Cookbook:Oat Milk

Oat milk is a non-dairy milk substitute made primarily from oats and water. Commercially-available oat milk often includes stabilizers and thickeners to mimic cow milk.

Characteristics

Oat milk is mild, with a characteristic oat flavor. It is thinner than cow milk and many other non-dairy milks, and stabilizers must be added to give it more body.

Production

Commercial

Oat milk is made by grinding oats with water and/or reconstituting oat powder in water. Many commercial products will go through an enzyme treatment to help break down starches that give the final product a slimy texture. The oat milk is then supplemented with oils, thickeners, and stabilizers to give it a creamy texture and properties like those of cow milk. The oat milk may also be sweetened.

Homemade

Homemade oat milk is made by grinding oat groats or rolled oats with cold water and straining out the remaining oat solids. Vegetable oil may be blended in to help add creaminess. Soaking the oats for too long or squeezing the oat pulp too much may result in a slimy consistency from the oat starches.

Uses

Oat milk can be used in many, but not all, of the same applications as dairy milk. Due to its thickeners and stabilizers, commercial oat milk foams well for use in hot beverages, but homemade oat milk does not usually foam as well.