.
- Blend briefly: Blend on high for 30 to 45 seconds max. Do not over-blend, as the heat and agitation can make the oat milk slimy.
- Strain gently: Pour through a nut milk bag, cheesecloth, or thin towel into a bowl. Gently squeeze just enough to extract the milk. Avoid over-squeezing, as this can push excess starch through and make the oat milk gummy.
- Chill and store: Transfer to a sealed jar or bottle and refrigerate. Shake before each use, as natural separation will occur.
Tips & Substitutions
- Keep everything cold: This is the #1 trick for preventing slimy oat milk. Use cold water and ice.
- Blend briefly: Over-blending releases too much starch, which causes gumminess.
- Strain gently: Press lightly. Over-squeezing pushes starch through.
- Avoid high heat: Heating oat milk too much can cause it to thicken due to the natural starches.
- Customize sweetness: Adjust maple syrup to taste or swap for dates, sugar, or agave.
- Best for iced drinks: Homemade oat milk works best in iced coffee or lattes. For hot drinks, it works, but just heat gently and avoid boiling.
What to Do With Leftover Oat Pulp
Don't throw it out! The leftover oat pulp is packed with fiber and can be used in tons of ways:
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and shake before using.
If you try this homemade oat milk recipe, let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
Best Homemade Oat Milk (No Sliminess! Ready in 5 Minutes)
This is the easiest, creamiest, and most reliable oat milk recipe. No sliminess, no chalky texture, and no weird aftertaste. Just blend, strain, and enjoy! Perfect for cereal, smoothies, iced lattes, baking, and drinking straight from the glass.
Servings: cups
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Ingredients
- 4 cups cold water
- 1 handful ice cubes, (helps prevent sliminess)
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, (for creaminess)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, (optional, for a little sweetness)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, (optional)
- 1 pinch salt
- Optional: 1-2 teaspoons neutral oil for extra creaminess, (mimics store-bought), but totally optional.
Instructions
- Blend briefly: Add all ingredients to your blender and blend on high for 30-45 seconds max. Do not over-blend or the heat + agitation can make the oat milk slimy.
- Strain gently: Line a large bowl with a nut milk bag or fine cheesecloth and pour the oat milk through. Lift and gently squeeze. Avoid over-squeezing, which pushes starch through and can cause gumminess. Discard or repurpose the pulp.
- Chill & store: Transfer to a sealed jar or bottle. Shake before each use, as natural separation will occur. Homemade oat milk keeps for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Notes
Flavored Oat Milk Variations:
- Chocolate Oat Milk: Add 2 tablespoons cocoa + 1 extra tablespoon maple syrup.
- Strawberry Oat Milk: Blend in ½ cup fresh or frozen strawberries.
- Vanilla Latte Oat Milk: Add 1 teaspoon espresso powder.
- Cinnamon Oat Milk: Add ¼ teaspoon cinnamon + pinch of nutmeg.
- Extra Creamy Option:Add 1-2 tablespoons light neutral oil or ¼ cup soaked cashews.
Substitutions:
Coconut substitute: Use ¼ cup (30 g) soaked cashews (soften by soaking overnight or boiling 10 min). Maple syrup substitute: Use agave, 1–2 pitted dates, white sugar, or brown sugar. Coffee note: Works great in coffee, but avoid boiling or overheating, as it can thicken slightly due to the oat starches. Storage: Store in an airtight bottle or jar for up to 5 days. Separation is normal, just shake before using.Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 25mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
Bobbi pauling says
This recipe looks great....much prefer adding coconut flakes, which I always have in my house, to all the additives in store bought. This is my question though, if I use the ail free type of coconut milk using an immersion frother attachment, I can make foam to put on top of my coffee making it like a latte. Do you know if your recipe will foam up with an immersion frother or the like?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Bobbi! Thanks so much for the kind comment 😊 As for foaming this oat milk with an immersion frother, unfortunately, homemade oat milk typically doesn’t foam well. That said, you might be able to get a light froth if the milk is very cold and freshly strained, and you use a gentle hand with the frother—but it won't be like store-bought barista blends. If you're looking for a foamier result, you could experiment with adding a small amount (½ – 1 teaspoon) of neutral oil to the blender when making the milk, which can help improve the frothing texture. Let me know if you try it!
