Prep time: 10 minutes plus overnight soaking

Clean up time: 5 minutes

Makes 1-1.5 litres

We go through a lot of plant-based milk in our house, sometimes over a litre a day. And you can only buy one-litre cartons, which also means a lot of waste (someone out there make a larger box please!). To reduce some packaging and give Jamie a less processed plant-based milk, I started making a batch of this oat milk 2-3 times a week. We use it on cereal, in porridge, baking, and for Jamie (not as a replacement for breastmilk but to supplement it). The only downside is, it doesn’t froth in the coffee machine. This is a deal-breaker for Jase, so we still buy some each week just for coffee!

I’ve tried many, many oat milk recipes, and they always turn out a bit watery and sometimes even slimy! I think it’s just the nature of oats when they get wet; they do make great porridge after all. We made a version of this milk for Jensen when he was a toddler but have tweaked it again. Adding a portion of sunflower seeds seemed to cancel out the slime factor and makes it thicker (and creamier, I know…the irony) without altering the taste too much. Switching to plant-based milk is a small change that uses less packaging, saves money, and is better for baby cows and the planet. Check out my post here on dairy for more details about calcium and the ethical implications of cows milk.

Joey’s Simple Oat milk

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup steel-cut or rolled oats (see tips)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
a handful of walnuts (optional)
2 tablespoons of maple syrup or 6-8 dates (see tips)
1-1.5 litres of water (see tips)
pinch of salt

METHOD

-Place oats, sunflower seeds (walnuts and dates) if using in a bowl and cover with water.

-Leave to soak for at least two hours or covered overnight in the fridge.

-Drain and rinse thoroughly.

-Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend on high until smooth (about 30-60 seconds).

-Drain through a fine sieve or nut milk bag and store in glass jars in the fridge for up to five days.

Ingredient Tips:

-It’s important to use steel-cut or rolled oats for this milk as quick cut oats go really mushy when soaked and are hard to rinse. The rinsing reduces the slime factor, and steel-cut and rolled oats are much easier to handle.

-We added walnuts for some extra omega-3 for Jamie, but since he has started daycare we’ve reverted to the nut-free version. Only add a handful of walnuts as it does change the flavour.

-Regular dates can be very hard on your blender (Medjool are so expensive in NZ!), so make sure you soak them with the oats and sunflower seeds. They are great to add extra fibre and iron to the milk too. If using dates, the milk will have a slight brown tinge to it, nothing to worry about, just the colour of dates!

-This recipe makes a nice consistency milk using 1.5 litres. If you want it thicker, then try it with one litre.

Preparation & Clean Up Tips:

-The leftover pulp can be used to bake with, but I’ve never had much luck making it into anything tasty. It can be great to add to smoothies when I’m organised enough, but usually, we give it to our goats and pigs as a treat.

-We are in no way affiliated with Almond Cow, but this appliance has changed my life! If you are planning on making plant-based milk regularly, then I would recommend the investment. I’ve timed myself making the milk, and it takes under 15 minutes, including set up and washing all the dishes. This means I can soak the ingredients in the afternoon and whip up a quick batch once the kids are in bed or even before school in the morning. Using a blender and sieve/nut milk bag is probably just as fast, but the cleanup is a lot messier. We use ours 2-3 times a week and are getting good use out of it. They are about the same price as a mid-range blender.

Nourishment:

Oats - Are a great source of fibre, protein, magnesium, zinc and iron.

Sunflower seeds - Are a great source of polyunsaturated fats, especially for infants and children. They also contain Vitamin E, selenium, fibre and iron.

Walnuts - are a great plant-based source of omega-3 fats and have a wide range of other vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin E, selenium, fibre, folate, zinc, and iron.

Dates - are a great natural sweetener and come packed with other nutritional goodies. They are super high in fibre, contain antioxidants, and are a great source of vitamins and minerals, including potassium, niacin, and iron.

Maple Syrup - is another excellent natural sweetener and is largely unprocessed. It has a sweet flavour and contains trace amounts of minerals, including calcium, iron, zinc and antioxidants.

Below is a comparison between a cup of store brought oat milk and cows milk. Plant-based milk generally contains fewer calories, less fat (especially saturated fat), more fibre (cow’s milk has none), no cholesterol, and about the same amount of calcium. It does have less protein, but you can read my post here about how too much protein isn’t actually good for us!

By switching to plant-based milk (store or homemade), you are making a positive change. They taste great, are coming down in price, and are much better for your health, the animals, and the environment. I hope you try out this recipe and enjoy it. Small swaps can make a big difference! Now I need to find a recipe that froths in the coffee machine…stay tuned!

Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or health professional. I have completed a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from eCornell and have done in-depth research about plant-based living. The information I trust is mostly sourced from medical professionals that are leading the way in this plant-based revolution. Check out my recommended page for more info.