Oat Milk Is a Delicious Creamy Beverage

While most people immediately think of cow milk when they say or hear the word milk, there are actually quite a few other possibilities that can be turned into the milk of their own. These include nuts, legumes, and grains. Examples might respectively include almond milk, soy milk, and oat milk.

Oat milk is perhaps not as well-known as a dairy substitute as almond milk or soy milk, but it's gaining in popularity due to its uses and health benefits. The process of making it retains a lot of its nutritional value without needing extras, and cooks across the country use it for many different dishes. It's also a rather sweet and creamy drink to have just by itself. Knowing more about oat milk can help you decide if it belongs in your kitchen.

What Is Oat Milk?

Oat milk starts with either whole oats or steel-cut oats. In both cases, they get soaked in water before being strained. The straining process involves either a cheesecloth or a specialized nut milk bag. The remaining oat pulp will have the majority of any protein and fiber. However, the liquid oat milk will have some oat nutrients in it.

Oats absorb water better than nuts. Due to this, when blended sufficiently, more of the actual food will pass through the bag or cloth. The end result is a creamier texture compared to nut milk without other ingredients needing to be added. The consistency and texture make it both a standalone beverage or an ingredient for smoothies, baked goods, and creamy soups in quite a few kitchens.

Benefits of Oat Milk

A single-cup serving of oat milk does provide nutritional benefits. It has 120 calories and only 5 total grams of fat. Only half a gram of that fat is saturated. You also get 3 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber. Oat milk also has over one-third of your daily recommended allowance for calcium and one-quarter of your RDA for vitamin D. This is good news for anyone allergic or sensitive to dairy milk who wants a good substitute.

One cup of oat milk does have 16 grams of carbohydrates and 7 grams of sugar. That's less sugar than cow milk but more than unsweetened nut milk. The fiber content of oat milk is better than most nut milk. One kind of fiber is a soluble fiber called beta-glucan, one that might lower LDL cholesterol and possibly lower your risk of heart disease.

Making Oat Milk at Home

Making tasty oat milk can be really easy. However, if you've made other milk that is based on plants, then don't wring as much as you can out of it. Oat milk comes out grainy and even slimy if you press and squeeze too much.

The first step in doing this is to set up a powerful blender and add 3 cups of filtered water and a half-cup of rolled oats to it. Blend it for half a minute until you see the water turn white and creamy.

Once that is done, put a fine mesh strainer on top of a big bowl so you can pour your oat milk through it. Discard any excess from the strainer. Straining a second time is optional but will give you a smoother texture. If you want to sweeten it just a bit, gently mix in 2 teaspoons of maple syrup, half a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and one-eighth a teaspoon of sea salt. Chill the oat milk in your fridge so you can enjoy it cold later.