The other day, I went to my local coffee shop for the first time since I returned home, which admittedly has become a ritual, as it gives me not only a reason to get out of bed in the morning but also (embarrassingly) a sense of fulfillment. As usual, I ordered an iced latte, to which the barista responded, “And what kind of milk will that be?” This prompted a slight smile from me, as I became acutely aware of the fact that I was ordering an iced latte from a small coffee shop in the middle of Los Angeles. Oat milk is now at least 75 cents, if not $1, extra at these local coffee shops, totaling my coffee orders to $5, $6 or $7! Unfortunately, my coffee shop now charges me $1 extra, one of my many daily and insurmountable struggles of being lactose intolerant. So, I’ve started to make coffee at home. To make my experience more fun and adventurous, I’ve taken on learning how to make my own oat milk — and I think you should too!
Ingredients
- 2 cups cold water
- ¾ cup rolled oats
- 1 Medjool dates (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- Honey
Directions
- Add your dry ingredients to the blender, along with the water.
- Blend for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, until oats are completely broken down.
- Using a cheesecloth, nut milk bag, thin cloth or a strainer, pour the blended oat milk in your straining device and into whatever container you decide to store the oat milk in.
- Keep it in the refrigerator for up to a week, and enjoy!
There you have it, your very own (not that expensive) oat milk! I want to stress that you really don’t need anything other than the water and oats, but if you’d like your milk a bit sweeter, then the other ingredients will do the trick. Again, there’s really no perfect formula, so sweeten it as much or as little as you’d like. I’ve found that the ingredients create a delicious and delightful beverage that’s perfect for coffee, tea or to have on its own!