Camille says
Finally got sick of buying oat milk so gave this a try. It was just okay. I used a 200 micron bag to strain it and had no problem with pulp, just let it hang for an hour. The result tastes quite 'oaty' to me, which is fine on cereal or in smoothies. But sadly, without gellan gum, it does not foam whatsoever for lattes. I don't have gellan gum on hand, but I do have xanthan gum, so might try that.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Camille, Since this is homemade oat milk with just a few simple ingredients, it naturally has more of that fresh oaty taste compared to store-bought versions that contain added gums and stabilizers. If you're looking for a more neutral flavor, you could try rinsing the oats before blending or adding a bit more vanilla or sweetener to balance it out. For frothing, xanthan gum might help a bit, but it won't have the same effect as gellan gum. Some people also have success adding a tiny bit of sunflower lecithin, which can help with emulsification and texture.
Karen says
Hi my oats are organic steel cut and notice you say to soak steel cut oats overnight. What do I do once they’ve been soaked. Do I drain or use the water they were soaked in, in my oat milk recipe please?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Karen, soak the oats with the 4 cups of water mentioned in the recipe. When ready to blend, add the soaked oats along with their soaking water into the blender along with all of the remaining ingredients. Blend and enjoy!
Neva Suggs says
I am using organic sprouted rolled oats, do I need to do anything special to make the oatmilk? I am on a keto diet, does the unsweetened coconut add carbs?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Neva, the organic sprouted rolled oats should work just fine. I do not believe the keto diet is safe or healthy so I cannot advise on that. Here is some info if you are interested. I hope that helps!
Angela says
I've just made this - it's delicious. I've never had success with oat milk but this really worked. I did add a teaspoon of lecithin & a teaspoon of canola oil (something I gleaned from other online recipes). I only used 3 cups of cold water as I prefer a thicker consistency. The cashew nuts really make it have a lovely creamy texture too. Thank you for the recipe
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you love it so much Angela 🙂
cazz says
I love this recipe adapted it slightly used one and a third cup of oats and as suggested substituted cashews for coconut it is lovely added to coffee.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you love it cazz!!
Charissa says
How does this do frothing for coffee? My coffee machine heats and froths my store bought oatmilk so I am curious if the texture of this would come out slimy heating and frothing it. TIA!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Charissa, I haven't tried this yet, if you give it a go let us know how it turns out. I know that a lot of store-bought oat milk brands add oil to their milks to make them steam better. So if you try it, you might also want to try add a touch of neutral tasting oil (such as canola or vegetable) to your oat milk. That might work 🙂
Charissa says
Thanks so much for the tip! I will give that a try and let you all know whenever I make it how it came out!
Jack says
I'm still trying different recipes with mine. so far the best has been adding half a cup of cashews and a tablespoon of oil. I still find at the bottom of my cup the last mouthful is thick and a little grainy. on cerial it is lovely though.
any comments with regards to making it more yes friendly are appreciated
Steffen says
This is ok. The texture/creaminess is bang on for how I like it, but it just tastes too much like coconut. It works well for oatmeal, but it really doesn't go well in cold brew coffee..
CM says
I only have sweetened shredded coconut, would that be okay to use..? I'm assuming if the coconut is already sweetened, that would just mean use less sweetener but I'm wanting to make sure. I'm getting ready to try this recipe today, as I've officially ran out of my Chobani Extra Creamy Oatmilk lol!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi CM, yes you are correct, that will work fine but it will sweeten you oat milk quite a bit. So omit the sweetener and only add to taste if needed at the end. Enjoy!
Catherine Gilmour says
Re the coffee. I like my coffee extra hot so using oatmilk from the fridge would cool it down. You said do not boil but can the oat milk be gently heated and not turn slimy?
James says
Just a suggested edit: In your written description, you say "...I found that adding ¼ unsweetened shredded coconut..." without specifying the measure. Presumably you meant to say 1/4 cup. Cheers!
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Great catch, thanks for the suggestion!
Melyssa says
Is it possible to omit the maple syrup? Would I need to make any other changes to "make up for it"? I love oat milk but find it to always be too sweet (even the unsweetened!). Seems this recipe would be perfect if I can remove that extra sweetness. Thank you!
A. Kafi says
How do you use the “leftover’ oats? Can it be used in another recipe?
