Dairy free milk has been on the rise for years now, beloved by vegans, lactose intolerants, and beverage connoisseurs alike. Many buy it by the gallon at supermarkets, while there are still those of us who drag our feet. We say “Almond milk is fine, but is it really that important to break the dairy habit?” or “Oat milk is okay, but the one I tried that one time wasn’t that good.”
We’re here to say: give alternative milks another shot. And while you’re at it, go ahead and make your own from home.
Why? Because when you make your own milk, you can customize the flavor by adding whatever you’d like (see the oat milk recipe below for some ideas), and you don’t need to buy a whole new jug to try out a flavor you haven’t had before.
Also, the process as a whole is cheaper, because you can use filtered water or tap water and buy your oats in bulk, so you spend just cents on each quart of oat milk you make.
Lastly, making your own milk is more sustainable than buying store-bought, even if you already avoid dairy (which is one of the leading agricultural sources of pollution in the US). While store-bought oat or nut milk is also vegan, cruelty-free, and better for the environment than dairy milk, making your own at home shrinks your carbon footprint that much more.
Simple Oat Milk Recipe
First, you need supplies:
a nut milk bag (or even a clean t-shirt will work in a pinch!),
a high-speed blender,
an air-tight jar to store your finished product in,
and of course, your oats and water.
Simply blend 1 cup rolled oats and 4 cups water in a blender for a little under a minute (over-blending can result in less creamy milk). You can also add honey, salt, dates, cinnamon, cocoa powder, or vanilla extract when blending for any additional flavor that you would like. When you’re finished blending (it should not be smooth at this point!) pour the resulting liquid into a nut milk bag to sort out the pulp. Straining twice can help remove excess starch that would make the milk seem slimy. The resulting pulp can be composted at home.
Your oat milk will last about 5 days in the fridge before it, too, can be returned to the soil (if there’s any left!). Then you make a new batch and enjoy it all over again! Since you bought your oats in bulk, this doesn’t mean another trip to the store, which cuts down on your spending and your emissions – all the better for you and the planet!
Making oat milk at home is quick, affordable, and surprisingly satisfying. With just a handful of ingredients and a blender, you can skip the additives, reduce packaging waste, and enjoy a fresher taste than anything store-bought.