I have to admit that at first I was an oat milk hater. Oat milk? Doesn’t oats plus water equal oatmeal? Why would I pay 75 cents extra to put it in my coffee when I already had oatmeal for breakfast?
When a friend called me from the grocery store asking my opinion on which one of the oat milk brands that had inundated the “milk” market to buy, all I could say was, “Seriously? What’s next? Wheat water?” But then I tried the creamy deliciousness that is oat milk and I’ve never looked back. I love it and I’m not the only one.
Oat milk has become so popular that in April, coffee giant Starbucks announced that just one month after offering the brand Oatly oat milk at all of its US stores, it had run out “due to high demand,” according to CNN Business. Swedish company Oatly, credited for starting the oat milk craze, just went public in May and is valued at $10 billion. Oat milk is now the second most popular plant-based milk in the US.
What is oat milk?
DIY: How to make oat milk
Ready to make your own oat milk? McCord shared her recipe with Mom.com, along with some variations that incorporate strawberries, chocolate, and matcha.
Catherine McCord’s Homemade Oat Milk
Makes 3 1/2 cups
Ingredients:
1 cup old-fashioned oats
3 1/2 cups water
1 date, pitted, or 1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
- Place oats and water in a high speed blender and puree for 30 to 45 seconds or until oats are almost pulverized (it’s OK if small pieces of oats remain). If the milk isn’t sweet enough, add another pitted date or maple syrup to taste and puree an additional 15 seconds.
- Place a white T-shirt or kitchen towel over a pitcher or bowl and slowly pour the mixture in. Squeeze the T-shirt or towel to squeeze out as much oat milk as possible.
- Store in a covered container for up to five days.
Strawberry milk: Add 1/4 cup of fresh or frozen strawberries in step 1.
Chocolate milk: Add 2 tablespooons cocoa powder in step 1.
Matcha milk: Add 2 teaspoons green tea powder in step 1.