Sam Turnbull says
I included that info in the notes of the recipe: "How to use leftover oat milk pulp: stir it into your oatmeal or overnight oats, add it to your smoothies, make my Almond Pulp Crackers (but sub the almond pulp with your oat pulp), or use it in your baking. " 🙂
Rhiannon says
You should try making oat pulp cookies! It sounds weird but they are surprisingly yummy. We always demolish the batch in one day. Do not expect your typical cookie texture haha.
Sam Turnbull says
I'll look into it, thanks!
Joseph says
I just made this. Best recipe for my oat milk so far and I've been making iat milk for years. I love the suggestion to use cold water or ice. I think I will use less cashews next time as I don't need it that creamy.
Thank you, as a beginner vegan yours is a go to website for me.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you loved it!!
Joseph says
I just made this and I used the leftover pulp to which I added chia seeds, chopped almonds, salt, and raisins, for my morning breakfast poridge/pudding.
Sam Turnbull says
Yum!
P Thomas says
I can't wait to try this recipe, but I'm curious, does the addition of the shredded coconut make the oat milk taste like coconut? I'm not a coconut fan. Is this addition to sweeten the oat milk or produce a thicker/creamier texture? I read another recipe that used dates. Would that be a substitute for the coconut for the same purpose?
Sam Turnbull says
I don't find there is a strong coconut taste, but I love coconut, so it might not work for you.
Jake R says
Old comment, but in case anyone else comes across it I have typically put 2 dates into a 1 L batch of oat milk (I have not yet tried maple syrup or coconut). It imparts a very light sweetness to it, much the way that cow milk has a slight sweetness, but certainly doesn't make it taste sugary.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Great tip!! Thanks for sharing Jake 🙂
Kurt says
Heating oat milk thickens it...I recently research whether oat milk could be substituted for milk in rice pudding recipes and I found a number of them. So for rice pudding, you want the oat milk to thicken. I haven't tried using oat milk for rice pudding yet though.
nil says
To make rice pudding you get short grain rice maybe 2 cups and boil it with 4 cups of water and a lemon peel, then when the rice is cooked you add the milk, sugar, butter and the vanilla until it thickens. you don't really need an exact recipe. You can sprinkle cinnamon powder on top.
Merci says
Came out creamy and delicious...thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! Happy you enjoyed 🙂
Stan says
Have you tried freezing a cup of the water in an ice cube tray then using that in the recipe for extra cold while blending? It seems like it would either not blend correctly OR it could make blending for longer periods of time possible for that extra creamy texture.
Bronwen says
Most commercial oat milks have added calcium. As a 60 year old lady with FODMAP issues, how can I add calcium in to keep my bones strong?
Sam Turnbull says
Personally, I get my calcium from foods, soy, beans, lentils, almonds, tahini, seaweed, and spinach are all good sources 🙂
Bronwen says
Unfortunately I cannot tolerate soy, beans, lentils which are all high FODMAP. I even have to watch how many almonds I eat. So I feel more confident if I can get a bit of extra calcium in my oat milk.
Sue says
Thanks for educating me Sam. I only made oat milk once, and now I know why it was yucky slimy. I will try your recipe next time, and not let it get warm in the blender. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome 🙂
Stan says
You could try flavorless calcium powders or crushed Tums/Rolaids if you can find a way to mask/integrate their flavor? I've never made this so no promises but seems like it could work (perhaps an extra tbsp or two of water to make up for the dry powders?)
Bronwen says
Worth looking at...if calcium powders are sourced from plants. Fingers crossed.
Lisa says
Have you tried this recipe in the Almond Cow?
Jennifer N Dean says
I am curious too!
Sam Turnbull says
Yes, it works wonderfully!
Haverwench says
I keep seeing that the secret to keeping oat milk from going slimy is to keep it cold, but I like milk mainly in hot drinks. So this advice does not work for me. Commercial oat milk does not turn to slime when heated, so is there a way to make homemade oat milk that doesn't? An article in Popular Science said adding amylase would help; have you tried this?
Sav says
You can actually use digestive enzymes from a capsule and spilt it open when soaking your oats! I heard that oatly does something like this to help with the slime.
Sam Turnbull says
This oat milk is lovely in coffee or tea. I just wouldn't recommend boiling the oat milk.
Sandra says
This sounds wonderful -- thank you! Would it work to strain with a coffee filter?
Sam Turnbull says
Yes you can! 🙂